Episode 20: Pete Townshend and Ronnie Lane’s Rough Mix

Listen Here on Apple Podcasts

Listen Here on Spotify

Listen Here on YouTube

In this episode of Classic Rock Album Olympics music historians Gary Wenstrup and Robert Rodriguez smoothly assess Rough Mix by Pete Townsend and Ronnie Lane and share which songs from the album earn their gold, silver and bronze medals.

Medal Winners

Keep Me Turning (Listen Here)

Annie (Listen Here)

April Fool (Listen Here)

My Baby Gives It Away (Listen Here)

Heart To Hang Onto (Listen Here)

Bonus Tracks

Something In The Air (Listen Here)

Rough Mix (Listen Here)

Misunderstood (Listen Here)

Street In The City (Listen Here)

Till The Rivers All Run Dry (Listen Here)

There’s A Heartache Following Me – Jim Reeves (Listen Here)

He’ll Have To Go – Jim Reeves (Listen Here)

Released in 1977, Rough Mix is a collaborative studio album by Pete Townshend — the guitarist and principal songwriter of The Who — and Ronnie Lane, the former bassist and singer from Small Faces and Faces.  Unlike the arena rock that defined much of Townshend’s work with The Who or the soulful R&B-tinged rock of Lane’s earlier bands, Rough Mix explores a more roots-oriented blend of rock, British folk rock, and heartfelt singer-songwriter material that reflects both artists stepping outside their band identities.

The album showcased both Townshend and Lane as co-lead vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, with Townshend contributing guitars and songwriting and Lane bringing his melodic bass playing, acoustic sensibilities, and songwriting presence; the sessions also featured contributions from notable musicians such as John Entwistle of The Who, Eric Clapton on dobro and guitar, and Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones on drums, among others, adding depth and variety to the arrangements.

Rough Mix was a modest success reaching #45 on the US Billboard 200.

In the US “My Baby Gives It Away” (with “April Fool” as its B-side) and “Keep Me Turning” (backed by “Nowhere to Run”) were released as singles.  Neither became a hit.

Rough Mix holds a special place in both artists’ catalogs as a creative detour that revealed different facets of their songwriting and musical identities.  The album is a meeting of kindred spirits from the British rock scene and appreciated by fans for its warm interplay and musical generosity.

Track Listing

#RoughMix, #PeteTownshend, #RonnieLane, #ClassicRock, #1977Albums, #FolkRockCollab