Instead I just want to say goodbye. The drummer explained that since a cherry bomb was about to explode, he had thrown it down the toilet and showed Townshend the case of cherry bombs. [59], At an early show at the Railway Tavern in Harrow, Townshend smashed his guitar after accidentally breaking it. [147] Moon then took some clomethiazole tablets. At the hotel he ran back to his room, grabbed the television and threw it out of the window into the swimming pool below. and was carried offstage for good. "Keith Moon, there was a character. This classic from Tommy is the quintessential example of how Moons bombastic drumming could add gravitas to a particularly emotional song. At the end of the 1976 US tour in Miami that August, Moon became delirious and was treated in Hollywood Memorial Hospital for eight days. else { Like a train ride you couldn't stop. "[173], Several rock drummers, including Neil Peart[174] have cited Moon as an influence. According to Lewis, Moon was drunk by the time the band went onstage at Atwood Stadium. God bless his wife and daughter, and Ill bet the horses will miss him too., A post shared by pete townshend (@yaggerdang), I am a Brazilian journalist, a Classic Rock and Heavy Metal lover. By Henry Yates. The kit was eventually fitted with copper fittings[58] and later given to a young Zak Starkey. September 7, 2020. [64], On the Who's early US package tour at the RKO 58th Street Theatre in New York in March and April 1967, Moon performed two or three shows a day, kicking over his drum kit after every show. [40] Moon's knack for making his bandmates laugh around the microphone led them to banish him from the studio when vocals were being recorded; this led to a game in which Moon would sneak in to join the singing. [58] At one point, Moon asked Premier to make a white kit with gold-plated fittings. : Clem Burke Talks About Eurythmics To Modern Drummer", "The Who's Keith Moon to be honoured with 'blue plaque', "Keith Moon's Love/Hate Relationship With His Drum Set", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keith_Moon&oldid=1152651823, This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 14:26. Please contact the developer of this form processor to improve this message. He was more like three people in one. This video captures Moon's final television interview - a highly-publicised appearance on Good Morning America with host David Hartman, on August 7, 1978. After college I did a postgraduate degree in digital communication. When Walter-Lax checked on him the following afternoon, she discovered he was dead. Moon's lifestyle began to undermine his health and reliability. Due to his pioneering playing style, Moon didnt spend his childhood daydreaming emulating his drumming icons and most drummers he felt indifference towards. And you couldnt have Cream without Ginger Baker., Right after the news of Charlie Watts passing in August, 2021 at the age of 80, The Who guitarist Pete Townshend recalled on his Instagram that the drummer wept at Keith Moons funeral back in 1978: Full Moon. I've said this before, but Keith Moon is the reason I'm playing drums today. "[168], Moon's drumming has been praised by critics. Or as Moon himself puts it, he is the worlds bestKeith-Moon-type drummer. [54] His first Premier kit was in red sparkle and featured two high toms. "[158] The New Book of Rock Lists ranked Moon No. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({ [9] On his way home from school, Moon would often go to Macari's Music Studio on Ealing Road to practise on the drums there, learning his basic skills on the instrument. He was one of a kind. oneSignal_options['notifyButton'] = { }; Music has always been part of my life, helped me through tough moments and was with me to celebrate the good ones. [155] Police determined that there were 32 clomethiazole pills in Moon's system. You knew what he meant, but Moon could play with detailed restraint, as on so many Who tracks, such as Im Free; with full theatricality, as on Wont Get Fooled Again; or, often, with a combination of the two on the same track out of his brain, and back in it, on 5:15, for example. Jack McCullogh, then working for Track Records (the Who's label), recalls Moon ordering him to purchase a milk float to store in the garage at Tara. [72] Rolling Stone's John Hoegel appreciated Entwistle's decision not to let Moon drum, saying that it distanced his album from the familiar sound of