The Who before The Who

By Doug Sandom

The Who before The Who
By Doug Sandom

DOUG Sandom’s part in the making of the most exciting rock band in the world can never be underestimated. He joined The Who – then known as The Detours – as their drummer in 1962 after an unexpected meeting with Roger Daltrey on a west London street. It was a time when fires were being lit under the music scene worldwide, everything had to change and The Detours had a long way to go to become revolutionary leaders in their field. Having finally decided to write his memoirs, Doug Sandom chronicles each stage of the band’s transition right up to his, Roger Daltrey’s, Pete Townsend’s and John Entwistle’s emergence from their chrysalis as The Who. It is a punchy tale of gritty determination and ever-burning passion for music. As Pete Townshend writes in his moving Foreword ‘Doug Sandom’s work with our band gave me the confidence to drive the band as a writer and creative thinker . . . ‘

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jan 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9780957434523

Book preview

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CHAPTER ONE

See You Friday

IT WAS Arthur Harris, the husband of my sister Mary, who helped me get started, and for that I will always be grateful.

Without him who knows if the magnificent Who would ever have been born? Certainly I would have had no part in it. My mates Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and I might never have come together. The Who before The Who is my story of our group – a group that became one of the most famous rock bands in the world and shaped a whole generation.

At an early age my dream was to form a band, but a band needs instruments. I managed to get a drum kit for twenty quid but I never told my wife Lily – she would not have approved of the extravagance (since I was bringing home just £10 a week as an apprentice bricklayer). So I kept the kit at Arthur’s house.

Arthur – who didn’t play any instrument but shared (and still does) my love of music - bought a guitar for a fiver less. Now we needed some musicians – preferably ones with their own instruments: first came guitarist Chris Bolton, a relative of Arthur’s; then a chap called Paul Glanville, who played the saxophone; and finally, Tom Liddy who could not only play bass, he could sing.

The front room of Arthur’s house in Wingate Road, Shepherds Bush, became our regular Saturday rehearsal venue. God-knows what his neighbours must have thought of the noise! We named the band The Ramrods and went looking for work, although it had to be close to home because we had no transport. There weren’t many people to play to in those early days and consequently we were paid very little. Although we started to build up a bit of a local following, it all got a bit too frustrating. One day The Ramrods were simply no more.

Perhaps that was the best thing that could have happened to me. I got to meet up with loads of bands and, as I got friendlier with them, they’d let me sit in with them. One such band was The Detours, and let me tell you how that