Where, Who, When ?

The Who is an English group formed in London in 1964 and originally composed of Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon. A group that can boast of having sold to date no less than 100 million records around the world, just that !

It was Daltrey at the age of 15 who set up a first group The Detours, a group which performed in particular in weddings at the end of the 50s. And it is within this group that he notably recruited Entwistle in 1959 then two years later Townshend in 1961.

The Who was officially born three years later in 1964 and released a first single "Zoo Suit" the same year, a single that went unnoticed to say the least. This is not the case with the following "I cant explain" which, for its part, will experience a much more favorable fate thanks to the Brunswick Records label. Label with which the group has just signed and which will propel him to the forefront of the international scene in a sensational way to say the least.

Huge success overnight which did not prevent strong tensions within the group, especially between Daltrey and Moon during 1965. To the point that Daltrey was dismissed before being reinstated on condition that he stopped his hegemony over the group.

Tensions interspersed with dazzling successes with this time the huge success of the title "My Generation" the same year. A title that will undoubtedly remain as one of their most emblematic titles of the 1960s and that will be found on their first album which came out the same year and which bears the name of the single.

The year 1966 saw the group rise in spectacular fashion with two new high-caliber tracks "Substitute" and "I’m a boy" but also, and above all, the huge single "Happy Jack". Single which will be a real global hit and further strengthen the image of the phenomenon of the moment now carried by the group. Title taken from their new album "A quick one" which will also be released the same year.

Phenomenon of the moment which at the same time conveys an image of 'bad boys' who like to break their equipment on stage and who above all break everything they have at hand, especially in hotels. With a tour of the United States in 1967 which saw them devastate several rooms, sometimes with explosives ...

A year 1967 which will be fortunately saved by the release of two enormous titles which are "Pictures of Lily" and "I can see for miles". And to a lesser extent by the relative success of their new album "The who sell out".

The group made headlines again in 1968 during their disastrous tour of Australia, which ended prematurely with outright expulsion from the country. A year that will save furniture at the last minute with the success of the “Magic bus” title.

New album "Tommy" a year later in 1969, album which will give the group its first global success of very large caliber on the album side. Album written around the life of a deaf, dumb and blind young boy who desperately tries to communicate with others. An entire program…

Album which will mainly produce the title "Pinball wizard", title written especially so that one of the journalists of the New York Times, fan of pinball in his spare time, can give them a most favorable review ...

But which will also produce the title "See me, feel me", flagship title of the group's discography and which however will experience only a mixed level of success in the Charts the following year in 1970 ...

The band was then at its peak in 1971 when they released the album "Who's next", an album that will undoubtedly stay as one of their biggest commercial successes. But who will know only one notable success on the single side with the title "Won’t get fooled again". The titles "Behind Blue Eyes" and "Baba O’Ryley", which would be released a year later in 1972, achieved only an average level of success.

Despite strong tensions between Daltrey and Townshend and a Moon totally uncontrollable due to its excessive consumption of drugs and alcohol, the group still manages to produce the album "Quadrophenia" in 1973. Album whose theme is the story of a boy named Jimmy, boy who goes through a personality crisis and his relationship with his family, his friends and his culture Mod. An album writing focused on four themes, four themes reflecting the four personalities of the Who ...

An album which will have difficulty finding its audience and which above all shows a beginning of disaffection on the part of this one for the group. To this is added a tour which will follow calamitously where the major problems will follow one another as much on stage as behind the scenes ...

It is the year 1975 which will save the group from sinking thanks to the particularly successful film version of the album "Tommy", a film with a dream cast with names such as Elton John, Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, Eric Clapton and other Tina Turner !

A year 1975 which also saw the release of the new album "The who by numbers", album which saw the group come back somewhat in the race notably thanks to the flagship single "Squeez box".

In spite of a group more and more adrift, a new album "Who are you" was born in 1978, album which will make a real planetary success in a completely unexpected way. Album carried at arm's length by the enormous title of the album name. An album that will be the last of Keith Moon, who dies of an overdose on September 6 of the same year ...

