25 Mar 2014

A Plug For Doug

Doug Sandom’s book about his days with The Who has been out for a few weeks already so forgive this late post. Chris Hutchins, who helped Doug put the book together, had been in touch with Rob Lee about posting it on the web site when sadly Rob passed away. So here you go, a little late but nevertheless, a plug for Doug.

Says Chris:  “I had known Pete Townshend for many years – since his early days with The Who and my own with the NME.  But it was not until recently that I discovered Pete’s secret – a man called Doug Sandom.

Even when we were on the road together in the Sixties, I took it for granted that Pete, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon were the band’s founder members.  Wrong. Moonie, as we called the crazy but loveable drummer, had been brought in as a replacement for another drummer, the aforementioned Doug Sandom.

Via a friend of a friend I met and got to know Doug and listened to his fascinating stories about the early days of the band that was to shape a generation, a band that became – and still is – probably the greatest rock ‘n roll band in the world.  He talked of the spats between Townshend and Daltrey as all four musicians struggled to make it to the top, the music, the groupies . . .

And then I learned that he had written it all down in longhand in a pile of school exercise books. I believe that Doug’s memories deserve to be shared with everyone who is interested in the birth of rock ’n roll in general and The Who in particular so between us we turned his  jottings into a book. Pete Townshend joined in writing a moving Forward in which he records (among many other things): ‘Doug’s work gave me the confidence to drive the band as a writer and creative thinker.’ “

You can purchase The Who Before The Who on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk