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The Who | Previous Showcase Items (2007):
Previous Showcase: The Who - Pictures - 1967 New Zealand 45 (EP)
The Who Showcase: Week of December 30, 2007
One of my favorite singles/EPs has always been the 1967 Australia
Pictures EP. Much to my surprise, I recently discovered (and added to my collection) its New Zealand counterpart.Essentially the two EPs are very similar, with the Australian version printed on regular stock paper and the New Zealand getting a laminated treatment. Additionally, each of the EPs have their respective photos cut and placed slightly different between them.
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Previous Showcase: The Who - A Quick One - 1966 Taiwan LP
The Who Showcase: Week of December 23, 2007
In 1966 The Who's 2nd album (now commonly known as A Quick One), was released in several countries as A Quick One, others (with a track list variation) as simply The Who, and in the USA, Canada and Taiwan - Happy Jack.
As many of you are aware, Taiwan LP releases didn't seem to follow the normal course of "record label rules" and the same album (i.e. Who's Next) may have been released on 3 different labels.
In Taiwan, the album was released on both the Moon Earth and Sun Shine labels. Even with cover variations (between them), both used orange vinyl - making these releases a bit unique. At one time, it was fairly easy to find a copy of this LP, now they seem to be a little more difficult...
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Previous Showcase: Elton John - Pinball Wizard - 1975 Italy 45
The Who Showcase: Week of December 16, 2007
The Tommy Movie (and Soundtrack) from 1975 was not only a major hit for The Who, but for several of its stars as well.
Elton John, who performed Pinball Wizard in the movie, also released the song on his own label, with different artwork from the movie featured on various international singles. (The single pictured to the left is from Italy.)
The Who - Endless Wire out now! Previous Showcase
Previous Showcase: The Who - The Who - I'm A Boy - 1966 Norway 45
The Who Showcase: Week of December 9, 2007
Quite a few of The Who's releases from 1966, featured photos taken in 1965 - I'm A Boy from Norway is no exception...
Not only is this a neat picture of the band, but it makes you wonder why Roger is standing apart from the others...
This rare single was actually issued in two variations, the one pictured to your left with the red and blue circles and another, with green and orange circles.
Previous Showcase: The Who - Picture/Pictures of Lily - 1967 France EP
The Who Showcase: Week of December 2, 2007
When Pictures Of Lily was released in 1967, France and Israel ran into a bit of a translation problem and
labeled the record, Picture Of Lily in error. In France, they corrected it! I originally had the Pictures EP
and when I discovered that there had been a previous pressing, I searched one out. I'm not sure which is
the rarer of the two - there seems to be an equal amount of both...Previous Showcase: Pete Townshend - Listening Time - 1982 UK LP (Promo)
The Who Showcase: Week of November 25, 2007
With many of Pete Townshend's solo albums, an accompanying promotional "interview" album was distributed to radio stations. For All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes, this was no exception. For the UK, Listening Time was distributed and for the USA, Inside Track was distributed.
Limited as they were, Listening Time was issued with
about 1/2 of the pressing personally autographed by Pete. With all the fake autographs out there, buying one of these collectable albums increases your chances of getting a legitimate one.
Previous Showcase: The Who - The Who By Numbers - 1975 Portugal LP
The Who Showcase: Week of November 18, 2007
Pictured to your left is a copy of The Who By Numbers from Portugal. Other than its unique placement and style of the Polydor logo - there is nothing particularly unique...
I spent this past weekend at the Utrecht (Holland) Record Fair - my 12th visit since 2001. This time, possibly my last - since - its all gone! I came back with the least I ever purchased - either I have too much - or the dealers there have too little (probably a combination of both).
Before I left to Holland, I emailed my favorite Portugal dealer to remind him to bring his Who solo LPs. The Who didn't sell many records in Portugal and it seemed that the locals preferred imports - hence you don't see too many Portuguese Who or Who solo albums around - but I'm happy to have them. Look for the stuff from my trip to be posted here sometime this week...
