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Liner Notes › Who's Left - Studio
WHO'S LEFT - STUDIO
This version of "Circles" was first released in the U.K. 4 March 1966 as both "Circles" and "Instant Party" on Reaction 591001. On 8 March, Talmy was given his injunction against further sales. Reaction re-issued the single 15 March with The Graham Bond Organization (as "The Who Orchestra") instrumental "Waltz For A Pig" on the b-side in place of "Circles." The injunction was lifted 25 March and further copies of "Substitute" with the "Circles" or "Instant Party" b-side were sold. The recording again appeared at the end of side one of the EP Ready Steady Who issued 11 Nov. 1966 and it was also used by Polydor outside the U.K. as the common B-side to "Dogs.". "Circles" was not used on either the 1966 or 1967 single issues of "Substitute" in the U.S. and wasn't released there until the Two's Missing LP/CD in 1987. The only other CD containing the recording is Polydor's Rarities 1966-1972 Vol. 1 & Rarities 1966-1972 Vol. 2 issued outside the U.S. in 1991. Both CD's are currently out of print.
Pete would later write his own Moon-inspired song on the same theme, "Dr. Jimmy," for Quadrophenia. This track came out in two different mixes and lengths. The first, running 2:24, was released as the B-side of "Call Me Lightning" worldwide except for the U.K. In the U.S. it was Decca 32288 and first appeared on the charts March 2, 1968. It was subsequently used on the Decca album Magic Bus - The Who On Tour and the only CD with this mix is the 1988 issue of that album that is still available as a Canadian import.
The second, running 2:38, with "Hyde noises" and extra spooky guitar much more prominent in the the mix, was first issued in the U.K. as the B-side of "Magic Bus" 11 Oct. 1968. The only CD issue was on Polydor's Rarities 1966-1972 Vol. 1 & Rarities 1966-1972 Vol. 2. This CD is out of print.
Champagne (4:42) (Pete Townshend) ABKCO Music Inc., Careers BMG Music Publishing, Suolubaf Music, Towser Tunes, Inc. (BMI) Vocal: Ann-Margret (recorded March 1974)
Listening To You/See Me, Feel Me (3:31) (Pete Townshend) ABKCO Music Inc., Careers BMG Music Publishing, Suolubaf Music, Towser Tunes, Inc. (BMI) Vocal: Roger Daltrey and chorus. Chorus containing group The Breakaways recorded March 1974.
Recorded at Ramport Studios, Battersea, London, Jan. - Mar. 1974. Produced by Pete Townshend and Ken Russell. Chief Engineer: Ron Nevison
The above five tracks were recorded for the soundtrack to Tommy: The Movie and were listed on the soundtrack as being by "The Who." Apparently "The Who" was considered to be anything with Pete on guitar, John on bass and Keith on drums. Keith was unavailable for the rest of the soundtrack as he was busy playing a role in the sequel to the movie That'll Be The Day (1973), Stardust (1975). His place was taken by the drummer for The Faces, Kenney Jones, who got along splendidly with Pete and John, thus laying the groundwork for his being chosen as Keith's replacement three and a half years later. The soundtrack was released in the U.S. Feb. 22, 1975 where it went to #2 in the Billboard charts, two positions higher than The Who's original album. In the U.K., where it was released 21 March 1975, the soundtrack stalled at #21. The soundtrack was issued on CD as part of the re-issue program March 5, 2001 and is still in print.
All three of the above songs were recorded whole or in part at Ramport Studios, Battersea, London, Jan. 1979. Produced by John Entwistle Engineer: Dave "Cy" Langston
Pete: "'Joker James' was the first song I wrote for Quad. In other words, I took that song as the basis for the image of the kid -- the way he saw himself -- as this kind of reasonable joker whose life doesn't come off but, in fact, on the outside he didn't appear that way at all and he was very far from being a joker. In fact, I kept the song in right the way up to the point where the band went into the studio and then suddenly Quad took on a different turn. As soon as the band started laying down backing tracks at Battersea, it didn't feel like the Quad that I thought was going to come out. It was much heavier, much more brutal, and so I dropped it. I dropped about three other numbers that were quite alike, that one, 'Get Out And Stay Out' and ['Four Faces']. That's the track that was originally called 'Quadrophenia'...it was called 'Four Hang-Ups' -- that was written on the box but 'Four Faces' has always been what I called it."
The lyrics for "Joker James" were originally published in the Sept. 1968 issue of Eye magazine. In the 23 Sept. 1972 issue of Record Mirror, Pete claimed he wrote it "at the same time as 'I'm A Boy.'" The "disco" version of "The Real Me," misidentified as "Kenney Jones audition session" on the 30 Years of Maximum R&B boxset, was recorded during the same sessions. This was, however, the first recordings made with Kenney after he had replaced Keith Moon. Quadrophenia/Original Soundtrack was released on Polydor Records worldwide Oct. 5, 1979. It was issued on CD as part of the re-issue program March 5, 2001 and is still in print.
