The High Numbers at the Railway Hotel, 1964.

[trollybus657]

I miss my purple hearts from the 60s,light and bitter at 2 shillings a pint,Ealing Jazz Club,but still have the Who, Thanks so much for puting this out Roger,

sixtiespete

[ThePieffe63]

The Birth of a Band...

[tujags]

I remember this venue saw the High numbers there. It was next to the Midnight Motor Shop where you could get car spares literally at midnight.

We booked the WHO to perform at the Lynx Club in Borehamwood just as they went big

What ever happened to John Rowberry who ran the gigs 6'-7" tall those were the days.

[ChrisYonts]

Jesus Christ if it weren't for Kit Lambert and queers like him we'd have no '60s stuff.

[PAULLONDEN]

@ChrisYonts During this period these dudes definitely weren't cool yet.Unlike the Stones who were covering the black R & B legends, these guys wanted to be (of all people)Paul Revere & the Raiders ,or the Beach Boys.

[alonenjersey]

Don't you love dancing to a song (Ooh Poo Pah Doo) that makes so sense at all?

[fontanalu]

Thank you very much for sharing this precious with us

[stephenghunter]

Notice how often the cameraman focuses in on Keith Moon - increasingly through the two numbers. How often is the drummer the centre of attention in a rock band? And this is one where the other guys aren't exactly rubbish.

[fontanalu]

@stephenghunter He was just a kid... Pretty younger than my son. So cute. And a matter of justice: John is always the best in bass in this and ˜that world. How good stuff this is. All four. Bigger than beer.

[jricketts1]

fuck those people in the crowd were lucky

[fontanalu]

@jricketts1 I was thinking the same. I would give my whole 20s year life (I wasted them) to be there.

[nico4375]

Keep the faith Mods!

[varfurile1]

Amazing authentic footage from back then...took me back to the days of the Ricky Tick, Windsor,... The Trade Union Hall, Watford,.... Burtons, Uxbridge,.. Eel Pie Island, Butlins, Ford Consuls Mk 2, Ford Cortina Mk. 1 with walnut dashboards, getting tickets for The Animals Fan Club party and mixing with Mick jagger and Chrissie Shrimpton,( and Eden Kane, Chas Chandler and Eric Burdon! having a pee with Hilton Valentine), engineering apprenticeships, first real loves that you never forget, (sigh)

[LONGBEACHPUNKROCK]

WAY MORE BIGGER BALLS Then the beatles Could Ever DREAM to Have!!!!!!!

[rockermike0]

Im only 25 and I love the sound from The Who, back then known as the The High Numbers :)

[ChrisYonts]

ROGER! How many times have I told you not to throw yer maracas on the floor!

[ChrisYonts]

That shot of Kit Lambert (all sweaty) is priceless.

[TrojanPaul69]

I've seen short clips of this before so thanks for putting the whole thing on! no one could ever drum like Keith Moon and I love John's backing harmonies. Great stuff!

[Brandonw1996]

@GrowYourHairForPeace yess! please and thank you that would be great ! my email is brandonwiedermann@yahoo.ca

[Brandonw1996]

where can i find these songs to download ?

[GrowYourHairForPeace]

@Brandonw1996

There are a few bootlegs that contain this material, not these exact recordings though. I can email you a download link if you'd like. peace and love

[mink61]

A fantastic piece of film. Not only does it document the Who at a very early stage in their development, it also captures the Who’s audience; the mods were uniquely English in their sensibilities....dress sense, lifestyle etc and were in perfect synchronisation with an emerging musical scene that was equally unique to this Island.

[johnmcluskey]

I love The Who and it's great to see them as The High Numbers. Even mooneys drumming style is so noticeable in this..

[leonchambers2010]

is that Kenny Jones, Small Faces drummer, dancing with the crowd at 1:58??

[shoutandshimmy]

@leonchambers2010 Don't think so.

[ChrisYonts]

@shoutandshimmy YES! IT COULD VERY WELL BE.

