History of

14 September 2006

TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW WITH DOUG SANDOM BY NICK DiBIASIO & RICK BELLAIRE BROADCAST SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 MY BACK PAGES, WICN-FM, WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS (Recorded September 10, 2006, via trans-Atlantic telephone call):

Joining us tonight is the original drummer for The Who, Mr. Doug Sandom. We have a few things we’d like to talk to you about - about the early days with The Detours. We know that The Who were originally called The Detours and featured lead singer Colin Dawson, Roger Daltrey actually played lead guitar and trombone, Pete Townshend on rhythm, John Entwistle on bass and trumpet, and you were on drums. What kind of music did the band play at that time?

At that time it was like The Shadows, like Cliff Richard and things like that; whatever was in the top of the charts and we used to do a little bit of Trad Jazz with the trombone and the trumpet just to bake it all up. Basically, what was in the charts.

Then the band went in a more R&B direction, didn’t they?

We were a band of commercial entertainers. We was like their top band, and when they started getting in big bands like the Stones and Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and The Searchers - all the bands, top bands - we got the job of being the warm-up band. We’d open the night, then they’d play, then we’d finish the night. And when we played with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, they completely changed their idea about only having four in the band, you know.

I don’t believe anyone’s ever heard much of Roger as a guitarist. How did you rate him back in those days?

Well, back in those days, it was all rough, you know what I mean? Well, I wasn’t - I’d been playing for quite a while. Roger picked me up and wanted me to join the band - well, he didn’t want me - he asked me to sit in while their drummer was on holiday. Then they asked me if I’d stay. Then it was “bye, bye” to the poor drummer. He had a good holiday then!

And then came the name change to The Who. You were the drummer on the very first recordings, weren’t you?

Well, I didn’t do no recording with them.

Oh, you didn’t?

Well, we did some small things, but nothing big. The guy who used to do a program on the telly like your Muppets (producer/director Barry Gray, the creative force behind the animated science fiction series “Fireball XL5”), he taped us. And that tape, we always couldn’t get hold of it - but I know who’s got it. It’s a guy called Bob Druce. Robert Druce. He’s living in America now. He used to be our governor and I do believe he’s got it. The Governor!

According to the histories, the man who cut the three-song demo on you, the producer/director, had the only copies and that they’d all been lost. I’m thrilled to hear that somebody still has a copy!

Yes. I do believe that Mr. Druce has got that.

How did Keith Moon enter the picture? What happened that you were out and Keith was in?

Well, what it was, was that Pete and Roger went into, really, really blues, and I didn’t like it very much. And we had a few arguments about it and then along comes Mr. Helmut Gorden. He wanted to become the manager. He knew me through my sister-in-law. He came to a rehearsal; he wanted to meet us all, and he decided he wanted to manage us. At the time, I was happy about it. You know, I thought “this it it”, we’re going to get a backer. So I went along with it, but the only big trouble is, it was in the wind that it was over for me as far as bands were concerned. I was married, you see, which was not right. And I had a child, you see, I had a child as well, which made me quite older than they were. And Mr. Gorden knew how old I was through my sister-in-law. So, that was getting near the end of me, then! I was too old! So it ended up I was having arguments with them and with the wife because she was fed up with me going out seven nights a week to play. I was having a big argument for ages! And then, we were going for an audition with somebody else and John Entwistle who was a great guy - a friend of mine, we used to talk together - and he told me I was going to be set up at this audition. So,I was ready for it, you know. So after we played that night, I just got up and chucked the band. I said, “That’s it, I’m finished.”

Again, according to the books, it indicates that you went and joined The Beachcombers, the band Keith Moon was leaving to join The Who.

No, that’s not true. That’s not true, although I did play with The Beachcombers. I was sitting in my house one Sunday evening and Mr. Bob Druce, who I was talking about, came down my house and said, “Look, we’ve got a band up at the White Heart without a drummer. Would you come and sit in with us?” And I said, “Yeah, sure” and went and sat in and it happened to be The Beachcombers. But unknown to me, Keith was with The Who. They used to be pals. Keith Moon would go to the Oldfield to see the band in Greenford to watch us play ‘cause he really liked the band. (Moon was a diehard surf music fan.) Yet, I never met Keith Moon. There’s all these stories in different books about how he got up and smashed my kit. That’s a load of lies. I never met Keith Moon until about six months after I’d packed up. I had some equipment: a leather coat, trousers, shirt, boots. I thought, “I don’t want these.” I’ll take them up the Oldfield and give them to the band - they were no good to me. I went to the Oldfield and they didn’t want to let me in! The management said, “You’re not going to come in here causing trouble.” I said, “No, no trouble. I just want to hand this parcel over to one of the band. Anyone. I don’t care who it is.” So they went back saying, “We’ll see if we can get someone to come and see you.” You know who they sent to me, don’t you? It was Keith Moon! So I handed it to him and said, “Here, mate, these are yours” and the only words he said to me were, “Thanks very much, mate, you’ve done me a big favor. If any time I can do you one, let me know.”

After that, did you continue to perform with any band?

No. No...not for a long, long time.

Your original occupation was as a bricklayer. Did you go back into that field of work?

Yeah...I had to earn some money, you know? After I left The Who, it absolutely fazed me. I loved the band, you know, a lot. I mean, to me, that’s the only band in the world. I’m happy to say we’re all friends again. I mean Peter and Roger - I do get to see them.

You’ve seen them in recent years?

Oh, recently. Very recently. Last April I seen them at a convention run by Ron Dovey. They’ve been very good to me because I lost my wife a year ago. I don’t know how Roger got to know, but he phoned me up and he’s been phoning me every other week.

Are you retired these days?

Oh, yes. I don’t do a lot. I only bend me elbow with a beer, now and then!

Are you playing at all?

(Laughs) No, but I did go back to it after about two years. I joined a band who were into The Eagles. They loved The Eagles and I like The Eagles. I loved it and I stayed with them for quite a while. Then I was in another band called Rooster.

Oh, sure. I’ve heard of Rooster.

No, not that one! It’s not “that one”. I spent quite a bit of time with them, but I always got it pushed down me throat by the Mrs. - “You promised me you wouldn’t play”. And that was it.

Do you have a kit now?

I kept a kit, yes. I’ll tell you what I’m doing with that when I pop off - when I leave the building - I’m giving that to Ron Dovey to sell at one of these conventions for the old cancer. They’ll be hearing this in America, won’t they?

Yes.

To us, you are. We’re extremely honored to have you with us.

Honestly, I hear from people all over the world. It’s brilliant.

Well, you’re part of history.

Yes, well, the last time I saw Roger was at Brighton when they was in concert and I met him after the concert and he says to me, “Were you proud of us tonight, Doug?” And I said, “Of course I was.” He said, “Well you should be because you were the beginning.” And I like that. I like that. I mean, like, doing this today is big for me because I’m proud to be a part of The Who.

We were wondering if we might get a few comments on your successors in the group: Keith Moon, Simon Phillips, Zak Starkey, Kenney Jones. How do you rate these guys as drummers?

Well, Keith Moon was great, really.

How did you feel about the Kenney Jones era?

I think it went downhill a little bit ‘cause it took some doing to fill those boots. It was very different. And Zak Starkey - I think he’s brilliant. They’ve got the right man now. And he’s a great guy, too. I always have a chat with him, you know. It’s lovely, you know?

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