10 Video Clips for the 10th Anniversary of John Entwistle’s Death

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eFMqKC2C554

Back in early 2002 The Who looked to make a comeback, regrouping and heading out on tour with renewed energy. But before the tour could quite start, legendary bassist John Entwistle collapsed and died of a heart attack … certainly not helped by years of cocaine use.

In various interviews he lamented somewhat at how long it took for The Who to ‘get rich’ compared to some of their contemporaries – which wasn’t helped by their pioneering of the ‘rock & roll lifestyle’. He also lamented the level of recognition given to bassists such as Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorius compared to himself, which is something I never understood – he has always been in the pantheon of great rock bassists, but seeking comparisons to artists in another genre who could carry an entire instrumental show with the bass as lead instrument seems to be a bit much.

Entwistle personally led me to switch from playing the guitar to playing bass, and I have always loved his approach to the instrument. His style, sound and methods were one of a kind and he is sorely missed. To celebrate, here are 10 videos celebrating the man and his music:

Here is his composition ‘The Quiet One’ with The Who

An interview from Conan O’Brien in 1996:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Dy43gssU1P0

From pre-tour rehearsals that would be his final live footage:

A great 1975 live version of his classic ‘Boris the Spider:

A clip from a documentary focus on Entwistle

The classic My Generation from the Smothers Brothers show with Entwistle’s solo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=86Mkvnd-gjwThe bass-heavy ‘The Real Me’ from Quadrophenia from a live rehearsal in London in 1979

A section from an old VHS ‘Bass Master Class’ by Entwistle shows his chops and style:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eLYY9VyjBkU

Entwistle made only one music video, for the title track of ‘Too Late the Hero’, a song I’ve always loved:

What are your thoughts and memories of John Entwistle?

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About the Author

Michael Anderson
I have loved technology for as long as I can remember - and have been a computer gamer since the PDP-10! Mobile Technology has played a major role in my life - I have used an electronic companion since the HP95LX more than 20 years ago, and have been a 'Laptop First' person since my Compaq LTE Lite 3/20 and Powerbook 170 back in 1991! As an avid gamer and gadget-junkie I was constantly asked for my opinions on new technology, which led to writing small blurbs ... and eventually becoming a reviewer many years ago. My family is my biggest priority in life, and they alternate between loving and tolerating my gaming and gadget hobbies ... but ultimately benefits from the addition of technology to our lives!