John Entwistle – Interview (unknown interviewer) – April 16, 1979 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection –
The Who’s John Entwistle in an open-ended interview, recorded April 16, 1979.
Almost always (with the exception of Paul McCartney and Jack Bruce) bass players in bands, particularly bands with the stature of The Who, get short shrift when it comes to interviews. Everyone wants to know what was happening with Roger Daltry or Pete Townshend or the outrageous goings-on with Keith Moon. John Entwistle, not so much.
So, in this open-ended interview (where the interviewer’s questions are missing), John Entwistle has a lot to say and a lot of insights into The Who and what made them tick. Entwistle, it appeared, had a much more integral part in the day-to-day with the band, as well as in writing and recording.
He starts the interview talking about “two films” he’s in the midst of working on – those two are The Kids Are Alright and Quadrophenia, which came out within weeks of each other in 1979. He then talks about studio burnout; wanting to be on the road rather than recording new songs all day. The interview is very matter-of-fact with no apologies.
Towards the end he does talk about the death of founding member and drummer Keith Moon in September the previous year and how it was going to affect the future of The Who and how his relationship as a musician to Moon was critical and part of the overall makeup of the band.
Interesting and insightful. In 1979 there were three remaining founding members of The Who. After Entwistle’s death in 2002 it left just Daltry and Townshend to carry on. There is still debate over the wisdom of continuing on under the circumstances and perhaps The Who should have called it a day. Depends on how you look at it.
Enjoy.
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