January 2008
New music releases: 19 - Adele; "Nine in the Afternoon" - Panic! At the Disco; "Chasing Pavements" - Adele; "Gunpowder & Lead" - Miranda Lambert
On the 17th, Pete Townshend makes a surprise appearance at a gig by the group The Eels at London's St. James Church. The show features a reading from group leader Mark Everett of his new book Things the Grandchildren Should Know. Everett invites Pete up to give the last reading.
On the 22nd, the third title in the Wheels on the Bus series, The Wheels on the Bus: Mango's Big Dog Parade, is released on DVD. Roger Daltrey again voices and sings as Argon the dragon bus driver.
On the 23rd, Keith Moon: Final 24 premiers on the Biography Channel. It features re-creations of the last 24 hours of the drummer's life.
February 2008
New music releases: "I'm Yours" - Jason Mraz; "Day 'n' Nite" - Kid Cudi; "Love in This Club" - Usher featuring Young Jeezy; "Paper Planes" - M.I.A.
On the 2nd, Pete Townshend's daughter Emma pens an article for the Times about England's untended musical heritage from the 1960's and 1970's. "Pop music was one of Britain's most important contributions to the cultural life of the 20th century. And yet it looks as if the French, whose pop music is generally rubbish, are doing a better job than us."
On the 6th, Pete pens his own message for The Who.com about The Who's future plans that may include a tour playing Quadrophenia and a new Who album to be produced by T-Bone Burnett.
On the 16th, Roger Daltrey also writes for TheWho.com about his current campaign with other British performing artists to extend performance rights payments beyond 50 years to 95 years.
On the 20th, Amy Winehouse's father tells the press that Roger called him to offer his support and advice in dealing with people who suffer from drug and drinking addictions.
On the 25th, U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey speaks on Cuba's transfer of power from Fidel Castro to his brother Raul: "I used the analogy ... from a Who song, 'Meet the new boss, he's the same as the old boss.'"
On the 26th, the CD Corner Stone Cues Presents: "Eton Path" is released featuring an orchestral cover of "Underture".
On the 27th, Virgin Radio in the U.K. makes headlines by banning The Beatles' music from the station after listeners vote them off. Consulted for comment, Roger Daltrey says "I didn't like all their music. I can understand that everything has its sell-by date."
March 2008
New music releases: "Lollipop" - Lil Wayne featuring Static Major; "American Boy" - Estelle featuring Kanye West; Rockferry - Duffy; "In Color" - Jamey Johnson
On the 1st, his 64th birthday, Roger gives in to TheWho.com and sends a message to fans: "I hope you enjoy it. But do me a favour; leave the screen turned off sometimes. Go out. Get a life."
On the 4th, Pete writes his diary entry after having been "asked by our webmaster to communicate with the outside world." He chats about celebrities and how much he never wants to leave his home studio.
On the 5th, Roger Daltrey is interviewed on The One Show on BBC.
On the 7th, the compilation CD 20th Century Masters: The Who is awarded Platinum status by the RIAA.
On the 10th, the DVD TCT at the Royal Albert Hall is released at the Teenage Cancer Trust website. The disc features Who performances of "The Seeker," "Baba O'Riley" and "Tea & Theatre" plus Roger with Razorlight doing "Summertime Blues." The general public release isn't until 14 April.
On the 13th, Roger performs at the Childline Rocks benefit concert at the IndigO2 in London. Following Marillion and Fish, Roger and backing band Thunder perform "Two Thousand Years," "The Kids Are Alright" and "Behind Blue Eyes."
Also on the 13th, the compilation CD The Who: The Ultimate Collection is awarded Platinum status by the RIAA.
On the 20th, Tony Martino releases his CD Follow That Dream featuring a cover of "I Can See for Miles" and on the 31st, Richie Havens releases a new album Nobody Left To Crown featuring a cover of "Won't Get Fooled Again".
April 2008
New music releases: "Just Dance" - Lady Gaga; "I Kissed a Girl" - Katy Perry; "Take a Bow" - Rihanna; "Forever" - Chris Brown
On the 1st the Amazing Journey CD and LP soundtrack is released exclusively through the U.S. chain Best Buy.