[tony671]

@leonchambers2010 it sure looks like him

[staypress]

@leonchambers2010 hey I thought that I think it is

[trevgk]

great quality, thanks, reminds me of the blue moon in cheltenham

[MODTRASH]

A true shame 'The Who' never released a version 'Oop Poo Pa Doo'!

[novadrian]

Thanks so much for the upload. The sound quality is superb. Just magic. The only time I've heard Keith Moon play a shuffle...and he makes it swing with those inimitable fills.

[boproton]

amazing!!!!!!

[lennonzappa71]

Does anyone know if there exists audio and/or video from when The Who were known as The Detours (with Doug Sandom on drums)?  That would be interesting.

[seriousmachines]

really cool footage and such good quality...I see this was the source footage for the Cant Explain Who video really cool thanks for posting

[JOJOHOUND]

GREAT !

[zingbing01]

Looks like Moonie forgot to lash the snare stand to his drum throne! GREAT stuff, this.

[Exakta66]

Thank You!!!

[kreydich]

WH2O ....Gimme gimme gimme a gimme good water!

[zog97xy]

this is THE WHO performing AS the high numbers yes they were called the high numbers originally but this is a re-enactment for the film.

[kazzaflaz]

@shoutandshimmy

made-up I found what I was lookin' 4!

Nice 1 m8 xxx

[mikehuntbrighton]

posibly the cool'st thing i have ever seen

[jrg45721]

what a fuck'n shame - I'll never be 19 again! Bright side: when I was we had Who/Stones/Animals/Cream... real not gay music.... PS. the mod boys danced together and we weren't definitely NOT gay

[Variotronic09]

Thanks to Roger for sharing that back with us

[SCFC1981]

slick

[ElizR56]

unfreakinfanfabu!

[texs2007]

Where's the other songs,Roger????

[impala327]

this is so awesome for a Yank who is obsessed with "60s Britsh pop/blues/r&b clubs and that raw scene.

[Terrilliser]

Keith the innocent looking like he'll be no trouble!! :P

[Wrightwasright]

Wow, so great, thank you.

[KILLAZXP300]

awesome raw footage of a style that influenced many others....praise kit lambert for filming it..

[beerhound01]

Thanks so much for posting this- really enjoyed watching this!

[trammix]

The birth of The Who; they started off good & became great.

[Fooblestheclown]

The Who are great. Sell out is my favorite Who album.

[seabornlee]

Amazing, like seeing them play in your basement. Those stuttery chords that start at 3:00 sound a lot like what would turn into Can't Explain...

[RickDougall]

@shoutandshimmy

Best. Upload. Ever. Thank you. If I were a woman, I'd ask you to marry me.

[jesusisbling]

Watching white people dance is hilarious!! The drummer is good though.....

[aLeXxVd09]

@jesusisbling By 'the drummer' you mean Keith Moon.

[onthegoldenline]

And Keith Moon was never as happy again....

[MsMoonTheLoon]

@onthegoldenline

it's so sad, but you're right ):

[roaduser]

that sound, oh dear me that sound

[robmatlivingstone]

Awesome - the Who smoke everyone

[MrModson]

perfect

[doyleaudio]

Jim Marshall told me a story of Cliff Townsend Pete Towns father, dis owning him for the crazy music they started playing. Jim played drums and I think he said Cliff played sax in a air force dance hall band.

[fasima]

They played much better stuff during th show, audio of the whole show has been upped here...

[KEEPONROCKINKID]

@fasima  Hi, Where can i get hold of the whole audio of the show ?

[fasima]

@KEEPONROCKINKID

Part 1: watch?v=-dLDWMsyC10

Part 2: watch?v=eIXVX38Fda8

Part 3: watch?v=zzayOjqjykU

Part 4: watch?v=i4AUufrSHv4&

[KEEPONROCKINKID]

@fasima Cheers, Thanks for links

[hamideansmith]

unfucking believable

The Baby Who!

[The8347135]

I didn't see any good dance moves.. :( Except Roger of course

[mazcumbo]

taken by ????what dvd..or ..tell me please??