Previous Showcase: The Who - The Who Sell Out - 2007 Japan CD (Mono)
The Who Showcase: Week of November 11, 2007
What appears to be the 1967 Japan LP cover of
The Who Sell Out, is actually a 2007 limited edition CD.
Besides being a faithful reproduction of a unique album cover, what really makes this CD special is that it is the mono version of the album - and the only version of this album officially released on CD.
As some of you more familiar with the mono mixes on this album - it gives The Who Sell Out a completely different feel to it. This CD has been remastered and is the best sounding mono mix version (from any source) available.
Previous Showcase: The Who - Maximum R&B - 1982 USA Book
The Who Showcase: Week of November 4, 2007
In 1982, I "thought" I had all of the Who's albums. Then Maximum R&B came out, with the abbreviated discography in the back of the book. After reading titles of albums and singles that I never heard of before, I realized that there was so much more out there and began tracking down one record after another (you can see where this led).
The book is really great too! The first pressing came with a flexi disc with 2 Pete Townshend demos - My Generation & Pinball Wizard (unedited). The book is also well written, very entertaining and has great pictures too. The book was revised in 1998, but issued without the flexi-disc.
Previous Showcase: The Who - Behind Blue Eyes - Thailand 45 (EP)
The Who Showcase: Week of October 28, 2007
The people of Thailand must have really liked The Who song, Behind Blue Eyes as they released it 3 times on 2 different labels. The first 2 are very similar, but if you look closely, only 2 of the pictures are the same.
The Who - Endless Wire out now! Previous ShowcasePrevious Showcase: The Who - Eminence Front - 1982 USA Sheet Music
The Who Showcase: Week of October 21, 2007
To the best of my knowledge, Eminence Front (pictured left) was the last issue of original sheet music from The Who (1982).
The funny thing about this release is that I never knew it existed until about a year ago. After never seeing a copy for over 20 years, this one comes along - and then to be followed by 5 more copies just a few weeks later.
Collecting The Who can be (and often is) unpredictable. Just when it seems you think there's "no more", something you've never seen before comes along.
Previous Showcase: The Who - The Who Sell Out - 1967 France LP
The Who Showcase: Week of October 14, 2007
In the 60's, EPs were the common music media in France, as evidenced by The Who's French catalog. However, the band's LPs were also issued there, although in seemingly small numbers.
Since 1995, I have occasionally seen French copies of
My Generation. While very similar to the common UK LP, the lettering is in white, vs. blue. Less common are their LP pressings of A Quick One and The Who Sell Out. Both look very similar to their UK "cousins", but with prominent Polydor logos on their respective front covers. These LPs have become hard to find (took me years!), and are often in poor condition. Good luck!
Previous Showcase: The Who - Happy Jack - 1966 Israel 45 (EP)
The Who Showcase: Week of October 7, 2007
To your left is the 1966 Happy Jack EP from Israel - which I believe features the earliest photo of The Who from its entire international catalogue of singles and albums.
This record is fairly rare, and was issued with both an orange, Polydor International label (1st pressing) and a red, <common> Polydor label (2nd pressing). I once had both pressings, but traded the latter to a friend for a record I didn't have...
I paid about $35 for this record in 1983 from a store in New York City... (It's worth a little more than that today...)
Previous Showcase: Pete Townshend - All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes - 1982 France Ad
The Who Showcase: Week of September 30, 2007
I just picked this one up - a 1982 France ad for
All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes and was fascinated by it.
Translating the French text to English:
les meilleurs cow-boys ont les yeux brides
Translates to:
the best cow-boys have the eyes supports
And...
Nouvel Album = New Album
Lastly...
La Cassette A Emporter! = The Cassette To Be Carried!
Previous Showcase: The Who - Join Together Rarities - 1982 Australia LP
The Who Showcase: Week of September 23, 2007
Sometime in 1982, I was shopping for records in the infamous electronics (and music) store, Crazy Eddies. Low and behold in The Who section, I pull out the LP pictured to your left, The Who: Join Together Rarities. At first it appeared as it might be a bootleg, but I quickly found the Polydor logo and sure enough it was a legitimate release.