On the 2nd, Roger Daltrey is a guest on the Paul O'Grady Show showing on U.K.'s Channel 4.
On the 7th, Pete attends the funeral for The Beatles' former road manager and business advisor Neil Aspinall. At the service held at St Mary-the-Virgin Church in Twickenham, Pete performs two of Aspinall's favorite songs, "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "My Sweet Lord."
On the 8th, Roger announces a raffle for a customized Volkswagen camper van decorated with Who emblems. Proceeds will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust and those who enter the competition receive a download of a "previously unreleased" version of "Magic Bus".
On the 11th, Roger performs at a private gig for 150 invited guests at the Elgar Restaurant at the Royal Albert Hall in honor of a large donation to Teenage Cancer Trust by Deutschebank. Simon Townshend, John Bundrick accompany him for a half hour set.
On the 13th, Pete and Roger close the week of Teenage Cancer Trust concerts at Royal Albert Hall with a short acoustic set. The duo perform "Let's See Action", "Behind Blue Eyes", "Two Thousand Years", "Mike Post Theme", "Won't Get Fooled Again" and "Tea & Theatre".
On the 21st, Roger and Pete, plus Who managers Bill Curbishley and Robert Rosenberg have a meeting about future Who plans. Nothing much comes of it as Pete later says; "I must not commit to studio time or show dates, especially not to long tours, without some kind of creative programme. I don't know whether I can write songs for The Who. I don't know if I can come up with some idea, some story, some angle, that will make me feel good about being the writer for The Who. Most important of all I don't know if I write something whether I should try to force The Who to carry it."
May 2008
New music releases: We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. - Jason Mraz; "Dear Maria, Count Me In" - All Time Low; "Got Money" - Lil Wayne featuring T-Pain; "Bartender Song (Sittin' at a Bar)" - Rehab
On the 1st, Roger Daltrey is featured in an article in The Times. It mostly concerns his health and use of alternative medical treatments.
On the 2nd T-Bone Burnett talks about plans for him to produce the follow-up album to Endless Wire: "Roger is a really great singer, and we've started going through material. We've picked out about five or six that we've all said, 'Yeah, let's do these' -- I'm not going to say what they are because that might take some of the fun out of it. And I'm sure we'll find more as we go on. We'll probably do about 15 [songs]." The album will ultimately be cancelled before recording begins.
On the 8th, Roger Daltrey performs with the RD Crusaders in a charity event at the Old Billingsgate fish market in London. They perform "Giving It All Away", "Squeeze Box", "Substitute", "Pinball Wizard" and "Ring of Fire". Audience attendees include Liz Hurley, Katie Price, Trinny Woodall and Mark Ronson.
On the 12th, Martha Wainwright releases her CD I Know You're Married but I've Got Feelings, too featuring Pete Townshend playing guitar on "You Cheated Me."
On the 22nd, The Radioactive Chicken Heads release their CD Music for Mutants featuring a cover of "Boris The Spider".
June 2008
New music releases: "Viva La Vida" - Coldplay; "Chicken Fried" - Zac Brown Band; "Disturbia" - Rihanna; "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked" - Cage the Elephant
On the 6th, International Removals releases their CD Who? featuring a live cover of "I Can't Explain".
On the 10th, Academy Award-winner Billy Bob Thornton and his group The Boxmasters release a self-titled 2-CD set on Vanguard featuring a cover of "The Kids Are Alright."
On the 12th, Rob Lee, webmaster for thewho.com sends a special request from Pete Townshend: "Pete's asked me to request that you don't make any more comments until further notice. He is writing and wishes not to be distracted."
Roger Daltrey is busy creating a distraction of his own on the same day, playing a gig in the Bahamas during a People Magazine advertisers retreat.
And also on the 12th, Mike Myers tells MTV.com about the script for his probably never-to-be-made Keith Moon biopic: "His name is Moon, and a moon is a non-self-luminous object. It requires sunlight of others in order to be seen. If there's no sun, the moon is invisible. And the script so far is about how important it is to ... be your own star and not be a moon, ironically. It becomes a cautionary tale of drugs. I mean, they are not the answer, and in this movie you see how not the answer they are."
By the 15th, Roger is back in London to front newspaper publisher Richard Desmond's band The RD Crusaders at The London International Music Show.
