{"id":502841,"date":"2026-03-30T04:04:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T04:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/502841\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T04:04:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T04:04:14","slug":"the-song-the-who-havent-played-since-john-entwistle-died","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/502841\/","title":{"rendered":"The song The Who haven’t played since John Entwistle died"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n

(Credits: Far Out \/ Alamy)<\/p>\n

Sun 29 March 2026 15:00, UK <\/p>\n

Dead wood was not a phrase that entered into the realm of The Who<\/a>; each member of that archetypal four-piece provided an utterly essential aspect of their sound, which is perhaps why their output has never been quite the same since the deaths of both Keith Moon and John Entwistle. <\/p>\n

Moon was the first to leave this mortal coil, tragically passing away in 1978 and leaving The Who with a rather uncertain future. After all, the amphetamine-fueled anarchy and adrenaline of the iconic percussionist formed the core backbone of The Who\u2019s output and, in particular, their spectacular live shows. Nevertheless, in a move that could certainly be criticised<\/a>, the band chose to march on without their fallen comrade, in doing so producing their two worst albums in Face Dances and It\u2019s Hard \u2013 and that\u2019s not up for debate. <\/p>\n

Although The Who had largely retired from the studio by the time that Entwistle passed in 2002, his departure nevertheless left a colossal hole in the band\u2019s performance. He might never have made the same spectacle of himself as his windmilling, six-stringed counterpart, but Entwistle provided a litany of iconic basslines<\/a> to The Who over the decades, and his loss was virtually impossible for the band to overcome. <\/p>\n

Even when Daltrey and Townshend sourced a replacement in the form of Pino Palladino \u2013 who, Daltrey once claimed to Classic Rock, \u201creflects enough of what John did\u201d \u2013 there were still certain tracks that simply didn\u2019t work without the distinctive sound of the band\u2019s original bassist. <\/p>\n

One such track was \u2018Summertime Blues\u2019, the iconic Eddie Cochran cover that had been a staple of The Who\u2019s live shows going back to their early days in the 1960s. Giving the understated early rock and roll anthem a far more abrasive, uptempo rendering, the band\u2019s take on the Cochran classic acted as an excellent encapsulation of their live appeal: energetic, revolutionary, and ear-piercingly loud. <\/p>\n

A key part of the group\u2019s cover was Entwistle\u2019s bassline. Even in the original version, recorded all the way back in 1958, the Connie \u2018Guybo\u2019 Smith bassline was essential to the song\u2019s teenage angst atmosphere, but Entwistle turned that spirit up to eleven. His energy as a performer was arguably more important to the band\u2019s performances of the song than Daltrey\u2019s wailing vocals. As if that wasn\u2019t enough, Entwistle also sang the bass vocals on the track, too. <\/p>\n

Despite being a lasting staple of their live shows and an undeniable stand-out from their transformative proto-metal masterpiece, Live At Leeds, the cover never quite worked within a studio setting. Perhaps there was simply something about the energy of the song in a live context that couldn\u2019t be recaptured in the plush confines of a recording booth.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Either way, \u2018Summertime Blues\u2019 continued to be belted out by The Who on stages across the globe throughout their glory days. <\/p>\n

Since Entwistle\u2019s passing in 2002, though, the song has been a notable absence on the band\u2019s setlists. Seemingly, Palladino, or even his replacement, Jon Button, could have had a pretty good stab at the track, but in the end, it would simply feel unnatural to hear The Who\u2019s rendition of the track without that unmistakable John Entwistle sound punctuating its performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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