[The8347135]

@mazcumbo Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who

[lebleufleur]

1, 2

[LyLiam17]

...WE ARE MODS!!!

[emiliobatiste]

speeeeeedy gonsales

[currypot1965]

His cock is about 5 inch on the slack.

[vincentinogitash]

Wow, what a moment of history to capture so well.

[GLAMTASTICUK]

Strange curtains ...check out MOON ON WARDOUR STREET

[VanHowle]

Ooooh oooh oh oh ohhh oh oh oh oh!

[xdeadxtreex]

this is the hippest shit ever....ever! no subculture can be this cool now.

[Terrilliser]

listening to this again woohoo!! strum that bass John scream your lungs out Roger, bang those drums Keith, and SMASH that guitar Pete

[Terrilliser]

probably the 15th time I"ve heard this video!!...... love it

[ludehead]

This is an awesome cover of an old New Orleans tune from Jesse Hill. This is classic!

[gibsoneb3]

So young they are, and already they're masterful on the dynamics...

[staypress]

Does anyone have any idea which month this could have been filmed. I would have a hunch it would be around june july maybe??

[rejar]

nice!

[staunched]

Brilliant, glad I found this and cheers for having it uploaded here.

[5winston]

Historic. Thanks you for putting this up.

[Moonielover46]

Damn mod boy's were cute! of course the Who were the hottest in the room though. exspecialy Moon n Townshend! ♥

[funkadelphiarecords]

TODAY'S GENERATION IS SO LAME COMPARED TO THIS SCENE 46 YEARS AGO! FACEBOOK, CELL PHONES & IPODS HAVE MADE PEOPLE MORE STUPID!

[TheAnn2shoes]

@funkadelphiarecords I agree (even though I'm on FB!). OMG those WERE the days, they really were. The music, the fashion, the dancing and the excitement of all the new groups. Best time ever to be a teenager.

[ludehead]

@TheAnn2shoes

The amphetamines didn't suck either...

[danielvlee]

i've watched that video 50 times, compared it to local bands, laughed till tears came rolling... did those kids know what kind of band was serenading them? if only i could take a time machine to London 1964.

[dexysrebel]

brillant.pure maximum R&B

[MsMoonTheLoon]

I LOVE their version of gotta dance to keep from crying to death!

I'm not a dancer really but every time I hear Moonies drums in this I just HAVE to dance! Real Maximum R&B!

[LesSmith45]

This is amazing footage of rock and roll history at its finest. Look how young they look about 18-19.

[Terrilliser]

ROCK N ROCK and ROLL.....

[DeepSpaceDesign]

Cool As F*ck

[lormesher]

im 15 and wish i lived in them days i was born before my time

[Terrilliser]

I watch this video everyday!! It gets my groove on!! GO THE WHO

[mtj8]

The utmost Maximum R & B.

[tomthefunky]

You English dance as good as you cook.

[13thfloor18]

@tomthefunky It's true,definitely in my case, I can't dance to save my life

[staypress]

wow look at rogers dick

[KitFistoWilkins]

we want more bands likethis! RIP keith moon, but he shouldnt have taken so man drugs.

it went

the detours,

the who,

the high numbers,

the who

[johnsquallflaherty]

@KitFistoWilkins Moon, as several stars back then (and today, obviously), did use drugs, but his main problem was alcohol. At one point, when he checked himself into rehab, after describin' an usual breakfast, which included wine and champagne, doctors said he was a lost cause.

He died of chokin' in his own vomit after taking a handful of medicine pills that disable the esophagus, exactly the medicine to treat his drinking problem. It was somethin' he used to do, unfortunately.

[rexmaster5]

Amazing footage. It's like going back in time in some kind of weird dream where you get to go back in time and see the The Who before they were The Who This is at the point where the Mods were just starting to spin into something else. Amazingly, you can still see elements of the 50's greasers lingering (even in a Mod club !). Fellas look like your typical greasy, young spoiled brats barely out of their diapers who just form a band to impress their parents.

[onein7twist]

Can't be a big cock, it's an Englishman, after all!

