"Waspman" is a mainly instrumental song by The Who, credited to their drummer Keith Moon. The song is the B-side to The Who's single "Relay" (entitled "The Relay" in the United States).
| "Waspman" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Instrumental by The Who | |
| Released | 16 June 1972 (United States) 23 December 1972 (United Kingdom) |
| Recorded | 26 May 1972 at Olympic Studios, London[1] |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 3:09 |
| Label | Track Records/MCA |
| Songwriter(s) | Keith Moon |
| Producer(s) | The Who Glyn Johns |
The song is supposedly a tribute to Link Wray, who became famous for his 1958 instrumental hit "Rumble" by Link Wray and his Ray Men. He introduced "the power chord, the major modus operandi of modern rock guitarists" such as Pete Townshend of The Who.[2]
It is thought that John Entwistle wrote the song but gave the credit to Moon,[citation needed] as all members of The Who were supposed to write at least two B-sides, although Roger Daltrey only wrote one, "Here for More", the B-side for "The Seeker" in 1970.
Origin and meaning of the song
edit"Waspman" originates from an incident in the late 1960s during one of The Who's many plane flights while touring.
During some white-knuckle turbulence, Moon and a groupie escaped to the bathroom. Shortly after, Moon burst forth with the groupie's bra wrapped over his head and announced, "I'll save you! I'm Wasp Man!" In addition to writing this song, Keith Moon also bought a wasp costume and wore it whenever the mood struck him.[3]
References
edit- ^ "The Hypertext Who " Liner Notes " Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy". Thewho.net. Archived from the original on 2013-12-02.
- ^ Cub Koda & Steve Leggett (2008). "Link Wray" Biography, AllMusic.
- ^ "The Hypertext Who › Liner Notes › Who's Left - Studio". Thewho.net. Archived from the original on 2014-04-05. Retrieved 2014-02-02.
External links
edit- The Who.com official site
- The Who biography from Rolling Stone
- Waspman at AllMusic
- 17 Dec 1979 concert outside Washington, DC
- Waspman interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1970)