the Who. [21] The Beachcombers all had day jobs; Moon, who worked in the sales department at British Gypsum, had the keenest interest in turning professional. I said: 'Right.' document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); About Us Contributors Terms of Service Privacy Policy 2023 uDiscover Music, The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again (Shepperton Studios / 1978), Justin Hayward To Return As Host Of On The Blue Cruise 2024, Featuring Fellow Classic Rock Greats, Watch New Lyric Video For Dire Straits Brothers In Arms Hit Walk Of Life, Moody Blues Deluxe To Our Childrens Childrens Children Adds Albert Hall Show, Mixed Emotions: The Rolling Stones Set Wheels In Motion Again, All Those Years Ago: George Harrison Recorded Somewhere In England, Psychedelic Blues: When The Blues Turned On And Tuned In, 702, Tame Impala, And Brick & Lace: Currently Trending Songs, Best Iggy Pop Songs: 20 Tracks With An Insatiable Lust For Life, Fancy: Behind Bobbie Gentrys Womens Lib Statement. When staying in Toronto we ran into Moonie in the Hotel elevator. When the interviewer pressed him on who or what made him get behind a drum kit, Moons answer was a world away from poetry: Jesus Christ, I think I got a free drum kit in a packet of corn flakes, The Who man jokingly responded before inexplicably adding, But no, drum solos are fucking boring. "He had no idea how to be a father", Kim said. He suffered from alcoholism and acquired a reputation for decadence and dark humour; his nickname was "Moon the Loon". "[181], Clem Burke of Blondie has said "Early on all I cared about was Keith Moon and the Who. Keith Moon once praised Paul McCartney skills as a drummer The two artists were good friends and had the opportunity to hang out many times. [151], By September 1978 Moon was having difficulty playing the drums, according to roadie Dave "Cy" Langston. [172] Adam Budofsky, editor of Drummer magazine, said that Moon's performances on Who's Next and Quadrophenia "represent a perfect balance of technique and passion" and "there's been no drummer who's touched his unique slant on rock and rhythm since. I think the word I would use to describe Keiths drumming is free rather than anarchic, wrote Townshend in the introduction to There Is No Substitute. Keith Moon wasn't a good drummer. If you remove Keith Moon from the Who equation, it's not the Who. Its just that his algorithms [he laughed as he said the word] were a little bit different, thats all it was. Actually, there wasnt only one of him. "[152], On 6 September, Moon and Walter-Lax were guests of Paul and Linda McCartney at a preview of a film, The Buddy Holly Story. [95] Around the same time he became a severe alcoholic, starting the day with drinks and changing from the "lovable boozer" he presented himself as to a "boorish drunk". "[102], On 23 August 1967, on tour opening for Herman's Hermits, Moon celebrated what he said was his 21st birthday (although it was thought at the time to be his 20th) at a Holiday Inn in Flint, Michigan. OneSignal.push( function() { One of the secrets to Moon's playing is that he was playing the melody and the guitar parts. The Who drummer played by his own rulebook and the impact he had on drumming is immeasurable thanks to Moon accidentally shoeing in a completely new way of playing the instrument. 'My Generation' was a turning point for me because before that it was all the Charlie Watts and Ringo type of thing. His dad was an old jazzer in the Squadronnaires, sax player, so Pete's from a proper background. I mean somebody good?" Daltrey, Townshend, Robin Gibb and Moon's mother Kit were present at the ceremony. "[180], "God bless his beautiful heart" Ozzy Osbourne told Sounds a month after the drummer's death. oneSignal_options['notifyButton']['size'] = 'medium'; [134] She died in a car accident in Austin, Texas, on 2 August 2006. [35], Unlike contemporary rock drummers such as Ginger Baker and John Bonham, Moon hated drum solos and refused to play them in concert. Although that supergroup was never formed, Page remembered the phrase and later adapted it as the name of his new band. I liked Pete Townshend. But if drummers are judged by reliability and depth of skill set on and off the stage, Moon is definitely an awful drummer. When I became a journalist I knew I wanted to write about my passions. oneSignal_options['promptOptions'] = { }; I suppose it could be written in that he was a