THE DYNAMICS “Misery” (US BIGTOP 45-3161, 1963) versus THE HIGH NUMBERS (The Who)

“For just a few months in 1964 (approximately July to October), ‘The Who’ changed their name to ‘The High Numbers’, releasing one single under that billing before reverting to the more inventive and appropriate ‘The Who’. The name change resulted from their association with Pete Meaden, a mod who briefly managed them in mid-1964. Meaden was instrumental in getting the band to gear their music and image more toward the mod movement, and this was reflected in his choice of the name ‘The High Numbers’, which arose from mod slang” (quoted from discogs).   

The band released a 7" 45rpm single on Fontana TF 480 in 1964: 

A-Side: Zoot Suit (P. Meadon)        B-Side: I'm The Face (P. Meadon)

Pete Meadon was responsible for the songwriting of both the tracks on the single: ‘I'm The Face’ was rip-off of ‘Got Love If You Want It’, but ‘Zoot Suit’ was considered to be an original. However, it was not.

It's a bold rip-off of ‘Misery’, a number which the Detroit vocal-group THE DYNAMICS had released on the New York label BIGTOP in 1963. Both sides of the BIGTOP single were group compositions. 

01 THE DYNAMICS - Misery (G. Stratton, A. Wilson)

02 THE DYNAMICS - I’m The Man (G. Stratton, A. Wilson, F. Baker)

Listen to it, it's great!