The Who: Maximum A's & B's (5CD Box Set)

I don't have Direct Hits, but when this version appeared as a bonus track on the Who's Missing / Two's Missing Japanese SHM-CDs, it was explicitly credited as the "Direct Hits Version", which is good enough for me until somebody claims otherwise!

 

Is this true for both masterings of WBWB on CD or just one of them?

 

Both, although the US CD has additional mastering that reduces the separation of the bass frequencies somewhat, which is true for several of the stereo tracks. The UK CD has full stereo separation.

 

Thanks, good to know.

 

Speaking of WBWB. Do you know what the masterings are like on the WBWB 2006 DVD? Did they use the same as a CD release or unique masterings?

 

'Call Me Lightning' is the single mix on the original UK Track Direct Hits LP.
It's the alternate mix on the Classic LP Reissue of Direct Hits, hence the reference on the japanese WM/TM SHM, I suppose.

Other tracks of interest on the original UK Track Direct Hits LP :
- I'm A Boy : a unique to this LP mono mix, w/o horns.
- Happy Jack : the single mix
- Pictures of Lily : the alternate mono
- I Can See For Miles & Mary Anne : Sell Out album mixes/versions.

 

So the alternate Happy Jack *first* showed up on The Singles? Weird.

 

Thanks for the information. So the first appearance of that other 'Call Me Lightning' was in 2006? And the single mix of 'I Can See for Miles' didn't appear on the original Direct Hits, only on 21st century reissues? (If so, I think this makes that mix's provenance even more bewildering!)

And has this alternate 'I'm a Boy' ever appeared anywhere else, or just on the original UK Direct Hits? (e.g. is it on the 2006 / 2007 reissues of Direct Hits?)

The Who. A discography that never stops giving. . . Headaches.

 

Second issue Magic Bus CD.

 

Of course! Thanks.

 

As far as I know, this mix only appeared on original UK Track Direct Hits. Don't know about the variants (EU Best Of The Who, JAP Very Best... etc.).

What I know for sure is that the 2006 Classic LP reissue has the 'regular' alternate mono mix, and of course, the 2007 JAP CD reissue has the single mono mix.

 

What’s the regular alternate mono mix? Different from the US 45 mix?

 

The mix found on Who's Missing US LP (and I think on the japanese A Quick One Box).
The one with the louder drum track.
Is it the US 45 mix ?

 

I believe so. The overdub cuts in and out at the fade.

 

So there are 2 alternate I'm A Boy mixes? One found on Who's Missing and t'other is only on the 1968 press of the UK Direct Hits? Could someone detail the differences for me please

 

The cymbal crashes ?
So yes, must be the same 'alternate' mix (compared to the UK single).
Cool to learn that

 

As noted, the first is the US 45 mix.

 

Basically the main difference is how the drum overdub track (listen to the stereo) is mixed volumewise.
The UK is softer than the.... US ;-)
At the end of the US, this OD track is mixed in and out (cymbal crashes).
The Direct Hits mix is very close to the UK single mix, except that it lacks the horn dub at 1'50 completely.

 

Thanks guys, duly added to the endless notes I make for each album detailing the different mixes/takes therein

 

Thankfully, I'm not going crazy:



Note how the cymbal overdub at the end of the song cuts in and out abruptly.

 

I'd just "finalized" my Who Singles comps, and now I have to rework them, but that's the way with The Who!

I was compiling all the UK As and Bs, with alternate contemporary mixes and non-album tracks added at the end of each of the relevant discs, and three discs got me nicely up to 'Relay', with each set of bonus tracks not too repetitious (for instance, on the second volume, the vagaries of UK and US release history meant that the three slightly different 'Someone's Coming's were nicely spaced). But this info means that I'll end up with three 'I'm a Boy's in a row at the end of Volume 1 (US mix, Direct Hits mix, Meaty Beaty alternate). To be honest, this is more what I expected when I embarked on this crazy task. At least it's not three 'Bucket T's.

