Pete Townshend on John Entwistle

[s_wood]

I just blundered into this great interview of Pete Townshend in which he discusses John Entwistle’s bass playing at great length.



Highlights: when John began playing the bass in the early 60’s “he realized that he could change the $!%!$*? Instrument.” And Pete explains that when they went on tour in 1989 with an orchestra it was because they needed to have a lower stage volume because of Pete’s hearing loss, and as a result they needed an orchestra to provide the harmonic content that Entwistle provided with his amps wide open.

Worth a listen!

 

[Mosthigh]

I think in the 'Amazing Journey' documentary (also maybe from this interview), Pete mentions that on the last tour in 2000, John was so deaf he had to watch Pete's hands to know what he was playing, because when Pete turned his back to him, John wouldn't be able to follow him so well.

 

[MrAB4003]

RIP John Entwistle (1944 - 2002)

I can understand why one of my heroes, Lemmy (RIP as well), considered Entwistle his hero and his biggest influence on bass. The harmonics and overtones that both Entwistle and Lemmy achieved in their bands was vital to both their sounds.

That's not to mention that he was doing death growls 20 years before death metal was invented:

 

[EagleMoon]

I think in the 'Amazing Journey' documentary (also maybe from this interview), Pete mentions that on the last tour in 2000, John was so deaf he had to watch Pete's hands to know what he was playing, because when Pete turned his back to him, John wouldn't be able to follow him so well.

This doesn’t surprise me. They were so loud when I saw them back in ‘75 that my ears rang for three days after the concert.

 

[Gizmot]

The WHO is one of the few big name bands I haven’t seen live. I saw John Entwistle twice with Ringo’s All-Star band and was simply blown away by his playing and the sound of his Warwick bass. In my opinion John’s playing style evolved from his efforts to make the band sound as big as they could with only guitar bass and drums.

 

[BassBrass]

In my opinion John’s playing style evolved from his efforts to make the band sound as big as they could with only guitar bass and drums.

Yes, orchestral, but also I know of 3 famous former horn players who refused to play normal once they switched to bass. Something else had to happen. Their first role and language in music was lead melodies, not harmonic support. Entwistle went pretty far, you can tell from his mellophone blasts in Tommy. The local English Brass band tradition was a strong first influence. Check out the movie "Brassed Off"

 

[jimmydean]

I could listen to that for days ......love it !

 

[Gizmot]

Yes, orchestral, but also I know of 3 famous former horn players who refused to play normal once they switched to bass. Something else had to happen. Their first role and language in music was lead melodies, not harmonic support. Entwistle went pretty far, you can tell from his mellophone blasts in Tommy. The local English Brass band tradition was a strong first influence. Check out the movie "Brassed Off"

John had big hands, long fingers and was able to both push the beat playing fundamentals but could also play high notes for added effect

 

[Paul New]

The Who was my first rock concert way back in 1968. I took a date, and our reserved seats, pretty close to the stage, were $4.50 each.

The show was a spectacle, and obviously John and his bass supplied the harmonic and melodic meat of their tunes, and was way out front relative to other rock outfits. I was already a bass player, and loved it to death!

Someone passed us a small cup of red wine, MD20-20, and we felt very hip. I was barely of driving age, and had borrowed the family sedan. My date wore a blue mini-dress with white fishnet stockings and high boots. I remember the whole thing very well, especially that last thing.

 

[Michedelic]

The Who was my first rock concert way back in 1968. I took a date, and our reserved seats, pretty close to the stage, were $4.50 each.

The show was a spectacle, and obviously John and his bass supplied the harmonic and melodic meat of their tunes, and was way out front relative to other rock outfits. I was already a bass player, and loved it to death!

Someone passed us a small cup of red wine, MD20-20, and we felt very hip. I was barely of driving age, and had borrowed the family sedan. My date wore a blue mini-dress with white fishnet stockings and high boots. I remember the whole thing very well, especially that last thing.

I assume that wine wasn’t dosed.

 

[cdef]

They look drugged out on this show, but John Entwistle was a great rock singer as well as a trailblazing electric bass player. And if the Stones had ever needed to replace Keith Richards they should have asked Pete T.

 

[Paul New]

I assume that wine wasn’t dosed.

I think it might have been, but mildly.

 

[Dlew919]

They look drugged out on this show, but John Entwistle was a great rock singer as well as a trailblazing electric bass player. And if the Stones had ever needed to replace Keith Richards they should have asked Pete T.

I have an interview with Pete from 1982 in which he claims he did some session work for the stones and the fuller details would come out in his memoirs. Alas …

 

[Jeff Scott]

This doesn’t surprise me. They were so loud when I saw them back in ‘75 that my ears rang for three days after the concert.

I do somewhat recall how loud The Who was when I saw them on their Farewell tour in 1983 , but that was nothing like how loud Stanley Clarke was a few weeks ago (my ears are still ringing and my eyes still get a bit blurred thinking about it).

 

[songwriter21]

I do somewhat recall how loud The Who was when I saw them on their Farewell tour in 1983 , but that was nothing like how loud Stanley Clarke was a few weeks ago (my ears are still ringing and my eyes still get a bit blurred thinking about it).

THIS.

Besides John (saw him with the A Walk Down Abbey Road tribute supergroup), Stanley was the other loudest one. I saw SC with Wooten and Miller in Cleveland, during the '08 SMV Thunder tour.

 

[Jeff Scott]

I saw SC with Wooten and Miller in Cleveland, during the '08 SMV Thunder tour.

That was SMV's very first show; I was there!

 

[edmidlifecrisis]

Great interview with Pete! Thanks for sharing!

I saw The Who once, on their Quadrophenia tour (maybe 1974) at Madison Square Garden.......I think that was the tour when, earlier in the tour, the infamous incident where Keith passed out and a drummer from the audience finished the gig, occured.