[patrickhellin]

Genius great

[OhNoCarmex]

@MyTwangyGuitar - not anymore!

[MikeBA10]

watch from 4:29-4:33 at keiths face. he looks funny as he mouths the words

[OhNoCarmex]

is it me or is that daltrey's cock going halfway down his thigh?

[MyTwangyGuitar]

@OhNoCarmex - I think you're the only one checking out Daltrey's cock - yeah.

[vwaxman]

That is an amazing comment, but I think it's you.

[OhNoCarmex]

is entwistle channeling bill wyman with the way he's holding his bass or was that something they all did at the time?

[alonenjersey]

Ah, you must remember that in those days there were plenty of "Mods" who were taking their fair share of uppers.

[OhNoCarmex]

I mean, look at the guy who grabs his buddy's face at 4:15, dude's spinning!

[dogma264]

Wow these old pub shows seem really dull, the band is great but the audience seem like old people in young peoples bodies

[ann2shoes]

@dogma264 What gives you that idea?

[djcrowbar]

Yeah I really prefer the fat drunks at the MSG shows. This footage is brilliant.

[Ojeas]

how old are them here?

keith must be 15,isnt he?

awesome

[flummapa]

@Ojeas . I think they were all around 17-19 years old around this time.

[currypot1965]

Fuckin awesome

[ann2shoes]

@currypot1965 I tell you it was! The whole mod scene, clothes, music, was amazing in the sixties, wouldn't have missed it for the world.

[currypot1965]

I cant post a reply grrrrrr why aint this site working!!

[currypot1965]

Aha think site is working now,lol,,Ann your making me jealous!!! I was a mod in the early 80s,great times,but 60s must have been brill,i used to drink in the railway as well from time to time!!

[ann2shoes]

The other 'in' place to be seen, as a mod in the sixties, was the Trade Union Hall in Watford (known as 'the trade'). The Who played their too when they were the High Numbers. Great days!

[currypot1965]

ok i cant better that,have seen the who tho obviously without keith,but,,heres my claim to fame,i grew up on the same road as keith in wembley!!!

Although i never knew him lol,but knew his mum to say hello to,they lived a few doors up on the other side of the road.

[helltopay1]

@currypot1965 Did he (and you) live in Alperton part of wembley?,good luck

[currypot1965]

@helltopay1 Hi,we both lived on Chaplin Road,Wembley,Alperton was about a mile or so away,the cadets where he went was about a 5 minute walk from his house,have not been back to Wembley for a while,but when you walked passed his Mums house,you could see all the Gold/Platinum discs on the walls,happy days!!

[currypot1965]

Tell me Ann,are you in the audience lol

[ann2shoes]

@currypot1965 Unfortunately not, I think the Who played the Railway Arms before the Trade.

[tetratum]

You can find audio of the whole show on youtube, just search.... has better stuff

[ecnalubma696969]

4:14

[astronomius]

i love this video, i could listen to it for hours. i could hear everything: Pete's rhythms, John's bass lines, everything Keith is hitting and when, and Roger's voice is really clear; the sound quality is unbelievable.

[astronomius]

oh, you're talking about Keith... well, he has several bios floating around the net, and he said he actually studied films of famous jazz and swing drummers. that's what they used to do, play with their sticks like that, and what Moon wanted to do more than anything else was to be a great drummer and emulate those guys.

[astronomius]

hmmm, "seems oh so present". well, i look it (seen the video several times) this way; a bunch of fresh-faced, average (to good) looking kids, a very fresh sound that joyfully pierces and punctuates and doesn't get stale...

this is the 'nitz

[miiawh]

gives me chills just watching this ,it seems oh so present,yet this is over 45 years old ,bloody amazing !

[GeneralUrsus]

Real mod chicks were so sexy. Damn!

[astronomius]

at 05:05, Moon sees the camera close up on him and he gets loosey-goosey with his drumsticks...

great.