drummer in his spare time a bit of a dab hand with the sticks. Who manager Bill Curbishley agreed that Moon "wasn't disciplined enough to actually turn up or commit to doing the stuff. Keith Moon of The Who performing in Atlanta, Georgia on November 24th . "[98] He quickly developed a reputation for destroying bathrooms and blowing up toilets. In 2016, the same magazine ranked him No. You are missed today. Moon was recognised for his drumming style, which emphasised tom-toms, cymbal crashes, and drum fills. Your email address will not be published. [108] Moon passed out again during "Magic Bus", and was again removed from the stage. The band continued without him for several songs before Townshend asked, "Can anyone play the drums? Invited him up to our room. He watched a film (The Abominable Dr. Phibes), and asked Walter-Lax to cook him steak and eggs. Longtime friend and personal assistant Butler observed, "He was trying to make people laugh and be Mr Funny, he wanted people to love him and enjoy him, but he would go so far. He then jumped back into the limo, saying "I nearly forgot. [92] Butler quit in 1978, and later wrote of his experiences in a book entitled Full Moon: The Amazing Rock and Roll Life of Keith Moon. i gotta get running now. Smith remembers one occasion where he and Moon tore apart a pair of trousers, with an accomplice later looking for one-legged trousers. He proved that there was another way of doing things, Moon was unconventional on-stage and even more atypical once he stepped foot off it. And has anyone ever owned their sound from the get-go the way that Moon does on The Whos first single under that name, I Cant Explain, or the debut album that followed late in that same year of 1965, My Generation? Moon filled in for Peel in 1973's "A Touch of the Moon", a series of four programmes produced by John Walters. "I never realised dynamite was so powerful. Theyve had some fine drummers. Way to young Keith. Charlie Watts wept at Keith Moons funeral. The following year he released his only solo album, entitled Two Sides of the Moon. var oneSignal_elements = document.getElementsByClassName("OneSignal-prompt"); [135], In 1975 Moon began a relationship with Swedish model Annette Walter-Lax, who later said that Moon was "so sweet when he was sober, that I was just living with him in the hope that he would kick all this craziness. Keith Moon is often considered one of the best drummers of all time - if not thebest drummer of all time - and it's easy to see why. These Classic Tracks Show Why There Was No Drummer Like The Whos Keith Moon, The Best Coachella 2023 Performances Were Reflections Of Pure Joy, My (Non-Anonymous) Ballot For The 2023 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, HBOs White House Plumbers Delivers An Absurd Historical Snapshot And A Knockout Performance From Justin Theroux, The Rundown: Ted Lasso Has Created A Delightful Little I Think You Should Leave Conundrum, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. ); Stayed for about 10 minutes and left just as quick. var oneSignal_options = {}; He was an attention seeker and he had to have it. He was never likely to make old bones, but if rock stars live dog years, then the 14 in which Keith Moon was in all of our lives are like another persons lifetime. Go! [80] He reprised the role for the film's 1974 sequel, Stardust,[81] in Jim MacLaine's (David Essex) backing band the Stray Cats and played Uncle Ernie in Ken Russell's 1975 film adaptation of Tommy. "[33] Contemporary critics questioned his ability to keep time, with biographer Tony Fletcher suggesting that the timing on Tommy was "all over the place." Ill never forget the scene in the film The Kids Are Alright Keiths headphones gaffered to his head playing along to the synthesizer sequence. Theyve got one now Ringo Starrs son Zak. I've got no real aspirations to be a great drummer. The rest of the Who struggled on through See Me Feel Me, with Townshend and bassist John Entwistle trying to fill in where the drums should be; . Bonzo sat in on the entire Wont Get Fooled Again recording session. Keith Moon in Atlanta, November 27 1973 . He's another one who blew his ears out, like me. Keith Moon drumming style was tribal, primitive, and impulsive, with him often stomping the bass drums and pounding his wall of toms like a madman. The drummer knocked out part of his front tooth; at the hospital, doctors could not give him an anaesthetic (due to his inebriation) before removing the remainder of the tooth. In 1967, he contributed backing vocals to "All You Need Is Love". [143], On 4 January 1970 Moon accidentally killed his friend, driver and bodyguard, Neil Boland, outside the Red Lion pub in Hatfield, Hertfordshire. Moon developed a habit of kicking over his drums, claiming that he did so in exasperation at an audience's indifference. Moons drumming also fits the theme of the song quite well, telling the tale of a boy whose mother forces him to act feminine when he just wants to be a regular boy. Because I want to break your fucking jaw You have fucked this band around so many times and I'm not having it any more. Not a rock drummer, a jazz drummer really, and thats why the Stones swung like the Basie band!! Moon did not play drums on the album; Jerry Shirley did, with Moon providing percussion. I don't know if he was a very good drummer outside of Pete," he adds, laughing. In 1972 the performance was released as a companion disc to Lennon and Ono's album Some Time in New York City. This song is a reminder that along with his incredible energy, Moon also brought a much needed sense of humor to The Who, often counteracting the dark lyrical themes that Pete Townshend explored. "He was too much of a child himself. And that was it. In early 1964, drummer Doug Sandom left the Who, opening an opportunity for Moon to swoop in.. A popular rumor in the rock scene was that Moon took his . They gave him a shower and an injection of cortisone, sending him back onstage after a thirty-minute delay. [50], The drummer produced the violin solo on "Baba O'Riley". The drummer may have earned himself the undesirable moniker of Moon the Loon after some unmentionable acts of debauchery but we shouldnt forget that he was an untamed beast behind the drum kit. Always a sign. (function() {var wf = document.createElement('script');wf.src='https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/webfont/1/webfont.js';wf.type='text/javascript';wf.async='true';var s=document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(wf, s);})(); Pub patrons had begun to attack his Bentley; Moon, drunk, began driving to escape them and hit Boland. The Who's Keith Moon was not only (as he loved to boast) "the world's greatest Keith Moon-type drummer," he was also the . I would never put on an LP of a drummer and say everything he did I love because thats not true.. "[76] During one of his few televised solo drum performances (for ABC's Wide World), Moon played a five-minute drum solo dressed as a cat on transparent acrylic drums filled with water and goldfish. Bill Curbishley remembered that "he wouldn't walk into any room and just listen. About this, Ginger Baker said, "He wasn't my level of technique or ability, but he worked at it. He left school around Easter 1961, at age 14. During much of 1964 and 1965 his setups consisted of Ludwig drums and Zildjian cymbals. [23], A commonly cited story of how Moon joined the Who is that he appeared at a show shortly after Sandom's departure, where a session drummer was used. His exaggerated cockney accent brings some comedy to the proceedings. He said: 'You'll have to give up work there's this gig on Monday. I saw keith moon twice with the Who in 1976 at the Seattle Coliseum when I was fourteen. Throughout his tenure with the Who, his drum kit steadily grew in size, and (along with Ginger Baker) he has been credited as one of the earliest rock drummers to regularly employ double bass drums in his setup. [90] In addition to hotel rooms, Moon destroyed friends' homes and even his own, including throwing furniture from upper-storey windows. In April 1964, aged 17,[22] he auditioned for the Who as a replacement for Doug Sandom. [119][120], Before the 1998 release of Tony Fletcher's Dear Boy: The Life of Keith Moon, Moon's date of birth was presumed to be 23 August 1947. Rolling Stone tried to get to grips with exactly the man behind all these rock n roll clichd adventures is in 1971 but they were faced with Moon being in another one of his playful rather than reflective moods. Keith Moon played the drums in a similar way to how he lived his life: frenetic to the point where chaos could erupt around him at any given moment. Not many, Moon characteristically responded before listing off names. And to think he was originally going to play the bugle. [77], In the 2007 documentary film Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who, Daltrey