On the 27th, Pete blogs that by writing, he doesn't mean writing songs for The Who: "I'm not there yet, and I'm not even sure I want to go there, or could go there if I wanted to, or should go there if I could."
July 2008
New music releases: "Whatever You Like" - T.I.; Mamma Mia! The Movie Soundtrack - Various Artists; "Let It Rock" - Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil Wayne; "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" - The Script; "Wobble" - V.I.C.
On the 1st, Roger, Simon Townshend and Zak Starkey perform at the Oracle Corp.'s "Club Excellence" sales award gala at The Fairmont Banff Springs resort in Banff, Alberta, Canada.
On the 6th, Pete writes a letter to the Sunday Times in response to an article by Simon Jenkins about live music. "Live is often a lie, especially when it comes to the unfolding news. All data must be processed, edited, packaged. That's what a recording represents. A complete story with beginning, middle and end. It is just as easy to fool the public, if that is our intention, at a live event as on a recording. We use the same techniques, the same computers, the same conjuring magic. Composition for a recorded release is finishing something, committing to its completion as a standing unalterable piece of art."
On the 12th, The Who are honored in Los Angeles at the taping of the third annual VH1 Rock Honors. David Duchovny, Mila Kunis, Rainn Wilson, Sean Penn and Adam Sandler introduce The Flaming Lips, The Foo Fighters, Incubus, Tenacious D and Pearl Jam, all doing their interpretation of Who songs. The evening ends with The Who performing an eight song set.
Prior to the event, Pete surprises a gathering of Who fans when he turns up at a pre-show charity event organized by Mike Robbins.
On the 15th, the Associated Press prints an interview with Roger conducted on the 13th. Of the coming U.S. election, "let's just hope to God he [Barack Obama] wins", says he played the Who Rock Band video game but "got bored quickly" and calls the jettisoning of vinyl for CD's "a confidence trick".
And also on the 12th, Mike Myers tells MTV.com about the script for his never-to-be-made Keith Moon biopic: "His name is Moon, and a moon is a non-self-luminous object. It requires sunlight of others in order to be seen. If there's no sun, the moon is invisible. And the script so far is about how important it is to ... be your own star and not be a moon, ironically. It becomes a cautionary tale of drugs. I mean, they are not the answer, and in this movie you see how not the answer they are."
On the 16th, The Who perform at the small Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles at a party to publicize the launch of The Who "Rock Band" video game.
On the 18th, Roger joins Billy Joel for this "Last Play at Shea" concert at Shea Stadium. Roger sings "My Generation" and Billy smashes a guitar.
On the 21st, The Sweet Leaf Boys release their CD A Fond Farewell featuring a cover of "Pictures of Lily" and on the 29th, Rick Springfield releases his CD Venus in Overdrive. Purchasers at Best Buy get a bonus disc with a cover of "My Generation."
In an article on the 30th in Variety, Roger says he wants to extend Teenage Cancer Trust to America: "I'm here trying to sign people up, get a committee together, bring in the right medical partners."
On the 31st, The Daily Express reports that Lisa Gillespie went into a Budgens grocery store and found a passport Roger had lost in one of the aisles. After contacting Virgin Radio, she returned the passport that went back to a grateful Daltrey.
August 2008
New music releases: The Fame - Lady Gaga; "Sex On Fire" - Kings of Leon; The Script - The Script; "Miss Independent" - Ne-Yo
On the 6th, the first of a new remastering of The Who's back catalog begins in Japan with the expensive box set My Generation: Collector's Box. The contents are CD's of both the stereo and original mono mixes of the album, booklet and miniature reproductions of album covers and related single and EP picture sleeves from around the world. Unlike the 1990's remix/remaster program, these new issues will lean toward reproducing the original release mixes.
On the 8th, Roger announces that part of the proceeds from The Who's upcoming show in Detroit will go to local charities: "Pete and I are very aware of the problems people are having in Michigan and feel we should give something back for all the support we have had over the last 40 years."
On the 18th, Purple Catastrophe releases their self-titled CD featuring a cover of "My Generation".
