Pino Palladino discussed replacing John Entwistle in The Who shortly after his 2002 death in a new interview, and the demand that Pete Townshend made. Pete Townshend Made An ‘Embarrassing’ Paul McCartney Claim.
“I flew to LA, thinking, what are you doing? You don’t even know many Who songs,“ said Palladino in a Guardian interview. Townshend was prepared, presenting him with a stack of CDs.
“At the first rehearsal, Pete comes over and says: ‘You’re going to have to play louder’ – because I’m used to being the sympathetic musician, who fills in, doesn’t make a racket,“ said Palladino. That’s the one instruction you keep getting when you work with the Who: ‘F***ing turn it up, we can’t hear you!’”
Palladino praised his work with neo soul pioneer D’Angelo, as bassist of the Soulquarians, calling it some of the best work of his career.
“D’Angelo – I’d mention him in the same breath as Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway and Sly Stone. It’s incredible, to be a Welsh guy, having no real connections to these guys other than music that we loved and played.“
The Who have continued to to tour with Palladino for nearly 20 years, though the pandemic has put a stop to their touring plans.
