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The Who - Discography - Other - Page 32:

The Who - "Young Man Blues" (Studio Version(s)) - Comparison

Pictured from left to right: 
The House That Track Built (1969 UK LP), The Who (1970 UK LP Acetate), Odds & Sods (1998 USA CD), Tommy (Deluxe Edition) (2003 USA CD/SACD), Tommy (Deluxe Edition) (2003 UK CD/DVD-A Test Pressing), Odds & Sods (2011 Japan CD)
[Click on each picture to take you to another page with more information.]

There seems to be way too much confusion regarding the studio version of "Young Man Blues"...

There are (3) three released versions (and some variations within them). Originally released on the 1969 Track Records sampler LP, The House That Track Built (and for many years the only official source of the song), it was long desired by Who fans to be released on an official Who album. In 1998, an expanded Odds & Sods CD was released with the intention of using the original version. However, a different, slower, bluesy version (now referred to as "version 2") was released in error (the album artwork and liner notes reflected the original version (not the newly found version). This created frustration for Who fans. In 2003, there was another opportunity to release the original with the Tommy Deluxe Edition CD/SACD/DVD set. Unfortunately, the master tape wasn't found, but the multi-track tapes were, and a remixed & remastered version of the original was released. In subsequent Odds & Sods releases (2011 & 2020), a third version of the song was released.

Several years ago I stumbled across a master tape of the original (which was intended for possible use for the Who's Missing & Two's Missing albums). I sent an HD (24/96) transfer to the powers to be in Wholand, but it has yet to surface in an official release. Perhaps one day...

Below are WAV sound samples from each of these various sources:

01) Original version released on the 1969 UK LP, The House That Track Built Sound Sample

02) Original version from an unreleased 1970 UK LP acetate (aborted Who album) Sound Sample 

03) Original version master tape <unused> from the Who's Missing / Two's Missing session HD Sound Sample

04) Second version released on the 1998 expanded Odds & Sods CD (slower and bluesy) Sound Sample (Note: this is the actual recorded speed)

05) Second version, Unmastered Sound Sample 

06) Second version, studio chatter: Intro   Outro

07) Second version, sped up by 8%, remixed and remastered. Unreleased, but intended as a possible release on the 2003 Tommy Deluxe set (this version is from the test pressing CDs/DVD-A) HD Sound Sample  

08) Original version, remixed and remastered. This was released on the 2003 Tommy Deluxe set HD Sound Sample

09) Third version released on the 2011 Japan Odds & Sods CD Sound Sample

10) Original version released on the 2013 Tommy Super Deluxe Box Set (this was a needle drop that I supplied) - Same as #1 above Sound Sample  

11) Third version, remastered. Released on the 2020 Record Store Day Odds & Sods LP HD Sound Sample

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