The Who - Studio Anthology (1964 - 1973)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Benn Kempster, May 28, 2013.

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  1. Benn Kempster

    Benn Kempster Who else? Thread Starter

    Location:
    Tring, UK
    Prompted by discussion here: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...ween-original-mixes-and-95-96-remixes.303664/ I thought I'd share my "Studio Anthology" project. I'll add further 'parts' on a weekly basis unless anyone is interested in it being shared sooner. I'm also happy to take it back to the above thread if a new thread upsets anyone..... I have tried to collect together in the same place, for the first time, as many available variations from CD of each track The Who (and under their former guise, The High Numbers) recorded in the studio as possible. But not every variation. I’ve tried to concentrate on only pulling different mix variations together as in many examples, a different mix amounts to a different version in terms of the placement of the different track elements. Mastering on the other hand, tends to be more of a varnish or polish layer added on top of a mix so I have only included uniquely mastered versions if I feel that they ADD something different to a mix already included – notably the Steve Hoffman mastered Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs version of “Who’s Next” – where the listening experience is different (better) to what has been heard before. This, of course, is entirely subjective and one’s sweet is sometimes another’s sour. I have tried to be consistent in terms of the split between stereo and mono mix variations and have them separated out from each other. This is notable for all of the band’s output from “My Generation” up to and including “The Who Sell Out”. In the same vein, where no mono mix exists, I have included the original stereo mix and the Deluxe stereo re-mix of “Tommy” and for “Quadrophenia”, the original stereo mix and the 1996 re-mix but omitted the 2012 Deluxe re-mix as I don’t feel it improves on the 1996. The albums are presented in their running order for the main album tracks and sticking to UK releases at that - note that the USA “The Who Sings My Generation, for example, featured an alternate track listing. You will also notice that where multiple versions of tracks exist, outside of the album versions), I have grouped them together, thus you have the benefit of hearing the three versions of “Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand” consecutively as well as the multiple mixes and takes of the 1971 Olympic Studios tracks one after the other, which I believe, helps to provide context and progression towards the final version. All tracks issued on 1974’s “Odds And Sods” have been stripped out and re-integrated to fit in to the periods at which they were recorded as opposed to initially released. There is no live material here other than on “My Generation” from The Smothers Brothers’ Comedy Hour in 1967 and the tracks performed on the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test “The Relay” and “Long Live Rock” in 1973. These in fact only feature a live vocal over a pre-recorded backing track and, as such are studio renditions. “Naked Eye” and “I Don’t Even Know Myself” were similarly performed on New Year’s Eve 1970 on The Lulu Show – although bootleg versions of these tracks exist, I’ve not come across a copy of sufficient quality that would warrant inclusion here. Where studio dialogue has been (generously) included prior to or following the conclusion of a track on its CD release, I have separated this out and included it as a track on its own. I would like to have completely separated out the radio jingles / announcements that appear on “The Who Sell Out” from the tracks that they precede or follow but on attempting this, I found that I would sometimes have to chop through the start or end of a note to be able to do it and would rather give away the desire to have stand-alone versions of each of those tracks, at the expense of a chopped up mess. Bootlegs have been, necessarily, employed for their wealth of material, most notably for the tracks that were recorded by The High Numbers and made up the “Pye Acetate”. I was given copies of the Acetate tracks t from the original disc that Phil Hopkins acquired in 1998; and therefore, as so famously noted on the “Live At Leeds” album, pops and crackles here are OK because