On the 19th, Roger spends the day in Highbury as his favourite football club, Arsenal, announces that the Teenage Cancer Trust will be its Charity of the Season. Arsenal's manager joins Roger and a group of teenage cancer patients as they watch the team train. "It was great to kick-off the partnership today and give the teenagers a chance to meet their idols at the Emirates. I have been fighting for this cause for many years and I can't think of a better partnership," says Roger.
Also on the 19th, Judith Wills releases a memoir about her days in the early 1970's working for FAB magazine called Keith Moon Stole My Lipstick.
On the 24th, The Times reports that Pete's estranged wife Karen is selling the old Tennyson home where she and Pete lived from 1985-1994.
September 2008
New music releases: "Poker Face" - Lady Gaga; Only by the Night - Kings of Leon; "Love Story" - Taylor Swift; "Gives You Hell" - The All-American Rejects
On the 3rd, as a follow-up to stories in the press about guitarist Ronnie Wood leaving rehab, The Sun reports that Pete Townshend has gallantly offered his West London home as a halfway house. Ronnie declines, preferring to go move in with his new 20-year old waitress girlfriend.
On the 9th, Roger Daltrey and Pete are announced as recipients of 2008 Kennedy Center Honors to be awarded at the White House. Pete responds, "This is a great thrill. Since The Who began in the early '60s we have loved American music and audiences and have made deep and lasting friendships with everyone involved in the industry there. Roger and I both feel our work in the United States has been as important as our work at home. Because our medium, rock music, is quintessentially American music with broad and deep international and multicultural roots, this honour is especially meaningful to us Brits." Roger Daltrey adds, "As a teenager growing up in the austerity of post war England, it was the music I heard emanating from America that gave me a dream to hang my life on. That dream was to make music and make it there. I am deeply touched at receiving this honour. The warmth and affection I feel from our US audience is humbling indeed. To be added to the list of past recipients of this award makes that dream come true."
On the 13th, Saturday Night Live pokes fun at the honors announcement by showing pictures of Pete and Roger alongside fellow recipients Morgan Freeman and Barbra Streisand, calling it "the worst version of The Who ever."
On the 19th, Roger, Zak Starkey, and John Bundrick with guitarist Gary Nutall and bassist Phil Spalding perform at Party in the Paddock 3 at West Well Farm in Tingewick. The party raises £32,000 for the Macmillan Cancer Support, Florence Nightingale Hospice and the Oxford Kidney Unit.
On the 24th, a press release reveals that when Nissan wanted to use The Who's "Join Together" for an ad campaign but wanted to alter the mix, they were loaned the original 36-year old 16-track master tape.
On the 27th, in response to questions from fans at thewho.com, Pete rules out a Who covers album: "Recording an album without my songs? What would be the point of that?" He also adds that his autobiography is currently "on ice."
October 2008
New music releases: "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" - Beyoncé; "Heartless" - Kanye West; "Kids" - MGMT; "If I Were a Boy" - Beyoncé
On the 1st, Bill Maher's anti-religion documentary Religulous is released featuring "The Seeker" over the opening credits. On the 20th, The New York Post's Page Six contacts Pete for his reaction: "Bill Maher is a comedian. I am a songwriter. I have faith in what I would call God, but I am not a religious man. I don't want to press my views on other people. Maher seems to have the wish to question and make fun of the sanity of we believers. I'm happy to say I'd prefer to be my kind of crazy than his kind of cynical, but . . . we live in a free society . . . Maher's film is not an important moment in the history of religion . . . So when I first refused the use of my song (for a very modest fee by the way) and Maher badgered me, I decided to allow it. If you have problems with this film, talk to Bill Maher. If you really want to know where I am on my spiritual journey, listen to the song."
Also on the 1st, the Tune Robbers release their album Hard Rock featuring a cover of "My Generation".
On the 6th, Roger Daltrey is a presenter at the Q Awards at the Grosvenor Hotel in London.
The following day, Pete Townshend wins the BMI Award for each of his themes to the various CSI TV shows.
On the 14th, Eddie the Rat releases their album Out Behind the 8-Ball with a track called "Pete Townshend is My Dad".
On the 21st, The Who begin their 2008 North American tour in Detroit with a performance at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Crossing the border, they play Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario (22nd), before hitting the U.S. East Coast to play the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston (24th), Wachovia Center in Philadelphia (26th), the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut (28th), the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey (29th) and The Borgata in Atlantic City for Halloween.
