Updated Apr. 6, 2022
January 1986
New music releases: Greatest Hits - Alabama; Different Light - The Bangles; "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)" - The Judds; Tuff Enuff - The Fabulous Thunderbirds
On the 1st, MTV airs an interview with Pete Townshend conducted by Lisa Robinson on FM TV 85: A Year To Remember. The network also places Roger's Pete-penned "After The Fire" as the #62 video of the year with Pete's "Face The Face" at #80.
On the 6th, "Quicksilver Lightning," the theme song to the movie Quicksilver, sung by Roger backed by Giorgio Moroder, is released in the U.S. The b-side is "Love Me Like You Do." The soundtrack LP is released on the 20th in the U.S. but is not released in the U.K. until 8 September. The single does not make the charts but the LP peaks at #140.
Also on the 6th, the first episode of the BBC2 TV series Buddy ("Raining in My Heart") airs starring Roger as Buddy's rocker father Terry Clark.
In the second week of the month, The Glitter Band releases their album Live At The Marquee with cover versions of both "Substitute" and "The Kids Are Alright."
The King Biscuit Flower Hour airs Roger's Boston concert from December in two parts in the first two weeks of the month followed by a two part airing of Pete's Brixton concert from November.
On the 11th, Roger's single "Let Me Down Easy" reaches its U.S. chart peak in Billboard at #86.
On the 16th, Faber & Faber employee Pete has lunch with the firm's managing director Matthew Evans and proposes the idea of turning Ted Hughes' children's fable The Iron Man into a musical. After the publishing house's success turning another Faber property, T.S. Eliot's Old Possom's Book of Practical Cats into the musical Cats, Evans jumps at the idea and writes the next day to Hughes.
On the 22nd, Pete's White City - A Novel is certified gold for sales in the U.S. by the RIAA.
On the 24th, "Face The Face" is featured in an episode of Miami Vice ("One Way Ticket").
On the 25th, Pete's "Give Blood" peaks at #5 in Billboard's Top Rock Tracks chart. In the same chart, Roger's "Let Me Down Easy" hits its peak at #11.
On the 27th, Pete appears via videotape to congratulate Paul McCartney on winning an Award Of Merit on the American Music Awards. Roger appears live via satellite on the same show to present an award to Bob Geldof.
On the 29th, Pete takes his Deep End band to Midem, Cannes performing for the annual trade show. David Gilmour of Pink Floyd plays back up guitar. The show is later broadcast on the show Rockpalast. Reports say the concert was pummeled by a cold, driving rain and howling winds.
February 1986
New music releases: Control - Janet Jackson; The Ultimate Sin - Ozzy Osbourne; "Kiss" - Prince and The Revolution; "The Final Countdown" - Europe
On the 1st, the second single from Pete's solo album White City, "Give Blood"/"Magic Bus (live)" is released in the U.S. The 12" version also has "Won't Get Fooled Again (live)." Despite heavy rotation for the video on MTV, the single fails to chart.
On the 4th, Roger appears on an MTV special about the making of the film Quicksilver Lightning.
On the 5th, 6th and 7th, an interview with Pete conducted by Lisa Robinson airs on Radio 1990.
Rolling Stone reports that Roger has started on another solo album and that in 1987 he and Pete will collaborate on a non-Who album. Pete later says that giving him the song "After The Fire" satisfied the need for them to work together.
On the 9th, Pete performs at a charity show with his band Deep End at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Deep End's bassist, Chucho Merchan, puts the show together for the benefit of the victims of a volcano in his home country of Colombia. During the show, Pete performs a synthesizer duet with his daughter Emma. Other performers are Chrissie Hynde-Kerr, Working Week and The Communards. The show is broadcast the next year on King Biscuit Flower Hour and Pete's performance of "I'm One" is also released on the video Super Rock Vol. 1 - The Colombian Volcano Appeal Concert.
On the 10th, Roger presents Tears for Fears with the award for Best Single, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", at the BRIT Awards in London.
On the 15th, Pete's LP White City - A Novel reaches its U.S. chart peak at #26 in Billboard, repeating the position the next week.