What made this record so special at the time, was that prior to its release, the only way you could buy any of the music contained on it, was via rare singles or bootleg LPs like Who's Zoo.
Apparently, the LP was released by Polydor Australia without permission, but what it did get them to think a little harder and as a result, the following year saw a new series of Who Rarity LPs released.
Previous Showcase: The Who - Who's Next - 1971 Venezuela LP
The Who Showcase: Week of September 16, 2007
While there are many Who records which feature Spanish titles on the labels or even the back covers, there are only a few which feature the front cover title in Spanish.
Pictured to the left, is Who's Next from Venezuela. The Spanish title, "Nuevamente los Who" translated, is "Again The Who". It doesn't sound very close, does it?
A few others that are a bit "closer" are, The Who En Numeros ("The Who In Numbers"), Copa Vacia ("Empty Glass") and Ojos Chinos ("Eyes Chinese").
Previous Showcase: The Who - Live At Leeds - 1970 Israel LP
The Who Showcase: Week of September 9, 2007
One of the goals in collecting The Who - is to obtain the many variations of album cover art. In many cases, there is little or no variation (albums like Quadrophenia come to mind).
However, with The Who's first live album, Live At Leeds, there were many variations - some as subtle as different ink color (UK) - to completely different artwork - ranging from "live" band shots (Brazil) to a cartoon cover of the band playing live (India).
In Israel, they outdid themselves with three different covers:
The first pressing has Hebrew print.
The second pressing removed the Hebrew print and moved the logo and photo.
The third (and most common) pressing is very similar to the second pressing, but in red.
Most of the first pressings found are fairly tattered and it can be difficult to find one in excellent condition...
Previous Showcase: Whistle Rymes - 1972 USA Reel-To-Reel
The Who Showcase: Week of September 2, 2007
For many years, I spent a lot of time comparing one country's record to another, and then later came CD comparisons. Sometimes the variations were negligible, other times, quite significant.
In the case of John Entwistle's 2nd album, Whistle Rymes, the original USA LP seems to have the best overall sound. The CD versions which came later were very "clean", but they lacked the original LP's bass sound - which gave the various CD versions a very different feel.
Too often when older albums have been remastered to CD, nobody has gone back to the original and listened to its "feel" - hence the new CD potentially can sound completely different - and not always for "the better"...
Previous Showcase: Pete Townshend's Typed Lyrics - Lazy Fat People - 1966 UK
The Who Showcase: Week of August 26, 2007
It seems that everything I own has a story to it... Pictured to your left is a copy of Pete Townshend's typed lyrics for Lazy Fat People - a funny song that he wrote in 1966, which was never released by The Who. John Entwistle claimed to never have even heard it. (It was released by the Barron Knights in 1967.)
Around 1984 I had the opportunity to buy the Barron Knights single for $40. I thought that was a lot of money back then and passed. 11 Years later, I finally bought the single and absolutely loved it. I found it to be one of Pete's best and funniest songs - how could I have missed it for so long?
A few weeks after getting the record, I met someone on-line who was asking around if anyone was familiar with this song and a few other "rarities". I was quick to respond and the next thing I knew, I had copies of Pete's demos for, Lazy Fat People, King Rabbit, Languages, Pictures of Lily (unedited), So Sad About Us (unedited), I Can See For Miles, I Can't Reach You and Relax. Wow!
Apparently, Pete had been friends with a musician named, Steve Baron in the 1960s and Pete had given Steve 4-track tape copies of these demos, which Steve had locked in a trunk for almost 30 years. Unfortunately, Steve is no longer with us and before he died, took the tapes and threw them in a dumpster!
Perhaps one day Pete will release all of these demos (and more) - they are really great!
Previous ShowcasePrevious Showcase: Pete Townshend - Scoop - 1983 Singapore Cassette(s)
The Who Showcase: Week of August 19, 2007
Sometimes it's funny how you think you are getting one thing and then end up with something else...