and Townshend reminisced about Moon's talent for dressing as (and embodying) a variety of characters. Butler never took them up on the offer. I'd bring in 'My Generation'. But Moon was the. "[89], According to Townshend, Moon began destroying hotel rooms when the Who stayed at the Berlin Hilton on tour in late 1966. [2], Moon's first serious relationship was with Kim Kerrigan, whom he started dating in January 1965 after she saw the Who play at Le Disque a Go! Not constrained by rigorous pattern or timing, Moon always let the music run through him and expressed himself as succinctly as he could. [53] In recognition of his loyalty to the company, Premier reissued the kit in 2006 as the "Spirit of Lily". [149], After moving in, Moon began a prescribed course of Heminevrin (clomethiazole, a sedative) to alleviate his alcohol withdrawal symptoms. Rival 'blue plaque' for Moon puts heritage row centre stage", "John Entwistle, 57; Innovative Bass Player Co-Founded The Who", "Roger Daltrey: 'Keith Moon lived his entire life as a fantasy', "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)", "Iconic model who married Keith Moon dies in car crash", "Who Drummer Zak Starkey Holds Down Super Bowl Halftime", "London 2012 organisers wanted Keith Moon to play at Olympics ceremony", "Interview: 1985?? Although it featured Moon on vocals, he played drums on only three tracks; most of the drumming was left to others (including Ringo Starr, session musicians Curly Smith and Jim Keltner, and actor-musician Miguel Ferrer). All MY Stuff:Lets's Go Explore: https://www.facebook.com/sandraexplore/A Guitar Story: https://www.facebook.com/aguitarstory/Serial Killers Special: http. We'd go home and he'd start a fight with me. Maybe hes living out a quiet retirement somewhere up there, or down thereas if. During the 1973 Quadrophenia tour, at the Who's debut US date at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California, Moon ingested a mixture of tranquillisers and brandy. The general perception of Keith Moon as a drummer is that he was chaotic, sloppy, but it was anything but, said the frontman. Keith Moon was different from most esteemed drummers because he wasnt a great technician and instead, he played with a ferocity that set him apart from percussionists who came from a jazz-orientated background. In an interview with Guitar World magazine, he recalled that the drummer "taught me how to break things. gtag('config', 'UA-89640928-1'); Entwistle once remarked that Moon played not from side to side, but forwards. He remains a character that rock music greatly misses, even decades on after his tragic passing aged just 32 in 1978. In 1966 Moon moved to an even larger kit,[55] but without the customary hi-hatat the time he preferred keeping ride rhythms with ride and crash cymbals, but he later reinstated the hi-hats. oneSignal_elements[i].addEventListener('click', oneSignalLinkClickHandler, false); [165][166] Starkey had previously toured in 1994 with Roger Daltrey. Ginger Baker performs in New York City. He was good with The Who, I suppose, when he tried to play like me. When I was about eleven or twelve, my favourite part of drum lessons was the last ten minutes, when I'd get to sit at the drumset and play along to my favourite record. Moon's drumming continues to be praised by critics and musicians. I said, mild as you please: 'Yes, yes?' Particularly impressive is his work during the Ivor The Engine Driver portion of the song. He was the so-called mod who loved surf music and daft humor. Each of the first two choruses featurehisramshackle drumming as the primary instrument alongside Roger Daltreys vocals and, later, he becomes the essential part of the songs instrumental break, which was certainly not atypical of Moon during this period. window._oneSignalInitOptions = oneSignal_options; As McCartney recalled in an interview with Record Collector Magazine back in 1997, Moon even praised his drum skills once. [60] Subsequent live sets culminated in what the band later described as "auto-destructive art", in which band members (particularly Moon and Townshend) elaborately destroyed their equipment. enable_page_level_ads: true "[126], From 1971 to 1975 Moon owned Tara, a home in Chertsey where he initially lived with his wife and daughter. [54], By 1970 Moon had begun to use timbales, gongs and timpani, and these were included in his setup for the rest of his