Also on the 15th, Ted Hughes writes back to Faber & Faber's managing editor Matthew Evans about Pete's idea of an The Iron Man musical: "If Pete Townshend can make even a rambling kitten of The Iron Man, I'll be more than delighted. Spur him on."
On the 23rd, Pete plays with The Rolling Stones at a private party at the 100 Club in London. The party is held to commemorate the death of The Stones' keyboardist Ian Stewart. Together they play "Barefootin'" and "Harlem Shuffle." (Another source says "Harlem Shuffle" and "Little Red Rooster").
On the 27th, Roger's tribute to Keith Moon, "Under a Raging Moon", is released in the UK. It is released in different formats including a double 45 EP pack with live cuts from 1985. It peaks at #43.
March 1986
New music releases: Master of Puppets - Metallica; Rapture - Anita Baker; 5150 - Van Halen; "Greatest Love of All" - Whitney Houston
On the 1st, Roger appears on the British TV show Saturday Night lip-syncing to "Under A Raging Moon".
On the 5th, Roger does a phone interview with BBC Radio One.
Pete donates a box of broken guitar pieces and a 12" acetate of "Lazy Fat People" to the organization The Samaritans to be auctioned for charity.
On the 21st, a third single from Pete's White City album, "Secondhand Love" backed with "White City Fighting," is released in the U.S. It does not make the charts.
Also on the 22nd, Roger appears on the British show No. 73 lip-syncing to "Don't Talk to Strangers" and "Under a Raging Moon".
On the 25th, Roger appears on Howard Stern's radio show broadcast from London. Roger, Howard and Alan Parsons perform a live, impromptu, version of "Won't Get Fooled Again." Roger also calls in to the Mary Turner Interview Show, a Washington, D.C. radio program.
On the 26th, Roger appears on the British television show Driving Force. Contestants drive a selection of tanks and rally cars, race quarry trucks and fire engines, complete a car parking poser and then grand prix with forklift trucks. Roger and his partner, Barry Sheene, win.
April 1986
New music releases: New Kids On The Block - New Kids On The Block; The Way It Is - Bruce Hornsby & the Range; Love Zone - Billy Ocean; Raised on Radio - Journey
On the 4th, Roger and Bryan Adams sing "Happy Birthday" to the TV programme The Tube on its 100th episode anniversary.
On the 5th, Roger appears on the British TV show The Little and Large Show lip-syncing to "The Pride You Hide" and appearing in some comedy sketches.
Pete's solo album White City is released in the new compact disc format. Pete later reports that Rob Dickins, head of Warner Bros. Records in the U.K., stops pressing copies of the CD after 25,000 are sold, limiting the album's commercial impact in Britain.
Around this time, Roger plans to open a gym in Brighton, Sussex called Daltrey's Fitness Factory. He buys £60,000 worth of top gym equipment from America, only to have it impounded in a warehouse in Felixstowe as a trade war breaks out between the U.S. and the E.E.C. The gym never opens.
On the 20th, while on vacation in Venice, Pete comes up with a track list for his next solo album, a light-hearted and colourful dance music album inspired by The Kinks' song "Come Dancing". The working title is Beguines, Tangos and Love. The album is to start with "All Shall Be Well" to be followed by Pete-penned songs "Foreign Language", "Join My Gang", "Ragtime in C", "Still Life", "Larry The Lonely Cowboy", "Can You Really Dance", "Love In Limbo Land", "Love Is An Emergency", "Your Kiss Is An Echo" and "The Roxy". Possible covers to be included are "Save It For Later", "I Put A Spell On You", "Boogie-Stop Shuffle", "That's All Right, Mama", "Barefootin'", "Night Train", "Cool Jerk", "Walkin'" and "Don't Let Them Drop That Bomb On Me". Each song was to inspire a video dance sequence and the whole project a televised stage musical. Pete works on the album until mid-June at least, then drops it to begin writing The Iron Man musical.
On the 25th, the U.K. finally gets the second single from White City, "Give Blood" backed with a live "Magic Bus" and with "Won't Get Fooled Again (live at Brixton)".
