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Post by Spence on Oct 27, 2009 15:37:26 GMT
For those of you as yet unaware, there is an internet campaign running on several websites to get The Who's Baba O'Riley to number one in the UK charts. The Who, amazing as it seems, has never had a UK number one, which is a travesty when you consider some of the unmitigated sh*te that has achieved that accolade. So here's the scheme. Week commencing Monday November 16th, everyone goes to a reputable UK download outlet, sales from which contribute to the UK charts (iTunes, HMV, 7-Digital, Napster, etc) and buys the version of Baba O'Riley that is track one of the Who's Next Deluxe Edition album. In order to obtain the right number of sales, it must be in that week, and it must be that version of the song. Not only can we set right a musical wrong by finally giving The Who a chart-topper, we can also demonstrate the combined might of social networking. So whether you tweet, post, blog, poke, or anything else - tell everyone: buy The Who's "Baba O'Riley" from Who's Next as an MP3 download in the week commencing Monday 16th November 2009. (In)Frequently Asked Questions... Q. Why The Who? A. Because they've never had a UK no.1 single. Q. Why "Baba O'Riley"? A. Because it's excellent. Q. Which version should I buy? A. The one that is track 1 of the album "Who's Next". Q. What if I'm overseas? A. You can still help, you just need to buy the download from a UK retailer website, not a retailer in your own country. Check the campaign website for links to suitable retailers. Q. Why week commencing 16th November 2009? A. Because it's soon enough to be interesting, far enough away to give us a chance of success, and (hopefully) avoids all the pre-Christmas X-Factor releases that will be bought by the mindless masses. Campaign homepage: tinyurl.com/WhosNo1f**k it, I think I might even ask Lu to put this on the homepage.
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Post by zeppelin on Oct 28, 2009 13:46:54 GMT
I would do the download on MP3 thing on the MP3 player that Pam bought me for my birthday in June, but it's still in the box because I don't know how to use it!
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Post by Spence on Oct 28, 2009 15:03:23 GMT
Biff.
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Post by bryno on Oct 29, 2009 17:01:42 GMT
Baba O'Riley is one of my all time fav's! Blimey, may need to open the box of the the i pod collecting dust on my shelf and work out how to download stuff LOL!
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Post by Spence on Oct 29, 2009 23:09:11 GMT
Guys, you don't need an MP3 player to download the track - as long as you've got iTunes you can download it and keep it on your PC.
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Post by zeppelin on Nov 2, 2009 15:09:16 GMT
You know it!
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Post by mark on Nov 2, 2009 15:22:41 GMT
Face it boys there is a good reason the oo have never had a number 1 they,re not very good not that any chart act are
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Post by Spence on Nov 3, 2009 11:56:15 GMT
Yes thanks for that insightful comment Mark. It may have escaped your notice that the whole point behind this campaign is that The Who isn't a "chart act".
In 1968, The Who headlined the first Schaefer Music Festival in New York City's Central Park. Also that year, Townshend became the subject of the first Rolling Stone interview, in which he said he was working on a full-length rock opera.
Tommy became a critical smash, Life Magazine saying, "...for sheer power, invention and brilliance of performance, Tommy outstrips anything which has ever come out of a recording studio," and Melody Maker declaring, "Surely The Who are now the band against which all others are to be judged."
The Who performed much of Tommy at the Woodstock Music and Art Festival that year. That, and the ensuing film, catapulted The Who's popularity in the USA.
In February 1970 The Who recorded Live at Leeds, thought by many critics as the best live rock album of all time. The Leeds University gig was part of the Tommy tour, which not only included gigs in European opera houses but saw The Who become the first rock act at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.
Who's Next became their most successful album among critics and fans. Two tracks from the album, "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again", are cited as pioneering examples of synthesizer use in rock music.
The movie version of Tommy released in 1974 earned Townshend an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score.
In December 1974, The Who set the record for largest indoor concert at the Pontiac Silverdome.
In December 1979, The Who became the third band, after the Beatles and The Band, to be featured on the cover of Time Magazine. The accompanying article said The Who had "outpaced, outlasted, outlived and outclassed" all of their rock band contemporaries.
in 1982 The Who embarked on a farewell tour after Townshend said he wanted one more tour with The Who before turning it into a studio band. It was the highest grossing tour of the year, with sellout crowds in stadiums and arenas throughout North America.
In February 1988 the band was honoured with the British Phonographic Industry's Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 1989 they embarked on a 25th anniversary The Kids Are Alright reunion tour; Newsweek said, "The Who tour is special because, after the Beatles and the Stones, they're IT." There were sellouts throughout North America, including a four-night stand at Giants Stadium. In all, over two million tickets were sold.