Also on the 21st, Labelle releases a CD Back To Now with a bonus track of a performance of "Miss Otis Regrets" with Keith Moon on drums.
On the 29th, the A Quick One Box is released in Japan featuring new masters of both the mono and stereo versions of the album plus rare tracks.
November 2008
New music releases: Fearless - Taylor Swift; I Am... Sasha Fierce - Beyoncé; "Breakeven" - The Script; Day & Age - The Killers
On the 1st, the Who perform a private show at the 50th birthday party of Curtis Schenker, CEO of Scoggin Capital Management, at the Fillmore at Irving Plaza, New York. The show is part of a deal for Schenker setting up a charity show for Parkinson's on the 5th.
The charity concert, titled A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to Cure Parkinson's, is held on the 5th at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel. Proceeds go the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research and Fox himself gets onstage to jam with The Who.
In between the two above dates, The Who squeeze in a show at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. on the 3rd, the night before the presidential election.
On the 5th, The Binghamton Crosbys release their mp3 collection 25: the Best of the Binghamton Crosbys featuring an a cappella cover of "Pinball Wizard".
On the 7th, the last of the special In The Attic shows to date is held at The Troubadour in Los Angeles. Pete and Rachel Fuller perform "Sunrise", Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward play "Blue Red and Grey", and Pete is joined by Jakob Dylan for "The Kids Are Alright", Mark Everett for "Let My Love Open The Door", and Ben Gibbard for "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" before going solo for "The Acid Queen", "Drowned" and "Won't Get Fooled Again". Before performing the final song, Pete says Barack Obama's election victory that week was "the most wonderful result. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss? Maybe not." The show ends with everyone singing "I'm One."
The next night, Pete rejoins The Who for the first night of a two-night set at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
On the 10th, Roger attends a special showing of The Who: At Kilburn: 1977 at the Arclight Cinema in Sherman Oaks and takes fans' questions. "[Keith Moon] had a kind of mathematical brain that could pull rhythms that would totally kick you to where you never thought you would go. And he made it work, what can you say? And he was the funniest guy in the world to watch, to perform with him...he was magical. But he had another side to him that was quite terrifying."
On the 11th, The Smashing Pumpkins release their DVD If All Goes Wrong featuring an interview with Pete.
On the 13th, The Who cross the Pacific, playing their second tour of Japan, starting a the Osaka Castle Hall followed by the Yokohama Arena (14th), the Saitama Super Arena (16th) and two shows at Budokan on the 17th and 19th.
On the 18th, The Who: Kilburn 1977 is released on DVD and Blu-ray.
On the same day, Volume One of Christoph Geisselhart's massive German-language Who bio The Who: Maximum Rock is published.
On the 19th, Steve Lieberman The Gangsta Rabbi releases his CD Overthrow the Government featuring a cover of "Whiskey Man".
On the 24th, Michael Cavanaugh releases his CD In Color with a cover of "Let My Love Open the Door."
December 2008
New music releases: "Dog Days Are Over" - Florence + The Machine; "Circus" - Britney Spears; The Circus - Take That; "Hallelujah" - Alexandra Burke
On the 4th, the Biography Channel on U.S. cable premieres a biography of The Who.
On the 6th, Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey receive their Kennedy Center Honors from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice at a State Department dinner.
On the same day, Billboard puts the new DVD The Who: Kilburn 1977 at #1 on their Top Music Videos list.
On the 7th, Pete and Roger attend the Kennedy Center gala with outgoing President George W. Bush and fellow honorees, Barbra Streisand, Morgan Freeman and George Jones. A brilliant, soulful performance of "Love Reign O'er Me" by Bettye LaVette brings tears to Pete's eyes and causes Streisand to lean over to Pete and ask "You wrote this?"
On the 14th and 15th, The Who put on special shows for thewho.com fans at the indig02 in London. The second night features a performance of the rarely played live "Slip Kid". On the 17th is a performance at the same venue for the general public.
On the 23rd, Pete and Roger are interviewed together on the CBS Early Show. Pete: "very few other people have tackled them, Who songs. And I don't think it's because they're difficult to do. I think it's because, once Roger has done a Who song, it's difficult to come close."