Pictured to the left are Volume 1 & Volume 2 cassettes of Pete Townshend's Scoop. They were advertised from "Saudi Arabia" - but are actually from Singapore (the "Made In Singapore" printed on each cassette was a clue). Not only is the artwork nice, but the "Pete Townshend of The Who" is a nice touch.
Previous Showcase: The Who with The London Symphony Orchestra - Tommy - 1972 Taiwan LP
The Who Showcase: Week of August 12, 2007
With all the versions of Tommy released and performed over the years, sometimes fans have overlooked the 2nd version of Tommy - The London Symphony Orchestra version - from 1972. This version features powerful orchestrated versions of the songs, as well as performances from The Who - Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle - contributing strong vocals on several of the tracks and guest singers such as Steve Winwood, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr on some of the others.
Vinyl pressings of this album seem to be plentiful, but the sonically superior CD released in the early 90's was released in low numbers and copies typically sell on ebay for over $100. At one point someone attempted to "pirate" the CD, but its source was a dubbed LP and included a few nasty skips. Any 2CD version you find is a bootleg,
so be warned! (Pictured to the left is the Taiwan LP version.)
Previous Showcase: The Who - My Generation - 2007 CD Japan Box Set (Promo)
The Who Showcase: Week of August 5, 2007
Released in Japan last week, are 5 newly remastered CDs, packaged as mini-LPs (pictured below). These CDs are sold individually or as a promotional package as the
My Generation Box Set (pictured left). Here's a brief description of the CD's contents:
My Generation: Original mono mix (additional details)
The Who Sell Out: Original mono mix (additional details)
Magic Bus: Faithful recreation of 1968 USA LP
Direct Hits: Faithful recreation of 1968 UK LP
Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy: Reissue of 1971 Japan LP
Previous Showcase: The Who - The Seeker - 1970 Mexico 45 (EP)
The Who Showcase: Week of July 29, 2007
Above is The Seeker, 1970 EP from Mexico. The back cover (left) and the front cover (right) combined make up the
complete picture. As with the other of The Who EPs from Mexico, this one has a combination of Spanish and English,
making for an interesting collectable. Previous ShowcasePrevious Showcase: The Who - The Kids Are Alright - 1979 USA Store Display
The Who Showcase: Week of July 22, 2007
When I first started collecting The Who in the early 80s, I used to see quite a few of these standup (~4' x 4') promotional displays for The Kids Are Alright. The record stores would typically have them behind the counter and the average selling price was about $25.
While I always wanted one, most of the ones available had a material defect - like a heavy crease in the cardboard by Keith Moon's neck, so that his head wouldn't stand up straight. Almost 25 years later, I found one at the right price and with everyone's head intact! They also made these with poster holders.
Previous Showcase: The Who - I Can See For Miles - 1967 Russia 45
The Who Showcase: Week of July 15, 2007
During the cold war, "Western Music" was sometimes smuggled into the communist countries. For example, many Who songs were put on the back of a decorative post card, cleverly designed as a plastic flexi-disc and sent to Poland.
In Russia, artwork was created on lightweight picture sleeves, which contained inside a single-song flexi-disc.
As for The Who, (to date) I have only tracked down two different Russian singles. The Poland post cards seem to be easier to find, but the picture designs (i.e. flowers) have never interested me. Clever people!
Previous Showcase: The Wizard of Oz In Concert - 1996 USA CD
The Who Showcase: Week of July 8, 2007
As many of you know, when not working with The Who, Roger Daltrey enjoys lending his acting and singing talents to "other projects". In 1995, he performed as "The Tin Man" in a live, stage performance of "The Wizard Of Oz" in New York City.
The star-filled cast (Jewel as Dorothy, Jackson Brown as The Scare Crow and Nathan Lane as The Cowardly Lion) did a great job, but Roger Daltrey brought down the house as the volume went up and as he twirled his microphone in Who-like fashion as he sang, "If I Only Had A Heart".