In 1990, their first year of eligibility, The Who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Who's display at the Rock Hall describes them as prime contenders for the title of "World's Greatest Rock Band". Only The Beatles and The Rolling Stones receive a similar accolade at the Rock Hall.
In 1999 VH1 placed The Who eighth in the 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. The Who were also honoured with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award that year.
In September 2002, Q magazine named The Who as one of the "50 Bands to See Before You Die". In November 2003, The Who landed seven albums in Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, more than any other artist with the exceptions of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.
In 2006, The Who were first recipients of the Freddie Mercury Lifetime Achievement Award in Live Music at the Vodafone music awards. In the same year, Tommy and Live At Leeds were both included in the book 100 Albums That Changed Music, edited by music journalist Sean Egan.
Tommy was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998, My Generation in 1999 and Who's Next in 2007. My Generation was selected for preservation in the USA's National Recording Registry in 2009. At the 31st annual awards ceremony on 7 December 2008, Townshend and Daltrey received recognition for their work at the Kennedy Center Honors; the first rock band to be so honored.
But no Mark, you're probably right. They're not very good.
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Post by mark on Nov 3, 2009 21:32:30 GMT
:DWow you really bit mate , even a cynic like me who does,nt understand the appeal of the Who cannot fail to recognise thier immence contribution to music . They are far to good to be a chart act and manipulation by a few internet geeks would make it a hollow and not genuine victory . They deserve better than that .
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Post by Spence on Nov 4, 2009 7:32:50 GMT
It's got nothing to do with biting Mark. As I often say, opinions are like a**es - everyone's got one. I just like to base mine on evidence rather than glib comments.
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Post by mark on Nov 4, 2009 14:43:52 GMT
Its quite sad that it takes an internet campaighn to try and get them to number one when the band at the height of their power could,nt acheive that , I suppose that says something about the fickleness of the British record buying public or could it be that the appeal of the Who isnt that universal maybe they are not that good after all . Most of the prestigious accolades that you quote are American where they are massive , have they had much chart success over there ? . Loads of the greatest music never gets chart success thats not a bad thing and the Who have never rested on their laurels and that has fueled their creativity . Do you really want to see your favorite band jostling for chart success against the disposable sh*te that masquerades as music nowadays ? like Ive said they deserve better .
Glib eh like you said oppinions are like a**es ;D
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Post by Spence on Nov 5, 2009 10:04:24 GMT
The Who probably never had a number one in the 60s and 70s because they weren't churning out, on the whole, teeny-bopper friendly pop songs. The things that did get to number one were all the one-hit wonders and overpolished, overproduced Merseybeat schmalz like The Beatles. Some things never change.
The accolades I listed were nearly all American because, I admit, I nicked and edited the information from a web page clearly written by an American fan. And while The Who had enjoyed some commercial success in the UK with their first three or four singles and first album, I Can't Explain, Anyway Anyhow Anywhere, My Generation and Substitute got them nowhere in the US. It wasn't until Happy Jack appealed to the bizarre US tastes that they got noticed and that song went to number one over there. It was the appearance on the Smothers Brothers show, the Monterrey Pop Festival, and obviously Woodstock, that really established The Who as the massive rock act in the US that they remain today.
While they continued to be a touring and album band, the UK teeny boppers were into glam and The Bay City Rollers, and it wasn't until punk came along that The Who started to get the credit they deserved for influencing so many real musicians.
And believe it or not, The Who isn't my favourite band.
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Post by Spence on Nov 21, 2009 12:17:56 GMT
Mark Pougatch reporting from Twickenham on 5 Live, with Baba O'Riley playing over the loudspeakers in the background right now. Come on Baba!
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Post by Spence on Nov 23, 2009 9:04:15 GMT
Well that was an epic fail. The organisers put it down to not anticipating the amount of "talent" show crap that's been released in the run-up to Christmas.
But, as Baba not only didn't even make the Top 40, but didn't make the iTunes downloads Top 100 either, I have my doubts. Another attempt is being mooted for the new year. Good luck with that.
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Post by Spence on Nov 26, 2009 16:38:41 GMT
If anyone wants to have an input on this, there's now a poll running to vote for the song that should be put forward in the next attempt. I urge everyone to vote for The Seeker, as it's the least predictable choice on the list and, unlike Won't Get Fooled Again and Baba O'Riley, is a sensible length to get some radio airplay. And it's f**king excellent. Here's the link: tinyurl.com/WhosNo1
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