‘The Who By Numbers’ Gets Super Deluxe Edition

The Who By Numbers album cover features artwork created by the band’s bassist John Entwistle.

The Who have announced what they are describing as the “definitive edition” of their 1975 album, The Who By Numbers. The extensive collection, in a variety of configurations including a Super Deluxe Edition, arrives on October 30, 2026. The set features the original album newly remastered, alongside a whopping 92 previously unreleased tracks and mixes including rare studio sessions, out-takes, early mixes, and live recordings. The 6-disc Super Deluxe Edition is available to order in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here. A deluxe vinyl edition is available in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.

The Who By Numbers, released on October 3, 1975—Oct. 25 in the U.S.—was the seventh studio album by The Who—Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon—two years after their previous effort, 1973’s rock opera Quadrophenia. [The band and label announcement inexplicably makes no mention of the piano contributions from ace session musician Nicky Hopkins.]

From the Sept. 1 announcement: The Super Deluxe Edition, a 5-CD/1-Blu-Ray box set, includes a 100-page hard back book with photos, memorabilia and exclusive notes from Townshend and Who expert Andy Neill, plus brand new Atmos, 5.1 and Stereo mixes by Townshend, 11 of his original demos for the album, tracking sessions from Ramport and Shepperton Studios, early mixes, guide vocals, the fullest version released to date of The Who’s June 12, 1976, concert at the Vetch Field in Swansea, Wales, and on the Blu-Ray audio and video music from a previously unreleased Who concert shot on 2” videotape from Metropolitan Stadium in Pontiac, Michigan.

That December 1975 concert set the record at the time for the largest-ever indoor rock concert attendance, with 76,896 people. The entire show has been exhumed from The Who’s archives and professionally cleaned up, with remastered audio. It now stands as one of the few existing visual records of this memorable Who tour, their last with Moon.

Six months later, The Who played three British football grounds under the banner “Who Put The Boot In.” The first of these, at The Valley, the home of Charlton Athletic, was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s loudest rock concert. The third show at Swansea FC’s Vetch Field was recorded for a proposed live album, and over the years, songs from the Swansea concert have appeared on official Who releases. Now, the available original mix tapes have been remastered and returned to their original order. The show was Moon’s last proper show before a British audience, capturing the level of performance power The Who attained over the year-long tour.

This ad for the original album appeared on the back cover of the Oct. 25, 1975, issue of Record World.

Produced by Glyn Johns, who had previously worked with the band on their 1971 album Who’s Next, The Who By Numbers, despite its light-hearted Entwistle-drawn sleeve and massive hit single, features some of the darkest songs ever recorded by the band, including lead-off track and cautionary rocker, “Slip Kid,” as well as “Blue Red and Grey” and “How Many Friends.”

This new super deluxe edition sheds light on the making of the album and the state of mind of its composer. As he puts it in the 100-page making-of-the-album book that accompanies the box set, “I could feel a new wave or reaction and rebellion coming in the music business, the big bands were becoming careless and self-indulgent. I wanted my songs to continue to have a cathartic function for our audience. When punk hit a few years later, I was not surprised.”

Best Classic Bands’ Album Rewind of the 1975 release notes, “a decade after The Who’s salad days as Mod role models, [Townshend] the band’s songwriter, lead guitarist and chief creative officer was at a loss for grand themes, turning his attention inward instead.”

Listen to Townshend’s early mix of “Imagine a Man,” with his own vocal (Daltrey sang lead on the album version)

It also features recordings from the Who Put The Boot In concert at Swansea’s Vetch Field in 1976. The accompanying Blu-ray features Pete Townshend’s Dolby Atmos mix, high-resolution audio versions of the album, and video footage of The Who live at Metropolitan Stadium, Pontiac, Michigan.

2026’s The Who By Numbers Super Deluxe Edition Pack Shot.

THE WHO BY NUMBERS SUPER DELUXE EDITION Track Listing

DISC ONE: ORIGINAL 1975 ALBUM REMASTERED
1. Slip Kid
2. However Much I Booze
3. Squeeze Box
4. Dreaming From The Waist
5. Imagine A Man
6. Success Story
7. They Are All In Love
8. Blue Red And Grey
9. How Many Friends
10. In A Hand Or A Face

DISC TWO: PETE TOWNSHEND DEMOS
1. Keep Me Turning (Version 1) (Previously Unreleased)
2. Slip Kid (Version 1)
3. Squeeze Box
4. Blue Red And Grey (Previously Unreleased)
5. Dreaming From The Waist (Previously Unreleased)
6. How Many Friends (Previously Unreleased)
7. Keep Me Turning (Version 2) (Previously Unreleased)
8. Imagine A Man (Previously Unreleased)
9. Slip Kid (Version 2) (Previously Unreleased)
10. Round And Round (working title for In A Hand Or A Face) (Previously Unreleased)
11. There Ain’t No Way Out (working title for However Much I Booze)