Here's a video sample: VS
And an MP3 Sample: MP3
(The show has been issued on video and CD formats.)
Previous ShowcasePrevious Showcase: The Who - I Can't Explain - 1965 Germany 45
The Who Showcase: Week of July 1, 2007
The Who have always been very popular in Germany. As a result, the band's records and CDs were produced in great numbers there, making most Germany Who releases (with some notable exceptions) fairly common.
One of those exceptions, is The Who's first release in Germany, the I Can't Explain single. Much tougher to find than many of their other singles and even harder to find in good condition. The paper used to print the picture sleeve is somewhat thin and had a tendency to wrinkle and deteriorate if not kept properly. A neat picture of the band, also used on the Australia Dance Session EP and 2 USA 60's ads.
Previous Showcase: Batman/Bucket "T" - 1966 France 45 (Promo)
The Who Showcase: Week of June 24, 2007
Back in the early days of The Who, the band experimented with various cover songs before Pete Townshend became more prolific as a song writer. One of those neat cover songs, was the Batman Theme (from the 1960's TV show), which was included on the band's first UK EP,
Ready Steady Who.
The record pictured to the left, is a promo only release, exclusive to France. In the early/mid '60s, all of the Who singles released in France were EPs, except for a few unique promo singles.
The song was eventually mixed into stereo and released as a bonus track on the 1995 (and subsequent) CD issues of A Quick One.
Here is an MP3 sample of the original mono version: MP3
Previous ShowcasePrevious Showcase: A Legal Matter/Instant Party - 1966 Denmark 45
The Who Showcase: Week of June 17, 2007
One of the great Who songs which never quite was released properly, is Circles. For those of you who are unfamiliar, there are essentially 3 versions of the song.
The 1st released version was on the "b" side of the 1966 UK Substitute 45. This version was produced by The Who. The 2nd released version, was actually recorded in 1965 and produced by Shel Talmy. This version was released as Instant Party on The Who Sings My Generation LP and the "b" side of A Legal Matter 45s. The 3rd released version is a stereo mix of the 2nd released version, but now retitled, Circles. The latter was mixed without John Entwistle's great French Horn parts, because it was off-pitch from the music (perhaps one day it will be remixed and pitch adjusted). The 1st and 2nd versions have become somewhat obscure and have been out of print for a while now. Here are some MP3 Samples:
Circles (1st released version) MP3
Circles/Instant Party (2nd released version) MP3
The title change from Circles to Instant Party had to do with the legal issues that surrounded The Who and Shel Talmy at the time. The real Instant Party is a completely different song and was released in 2002.
Previous ShowcasePrevious Showcase: All This And World War II - 1976 UK LP
The Who Showcase: Week of June 10, 2007
In the last 10 years, there has been two different attempts to expand (and complete) Keith Moon's only solo album,
Two Sides Of The Moon. Unfortunately, both of these releases missed an opportunity to add to them Keith's only other solo vocal performance, "When I'm Sixty-Four" (a cover of the Beatles song) which was only released on the
All This And World War II album. (The album was reissued on CD as a limited box set in 2006.)
Here's an MP3 Sample to see what you are missing: MP3
Previous Showcase: Roger Daltrey - Take Me Home - 1987 USA 12" Single (Extended Dance Mix)
The Who Showcase: Week of June 3, 2007
In 1987 Roger Daltrey released an album called, Can't Wait To See The Movie, which featured a track called Take Me Home. The album didn't do well on the charts, but managed to "squeak out" an odd-ball <12" only> single in the USA - a very extended "dance mix" (and instrumental version) of Take Me Home. I like this version a lot - much more than the album version. Unfortunately, it was never included as a bonus track on the various CD releases of the album and this great version has almost been forgotten about. Every now and then a copy shows up on ebay - and for very little money. If you're a fan of Roger's solo work, find a copy and enjoy it - you won't be disappointed! MP3 Sample
Previous Showcase: Record Collector Magazine - UK - June, 2007
The Who Showcase: Week of May 20 & 27, 2007
Several months ago I was contacted by Record Collector Magazine (UK) to write an article and provide ~100 pictures of record/CD covers of The Who. The project gave me the opportunity to do something a little bit different. Most of these type of articles center on the the same, common records you see all the time - and I was able to draw from the most diverse and tell a little story about each. My copy arrived in yesterday's mail and Record Collector did a great job! Also featured in this issue is a great interview with Pete Townshend, which also has a neat spin to it. Please look in a few months for an issue with the Who solo rarities. Thanks again Record Collector!
