THE Mod band of the mid-sixties, in 1964 the gap between the High Numbers as performers and their Mod audience was virtually non-existent. They both came from similar backgrounds and had similar ambitions. The High Numbers blasted power chords, shouted of adolescent rage and took out their aggression on their instruments after concerts.
Townshend, Daltrey and Entwhistle first played together during the early 60's in The Detours with Doug Sandom on drums. They played everything from Tornados material to country and western until they discovered R&B.
They came under the management of Pete Meadon, who changed their name to The High Numbers and secured them a contract with Fontana. The first single, "I'm The Face", flopped. During this period Sandom was replaced by Keith Moon, who had been with a surf-band called The Beachcombers and did perform on that early single.
Towards the end of 1964 Meadon was replaced as their manager by Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. Lambert and Stamp were not Mods but they actively encouraged the band to embrace the movement, offering advice on their choice insof material and clothing. They also had an intuitive grasp of the music business. The group's named was changed to The Who and Pete Townshend was encouraged to develop his songwriting, and by the end of 1964 they had built up a large following amongst the Mods.
(Taken from the website "The British Beat Boom")
DISCOGRAPHY:
45 / 7" INCH:
The High Numbers - I'm The Face / Zoot Suit (Fontana TF 480) 1964
(Repressed in 1964 with the same catalogue number but with sides reversed.)
The High Numbers - I'm The Face / Zoot Suit (Back Door DOOR 4) 1980
(Reissue. The 1964 promo sheet of the original single was used as a black and white picture sleeve.)
LP/CD COMPILATION APPEREANCES:
The Who - Odds & Sodds LP (Track 2406 116) 1974
(Does include "I'm The Face".)
The Who - Quadrophenia (Soundtrack) LP (Polydor 2625 037) 1979
(Does include "Zoot Suit".)
The Who - Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B 4-CD-Box (Polydor 521 751 2) 1994
(This collection includes "I'm The Face", "Zoot Suit", "Leaving Here" and "Here 'Tis".)
BOOTLEGS:
The Who - Remembers The High Numbers CD (Head) 1999
(Beside three outtakes of The Who's "A Quick One While He's Away" from the Rolling Stones' "Rock'n'Roll Circus" 1968, this CD includes the four High Numbers tracks as on the officially "Thirty Years Of Naximum R&B" plus these live tracks: "I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying", "You Really Got Me", "Young Man Blues", "Green Onions", "Improvisation", "Long Tall Shorty", "Pretty Thing", "Smokestack Lightning / Money", "Here 'Tis".)
The Who - The High Numbers - Live 1964 CD (Yellow Dog Records YD 2002) 2005
(Does include the complete live tracks from the (possibly) Railway Hotel gig, October 20th, 1964 ("I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying", "You Really Got Me", "Young Man Blues", "Green Onions", "I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying", "Instrumental", "Long Tall Shorty", "I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying", "Pretty Thing", "Smokestack Lightning / Money", "Here 'Tis") plus studio outtakes which are all instrumental backing tracks ("Smokestack Lightning", "Walking The Dog", "Unknown Instrumental", "I'm A Man", "Instrumental Jam", "Memphis Tennessee", "Unknown Instrumental").)
