Being a band leader comes with lots of responsibilities, and nobody wants to see their shoes filled by someone else. During a recent interview by Vintage Rock Pod, Steve ‘Boltz’ Bolton recalled the time Pete Townshend had felt the need to remind him who was the real boss during a studio session by destroying everything in his sight.
“Pete came in, and it was obvious that Pete was the boss,” remembered Steve when looking back on that day. “So, we’re in this huge room at the recording studio, which was made really small because we had screens up. They built a little house for Pete with sound screens and windows. They put little speakers, a picture of the Queen, flowers, and everything. He was going to play acoustic guitar; he was in this little box to help save his tinnitus.”
Recalling he had papers on the floor for all the songs they would play, Boltz continued, “Pete comes in, miserable as f*ck as he is. And this minion comes down and says, ‘Pete would like everyone to play ‘Overture’ from ‘Tommy.’ I was looking down at the paper [mimics his way of playing the song]. And it comes this bit about four minutes in, but slightly inch off the ‘Pinball Wizard,’ but in the different key, G.”
The guitarist then said, “So, I thought, ‘I know this bit’s coming up, and I know what he’s told me, but they’ve given him a guitar, and he’s in this box with an acoustic guitar.’ I’m not looking at him because I’m too busy trying to figure it out. So, it comes to this bit; there’s a bang, and there’s nothing. I look across the room, and he’s like that -n with his arms forward, and he’s looking broken Rickenbacker’s at me. He’s just staring at me. So, of course, I start playing.”
Remembering Pete Townshend’s reaction, Steve added, “When I start playing, he kicks the screens over, smashes them on the floor in bits. He walks straight over and comes right up to me like this [puts his hand across his face]. At this point, I haven’t got a friend in the room because everyone’s going [whispering to each other]. He goes, ‘What the f*ck are you doing, man?’ I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘That’s my f*cking bit there; leave me something to do, for Christ’s sake!’”
Bolton concluded his studio memory with Townshend, saying, “I thought I am not going to take this, so I pulled him gently by his suit lapel. I said, ‘Listen, you’ve been away, running around America, doing publicity. I’ve been covering for you here, and that bit there, I’ve been covering for you because I know that’s your bit. Now you’re here, and I saw you got an acoustic guitar, so I assumed you would not do that bit.’ Do you know what he said to me? He said, ‘Listen, it’s my band; I can do whatever the f*ck I like!’”
The Who is known for being a loud band during their live shows, with a Guinness World Record for Loudest Concert Ever. Sadly, their loudness took its toll on Pete Townshend, who suffers from tinnitus and partial deafness. Apparently, his tinnitus prevented him from joining the rest of the band during that session. Yet, Boltz, who filled in for him at his suggestion and played his parts, got on Townshend’s nerves by playing his parts and not leaving him any to play.