May 1986
New music releases: True Blue - Madonna; Top Gun - Various Artists; So - Peter Gabriel; Who Made Who - AC/DC
On the 8th, Roger is part of a panel at the 1st International Music & Media Conference in Montreux, Switzerland. The Bronski Beat and Mike Rutherford are also on the panel. While there, Roger also performs "Under a Raging Moon" and "The Pride You Hide" for the TV show The Montreux Rock Festival. It is aired on BBC1 6 August.
On the 9th, Roger's solo song "After The Fire" is featured in an episode of NBC-TV's series Miami Vice.
On the 10th in Billboard, Bill Curbishley says Pete, Roger, and John are all busy preparing solo albums. Pete is "getting new material together at his London studio, and he's deciding on the producer". Roger is "basically through with preproduction and he's working with Alan Shacklock again." John has formed the nucleus of a new band with Lou Gramm-influenced vocalist Henry Small, keysman Andy Nye (ex-Michael Schenker Group) and drummer Zak Starr. Curbishley is in New York negotiating a deal for John and reports, "I'm getting a lot of interest from the majors".
Pete officially cuts the ribbon opening The Picket, a studio for fostering young talent in Liverpool. He also donates recording equipment.
On the 25th, BBC1 airs the Children's Film and Television Foundation movie Pop Pirates featuring Roger.
On the 24th, Billboard reports that Atlantic Records has released Pete Townshend's Deep End: The Brixton, England Concert on home video in two formats, a 29-minute "mini-concert" for $19.95 and a full-length 86-minute version for $29.95.
June 1986
New music releases: Invisible Touch - Genesis; Back in the High Life - Steve Winwood; Night Songs - Cinderella; Storms of Life - Randy Travis
Bono of U2 asks Pete to perform on a tour of the United States benefitting Amnesty International. The "A Conspiracy Of Hope" tour has its first show on the 4th. Pete lands in New York for rehearsals but has to fly back to England immediately when he receives news that his father has become seriously ill. He has to cancel his participation in the tour.
Roger's solo single "The Pride You Hide" backed with "Under A Raging Moon," both from his Under A Raging Moon LP, is released in the U.S. It does not make the charts.
In the U.K. "The Pride You Hide" is backed with "Break Out" and includes "Don't Talk To Strangers" on the 12" and is also issued as a double single pack including those three and a live solo version of "Pictures Of Lily." It peaks at #96.
The Kids Are Alright is released on video in England in the European shortened version. Monterey Pop is also released on video in the U.K. by Virgin on the 20th.
The Prince's Trust holds its 10th Anniversary concert at Wembley Arena. Pete was supposed to be one of the performers but again is forced to cancel to be at his father's bedside.
A British newspaper reports that Roger is considering immigrating to Australia. He tells the paper he thinks England is "going down the tubes" and feels his children will have better opportunities Down Under. Despite his remarks, he does not move.
Roger is also interviewed naked by a clothed Noel Edmonds while they are both in a bathtub on his TV program The Noel Edmonds Show. Roger says he misses The Who and Pete and that Bob Geldof had to use all his persuasive powers to get The Who reunited for Live Aid.
On the 11th, Roger and John travel to New York to cheer Richard Branson on to victory in the Pride Of Britain Boat Race. Afterwards, they attend a Virgin Records party at the Water Club in New York.
John then travels to the North American Music Merchandisers exhibition in Chicago to promote the new "buzzard" bass he has designed. He is interviewed by MTV on the exhibition floor, saying that he is currently writing a book about mythical rock star ancestors. While attending he jams with Eddie Van Halen and also a New York-based band, Rat Race Choir. Apparently John enjoys playing with the group as they end up forming the basis of his solo touring band from this point on.
On the 29th, Pete's father Cliff Townshend dies of cancer at the age of 70.