Actually, maybe I should just post these tracklists here and get any further corrections out of the way now. Bear in mind that I'm trying to limit any alternates only to ones that were released at the time (which basically means up until Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy for the purpose of this exercise.) Otherwise I'd never finish. I'm also not concerned about non-UK releases unless they included a different mix / edit / version.

THE WHO THE SINGLES I 1964-66

ZOOT SUIT / I’M THE FACE – THE HIGH NUMBERS
I CAN’T EXPLAIN / BALD HEADED WOMAN
ANWAY, ANYHOW, ANYWHERE / DADDY ROLLING STONE
MY GENERATION / SHOUT AND SHIMMY
SUBSTITUTE / CIRCLES
[SUBSTITUTE] / WALTZ FOR A PIG
A LEGAL MATTER / INSTANT PARTY
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT / THE OX
I’M A BOY / IN THE CITY
LA-LA-LA-LIES / THE GOOD’S GONE

Bonus Tracks:
ANYWAY, ANYHOW, ANYWHERE (ALTERNATE MIX) – FRENCH THE WHO EP
ANYTIME YOU WANT ME – US ANYWAY, ANYHOW, ANYWHERE 7”
SUBSTITUTE (US SINGLE VERSION) – US 7”
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT (US SINGLE EDIT) – US 7”
I’M A BOY (US SINGLE MIX) – US 7”
I’M A BOY (DIRECT HITS MIX) – DIRECT HITS
I’M A BOY (ALTERNATE VERSION) – MEATY BEATY BIG AND BOUNCY


THE WHO THE SINGLES II 1966-68

READY STEADY WHO EP:
DISGUISES / CIRCLES // BATMAN / BUCKET T / BARBARA ANN
HAPPY JACK / I’VE BEEN AWAY
PICTURES OF LILY / DOCTOR, DOCTOR
THE LAST TIME / UNDER MY THUMB
I CAN SEE FOR MILES / SOMEONE’S COMING
DOGS / CALL ME LIGHTNING
MAGIC BUS / DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

Bonus Tracks:
PICTURES OF LILY (ALTERNATE MIX) – DIRECT HITS
SOMEONE’S COMING (ALTERNATE UK MIX) – I CAN SEE FOR MILES ALTERNATE UK 7”
MARY ANN WITH THE SHAKY HANDS – US I CAN SEE FOR MILES 7”
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (ALTERNATE MIX) – US CALL ME LIGHTNING 7"
SOMEONE’S COMING (ALTERNATE US MIX) – US MAGIC BUS 7”
MAGIC BUS (ALTERNATE VERSION) – MEATY BEATY BIG AND BOUNCY


THE WHO THE SINGLES III 1969-1972

PINBALL WIZARD / DOGS, PT. 2
THE SEEKER / HERE FOR MORE
SUMMERTIME BLUES / HEAVEN AND HELL
TOMMY EP:
OVERTURE / CHRISTMAS (EDIT) // I’M FREE / SEE ME, FEEL ME (EDIT)
WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN / I DON’T EVEN KNOW MYSELF
LET’S SEE ACTION / WHEN I WAS A BOY
JOIN TOGETHER / BABY DON’T YOU DO IT (LIVE)
RELAY / WASPMAN

Bonus Track:
YOUNG MAN BLUES – THE HOUSE THAT TRACK BUILT

 

Nice one quick question, I've heard about the alternate UK mix of Someone's Coming, but not heard it as I don't think it's in the digital realm - what are the differences with this mix as opposed to the 'standard' UK mix, and did it get a wide distribution?

 

Noticeable increase in reverb at 1:50 after "then you sneak out here to me". Shorter fade that doesn't continue ringing out.

Only available here, to my knowledge:

The Who - I Can See For Miles

 

That's great, thanks Lukpac - very handy that they acknowledge the difference on discogs

Another thought occurs SOM - there's another 2 mixes on I Can See For Miles released at the time, the mono/stereo album mixes...

 

You might want to check the edit history.

Not sure what you are referring to about ICSFM. Three mixes released at the time:

45
Mono LP
Stereo LP

Also the BBC mix, the alt mono mix on the SO DE, the TKAA remix, and the ‘90s remix.