they simply add to the vintage vinyl feel of the tracks as opposed to the clinical, “hospitalized” re-mastered versions on the “Odds And Sods” CD re-issue. Ditto for the BBC Session tracks; the official discs for these tracks are an embarrassment frankly and I have therefore resorted to the best available “shady” release in “Maximum BBC”. The patchiness of mastering across various different versions has lead to some inconsistencies in sound levels – I have not attempted to tamper with this in any way. So if a track from the very poorly (loudly) mastered “Odds And Sods” CD re-issue butts up against a beautifully Hoffman-mastered “Who’s Next” track, please accept my apologies and refer complaints directly to Polydor…….. Somewhat controversially, I suppose, this set ends with the remnants of “Quadrophenia”, excluding the fine material from “The Who By Numbers” and the bands ‘final’ album “Who Are You”. That is simply a result of there not being ANY additional studio material ‘out there’ over and above the actual album tracks to warrant inclusion. As and when it does, this material will be included and the set expanded to include those, plus “Face Dances”, “It’s Hard” and “Endless Wire”. The High Numbers 01 – Smokestack Lightning (Instrumental) (Chester Burnett). Recorded on 22nd October 1964 at Abbey Road studios, London. Taken from “The High Numbers Live - 1964” bootleg. 02 – Walking The Dog (Instrumental) (Rufus Thomas). Recorded on 22nd October 1964 at Abbey Road studios, London on. Taken from “The High Numbers Live - 1964” bootleg. 03 – Plum Nellie. Recorded on 22nd October 1964 at Abbey Road studios, London. Taken from “The High Numbers Live - 1964” bootleg. 04 – I’m A Man (Instrumental) (Elias McDaniel). Recorded on 22nd October 1964 at Abbey Road studios, London. Taken from “The High Numbers Live - 1964” bootleg. 05 – Unknown (Instrumental) I. Recorded on 22nd October 1964 at Abbey Road studios, London. Taken from “The High Numbers Live - 1964” bootleg. 06 – Memphis Tennessee (Instrumental) (Chuck Berry). Recorded on 22nd October 1964 at Abbey Road studios, London. Taken from “The High Numbers Live - 1964” bootleg. 07 – Unknown (Instrumental) II. Recorded on 22nd October 1964 at Abbey Road studios, London. Taken from “The High Numbers Live - 1964” bootleg. 08 – I’m The Face (Peter Meaden). Recorded in June 1964 at Fontana Studios, London. Released as a UK Fontana (TF480) B-side of Zoot Suit on 3rd July 1964. Taken from the USA MCA “Odds And Sods”. 09 – I’m The Face (Alternate Mix) (Peter Meaden). Recorded in June 1964 at Fontana Studios, London. This version features a faded out ending. Taken from the UK Polydor “30 Years Of Maximum R ‘n’ B”. 10 – Zoot Suit (Pete Meaden). Recorded in June 1964 at Fontana Studios, London. Released as a UK Fontana (TF480) A-side on 3rd July 1964. Taken from the UK Polydor “30 Years Of Maximum R ‘n’ B”. 11 – Here ‘Tis (Elias McDaniel). Recorded in June 1964 at Fontana Studios, London. Taken from the UK Polydor “30 Years Of Maximum R ‘n’ B”. 12 – Leaving Here (Pye Acetate Master Copy) (Eddie Holland). Recorded in March 1965 at either IBC or Pye Studios, London. Taken from a tape copy of the original acetate. 13 – Leaving Here (Pye Acetate) (Eddie Holland). Recorded in March 1965 at either IBC or Pye Studios, London. Taken from the UK Polydor “Odds And Sods” re-master. 14 – Baby Don’t You Do It (Pye Acetate Master Copy) (Marvin Gaye). Recorded in March 1965 at either IBC or Pye Studios, London. Taken from a tape copy of the original acetate. 15 – Baby Don’t You Do It (Pye Acetate) (Marvin Gaye). Recorded in March 1965 at either IBC or Pye Studios, London. Taken from the UK Polydor “Odds And Sods” re-master. Track Times 01 – Smokestack Lightning (Instrumental) – 2:17 02 – Walking The Dog (Instrumental) – 2:46 03 – Plum Nellie – 1:46 04 – I’m A Man (Instrumental) – 4:42 05 – Unknown (Instrumental) I – 6:20 06 – Memphis Tennessee (Instrumental) – 2:14 07 – Unknown (Instrumental) II – 3:47 08 – I’m The Face – 2:37 09 – I’m The Face (Alternate Mix) – 2:29 10 – Zoot Suit – 2:01 11 – Here ‘Tis – 2:08 12 – Leaving Here (Pye Acetate Master Copy) – 2:11 13 – Leaving Here (Pye Acetate) – 2:14 14 – Baby Don’t You Do It (Pye Acetate Master Copy) – 2:27 15 – Baby Don’t You Do It (Pye Acetate) – 2:29
     
  2. agentalbert

    agentalbert Senior Member

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    May I suggest utilization of the concept known as "paragraph".
     
