News

Attention fans of The Who: Mark your calendars for April 20, as that’s the day UMe will release not one, but two titles, related to the rock legends: the 2-CD or 3-LP premiere of The Who Live at the Fillmore East 1968, just in time for its 50th anniversary, and a 2-CD expanded edition of Pete Townshend’s solo debut, Who Came First.

On April 5 and 6, 1968, The Who took the stage at Bill Graham’s late, lamented Fillmore East in New York City.  The first British rock band to play the now-legendary venue, The Who played two concerts (pared down from an originally planned two per night).  Both were recorded by manager Kit Lambert, who hoped to release a live album between The Who Sell Out and before Tommy.  But it was felt that only part of the first night was captured satisfactorily, and the release was cancelled.  The recording of the second night crept out as a bootleg, leading it to acquire fabled status over the years.

The second concert has now been restored and fully remixed from the original four-track tapes by longtime Who engineer Bob Pridden, who was responsible for the mix heard that night in the Fillmore East.  Highlights of the fiery concert include three Eddie Cochran songs (including a never-before-released Who rendition of “C’mon Everybody”), Allen Toussaint’s “Fortune Teller,” a pair of songs from The Who Sell Out, and a 30-plus minute jam version of “My Generation” which takes up the entirety of the second CD or two sides of vinyl.

The 2-CD iteration of this powerful concert will be housed in a six-panel digipak with a 12-page booklet including new liner notes and rare photographs.  The 3-LP heavyweight vinyl release is packaged in a gatefold jacket, with three printed inner bags, and the same complement of liner notes and photos.

On the same day, UMe will unveil a deluxe 2-CD edition of Pete Townshend’s 1972 solo debut Who Came First.  A spiritual tribute to Indian spiritual leader Meher Baba, the album’s genesis was in two mail-order tribute albums to the Guru (who died in 1969 after a 44-year vow of silence) in which Townshend had participated.  Songs from the tribute LPs were joined by demos from the long-aborning Lifehouse project as well as a pair of new songs.  Primarily recorded at Townshend’s home studio, Who Came First featured two tracks not by Townshend: Billy Nichols’ “Forever’s No Time at All” and Ronnie Lane’s “Evolution.”  (He played guitar on the latter, however.)

The 1992 Rykodisc CD reissue appended six bonus tracks from the privately-pressed Baba tribute LPs, and a subsequent 2006 edition released in the U.S. on Hip-o carried over those tracks while adding another three.  UMe’s 2018 edition has a total of seventeen bonus tracks, eight of which are previously unreleased.  One bonus song from the previous CDs, “Lantern Cabin,” appears to have been dropped, while some of the other carried-over bonus tracks are heard in new edits or alternate versions.

Who Came First will arrive in an eight-panel DVD-sized digipak with Townshend’s own liner notes, the original poster from the 1972 LP, and a 24-page booklet with rare photos.  Jon Astley has newly remastered.  Both The Who Live at the Fillmore East 1968 and Pete Townshend’s Who Came First are due on April 20 from UMe.  You’ll find the track listings and pre-order links below!

The Who, Live at the Fillmore East 1968 (UMe, 2018)

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD 1

1. Summertime Blues
2. Fortune Teller
3. Tattoo
4. Little Billy
5. I Can’t Explain
6. Happy Jack
7. Relax
8. I’m a Boy
9. A Quick One
10. My Way
11. C’mon Everybody
12. Shakin’ All Over
13. Boris the Spider

CD 2

1. My Generation (Jam)

Vinyl:

Side One

1. Summertime Blues
2. Fortune Teller
3. Tattoo
4. Little Billy

Side Two

1. I Can’t Explain
2. Happy Jack
3. Relax

Side Three

1. I’m a Boy
2. A Quick One

Side Four

1. My Way
2. C’mon Everybody
3. Shakin’ All Over
4. Boris the Spider

Side Five

1. My Generation (Part 1)

Side Six

1. My Generation (Part 2)

Pete Townshend, Who Came First (Track Records 2408-201, 1972 – reissued UMe, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: The Original Album

2. Pure and Easy
3. Evolution
4. Forever’s No Time at All
5. Let’s See Action
6. Time is Passing
7. Heartache
8. Sheraton Gibson
9. Content
10. Parvardigar

CD 2: Bonus Material

1. His Hands
2. The Seeker (2017 Edit)
3. Day of Silence
4. Sleeping Dog
5. Mary Jane (Stage A Version)
6. I Always Say (2017 Edit)
7. Begin the Beguine (2017 Edit)
8. Baba O’Riley (Instrumental)
9. The Love Man (Stage C)
10. Content (Stage A)
11. Day of Silence (Alternate Version)
12. Parvardigar (Alternate Take)
13. Nothing is Everything
14. There’s a Fortune in Those Hills
15. Meher Baba in Italy
16. Drowned (Live in India)
17. Evolution (Live at Ronnie Lane Memorial)

Tracks 1, 3-4 & alternate edits/versions of Tracks 2 & 9 included on Rykodisc RCD 90246, 1992
Alternate edits/versions of Tracks 5-7 included on Hip-o (U.S.) 0095942-02, 2006
Tracks 8 & 17 TBD
Tracks 9-16 previously unreleased