Previous Showcase: The World's Most Sensational Teenage Group! - USA - 1967 Ad
The Who Showcase: Week of May 13, 2007
After collecting records & CDs, one of my next favorite area of The Who collectables, are the ads - which helped promote the band's music. The one pictured to your left is kind of fun. When you think of The Who today, do you think of them as "The World's Most Sensational Teenage Group!" ? Probably not. However, 40 years ago - back in 1967, this is one way in which they were advertised.
This particular ad was published in the USA (just prior to the release of The Who Sell Out) for the new single, I Can See For Miles. A nice piece of "Who history"...
Previous Showcase: The King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents John Entwistle - USA - 1997 CD
The Who Showcase: Week of May 6, 2007
After sitting in the vaults for over 20 years, about 10 years ago, the King Biscuit people released a great John Entwistle concert that they had recorded in 1975.
Besides being a great performance, the concert was mixed by Andy Macpherson at Revolution Studios in the same way that he mixed The Who's Live At Leeds. (I have sometimes referred to this CD as "John At Leeds".) The original CD has gone out of print, but has been reissued with a different cover. You can find more information about them on this page.
Previous Showcase: The Who - My Generation - 1965 Germany 45 (3 versions)
The Who Showcase: Week of April 29, 2007
In Germany, there were 3 different variations of the
My Generation single released in 1965. The red banner version (lower left) being the common version, followed by the yellow banner version (lower right) and the pink bannered version (left). The yellow versions tend to sell for higher prices, but you still can find one if you look hard enough. The pink one is a bit difficult. While the covers are somewhat interesting, there's no picture of The Who on them! I guess that's why it took me so long to track them all down... `;-()
Previous Showcase
Previous Showcase: The Who - Battle Of The Who & Jimi Hendrix - 1971 Japan LP (in can)
The Who Showcase: Week of April 22, 2007
When I first began collecting in the earlier 80s, I came across a Who album "in a can". The seller was asking $25, but I thought to myself, "What am I going to do with this thing???" and passed. Little did I know back then that this "can" was one of two, rare Japan releases, Battle Of The Who & Jimi Hendrix and "Battle Of The Who & Jimi Hendrix Live". About 20 years later (and after seeing prices all over the place), I found this copy (pictured left) for a "reasonable" price. I still need the live version - but I'll wait for "the right price".
Previous Showcase: The Who - Let's See Action - 1971 Lebanon 45
The Who Showcase: Week of April 15, 2007
In various countries around the world, The Who were only released (on record & CD) in very small numbers - in some countries, only one record with several hundred pressings.
In Lebanon, it appears that there were only 3 different Who singles released (The Seeker, Let's See Action, Join Together) and the latter two were issued on multi-colored vinyl (also known as "splash wax").
As explained to me by a collector there, the country's record industry and much of their inventories were destroyed by the 1975-1990 civil war. It's nice to see that some survived.
Previous Showcase: Pete Townshend - Barefootin' - 1986 USA 45
The Who Showcase: Week of April 8, 2007
Pictured to your left is the rarest of the Pete Townshend 45 picture sleeves: Barefootin' / Behind Blue Eyes. Released in the USA in 1986 as a single from the Deep End Live album, the majority of copies were issued with a plain, company sleeve (of which I purchased several copies the day it was issued).
Almost 20 years later, I stumbled across this rarity - amazed that it even existed. The artwork is a simple variation on the album's theme, but as a single, also unique that Pete would release a cover song as an "a" side.