Pete: "When I first put the collection together, there seemed to be a hole in the fire scene. I said to my manager that the trouble with fire songs is that it's all been said...I said the best song is just 'Fire, fire, fire, fire/You're going to burn.' And Bill [Curbishley] said what a great idea. I said, 'No, I didn't mean the actual song.' But I sat down and thought that it wouldn't hurt."
Recorded at Eel Pie Studios, London. The most likely recording date for Roger and John's part on "Dig" and the entirety of "Fire" is early 1989. Acoustic ("Dig") and Electric ("Fire") guitar: Pete Townshend Bass: John Entwistle Vocal: Roger Daltrey Drums: Simon Phillips Brass ("Dig"): Pete Beachill, John Barclay
The Iron Man was a musical written by Pete based on British poet laureate Ted Hughes' children's book The Iron Man (Faber & Faber, 1968). The fact that Pete was also working for the book's publishers during the 1980's probably had something to do with the genesis of the musical. The project began Nov. 1986 with a meeting between Pete and Ted Hughes. "Dig" was demo'ed exactly a year later, then was recorded with Pete's brother Simon Townshend on lead vocal. Both the demo and the Simon recording have been released. The song describes the villagers' plan to dig a pit to capture the gigantic Iron Man of the title but also neatly touches on one of the main themes of Pete's 1980's work, the fear of world war (cf:, It's Hard).
"Fire" was originally a hit for The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, released 14 June 1968 and reaching #1 in the U.K. charts (#2 in the U.S. Billboard charts). Pete discovered Arthur Brown when Arthur performed at the Fourteen Hour Technicolour Dream at Alexandra Palace in London 29 Apr. 1967 and signed him to Track Records. He received an "associate producer" credit on "Fire" although it was actually produced by Who manager Kit Lambert. In the musical the song is about a trial by fire between the Iron Man and a gigantic Space Dragon.
Although not yet confirmed, it appears that there were no plans by Pete to have Roger or John participate in The Iron Man as of late 1988. The timeline suggests that Pete may have brought them in to the project around the same time he decided to participate in the 1989 25th Anniversary Who tour. The Iron Man LP and CD was released July 15, 1989 on Atlantic Records and peaked at #58 on the U.S. Billboard charts. It failed to chart in the U.K.
Pete: "REAL GOOD LOOKING BOY is a song I wrote quite a few years ago about two young men who worry about their looks. One of them, based on me - hopes and believes he might look like his best friend who is a conventionally handsome fellow. (He is disavowed of this notion by his mother). The second, based on Roger - hopes and believes he will one day turn out to be like the young Elvis. (He, more happily, sees part of his dream come true). They both find love in later life."
"Real Good Looking Boy" was written in 1995 and The Who with John Entwistle may have attempted a preliminary version of the song 14 June 2002. Pete mentioned on his website that the recording was "finished" 13 Nov. 2003. Greg Lake, formerly of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, stepped in to play bass during a time when Pino Palladino was absent touring with Simon and Garfunkel. The additional writer credits are due to the inclusion of part of the Elvis Presley hit "Can't Help Falling In Love (With You)." The song was itself a re-write of a French hit, "Plaisir d'amour" by Jean Paul Egide Martini and was adapted by the three people after Townshend above for the Elvis movie Blue Hawaii (1961). Although previously unlisted as related to the piece, this song was included in the 2007 theatrical workshop version of The Boy Who Heard Music, sung by Gabriel, John and Ray High. (See Endless Wire liner notes).
Old Red Wine (3:42) (Pete Townshend) Eel Pie Publishing, Ltd., Careers BMG Music Publishing (BMI) Produced by Simon Townshend at Eel Pie Oceanic Studios, London c. Early 2004. Engineer: Bob Pridden and Myles Clarke Guitars, piano, backing vocals: Pete Townshend Vocal: Roger Daltrey Bass: Pino Palladino Drums: Zak Starkey Hammond organ and additional piano: John Bundrick
Pete: "OLD RED WINE I wrote right here in the hotel I now sit in (in NY) about the late John Entwistle. He loved expensive claret, and often drank it past its prime. There is an irony there somehow: John never seemed to realize how perfectly MATURE he had really become as rock musician. He didn't need the trappings he thought essential, and that - in my opinion - led directly to his premature death."
Both the above songs had their live premiere at The Forum in London 23 March 2004 (A preliminary version of "Old Red Wine" was played in Toronto Sept. 28, 2002). Both tracks were first released on the Who best-of collection Then and Now! 1964-2004 on Geffen March 30, 2004 and afterwards as a single on Polydor as part of The 1st Singles Box collection released 2 May 2004. If you want to contact me about something on this page, click on my name. I want corrections! Brian Cady |
