It’s early 1962 and Pete Townshend finally gets his audition with The Detours. Soon after three quarters of The Who play their first gig together on the scene. The band would morph and evolve over the next 2 years as they honed their skills and sound, with players coming and going. The burgeoning London club scene was spawning great music and in this episode we hear music from the Beatles, the Stones and Eric Clapton and the Yardbirds.
Haven’t heard Part 1 of The Who-Greater Than the Sum of It’s Parts? Listen to “Cradle to Stage” first.
QuikHits
Collateral Damage
Doug Sandom (2nd from right) was the first drummer to anchor The Who.
The Townshend Windmill
This truly iconic rock move was copped from Keith Richards!
World War II left Europe in tatters but out of the ashes rose a new sound in music and a youth culture that had never been seen before. American servicemen stationed in Europe had brought blues and rock n roll with them and they shared it via late night radio. UK youngsters were listening and the evolution of music from Big Band to Dixieland, Skiffle and Rock n Roll began. Setting the Stage explores how the war and growing up in post war London fuelled the talent and creativity explosion of the 60’s. (To LISTEN click the Play button in the banner image above)
Side Trax
Britain’s First R n R Song
Britain’s first real RnR song took 37 years to complete. Check out SideTrax to find out why.
American Big Band leader Glenn Miller was the most popular artist from 1939 – 1943 and his music represents the WWII sound. It was the mash-up “In the Mood” that catapulted his popularity, while his untimely death added to his iconic status.
“Lili Marlene” was originally a poem written by a 22 year old soldier during the WWI. It was put to music and recorded before the outbreak of WWII but banned by the Nazis for lacking military qualities. Despite that ban, in 1941 it began being broadcast to German troops in North Africa. It became equally loved by both Axis and Allied troops. Here is Marlene Dietrich’s German version of the song.
Lead Belly’s Rock Island Line played a pivotal role in the evolution of music in the UK and it has an interesting history.