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  3. Myke

    Myke Trying Not To Spook The Horse

    Speed kills dude.
     
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  4. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

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    :laugh:
     
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  5. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

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    :biglaugh:
     
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  6. Stone Turntable

    Stone Turntable Independent Head

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    Where's the button where I click AGREE?
     
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  7. bradman

    bradman Forum Resident

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    Impressive wall of text.
     
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  8. masterbucket

    masterbucket Senior Member

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    Longest sentence ever written.......
     
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  9. OldSoul

    OldSoul Don't you hear the wind blowin'?

    Location:
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    I was so excited, I thought this was a real release. :( Not that I could've afforded it anyway.
     
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  10. power popper

    power popper Forum Resident

    I've cleaned up Benn's text and edited for style, not content. Paragraph breaks are at my discretion. Track times have been integrated into the recording information. You may thank me now. Here's Benn again:
    ____________________________________________

    Prompted by the discussion here, I thought I'd share my “studio anthology” project. I'll add further “parts” on a weekly basis unless anyone is interested in it being shared sooner. I'm also happy to take it back to the above thread if a new thread upsets anyone.

    I have tried to collect together in the same place, for the first time, as many available CD variations of each track The Who (and their former guise, The High Numbers) recorded in the studio as possible – but not every variation. I’ve tried to concentrate on pulling different mix variations together in as many examples as exist. A different mix amounts to a different version in terms of the placement of the different track elements. Mastering, on the other hand, tends to be more of a varnish or polish layer added on top of a mix. So I have included only uniquely mastered versions if I feel they add something different to a mix already included – notably the Steve Hoffman-mastered Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs version of Who’s Next – where the listening experience is different (better) than what has been heard before. This, of course, is entirely subjective, and one’s sweet is sometimes another’s sour.

    I have tried to be consistent in terms of the split between stereo and mono mix variations and have separated them from each other. This is notable for the band’s output from My Generation up to and including The Who Sell Out. In the same vein, where no mono mix exists, I have included the original stereo mix and the Deluxe Edition stereo remix of Tommy. For Quadrophenia, I have included the original stereo mix and the 1996 remix but not the 2012 Deluxe Edition remix, as I don’t feel it improves on the 1996 release.

    The albums are presented in their running order for the main album tracks, and sticking to U.K. releases at that – note that the U.S. The Who Sings My Generation, for example, featured an alternate track listing. You also will notice that where multiple versions of tracks exist (outside of the album versions), I have grouped them together. Thus, you have the benefit of hearing the three versions of “Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand” consecutively, as well as the multiple mixes and takes of the 1971 Olympic Studios tracks one after the other. I believe this helps to provide context and progression toward the final version. All tracks issued on 1974’s Odds and Sods have been stripped out and reintegrated to fit into the periods at which they were recorded, as opposed to initially released.

    There is no live material here other than “My Generation” from The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967, and the tracks performed on the BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973, “Relay” and “Long Live Rock.” These, in fact, feature only a live vocal over a prerecorded backing track; as such, they are studio renditions. “Naked Eye” and “I Don’t Even Know Myself” were similarly performed on New Year’s Eve 1970 on The Lulu Show – although bootleg versions of these tracks exist, I’ve not come across a copy of sufficient quality that would warrant inclusion here.

    Where studio dialogue has been (generously) included prior to or following the conclusion of a track on its CD release, I have separated this and included it as its own track. I would like to have separated the radio jingles/announcements that appear on The Who Sell Out from the tracks they precede or follow. On attempting this, I found I sometimes would have to chop through the start or end of a note to do it. I would rather give away the desire to have standalone versions of each of those tracks at the expense of a chopped-up mess.