[thejokemeister1]

hahah. that's how he played

[astronomius]

this video is so good we should be banned from watching it, lol. these are garage band songs, and The Who did these covers better than anybody. any recording they made from 1958-on should be dug up and remastered for distribution.

so raw, so exciting, so sweet, so natural, so... funny.

Jolly Green Giant, Farmer John, Mashed Potato, they could have made anything sound great!

ooh, it has a Daltrey copyright...

[ann2shoes]

This is real mod stuff - I forgot just how cool we were! And the Who were the coolest band for Mods.

[astronomius]

yeah! i like it! a cool clip, such a sharp image for what it is. you know Lambert and Stamp took a lot more footage than this.

it's funny, it looks like Roger and Pete are trying to bring back the dead @ 01:13, some mod, voodoo ceremony.

Jessie Hill, what a great choice of an artist to cover for them! some of his songs are on YT

[dangrimmy]

I live in wealdstone. The railway hotel is a block of flats now.

[5star555555555]

1:34 is unintentionally hilarious

[wildpinkhorse]

This is the best High Numbers video, forget the rest

[seamusmcmad]

what are your needs?? lol

if its shopping i aint interested.

[kevtheMOD1]

Mods!! Fantastic..Nice one.

[draggin29]

dig the "rocker" at 2.11/2..15.....lol (open shirt/cross neckchain greasey hair etc)

[jfab64]

This wasn't lost for 40 years. Pieces of it appear in the "Kids Are Alright" film from 1979!

I wouldn't be too surprised if a couple of more songs from this film turn up.

[oapple69]

Acertaron en convertirlos en una banda mod, lo unico en lo que se equivocaron fue en cambiarles el nombre a the high numbers. The Who es genial, la banda mas potente y energica de la historia.

[deanlad27]

great vid!

some of the who at there best before they were the who.

moon intro!

[alonenjersey]

You notice The Who can never be accused of copying ANYBODY. God bless them.

[riwwelkuche]

I love the who because they were never as arrogant as the stones and they were great!

[TenaciousP45]

Nice upload.

[deanlad27]

what an intro by moon 2nd song

[deanlad27]

moon!

[cjf799]

The Fuckin Who !!!!!

[nanbators]

fuck dem rich boyz the high numbers rok

[Al25401]

???

[409STMinority]

AWESOME!

[doosht]

moon for the win!

[johnmcluskey]

Look at moon drum on the second track. Was amazing even in his teen years

[DUnewMedia]

Why be hatin' on what's amazing, historical footage? Did you ever stop to consider Chris Stamp rented or bought the Rics and Fender amps to make the band look better in his little movie?

[WillyBZoomed]

Oo poo pa do was one of our best songs in '60 too, but our daddies didn't buy us new Rickenbacker guitars and Fender amps. What a bunch of rich brats.

BZ

[WillyBZoomed]

Oo poo pa do was one of our top songs in '64 too. It really takes me back.

BZ

[DeedoosMusic]

Yeaah !

[theorangesquashes]

so good !

[shaneshaky1]

mods will never fuckin die!!!! im still lookin to fight some fackin rockas!!! caaahhhnnnttsssss!!!!! the who still xxxxxcccccciiiiiiiiiiiitttteee­eeeeeee mmmmmmeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!! im 64 and still doin the doooooooo!!!!!!! yyyyyyyEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH!!!­!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! mad fer it as the young uns say!!!!

[rubydartz]

NIce bit of Pop history you got there.

[yeshead]

In this clip fans of the legendary Rickenbacker bass are getting a view of one of the earliest examples to appear in England. Paul McCartney and The Kinks' Pete Quaife also got one though McCartney didn't really start using his til '66. By then Yes' Chris Squire also had one.

[draggin29]

my brother would go to the railway in wealdstone in 64, sometimes, he saw the hi numbers there and said they were a good r&b band, but were NOT considerd mod by the guys in the know...he said it was full of states and tickets !! lol

[Warthog5050]

Just curious why are Roger and John each singing into two microphones ?

[MRMEATMARKET]

One of the microphones was plugged into the sound system of the club, and the other one was plugged into the cameras.