The Who have released expanded editions of their 1967 album, The Who Sell Out. The new releases include 2-CD and 2-LP sets, as well as a 7-disc Super Deluxe Edition composed of 5 CDs and two 7-inch singles. The latter features the album in both mono and stereo plus previously unheard Pete Townshend demos, studio sessions, outtakes, unheard jingles and more. All arrived April 23, 2021, via Geffen/UMe.
The box set also features nine posters*, replica ephemera, and an 80-page hardbound book with rare photos and new liner notes by Townshend. There are 112 tracks in all, 46 of which are previously unreleased.
Listen to a previously unreleased early take of “Magic Bus”
Listen to Pete Townshend’s demo of “Pictures of Lily” from the new collection
From the Feb. 26 announcement: The Who Sell Out was originally planned by Townshend and the band’s managers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, as a loose concept album including jingles and commercials linking the songs stylized as a pirate radio broadcast. This concept was born out of necessity as their label and management wanted a new album and Townshend felt that he didn’t have enough songs.
The groundbreaking original plan for Sell Out was to sell advertising space on the album but instead the band opted for writing their own jingles paying tribute to pirate radio stations and to parody an increasingly consumerist society.
Listen to “Odorono” with the “Radio London” jingle
The homage to pop-art is evident in both the advertising jingles and the iconic sleeve design created by David King who was the art director at the Sunday Times, and Roger Law, who invented the Spitting Image TV show. The sleeve features four advertising images, taken by the renowned photographer David Montgomery, of each band member: Odorono deodorant (Pete Townshend), Medac spot cream (Keith Moon), Charles Atlas (John Entwistle) and Roger Daltrey and Heinz baked beans. The story goes that Daltrey caught pneumonia from sitting in the cold beans for too long.
“We were hoping to get free Jaguars,” said Townshend last year. “We got 50 free tins of baked beans!”
Listen to “Jaguar” with the “Radio London” jingle
The Who‘s third album followed 1965’s My Generation (released in 1966 as The Who Sings My Generation in the U.S.) and 1966’s A Quick One (released in 1967 as Happy Jack in the U.S.). Those first two achieved top 5 sales in the U.K. Despite the band’s success on the singles chart, with five top 5 U.K. hits under their belts, The Who Sell Out peaked at just #13 there. It reached just #48 in America. The album’s “I Can See For Miles” made it to #10 in England and #9 in the U.S. It remains their biggest American pop hit.
Listen to an early mono mix of “I Can See For Miles”
Those lackluster sales would change in May 1969 with the release of the rock opera, Tommy, a 2-LP set which reached #2 in the U.K. and #4 in the U.S.
A deluxe edition of The Who Sell Out was previously released in 2009.
See below the links for the Super Deluxe Edition track listing.
The Who Sell Out Super Deluxe Edition Track Listing
CD One – Mono
1. Armenia City in the Sky 3:46
2. Heinz Baked Beans 0:58
3. Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand 2:35
4. Odorono 2:30
5. Tattoo 2:48
6. Our Love Was 3:23
7. I Can See For Miles 4:07
8. I Can’t Reach You 3:27
9. Medac 0:56
10. Relax 2:38
11. Silas Stingy 3:01
12. Sunrise 3:02
13. Rael (Pt. 1 & Pt. 2 / Track Records Run Out Groove) 5:52
Bonus Tracks
14. Pictures Of Lily (UK Single Mix) 2:45
15. Doctor, Doctor (UK Single Mix) 3:01
16. The Last Time (UK Single Mix) 2:51
17. Under My Thumb (UK Single Mix) 2:37
18. I Can See For Miles (UK Single Mix) 4:03
19. Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand (US Single Mix) 3:19
20. Someone’s Coming (US Single Mix) 2:31
21. Unused Radio London ad / Early Morning… (1967 mono mix) 2:59
22. Unused Radio London Bulletin / Jaguar (1967 mono mix) 2:55
23. Unused Radio London ad / Tattoo (early alternate mix) 3:05
24. Rael (Pt. 1 & Pt. 2 / Early Talentmasters early rough mono mix) 5:58
25. Sunn Amps Promo Spots 2:42
26. Great Shakes ad (Unreleased US Radio Commercial) 1:04
27. Our Love Was (Take 12 Rejected Mono Mix) 3:24
28. Rael (Early Mono Version) 5:45
CD Two – Stereo
1. Armenia City in the Sky (incl. Two Radio London Jingles) 3:40
2. Heinz Baked Beans (incl. ‘More Music’ Jingle) 1:00
3. Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand (Acoustic / incl. ‘Premier Drums Commercial’ / Radio London Jingle) 2:34