    Bootlegs have been employed, necessarily, for their wealth of material, most notably for the tracks that were recorded by The High Numbers and made up the “Pye Acetate.” I was given copies of the Acetate tracks from the original disc that Phil Hopkins acquired in 1998. Therefore, as so famously noted on the Live At Leeds album, pops and crackles here are OK because they simply add to the vintage vinyl feel of the tracks as opposed to the clinical, “hospitalized,” remastered versions on the Odds and Sods CD reissue. Ditto for the BBC Session tracks; the official discs for these tracks are an embarrassment, frankly, and I therefore have resorted to the best available “shady” release, Maximum BBC.

    The patchiness of mastering across various different versions has lead to some inconsistencies in sound levels, and I have not attempted to tamper with this in any way. So if a track from the very poorly (loudly) mastered Odds and Sods CD reissue butts up against a beautifully Hoffman-mastered Who’s Next track, please accept my apologies and refer complaints directly to Polydor.

    Somewhat controversially, I suppose, this set ends with the remnants of Quadrophenia, excluding the fine material from The Who by Numbers and the original lineup’s final album, Who Are You. That is simply a result of there not being any additional studio material “out there” over and above the actual album tracks to warrant inclusion. If or when it appears, this material will be included and the set expanded to include those, plus Face Dances, It’s Hard and Endless Wire.

    The High Numbers
    1. “Smokestack Lightning” (instrumental) (Chester Burnett), 2:17. Recorded on Oct. 22, 1964, at Abbey Road studios, London. Taken from The High Numbers Live - 1964 bootleg.
    2. “Walking the Dog” (instrumental) (Rufus Thomas), 2:46. Recorded on Oct. 22, 1964, at Abbey Road studios, London on. Taken from The High Numbers Live - 1964 bootleg.
    3. “Plum Nellie,” 1:46. Recorded on Oct. 22, 1964, at Abbey Road studios, London. Taken from The High Numbers Live - 1964 bootleg.
    4. “I’m A Man” (instrumental) (Elias McDaniel), 4:42. Recorded on Oct. 22, 1964, at Abbey Road studios, London. Taken from The High Numbers Live - 1964 bootleg.
    5. Unknown (instrumental) I, 6:20. Recorded on Oct. 22, 1964, at Abbey Road studios, London. Taken from The High Numbers Live - 1964 bootleg.
    6. “Memphis Tennessee” (instrumental) (Chuck Berry), 2:14. Recorded on Oct. 22, 1964, at Abbey Road studios, London. Taken from The High Numbers Live - 1964 bootleg.
    7. Unknown (instrumental) II, 3:47. Recorded on Oct. 22 1964, at Abbey Road studios, London. Taken from The High Numbers Live - 1964 bootleg.
    8. “I’m The Face” (Peter Meaden), 2:37. Recorded in June 1964 at Fontana Studios, London. Released as U.K. Fontana (TF480) B-side of “Zoot Suit” on July, 3, 1964. Taken from the U.S. MCA Odds and Sods.
    9. “I’m The Face” (alternate mix) (Peter Meaden), 2:29. Recorded in June 1964 at Fontana Studios, London. This version features a faded-out ending. Taken from the U.K. Polydor Thirty Years of Maximum R&B.
    10. “Zoot Suit” (Peter Meaden), 2:01. Recorded in June 1964 at Fontana Studios, London. Released as a U.K. Fontana (TF480) A-side on 3 July, 1964. Taken from the U.K. Polydor Thirty Years of Maximum R&B.
    11. “Here ’Tis” (Elias McDaniel), 2:08. Recorded in June 1964 at Fontana Studios, London. Taken from the U.K. Polydor Thirty Years of Maximum R&B.
    12. “Leaving Here” (Pye acetate master copy) (Eddie Holland), 2:11. Recorded in March 1965 at IBC Studios or Pye Studios, London. Taken from a tape copy of the original acetate.
    13. “Leaving Here” (Pye acetate) (Eddie Holland), 2:14. Recorded in March 1965 at IBC Studios or Pye Studios, London. Taken from the U.K. Polydor Odds and Sods remaster.
    14. “Baby Don’t You Do It” (Pye acetate master copy) (Marvin Gaye), 2:27. Recorded in March 1965 at IBC Studios or Pye Studios, London. Taken from a tape copy of the original acetate.
    15. “Baby Don’t You Do It” (Pye acetate) (Marvin Gaye), 2:29. Recorded in March 1965 at IBC Studios or Pye Studios, London. Taken from the U.K. Polydor Odds and Sods remaster.
     