July 1986
New music releases: Dancing on the Ceiling - Lionel Richie; "Walk This Way" - Run-DMC featuring Aerosmith; "You Give Love a Bad Name" - Bon Jovi; The Bridge - Billy Joel
On the 4th, Bruce Eder in Goldmine reviews a new bootleg called Dance To Keep From Crying. Billed as a live recording of The High Numbers from The Marquee Club, it later turns out to be from a 16mm film shot by manager Kit Lambert at the Railway Tavern 11 August 1964. Roger sings all the songs with a low-pitched, gravelly voice. Eder, in his review, calls the band's performance "sloppy but savage." Part of the tape, synced to the film, appears in the 2007 movie Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who.
Also on the 4th, London Weekend Television airs a Marlin fishing tournament recorded in the Bahamas under the title The Big Game. One of the contestants is Roger. It is later released on home video.
Pete, working at publishers Faber & Faber, gets them to publish Dr. Meg Patterson's book Hooked? NET: The New Approach to Drug Cure and does some publicity for the publication in the press. Pete used her techniques to get off heroin in 1982.
On the 26th, The Flamin' Groovies record an entire album in one night at Glebe Studios in Sydney, Australia. Included is a cover of "Call Me Lightning." It is released the next year as the album One Night Stand.
August 1986
New music releases: Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi; Graceland - Paul Simon; Fore! - Huey Lewis & the News; Silk and Steel - Five Star
Future British poet laureate Andrew Motion publishes his book The Lamberts – George, Constant and Kit in the U.K. The story of three generations, each artistically talented and each doomed to a premature death, earns the author the following year's Somerset Maugham prize. The section on Kit Lambert and his management of The Who features personal information unavailable in previous Who biographies.
On the 22nd, Roger talks about what it is like to be famous on the British television interview show Danny Baker On Fame.
On the 23rd, Pete's video for "Face the Face" is nominated for Best Stage Performance in a Video at the MTV Video Awards.
September 1986
New music releases: Duotones - Kenny G; Third Stage - Boston; Give Me the Reason - Luther Vandross; "You Can Call Me Al" - Paul Simon
On the 1st, Paul McCartney releases his album Press to Play that features Pete supplying lead guitar on the song "Angry." Paul later says he got Pete to play after finding that the power chords he had written for the song caused him to start windmilling when he played it.
On the 6th, Billboard reports that Atco has released a promo-only EP from Pete's Deep End: The Brixton Concert videotape. Released only to promote sales of the video, the EP's airplay causes record retailers to demand an album. The planned October release of Pete's Another Scoop is pushed to 1987 and the album Deep End Live! is released instead.
Probably on the 7th, Roger attends the WEA 15th Anniversary Sales Meeting in Hollywood, Florida. While there he performs "Wild Thing" with Atlantic Vice President Perry Cooper in a band containing Peter Frampton, Genesis, and 20 label staff members.
On the 12th, Bruce Eder reviews The Who bootleg Dancing In The Street in Goldmine.
On the 14th, John's solo album The Rock receives its final LP mix at Westside Studios, London and is ready for release.
On the 15th, Pete holds a charity sale for his Double O Charity. For £25, purchasers get a ticket to a Sadler Wells' play and an invitation to a party afterwards at the Limelight Club.
In imitation of the cover of The Who Sell Out, Barry Kirk sits in a bath of baked beans at Port Albert's Beach Hotel for 100 hours to set a world's record. Afterwards he is given the nickname "Captain Beany". He changes his name to Captain Beany by deed poll in 1991.
On the 16th, the second episode of the TV series Buddy ("Crying Waiting Hoping") featuring Roger airs on BBC2. The third episode ("Blue Suede Shoes") follows on the 23rd and the fourth episode ("That'll Be the Day") on the 30th.
Alson on the 16th, the full-length video of Pete's Deep End concert hits Billboard's Top Music Videocassettes chart five months after its release.
On the 21st, airplay of "Barefootin'", the lead track of the Deep End promo EP, causes the song to make Billboard's Top Album Tracks chart. peaking at #26. Atco will subsequently release the song, backed with "Behind Blue Eyes" from the concert, as a commercial single.
On the 26th, Pete attends the unveiling of the blue plaque for T.S. Eliot at Kensington Court Gardens along with Ted Hughes, Harold Pinter and Antonia Fraser. Pete was invited to the event by Eliot's widow, Valerie.
