I love the circa '70 Who. I especially like their live show at that time as documented in Live at Leeds, Woodstock etc. My question is this : Why have I never heard a live version of "I Can See for Miles"? Is there an officially released version? If not, why? Did they ever play this tune live? Am I just an idiot?

They did it occasionally during the 79-80 tours with Kenny Jones.

If memory serves me, a live version from the Smothers Brothers it is on the Kids Are Alright soundtrack.

yes...it is track #4....just checked amazon.com

the shoot 'em dead, brainbell jangler!

It's not a live version from the Smothers Brothers, they mimed to it on the show and it's the standard studio version.

The reason they didn't do it live? Because Townshend always felt the harmonies couldn't be pulled off properly. I haven't heard a Kenney Jones-era version, but I have heard the version from the '89 tour and... hoo-boy, I wish I hadn't. Sounds like crap.

I think it's one of those things that they never could really perfect, although I know they did it with Keith in late '67 at some point.

I remember reading in some liner notes that they did not play that live because of guitar overubs used on it which could not be repeated by Townshend single-handed

Adams Wrote:
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> I remember reading in some liner notes that they
> did not play that live because of guitar overubs
> used on it which could not be repeated by
> Townshend single-handed

yeah, cant remember which album though.

they did it in L.A. 89

The 1990 live album Join Together included it live.

Most recently, if I remember correctly,it was played just once on the 2002 tour (in Mansfield, MA I believe) and was dropped after that 1 performance.

Interestingly enough, for one of the Teenage Cancer Trust concerts in February 2002 at the Royal Albert Hall, Roger Daltry sang I Can See for Miles as an encore with the Paul Weller Band, featuring Noel Gallagher and Kelly Jones on guitars.

I was in the middle of the front row! A fantastic concert which also featured Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

was Jimmy Page on the overdubs of "I can See For Miles"?

Unlikely....I believe he did play on I Can`t Explain.

Join Together live album set from 1989 has I Can See For Miles on it. So does the new DVD set of Tommy and Quadrophia. But for album release its Join Togther

Page was employed to play on Can't Explain but realised that Townshend wasmore than capable. I think there was some small part played on the b-side Bald headed woman.

ablett Wrote:
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> Page was employed to play on Can't Explain but
> realised that Townshend wasmore than capable. I
> think there was some small part played on the
> b-side Bald headed woman.

Actually, Page played rhythm guitar on Can't Explain and lead on Bald Headed Woman.

No he didn't, it was only rumored that Page played on 'Can't Explain' but was recently discovered that he didn't, only some things on 'Bald-Headed Woman'.

from [www.thewho.net] :

I Can't Explain (stereo version) 2'04
(Pete Townshend) Fabulous Music, Ltd.
Produced by Shel Talmy at Pye Studios, London in the second week of November 1964.
Lead guitar: Pete Townshend
Piano: Perry Ford
Backing Vocals: The Ivy League (John Carter, Perry Ford, Ken Lewis)
Released in the U.K. as Brunswick 05926 on January 15, 1965 and after an initial dip eventually reaching #8. Released in the U.S. as Decca 31725 on February 13, 1965 where it reached #97 on the Billboard charts, but #57 in Cash Box. The B-side in both countries was "Bald Headed Woman." "I Can't Explain" is probably the song The Who have most often performed live. And to still a popular rumor, Jimmy Page does not play anything on The Who's recording of "I Can't Explain."

Bald-Headed Woman 2'32
(Traditional, arranged by Shel Talmy) ASCAP
Recorded second week of November 1964.
Lead fuzz guitar: Jimmy Page
Rhythm guitar: Pete Townshend
John: "The Fuzz guitar droning throughout is played by Jimmy Page; the reason being, he owned the only Fuzz Box in the country at that time. The words express my sentiments exactly - a bald headed woman would make me pretty mean, too. My favorite part of this track is the opening of the harmonica solo, where Roger puts the harmonica into his mouth the wrong way around."
As with the Talmy-produced Kinks, the Who were persuaded to record this so that Shel Talmy could get publishing royalties. It was the B-side of the single "I Can't Explain.". Although credited to Talmy, it is actually a traditional African-American chain-gang song that is in the public domain. For a version similar to this arrangement see Odetta's 1963 LP My Eyes Have Seen. This version runs :23 longer than the original mono single.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2005-12-13 23:33 by Fr34kzi11a.

Fr34kzi11a Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No he didn't, it was only rumored that Page played
> on 'Can't Explain' but was recently discovered
> that he didn't, only some things on 'Bald-Headed
> Woman'.
>
> from :
>
> I Can't Explain (stereo version) 2'04
> (Pete Townshend) Fabulous Music, Ltd.
> Produced by Shel Talmy at Pye Studios, London in
> the second week of November 1964.
> Lead guitar: Pete Townshend
> Piano: Perry Ford
> Backing Vocals: The Ivy League (John Carter, Perry
> Ford, Ken Lewis)
> Released in the U.K. as Brunswick 05926 on January
> 15, 1965 and after an initial dip eventually
> reaching #8. Released in the U.S. as Decca 31725
> on February 13, 1965 where it reached #97 on the
> Billboard charts, but #57 in Cash Box. The B-side
> in both countries was "Bald Headed Woman." "I
> Can't Explain" is probably the song The Who have
> most often performed live. And to still a popular
> rumor, Jimmy Page does not play anything on The
> Who's recording of "I Can't Explain."
>
> Bald-Headed Woman 2'32
> (Traditional, arranged by Shel Talmy) ASCAP
> Recorded second week of November 1964.
> Lead fuzz guitar: Jimmy Page
> Rhythm guitar: Pete Townshend
> John: "The Fuzz guitar droning throughout is
> played by Jimmy Page; the reason being, he owned
> the only Fuzz Box in the country at that time. The
> words express my sentiments exactly - a bald
> headed woman would make me pretty mean, too. My
> favorite part of this track is the opening of the
> harmonica solo, where Roger puts the harmonica
> into his mouth the wrong way around."
> As with the Talmy-produced Kinks, the Who were
> persuaded to record this so that Shel Talmy could
> get publishing royalties. It was the B-side of the
> single "I Can't Explain.". Although credited to
> Talmy, it is actually a traditional
> African-American chain-gang song that is in the
> public domain. For a version similar to this
> arrangement see Odetta's 1963 LP My Eyes Have
> Seen. This version runs :23 longer than the
> original mono single.
>
>
>
> Edited 2 times. Last edit at 12/13/05 23:33 by
> Fr34kzi11a.

My source is Dave Marsh's Who bio "Before I Get Old: The Story Of The Who," which was written at the request of Pete Townshend and endorsed by the rest of the band. Marsh researched it for three years before writing it, and it definitely states Page played rhythm guitar on Can't Explain. I'm not sure how reliable a source thewho.net is, it looks like a rather amatuerish fan site to me. Don't believe everything you read on the internet!