DISC THREE: TRACKING SESSIONS: RAMPORT & SHEPPERTON STUDIOS (All Previously Unreleased)
1. Ramport Jam (Excerpt)
2. She Loves Everyone (Tracking Session)
3. Control Myself (Dreaming From The Waist Tracking Session)
4. There Ain’t No Way Out (However Much I Booze Tracking Session)
5. Goin’ To Frisco/Round And Round (In A Hand Or A Face Tracking Session)
6. Hi-Heel Sneakers Jam with Nicky Hopkins (Studio Outtake)
7. Pete And Keith “The Artiste” (Studio Dialogue)
8. Success Story (Tracking Session)
9. How Many Friends (Tracking Session)
10. Imagine A Man (Tracking Session)
11. They Are All In Love (Tracking Session)
12. She Loves Everyone (Retake With Nicky Hopkins)
13. Squeeze Box (Tracking Session)
14. Instrumental 1 (Tracking Session)
15. I’m Dreaming (Dreaming From The Waist Retake)
16. Every Minute (Blue Red And Grey Tracking Session)
17. Instrumental 2 (Rough Mix) (Tracking Session)
18. The Who By Numbers US Radio Spot #1 (Radio Commercial)

DISC FOUR: EARLY MIXES & GUIDE VOCALS (All Previously Unreleased)
1. Slip Kid – Alternate Roger Vocal (Early Mix Without Overdubs)
2. However Much I Booze – Alternate Pete Vocal (Early Mix)
3. Squeeze Box – Alternate Roger Vocal
4. Dreaming From The Waist – Pete Vocal (Early Mix)
5. Imagine A Man – Pete Vocal (Early Mix)
6. Success Story – John Vocal (Early Mix)
7. They Are All In Love – Alternate Pete Vocal (Early Mix)
8. Blue Red And Grey (Unedited Version)
9. How Many Friends – Pete Vocal (Early Mix)
10. In A Hand Or A Face (Early Mix)
11. They Are All In Love Alternate Roger Vocal (Early Mix)
12. Squeeze Box (Acoustic Stripped Mix, 2026)
13. Imagine A Man (Acoustic Stripped Mix, 2026)
14. They Are All In Love (Acoustic Stripped Mix, 2026)
15. How Many Friends (Acoustic Stripped Mix, 2026)
16. The Who By Numbers US Radio Spot #2 (Radio Commercial)
17. Keith Moon And John Entwistle Preview (The Who by Numbers With John Peel, BBC 1975)
18. However Much I Booze (Live At The Summit, Houston, U.S.A., November 20, 1975)
19. Slip Kid (Live At Madison Square Garden, New York City, U.S.A., March 11, 1976)

DISC FIVE: LIVE AT VETCH FIELD, SWANSEA, WALES, JUNE 12, 1976
1. My Wife
2. Baba O’Riley (Previously Unreleased)
3. Squeeze Box
4. Behind Blue Eyes
5. Dreaming From The Waist
6. Amazing Journey (Previously Unreleased)
7. Sparks (Previously Unreleased)
8. The Acid Queen (Previously Unreleased)
9. Fiddle About
10. Pinball Wizard
11. I’m Free
12. Tommy’s Holiday Camp
13. We’re Not Gonna Take It / See Me, Feel Me
14. Summertime Blues (Previously Unreleased)
15. My Generation/Join Together/My Generation Blues (Previously Unreleased)
16. Won’t Get Fooled Again (Previously Unreleased)

BLU RAY
The Who By Numbers
Pete Townshend Atmos Mix (Previously Unreleased)
Pete Townshend 5.1 Mix (Previously Unreleased)
2026 Stereo Mix (Previously Unreleased)

1. Slip Kid
2. However Much I Booze
3. Squeeze Box
4. Dreaming From The Waist
5. Imagine A Man
6. Success Story
7. They Are All In Love
8. Blue Red Grey
9. How Many Friends
10. In A Hand Or A Face

LIVE AT METROPOLITAN STADIUM, PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, DECEMBER 6, 1975 (VIDEO)*
Unreleased Concert shot on NTSC 2” videotape)
1. I Can’t Explain (Previously Unreleased)
2. Substitute (Previously Unreleased)
3. My Wife (Previously Unreleased)
4. Baba O’Riley (Previously Unreleased)
5. Squeeze Box (Previously Unreleased)
6. Behind Blue Eyes (Previously Unreleased)
7. Dreaming From The Waist (Previously Unreleased)
8. Boris The Spider (Previously Unreleased)
9. Magic Bus (Previously Unreleased)
10. Amazing Journey / Sparks (Previously Unreleased)
11. The Acid Queen (Previously Unreleased)
12. Fiddle About (Previously Unreleased)
13. Pinball Wizard (Previously Unreleased)
14. I’m Free (Previously Unreleased)
15. Tommy’s Holiday Camp (Previously Unreleased)
16. We’re Not Gonna Take It / See Me, Feel Me (Previously Unreleased)
17. Summertime Blues (Previously Unreleased)
18. My Generation/Join Together/Road Runner/My Generation Blues
19. Won’t Get Fooled Again (Previously Unreleased)

*Mono

The 6-disc Super Deluxe Edition is available to order in the U.S. here, in Canada here and in the U.K. here.