  11. There should be a law that people have to space paragraphs I cant read this.
     
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  12. Mark Wilson

    Mark Wilson Forum Resident

    Presentation is everything.

    Mark
     
  13. Easy-E

    Easy-E Forum Resident

    This looks like its going to be very comprehensive - keep going Benn - perhaps some paragraphs so that the grade school teachers dont get offended :agree:
     
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  14. keifspoon

    keifspoon Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    Longest Who song (1964 -1973) - "Underture" 9:55
     
  15. WhoTapes1

    WhoTapes1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Greensboro, NC
    image.jpg

    Kempo, Back in '79 through the mid-80's, there was the official Who Club Magazine out of the UK, which published a nice newsletter type fanzine around every 4 months or so. They also issued a discography (with the help of some hardcore Who collectors) and one guy entered this interesting little title (# 16 in the attached pic): The High Numbers - Fontana label - "The Kids Are Alright" demo! So there is another possibility that could be added to your High Numbers list.
     
  16. brainwashed

    brainwashed Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    The 1964 Abbey Road material is NOT the Who. This was recently verified by Roger himself. Ron
     
  17. getitgoin

    getitgoin Forum Resident

    Location:
    LA, CA, US
    Where did you hear that?
     
  18. brainwashed

    brainwashed Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    From a very trusted source here at Hoffman. I'm sure he'll chime in to verify the information. Ron
     
  19. Ringmaster_D

    Ringmaster_D Surfer of Sound Waves

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    Hey Benn. Paragraph formatting aside, this looks to be a very interesting thread. I look forward to reading more and adding what I can.
     
  20. ex_mixer

    ex_mixer Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Benn + 1, great idea for a project! Please continue, I'm very interested in this. :righton:
     
  21. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    I'm curious to hear more about this, but until something is said on the record from a knowledgeable insider, I remain convinced it is the Who. If it's not, it would have to be the most brilliant forgery ever, both in song selection, arrangement, and playing. If it is truly not the Who, then Townshend and Daltrey need to go and find the guy drumming on those tracks and hire him RIGHT AWAY, because his imitation of 1964-65-era Moon is beyond uncanny.
     
  22. WhoTapes1

    WhoTapes1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Greensboro, NC
    I wouldn't take anything Daltrey says these days as being pure fact. Just listening to him on the Howard Stern show last week, he's claiming now that Jimmy Page played lead guitar on "Can't Explain", which differs greatly from what both Townshend and Shel Talmy are saying, and he still claims that Moon passed out at Cow Palace in '73 after just playing the first two songs, when any Who fan who knows his stuff knows that they made it all the way through Quadrophenia before Moon passed out for the first time during WGFA at Cow Palace, and it was in Boston in 1976 that Moon passed out after only 2 songs (Daltrey even has this mixed up on the "30 Years" video interview too). I think both Pete and Irish Jack have confirmed that those instrumental tracks ARE performed by The Who at Abbey Road Studios.
     
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  23. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    This track is actually "Tell Me Baby", originally released by Garnet Mimms on the b-side of "Anytime You Want Me."
     
  24. beatlematt

    beatlematt Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gadsden, Alabama
    Too late. My head is about to explode like Moonie's drumkit.
     
  25. rockledge

    rockledge Forum Resident

    Location:
    right here
    Say it like Johnny Fever.
    "Speed Kills, Dell."
     
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