An adventure that would take a dramatic turn the following year in 1979 when 11 fans of the group were killed in an uncontrollable crowd movement shortly before their concert in Cincinnati.

Two new albums were released at the start of the 1980s, namely “Face dances” in 1981 and “It's hard” in 1982. Two albums with significant success but which almost definitively sealed the fate of the group, which ended up separating the year next.

The group will be reborn in a totally unexpected way in the middle of the 2000s, but that's another story ...

To discover or rediscover.

Discography (among others ...) :

Zoo suit 1964
I can’t explain 1965
Anyway, anyhow, anywhere 1965
My generation 1965
Substitute 1966
A legal matter 1966
The kids are alright 1966
I’m a boy 1966
Happy Jack 1966
Pictures of Lily 1967
I can see for miles 1967
Call me lightning 1968
Dogs 1968
Magic bus 1968
Pinball wizard 1969
I’m free 1969
The seeker 1970
Summertime blues 1970
See me, feel me 1970
Won’t get fooled again 1971
Let’s see action 1971
Behind blue eyes 1971
Baba O’Riley 1972
Join together 1972
Relay 1972
5:15 1973
Love, reign O’er me 1973
Postcard 1974
Squeeze box 1975
Who are you 1978
Trick of the light 1978
Long live rock 1979
You better you bet 1981
Don’t let go the coat 1981
Athena 1982
Eminence front 1982
It’s hard 1983
Real good looking boy 2004
Wire and glass 2006
It’s not enough 2006
Be lucky 2014
Ball and chain 2019
I don't wanna get wise 2019

Clips :

1964 ... the timid beginnings of a little band out of nowhere. At this point, no one can imagine the incredible career that awaits them in the years to come ...

1964 ... from the 2nd title, the group finds himself projected in a spectacular way on the front of the stage. With the key to a first major success ...

1965 ... a sequel a notch below which sends the group somewhat into the depths of the Charts. But given what is on the horizon, no need to worry about them, on the contrary !

1965 ... because THIS title will propel them One Shot to levels of notoriety that they could never have imagined ! In just 2 years they will have gone from shadows to light in a shattering way to say the least !

1966 ... difficult for this title to compete with the previous enormous steamroller. But the dynamic of success is well and truly in place and that is the essential thing above all !

1966 ... this one will do even less well. The group does not manage to repeat the feat of "My generation" and chains the semi-successes. But it could be that the end of the year will see them return to the race in a spectacular way ...

1966 ... plethora of titles in this year 1966 with very different destinies in terms of results in the Charts. This one will not do better than its 2 predecessors ...

1966 ... business finally resumes with this title. We were seriously starting to wonder when the thinning would come ...

1966 ... there, we no longer even speak of thinning but of radiant sunshine. The group landed here a second mega hit and de facto confirms its status as a phenomenon of the moment !

1967 ... a status of phenomenon of the moment which is left to last a few more years ! In just 2 years, the group will have become literally essential and now chain mega hit on mega hit !

1967 ... the group now shines all over the world and certainly does not intend to stop there. With such a level of success, the opposite would have been surprising ...

1968 ... it still happens to them to produce some 'little hits'. But once again, given what is yet to come on the horizon, no reason to worry too much ...

1968 ... there is something better but we will have to wait a little longer before seeing them win a new prestigious star. On the other hand, they can't produce Masterpieces every time either, that's clear ...

1968 ... it is the end of the year which will bring them back to the front of the race in a spectacular way. A brilliant end to the year followed by the start of 1969 which will be even more so ...

1969 ... they will sign here what will surely remain as one of their most emblematic titles. A headline originally written to flatter a pinball journalist. Mighty gift !

1969 ... a good year 1969, and above all a good decade of the Sixties, which ended in the best possible way with a new title of very high caliber. One more !