Previous Showcase: The Who Sell Out - 1967 Thailand EP
The Who Showcase: Week of April 1, 2007
What appears to be an alternate album cover for
The Who Sell Out is actually a rare 1967 EP from
Thailand. Many of you may have noticed the odd picture
EPs from Thailand (sometimes mixed with other artists),
the interesting LP variations from Taiwan and Korea, and the neat cassettes from Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. Essentially, all/most of these are unofficial releases.
Please visit the newly reformatted Magazines and
Sheet Music sections (roll your mouse over the
pictures for the descriptions).
Previous Showcase: Roger Daltrey: A Celebration - 1994 USA CD
The Who Showcase: Week of March 25, 2007
As some of you are aware, Roger Daltrey was recently hospitalized suddenly after the cancellation of the Who's Tampa concert. The good news is - he's OK now!
In honor of Roger and his recovery, I picked his 1994 A Celebration album for this week's Showcase. I'm not quite sure what happened here, but to the left is the original album cover. Above (left to right), are the first 3 pictures are unreleased album covers (I would have chosen either of the middle two). Then, to the above right is a 1998 reissue from a different label. It makes you wonder what goes into choosing an album cover...
Previous ShowcasePrevious Showcase: The Who - Live At Leeds - 1970 South Africa LP
The Who Showcase: Week of March 18, 2007
Here's yet another mystery album... This is a very rare pressing of Tommy from South Africa. Tommy was also pressed there with the common cover.
My theory is this: Based on the world-wide popularity of The Who's Live At Leeds, Polydor South Africa re-released Tommy there, with this Leeds style cover in 1970.
Someone else theorized that this was the first pressing, and released prior to the record company having the proper artwork. If this were true, how coincidental to predate Live At Leeds by a year? Either way, a very nice collectable...
Previous Showcase: The Who - See Me, Feel Me - 1970 Paraguay 7" Single
The Who Showcase: Week of March 11, 2007
Pictured to your left is a very rare, Brazil export to Paraguay. Apparently several Who singles were released there with very unique picture sleeves (such as this one). Like Who LPs from Uruguay, there is a light, plastic cover surrounding the paper sleeve, which accounts for why the scan isn't as crisp as it normally should be.
After 25+ years of collecting The Who, there are still some surprises out there, which until recently, I never knew to exist. No matter how much you have collected, there's always more...
Previous Showcase: Roger Daltrey - God Bless Us Everyone - 1998 CD Single (Promo)
The Who Showcase: Week of March 4, 2007
Here's a rarity for you - Roger Daltrey singing,
God Bless Us Everyone, from his 1998 performance in "A Christmas Carol". Apparently if you bought tickets with your American Express card, you received one of these CDs.
You can listen to an MP3 sample of the song, here.
As some of you might be aware, Roger just celebrated his 63rd birthday on March 1 - And once again, The Who are on tour (Amazing, isn't it?). God bless Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend for giving their fans so much!
Previous Showcase: Attic Jam - 2007 iTunes (only) Download
The Who Showcase: Week of February 25, 2007
Here's a neat new album that many of you haven't seen yet - Attic Jam. It's not sold in any record stores or via internet mail order - but exclusively through iTunes. The album is a collection of artists, including Rachel Fuller, Simon and Pete Townshend. For us Who fans, its a real treat to hear Pete performing "A Quick One While He's Away", "Acid Queen" as well as playing several "Who tunes" with the various artists.
Previous Showcase: John Entwistle - Too Late The Hero - 1981 UK 45 Picture Disc
The Who Showcase: Week of February 18, 2007
Every time I go to eBay I see tons of "autographed" items with COA's (Certificates of Authenticity). Some even include a picture of the artist signing the "item". 99% of these are fakes.
The Who signed many items. If you want an authentic autograph, you may need to dig around until you find someone that you know who had something personally autographed (and hope they will part with it). Your other option is to track down one of the items where there are no doubts - i.e. the Too Late The Hero picture disc to your left. (John Entwistle autographed every single one.)
