Post by Ineedanewname on Feb 9, 2015 12:26:33 GMT
A quick bit of background to these photos.
Last year I undertook a brief reconnaissance trip to London to check out a few Who locations for the book upon which I've been working. As the friend who accompanied me had a better camera on their phone than my digital camera, I entrusted her with photographic duties. Unfortunately we failed to take into account how early the light gets bad in London during December. Literally by 2.30pm there's no point trying to get a decent outdoor photo. Consequently I failed to come away with any useable material.
However, sifting through my old files today I came across a few of the "better" outtakes so thought I may as well stick them on the forum.
I'm intending returning to London for a couple of weeks this year to get everything photographed properly. If anyone here is interested in tagging along - for what would be the ultimate London Who tour - I may put an offer out nearer the date, so watch this space.
But for now, in no logical order, here's a few dodgy photos of how some better known Who locations currently appear............
1) My Generation. The band stood at the top of these steps on Westminister Bridge for the photo which appeared on the front cover of the US variation of the My Generation album, The Who Sings My Generation, the spot today tastefully adorned by a T-shirt stall.
2) The Marquee Club. A Wardour Street location synonymous with The Who. Above the door on the right-hand side, the club's original entrance, you can see the English Heritage plaque commemorating Keith Moon. The building was partially demolished a couple of decades back and what's left today is filled by apartments.
Just after this photo was taken we came across that woman from the Harry Potter films, attempting to flag down a taxi by standing in the middle of the road waving her arms like a drowning man. She was wearing a furry roll-neck jumper.
3) The Bag O' Nails. Immortalised by a jingle on the Sell Out album, The Bag O' Nails just off Carnaby Street was a favorite mid-60s nightclub haunt of Keith Moon. After spending many years as a private gentlemans' club it's once again a nightclub, which coincidentally use the same font on their logo as appeared on this forum's original banner.
4) Just Men. In a side-street just off Kings Road, back in the 60's this was a clothing shop with which The Who had an account. Today it's gallery space.
5) The Ship. Another Wardour Street location. If walls could talk this small pub could tell you a number of stories about Keith Moon in particular. He was once temporarily banned from the premises for letting off a smoke bomb inside.
It was at this point in our mission that we decided the photography lark wasn't quite working out as planned, so were left with no choice but to retreat into The Ship to spend the remainder of the day soaking up the atmosphere.
6) IBC Studios. Due to the amount of traffic in Portland Place, parked and mobile, it was impossible to get a clear picture of this building.
IBC (in the centre of the picture) was where The Who recorded Tommy and Sell Out, plus a bunch of other odds and ends. It was here that Pete Townshend had his first encounter with Jimi Hendrix and advised him about amps.
When this photo was taken the building was serving as the Romanian Embassy, but I believe they may have since changed location.
Now, I don't like to keep namedropping when it comes to my brushes with the famous, but on the tube to this end of town I spotted that tubby bloke with the 'tache who used to be in The Fast Show. When he left the train he gave me an odd sideways glance that suggested he was expecting to be mugged or assaulted. The cheeky bugger.
7) Duke Of Yorks Barracks. And this final forlorn shot is of the old parade ground of the barracks in Chelsea where The Who performed a small live set in 1966 for US TV. Photos of this event are quite common in Who books, but sadly the actual filmed footage seems to have disappeared.
Last year I undertook a brief reconnaissance trip to London to check out a few Who locations for the book upon which I've been working. As the friend who accompanied me had a better camera on their phone than my digital camera, I entrusted her with photographic duties. Unfortunately we failed to take into account how early the light gets bad in London during December. Literally by 2.30pm there's no point trying to get a decent outdoor photo. Consequently I failed to come away with any useable material.
However, sifting through my old files today I came across a few of the "better" outtakes so thought I may as well stick them on the forum.
I'm intending returning to London for a couple of weeks this year to get everything photographed properly. If anyone here is interested in tagging along - for what would be the ultimate London Who tour - I may put an offer out nearer the date, so watch this space.
But for now, in no logical order, here's a few dodgy photos of how some better known Who locations currently appear............
1) My Generation. The band stood at the top of these steps on Westminister Bridge for the photo which appeared on the front cover of the US variation of the My Generation album, The Who Sings My Generation, the spot today tastefully adorned by a T-shirt stall.
2) The Marquee Club. A Wardour Street location synonymous with The Who. Above the door on the right-hand side, the club's original entrance, you can see the English Heritage plaque commemorating Keith Moon. The building was partially demolished a couple of decades back and what's left today is filled by apartments.
Just after this photo was taken we came across that woman from the Harry Potter films, attempting to flag down a taxi by standing in the middle of the road waving her arms like a drowning man. She was wearing a furry roll-neck jumper.
3) The Bag O' Nails. Immortalised by a jingle on the Sell Out album, The Bag O' Nails just off Carnaby Street was a favorite mid-60s nightclub haunt of Keith Moon. After spending many years as a private gentlemans' club it's once again a nightclub, which coincidentally use the same font on their logo as appeared on this forum's original banner.
4) Just Men. In a side-street just off Kings Road, back in the 60's this was a clothing shop with which The Who had an account. Today it's gallery space.
5) The Ship. Another Wardour Street location. If walls could talk this small pub could tell you a number of stories about Keith Moon in particular. He was once temporarily banned from the premises for letting off a smoke bomb inside.
It was at this point in our mission that we decided the photography lark wasn't quite working out as planned, so were left with no choice but to retreat into The Ship to spend the remainder of the day soaking up the atmosphere.
6) IBC Studios. Due to the amount of traffic in Portland Place, parked and mobile, it was impossible to get a clear picture of this building.
IBC (in the centre of the picture) was where The Who recorded Tommy and Sell Out, plus a bunch of other odds and ends. It was here that Pete Townshend had his first encounter with Jimi Hendrix and advised him about amps.
When this photo was taken the building was serving as the Romanian Embassy, but I believe they may have since changed location.
Now, I don't like to keep namedropping when it comes to my brushes with the famous, but on the tube to this end of town I spotted that tubby bloke with the 'tache who used to be in The Fast Show. When he left the train he gave me an odd sideways glance that suggested he was expecting to be mugged or assaulted. The cheeky bugger.
7) Duke Of Yorks Barracks. And this final forlorn shot is of the old parade ground of the barracks in Chelsea where The Who performed a small live set in 1966 for US TV. Photos of this event are quite common in Who books, but sadly the actual filmed footage seems to have disappeared.
