Biography
In mid-1964, specifically spanning July through October, the band briefly operated under the moniker the High Numbers instead of the Who. During this window they issued a lone 45 on Fontana before reverting to their original and more fitting name. The shift stemmed from their short-lived partnership with mod enthusiast Pete Meaden, who co-managed the group alongside Helmut Gorden for much of that period and steered their sound and look toward the burgeoning mod subculture. Meaden coined the temporary name from contemporary mod slang.
That July the High Numbers cut “I’m the Face” backed with “Zoot Suit,” both sides penned by Meaden. The A-side drew loosely from Slim Harpo’s “Got Love If You Want It,” a number already tackled by fellow British acts such as the Kinks and the Yardbirds. The B-side is frequently linked to the Showmen’s obscure New Orleans R&B track “Country Fool,” though the resemblance is far less pronounced. Its lyrics amounted to straightforward appropriations of mod catchphrases and attitudes. The recording captured scant trace of the group’s emerging identity; Townshend’s guitar work, in particular, lacked the forceful chords and feedback that would define their 1965 sides, prompting speculation that the leads might have come from a session player. “Zoot Suit” nevertheless stands out for its minor-key melody and brisk pace, eclipsing the more conventional R&B of the A-side. The single attracted almost no attention at the time.
During the same session the musicians also laid down covers of Bo Diddley’s “Here ’Tis” and Eddie Holland’s “Leaving Here,” performances that revealed greater promise even if they remained distant from the band’s subsequent power-pop achievements; both tracks later surfaced on official archival compilations. By November 1964 the High Numbers had reverted to the Who and replaced Meaden with new managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. The change conveniently distanced them from the failed single, allowing “I Can’t Explain” to be introduced the following year as the work of an entirely fresh act. Decades afterward, both “I’m the Face” and “Zoot Suit” resurfaced on Who anthologies issued in the 1970s and subsequently on CD.
That July the High Numbers cut “I’m the Face” backed with “Zoot Suit,” both sides penned by Meaden. The A-side drew loosely from Slim Harpo’s “Got Love If You Want It,” a number already tackled by fellow British acts such as the Kinks and the Yardbirds. The B-side is frequently linked to the Showmen’s obscure New Orleans R&B track “Country Fool,” though the resemblance is far less pronounced. Its lyrics amounted to straightforward appropriations of mod catchphrases and attitudes. The recording captured scant trace of the group’s emerging identity; Townshend’s guitar work, in particular, lacked the forceful chords and feedback that would define their 1965 sides, prompting speculation that the leads might have come from a session player. “Zoot Suit” nevertheless stands out for its minor-key melody and brisk pace, eclipsing the more conventional R&B of the A-side. The single attracted almost no attention at the time.
During the same session the musicians also laid down covers of Bo Diddley’s “Here ’Tis” and Eddie Holland’s “Leaving Here,” performances that revealed greater promise even if they remained distant from the band’s subsequent power-pop achievements; both tracks later surfaced on official archival compilations. By November 1964 the High Numbers had reverted to the Who and replaced Meaden with new managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp. The change conveniently distanced them from the failed single, allowing “I Can’t Explain” to be introduced the following year as the work of an entirely fresh act. Decades afterward, both “I’m the Face” and “Zoot Suit” resurfaced on Who anthologies issued in the 1970s and subsequently on CD.