Previous Showcase: The Who with toilet paper - 1967
The Who Showcase: Week of February 11, 2007
Here's something that Who fans don't quite see every day - their favorite band all wrapped up in toilet paper! This picture is part of a series of seven, and comes from a 1966 Holland magazine.
A friend of mine had put the magazine on ebay and
believed that I already had these pix. As it turned out I didn't, but certainly thought they were a unique find and thought that they should be shared with the rest of the Who fans...
So, there you have it. Enjoy!
Previous Showcase: Ready Steady Who - 1966 France EP
The Who Showcase: Week of February 4, 2007
Back in the early 80s, one of the most desirable collectables was the Ready Steady Who EP. Prior to the release of any of the rarity albums (along with the 1966 Australia Best Of Who LP), the only source for the rare tracks, "Batman" and "Barbara Ann".
Before the rarity albums (and then the internet) making these songs (original EPs) more available, copies of the UK version used to sell for ~$100 and the rarer French version (pictured left) about $150. Even with their shrunken prices, it is still great to own a fantastic piece of The Who's history...
Previous Showcase: The House That Track Built - 1969 UK LP
The Who Showcase: Week of January 28, 2007
For many years, the only way to get the studio version of "Young Man Blues" was via the obscure, 1969 UK-only LP, The House That Track Built. Because of the song's great performance, it has been bootlegged almost since the day of its release.
In 1998, the song was intended to be included in the newly expanded, Odds & Sods release, but adding further to its mystique, a different, slower performance from the same session was used accidentally, contradicting the CD's artwork and liner notes.
In 2003, the correct version of the song was released on the Tommy Deluxe CD, but it was remixed for 5.1 and even in 2.0, is a very different mix from the very special, original version. Perhaps one day the original version will be re-released...
Previous Showcase: The Who Live - 1991 France CD
The Who Showcase: Week of January 21, 2007
In 1995, I found a CD in Luxembourg City which didn't quite make much sense. The contents of the CD were the Who's Last album (1982 Who tour), but the cover was a picture of Roger Daltrey's head (circa 1975). Needless to say, a bit misleading! Later in that year, I was in France and spotted yet another version of
The Who Live, this time with a stage shot of the band, circa 1972. Anyone familiar with the Who's Last album would certainly agree that this particular album doesn't quite sound the same as the early/mid 70's live Who - but, it does make for yet another novelty...
Previous Showcase: The Who - I'm A Boy - 1966 Portugal 45 (EP)
The Who Showcase: Week of January 14, 2007
One of the favorite parts of my collection, are the Portuguese singles and EPs. While Who collectors have been grabbing up the Japanese, French and even Spanish singles and EPs, I always thought these were a bit more "special".
A bit more obscure, a bit more colorful. In some ways just a simple variation of another country's picture sleeve or LP cover, but with color and style to make them unique onto themselves.
One of the nice things about collecting, is that you get to choose....
Previous Showcase: Roger Daltrey - Walking In My Sleep - 1984 UK 12" EP
The Who Showcase: Week of January 07, 2007
One of the problems with reissuing older "LP-only" albums onto CD, is that sometimes the non-album "b" sides from the singles (originally released from that album) are forgotten about. One such example is Roger Daltrey's Parting Should Be Painless album. In 2004, it was reissued on CD, but without any bonus tracks.
In 1984, two 12" singles were released, both having excellent "b" side, non-album tracks. The first one (pictured to your left) is a cover version of Gimme Some Lovin' - which sounds like it could have been recorded by The Who. The second one, was featured on the 12" of Parting Would Be Painless and called, I Won't Be The One To Say Goodbye. This track was written by long-time Who associate, Billy Nicholls and its theme was about the 1983 breakup of The Who. Perhaps one day they'll make it to CD. Click here for MP3 Samples.
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![The Who - Pictures Of Lily - 1967 New Zealand 45 (EP) [Front Cover]](images/POL-NZss-The_Who-EP-A.jpg)