career. [12] His early style was influenced by jazz, American surf music and rhythm and blues, exemplified by noted Los Angeles studio drummer Hal Blaine. My cousin had a knack for finding out where The Who stayed at many of the concerts we attended. I suppose as a drummer, I'm adequate. [100][184], Anatomy of a Drum Solo DVD, Neil Peart (2005) accompanying booklet. Another huge admirer among his peers was Led Zeppelins John Bonham, who would always watch Moon as closely and as often as he could. "[75] Dave Marsh, reviewing the album in Rolling Stone, wrote: "There isn't any legitimate reason for this album's existence. Rainbow. [79] Moon's next film role was J.D. Entwistle was giving an interview to two journalists when he was interrupted by a phone call with the news of Moon's death. Your email address will not be published. This was one of the earliest songs to really show what Moon was capable of. [105] Townshend claimed that the Who were banned for life from all of the hotel's properties,[106] but Fletcher wrote that they stayed at a Holiday Inn in Rochester, New York, a week later. Behind all the faade, Keith Moon was an obsessive drummer who adored the instrument and everything that was possible to do with it but he was also a famously hard man to impress so anybody fortunate who he namedropped should have been elated by the news. oneSignal_options['promptOptions']['actionMessage'] = "Do you want to receive the latest news about Classic Rock? oneSignal_options['notifyButton']['showCredit'] = true; [167], The London 2012 Summer Olympic Committee contacted Curbishley about Moon performing at the games, 34 years after his death. Speaking to The Guardian, Christopher Frayling said they "decided that bad behaviour and overdosing on various substances wasn't a sufficient qualification." Rainbow. [86] He spent his share of the band's income quickly, and was a regular at London clubs such as the Speakeasy (where manager Roy Flynn recalls having to throw him out on three occasions[87]) and The Bag O'Nails; the combination of pills and alcohol escalated into alcoholism and drug addiction later in his life. God, I remember being here once with him when he tried to turn me on to chocolate ants; he was walking about with tins of chocolate ants. I was scared to death. [130], In 1973 Kim, convinced that neither she nor anyone else could moderate Keith's behaviour, left her husband and took Amanda;[131] she sued for divorce in 1975 and later married Faces keyboard player Ian McLagan. I remember one time, we were both in Melbourne, Australia. "[77] His performance was not appreciated by animal lovers, several of whom called the station with complaints. He did not keep a drum kit or practise at Tara, and began to deteriorate physically as a result of his lifestyle. He used to live here in Los Angeles for a while, in some of his madder days. The next evening Moon systematically destroyed everything in his hotel room, cut himself doing so and passed out. [27], Moon was particularly fond of touring since it was his only chance to regularly socialise with his bandmates, and was generally restless and bored when not playing live. Thats what I mean. Nah. He said: 'You come 'ere.' His first was in 1971, a cameo in Frank Zappa's 200 Motels as a nun afraid of dying from a drug overdose. I said: 'Nothing.' He became an acquaintance with Daltry. Neil Young has played with a lot of drummers during the past 50 years, but he always comes back to Ralph Molina, whom he first met during the Buffalo Springfield days, when Molina was a member of. According to Fletcher, Moon's toilet pyrotechnics began in 1965 when he purchased a case of 500 cherry bombs. Technically, Joe Morello is perfect. [82] Moon's last film appearance was in 1978's Sextette.[83]. He'd move his arms forward like a skier. When she objected, Moon replied, "If you don't like it, you can fuck off!" [Townshend]. Learn More{{/message}}. By 1978, after a decade of continuous hellraising, Keith Moon was a bloated, shadowy version of his former self, a man who figured he had a lot more behind him than in front. "[182], In 1998 Tony Fletcher published a biography of Moon, Dear Boy: The Life of Keith Moon, in the United Kingdom. [53] In 1973 Premier's marketing manager, Eddie Haynes, began consulting Moon about specific requirements. However, stands and foot pedals were frequently replaced; the drummer "would go through them like a knife through butter".