The Who Tour 1965

History

1965 marked the first year The Who entered the mainstream, thanks to the success of their first two singles, "I Can't Explain" and "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere", which afforded them numerous appearances on BBC radio and television, most notably the Ready Steady Go! TV program. Meanwhile, the band performed continuously in the United Kingdom throughout the year, with brief stops in France and Scandinavia. Their act consisted mostly of R&B and Tamla Motown covers, but more and more original material appeared as the year wore on, particularly by the release of the My Generation album in December. The instrument destruction that marked the band's early years was at its height at this stage.

As no audience recordings from 1965 have surfaced to date, the group's television and radio appearances provide the only glimpses into their act, along with media accounts.

Live releases

Live material from 1965 (excluding TV appearances where the band mimed to pre-recorded material) has appeared on a number of different releases:

Tour band

January–April: UK

The band promoted their debut single, the Pete Townshend-penned "I Can't Explain" (released in January), throughout the first part of the year while performing in the UK. Otherwise their act heavily featured R&B and Tamla Motown material, some of which they would record and subsequently release later in the year on the My Generation album, among them Bo Diddley's "I'm a Man" and two James Brown songs, "I Don't Mind" and "Please, Please, Please". Other covers the group performed and recorded at this time were "Heat Wave", "Shout and Shimmy", "Daddy Rolling Stone", and "Motoring", among others.

Songs documented as being played at this stage are as follows:

1. "I Can't Explain" (Pete Townshend)
2. "Tell Me Baby" (Garnet Mimms)
3. "Heat Wave" (Holland-Dozier-Holland)
4. "Motoring" (William "Mickey" Stevenson)
5. "Please, Please, Please" (James Brown)
6. "Shout and Shimmy" (James Brown)
7. "Jump Back" (Rufus Thomas)
8. "Daddy Rolling Stone" (Otis Blackwell)
9. "I Don't Mind" (James Brown)
10. "I'm a Man" (Bo Diddley)
11. "Smokestack Lightning" (Chester Burnett)
12. "Spoonful" (Willie Dixon)

May–August: UK and Paris

A second Who original, "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (this time co-written by Townshend and Roger Daltrey) was released as a single in May and also added to the group's live act, which continued to be dominated by cover material.

Songs documented as being played at this stage are as follows:

1. "Heat Wave" (Holland-Dozier-Holland)
2. "Daddy Rolling Stone" (Otis Blackwell)
3. "Jump Back" (Rufus Thomas)
4. "Motoring" (William "Mickey" Stevenson)
5. "Daddy Rolling Stone" (Otis Blackwell)
6. "Green Onions" (Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Lewis Steinberg, Al Jackson, Jr.)
7. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey)

September–December: UK and Sweden

The band began playing their first anthem, Townshend’s "My Generation", in September. The Motown favourite "Dancing in the Street" and The Everly Brothers' "A Man With Money" also both began appearing in their sets around this time and would continue to appear well into 1966.

Songs documented as being played at this stage are as follows:

1. "Land of a Thousand Dances" (Chris Kenner)
2. "Daddy Rolling Stone" (Otis Blackwell)
3. "Jump Back" (Rufus Thomas)
4. "I Can't Explain" (Pete Townshend)
5. "Dancing in the Street" (Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter)
6. "Bald Headed Woman" (Shel Talmy)
7. "Baby Don't You Do It" (Holland-Dozier-Holland)
8. "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" (Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey)
9. "Please, Please, Please" (James Brown)
10. "Love Hurts" (Boudleaux Bryant)
11. "I Don't Mind" (James Brown)
12. "Just You and Me, Darling" (James Brown)
13. "A Man With Money" (Don Everly, Phil Everly)
14. "My Generation" (Pete Townshend)