4. Odorono (incl. Radio London ‘Smooth Sailing’ Jingle) 2:35
5. Tattoo (incl. ‘Church Of Your Choice’ Jingle) 2:54
6. Our Love Was (incl. ‘Pussycat, Speakeasy & Rotosound’ Jingles) 3:25
7. I Can See For Miles 4:10
8. I Can’t Reach You (incl. ‘Charles Atlas’ Commercial) 3:31
9. Medac 0:57
10. Relax 2:40
11. Silas Stingy 3:06
12. Sunrise 3:05
13. Rael (Pt. 1 & Pt. 2) 5:38
Listen to “Armenia City in the Sky” with “Radio London” jingles
Listen to “I Can’t Reach You” with “Charles Atlas” commercial
Bonus Tracks
14. Rael Naïve (Full Coda) 1:37
15. Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand (US single version) 3:25
16. Someone’s Coming 2:33
17. Summertime Blues 2:38
18. Glittering Girl 3:04
19. Early Morning Cold Taxi 2:59
20. Girl’s Eyes 2:51
21. Coke After Coke 1:08
22. Sodding About 2:51
23. Things Go Better With Coke 0:31
24. In the Hall of the Mountain King 4:26
25. Jaguar 2:54
26. Rael (Pt. 1 & Pt. 2 / IBC version) 6:26
CD Three – Studio Sessions 1967 / 68
1. Glittering Girl (Take 4 / 2018 Mix) 3:29
2. Girl’s Eyes (Take 2 / 2018 Mix) 3:58
3. The Last Time (Take 8 / 2018 Mix) 3:51
4. Under My Thumb (Take 3 / 2018 Mix) 3:13
5. Our Love Was (Take 2) 3:21
6. Relax (4-Track To 4-Track Mix / 2018 Mix) 3:22
7. Relax (Take 1 & 2 / 2018 Mix) 1:58
8. Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand (Take 1 & 9 / 2018 Mix) 3:43
9. Relax (Remake Take 4) 2:37
10. I Can See For Miles (Full Version) 4:54
11. Medac (Take 11) 1:13
12. Odorono (Take 3 / Full Version / 2018 Mix) 2:47
13. Heinz Baked Beans (Take 1 & 3 / 2018 Mix) 2:16
14. Top Gear (Take 1, 2 & 5 / 2018 Mix) 3:03
15. Premier Drums (Take 1 & 4 / 2018 Mix) 2:17
16. Charles Atlas (Take 1) 0:33
17. Rotosound Strings (Take 1 / 2018 Mix) 0:15
18. Track Records (2018 Mix) 0:34
19. John Mason Cars / Speakeasy / Rotosound Strings / Bag O’ Nails / 2018 Mix) 1:02
20. It’s A Girl (aka “Glow Girl”) (Take 2, 3 & 4) 3:21
21. Mr. Hyde (First Stage Mix Take 1) 2:42
22. Little Billy (Take 1 & 3) 4:14
23. Mrs. Walker (aka “Glow Girl”) (Take 7 / 4-Track To 4-Track Mix) 2:31
24. Lightning (aka ‘Call Me Lightning’) (Take 1 & 8) 6:12
25. Dogs (Take 2) 3:14
26. Melancholia (Take 1) 3:50
27. Shakin’ All Over (Take 3) 1:35
28. Magic Bus (Take 6) 3:18
Listen to two early takes of “Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand”
Listen to the full version of “I Can See For Miles”
CD Four – The 1968 Recordings (The Road to Tommy)
1. Glow Girl (2018 Mix) 2:26
2. Faith in Something Bigger (2018 Mix) 3:09
3. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (2018 Mix) 2:38
4. Call Me Lightning (2018 Mix) 2:23
5. Little Billy’s Doing Fine (2018 Mix) 2:19
6. Dogs (2018 Mix) 3:10
7. Melancholia (2018 Mix) 3:21
8. Fortune Teller (2018 Mix) 2:22
9. Facts Of Life (aka Birds And Bees) (Backing Track / 2018 Mix) 3:22
10. Magic Bus (Single Version) 3:23
11. Call Me Lightning (Single Mix / Mono Version) 2:24
12. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (UK Single Mix / Mono Version) 2:39
13. Dogs (Single Mix / Mono Version) 3:07
14. Magic Bus (Long Version / Mono Version) 4:35
CD Five – Pete Townshend Original Demos
1. Kids! Do You Want Kids? 1:39
2. Relax 3:42
3. Glow Girl 3:27
4. Glow Girl (Version 2) 3:03
5. Inside Outside 3:09
6. Jaguar 3:02
7. Little Billy 2:14
8. Odorono 3:11
9. Pictures Of Lily 3:28
10. Relax (Version 2) 2:22
11. Melancholia (2018 Mix) 3:07
12. Thinking (aka “Sunrise”) (Version 2) 3:12
13. Mary Anne With The Shaky Hand 3:16
14. I Can See For Miles 4:15
“It’s a girl, Mrs. Walker, it’s a girl…”
7-Inch Singles
Track UK
I Can See For Miles (Early Mono Version) 4:02
Someone’s Coming (UK Single Mix) 2:34
Decca US
Magic Bus (US / UK Mono Version) 3:19
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (US Single Mix) 2:24
*The posters and inserts include: 20″ x 30″ original Adrian George album poster, a gig poster from The City Hall, Newcastle, a Saville Theatre show 8-page program, a business card for the Bag o’ Nails club, Kingly Street, a Who fan club photo of group, a flyer for Bath Pavilion concerts including The Who, a crack-back bumper sticker for Wonderful Radio London, Keith Moon’s Speakeasy Club membership card and a Who Fan Club newsletter.
Related: Our look back at 1967, the year in rock music
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationAh, to have a spare $140 lying around for the Super Deluxe Edition. 😉