The two (Moon and Daltrey) regularly argued, ultimately leading to a near broken nose for Moon. (Faroutmagazine)
Moon enjoyed a healthy social life outside of The Who. Graham Chapman, one of the members of Monty Python, was a pal of his life, as was Ringo Starr, although that didn’t stop Moon from trying to take his place in The Beatles. In Pretend You’re in a War, author Mark Blake says Moon approached Paul McCartney and asked if he could “join them”. The bassist misunderstood and told Moon he was already sitting in the booth.
While Ringo wouldn’t have appreciated Moon trying to replace him in The Beatles, the two became close friends in the ’60s. In The Kids Are Alright (1978) documentary, it’s obvious how much the two came to enjoy each other’s company.
Daltrey didn’t mention The Beatle connection when he talked to Uncut, but he offered another tasty alternative. It all stemmed from his description of ‘Happy Jack’, the band’s jauntiest and most drum-heavy single: “I remember when I first heard ‘Happy Jack’, I thought, ‘What the fuck do I do with this? It’s like a German oompah song!’ I had a picture in my head that this was the kind of song that Burl Ives would sing, so ‘Happy Jack’ was my imitation of Burl Ives”.
So far, so positive. Then, the punchline kicks in. “The funny thing about Keith, though, he was a total Beach Boys nut.
Even in the ’70s, if The Beach Boys had asked Keith to join them and leave The Who, he’d have left us. And then there’s the small matter of ‘Don’t Worry Baby’, a charming Brian Wilson composition Moon covered in 1975. I’m guessing Moon was following Starr´’s lead when he decided to record a solo album, but unlike the Beatle, he could neither write nor sing, meaning that his first solo album, Two Sides of the Moon is a ramshackle affair, devoid of sense or melody.
But ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ is an earnest attempt, and if I’m being honest, it sounds no worse than the myriad karaoke parties I’ve attended in my life. Moon gets marks for effort, more marks for enthusiasm — but we’ll draw a line at quality.
I’m not sure I want to imagine a Beach Boys fronted by Moon, but it’s an interesting speculation, nevertheless. He may have thought about quitting, but Moon was nearly fired from the band in 1978 as he struggled to record the drums to Who Are You. Eerily, Moon can be spotted sitting on a chair that reads “Not to Be Taken Away” on the cover of Who Are You. Weirder still, the drummer died three weeks after the album was released.