1970 ... a new decade of the 70s which started on the same bases as the end of the 60s, ie at the top of their possibilities. The group now perfectly masters its art and its destiny and unrolls in a super impressive way to say the least !

1970 ... here they make it for us in a luxury version with this revisited version of the title of Eddy Cochran dating from 1958. This version will not bring much more than the original but will bring them whatever it is a new star on a prize list which already has a certain number of them !

1970 ... paradoxically, this title will not remain as the best ranked of all but will remain above all as one of their finest achievements. A title so revealing of the musical mood of the time. A model of its kind !

1971 ... the group continues to unroll with impressive ease to say the least. Everything succeeds them as if by magic and nothing, and no one, is able to stop them, it is clear. At least for now ...

1971 ... the years go by and look alike for the moment. The mega successes follow the mega success and the group is undoubtedly one of the flagship groups of the moment. Hope it lasts ...

1971 ... a title all in finesse and lightness, at least at the beginning and which paradoxically passed under the radar despite a certain quality. Or at least who will experience a level of success after all modest. Sometimes you don't have to try to understand ...

1972 ... still one of their most iconic titles. And which, once again, will not necessarily remain as their biggest success on the Charts side. Definitely ...

1972 ... for the year 1972, the mega hit, it will be this one. On the other hand, it could well be that it is the last of the group at such a level ...

1972 ... a beautiful and BIG year 1972 with a constant and very high level of quality. The group shows once again that he certainly has not usurped its place as a major group of the moment !

1973 ... unbelievable as it sounds, the rest will be much more complicated to manage than expected. To begin with a sudden and above all inexplicable unscrewing in the Charts ...

1973 ... especially when you see what they continue to offer. Their level of inspiration is constant and yet the general public seems to be getting tired of the group. Change of mood, change of era ...?

1974 ... the tendency is confirmed to know that the group has just dropped, to say the least, brutally from the leading pack. Temporary stall or underlying trend, good question ...

1975 ... only one title for this year 1975 but it will be enough to put them back in the race, at least temporarily. It is clear that the competition is getting tougher and that the group is losing ground, year after year ...

1978 ... after a year 1976 when not much interesting happened and a year 1977 downright empty, here they are finally back in this year 1978. All in a form that we will qualify as certain, sufficient in any case to allow them to land a new notorious hit !

1978 ... and they unscrew directly behind. The group will have to reinvent himself and quickly otherwise the end of the adventure will come faster than they expected ...

1979 ... it is clear that their style does not really stick to the new trends that have emerged in recent years. They let the novelty train pass and unfortunately did not get on it ...

1981 ... they will all the same try the passage to the following decade while finally trying to adapt to new trends. Well it takes them because they will manage to make talking about them again in the best terms !

1981 ... the group is literally transformed, it is clear. The change of decade has done them the greatest good at first glance ...

1982 ... the upturn was unfortunately short-lived. The group falls back into the easy and loses all the profits acquired on the previous titles ...

1982 ... a year 1982 where we find too much their codes of the 70s. Too bad because the beginning of the decade had shown that they could change and in a good way ...

1983 ... the group seems to have reached the end of its limits and is literally crushed by the competition. Almost 20 years after their debut, the circle now seems to have come full circle for them ...

2004 ... when they were thought to be lost body and soul forever, the group will unexpectedly rise from its ashes almost 20 years later ...

2006 ... and they will even achieve the astonishing feat of landing a major new hit with this title. In a musical style that has nothing to do with the time ...

2006 ... they will not manage to reproduce the same exploit twice in a row. But what is taken is no longer to be taken as they say ...

2014 ... they reappear and disappear again just as quickly. Once again thought it was over, but it is very bad to know them. Here they are once again back !

2019 ... it is clear that they will only make some figuration during this decade of 2010 but they have the merit of believing in it. Rightly or wrongly, that's something else ...

2019 ... what is certain is that with them, nothing is ever over. There is therefore a good chance that they will be found soon. To be continued...