ABC/Richard CartwrightAs Roger Daltrey prepares to launch a brief series of U.S. solo dates this Wednesday in Las Vegas, the Who frontman reveals that he plans to release a new album titled As Long as I Have You in June.
“I’ve gone back to the kind of music I was singing prior to The Who writing their own songs,” Daltrey tells ABC Radio. “I’ve gone back to early soul, the kind of soul songs that [reflect] where I am in my life now and what I’ve been through as a vocalist.”
The 74-year-old rock legend says that the record, which also includes “shades of gospel and shades of country,” features mostly cover tunes, while he contributed two original songs as well.
Roger reports that he began the project four years ago, but it was shelved when The Who decided to head out on its 50th anniversary tour, then delayed again after the singer came down with meningitis. Daltrey tells ABC Radio that by the time he was ready to revisit the album, he’d lost confidence in it.
Roger credits his Who bandmate Pete Townshend with convincing him to finish the record.
“[When Pete heard it, he] said, ‘This is fabulous, Roger. You’ve got to do this,'” Daltrey recalls. “And he offered to play guitar on it…And he was the one who gave me enthusiasm again for it.”
Adds Roger, “I’m very proud of the album. It’s very, very good.”
Meanwhile, Daltrey says he’s looking forward to his upcoming solo shows. “It gives me a chance to do different material,” he notes. “[A] lot of the Who songs that The Who have never actually played live on stage. I do a lot of my own songs. And I generally have fun.”
Here are all of Daltrey’s March solo concerts:
3/7 — Las Vegas, NV, The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
3/10 — Las Vegas, NV, The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
3/13 — Stockton, CA, Bob Hope Theatre
3/15 — Oakland, CA, Fox Theater
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