In Billboard on the 27th, Atlantic announces they are shortly to release Pete's Deep End Live! album plus The Rock by John Entwistle in October. Atlantic never gets around to the latter disc.
October 1986
New music releases: Every Breath You Take: The Singles - The Police; "Livin' on a Prayer" - Bon Jovi; Whiplash Smile - Billy Idol; "Don't Dream It's Over" - Crowded House
On the 7th, the fifth episode of the TV series Buddy ("Every Day") featuring Roger airs on BBC2.
On the 8th, The Home Farm spills chemical fertilizer into the pond at Roger's Iwerne Springs trout farm in Dorset. The spill kills half a million fish and leads to a lawsuit that is settled in 1990. ITN News airs a news report from Roger's trout farm.
Playing For Keeps, a teen comedy, is released by Universal Pictures. The movie is directed by Bob and Harvey Weinstein in their sole directorial effort before forming Miramax. Their distribution deal comes thanks to the star-packed accompanying soundtrack album including a new song by Pete, "Life To Life."
Roger takes part in the "Sunday Mirror's Just Say No Show" at the Adelphi Theatre in London. Proceeds go to the Standing Conference on Drug Abuse to set up and staff drug rehab centers. Other performers are John Junkin, Robin Cousins, Gary Wilmot, Wayne Sleep, Alvin Stardust and Faith Brown. Roger and his band perform "The Pride You Hide" and Roger joins in the finale.
Rolling Stone reports that Pete has bought Chapel House, a mansion in Twickenham that once belonged to the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson. It is thought to have cost £750,000.
On the 18th, John performs with Chuck Berry at the Felt Forum in Madison Square Garden as part of Berry's 60th birthday celebrations. John is in New York trying to put together a release deal for his new album The Rock after his deal with Atlantic fell through. John succeeds in finding a label with plans to release it in time for Christmas but the day the contract was to have been signed, the record company is raided by the F.B.I. and shut down.
On the 25th, Pete's LP, Deep End Live! from the 1985 Brixton Academy charity shows, premieres on Billboard's Top 200 chart. On the same day, "Life to Life" peaks at #39 on the Top Album Rock Tracks chart.
November 1986
New music releases: Live/1975-85 - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band; Licensed To Ill - The Beastie Boys; The Whole Story - Kate Bush; Now That's What I Call Music! 8 (UK) - Various Artists
On the 7th, an advertisement for Virgin Shares Stock Flotation featuring Pete airs on ITV.
On the 9th, John is in a trailer for an upcoming 90-minute anti-drugs special When the Going Gets Tough - Action on Drugs which airs on the 13th on Televsion South and also features John along with Zak Starkey.
On the 14th, BBC1 airs A Day in the Life: The Kestral's Tale with Roger as the voice of Falco the Kestral.
It began as a notice on the back cover of the Happy Jack album. Nineteen years later the U.S. Who Fan Club officially closes on the 5th.
On the 15th, the Deep End Live! album hits its U.S. chart peaks at #98.
Pete's signature appears in an ad by OXFAM calling for a fast to raise concern about world hunger.
On the 22nd, Mike Batt releases his concept album The Hunting of the Snark in the U.K. Roger guest stars as The Barrister.
On the 24th, Roger appears on BBC1's Watchdog.
December 1986
New music releases: "Ocean Front Property" - George Strait; Live Magic - Queen; Life, Love & Pain - Club Nouveau; Hot, Cool & Vicious - Salt 'n Pepa
The Who plan a one-off reunion concert this month at The Marquee in London. Just to be ready Who manager Bill Curbishley books them on a U.S. tour. When Pete hears about the U.S. bookings he pulls out of the Marquee show.
Pete signs a contract with Virgin to write a musical production of Ted Hughes' children's story The Iron Man. The sizeable advance allows Pete to gift himself with a Synclavier system and a new composition suite for his boathouse/recording studio.
In this autobiography, Pete notes that he had his last session of psychoanalysis this month. "What had I learned? I had a problem."
On the 28th, The Little Matchgirl, a video musical starring Twiggy and Roger, premieres on Harlech Television.