I Can See for Miles

"I Can See for Miles"

Cover of the 1967 Sweden single
Single by The Who
from the album The Who Sell Out
B-side "Someone's Coming" (UK)
"Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" (electric version) (US)
Released 14 October 1967 (UK)
18 September 1967 (US)
Format Vinyl record
Recorded CBS Studios, London, May 1967. Vocals recorded at Talentmasters, New York, 6-7 Aug. 1967. Final mix at Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles, 10 September 1967.
Genre Psychedelic rock, hard rock,[1] power pop[2]
Length 4:05 (album version)
4:02 (single edit)
Label Track
Writer(s) Pete Townshend
Producer(s) Kit Lambert
The Who singles chronology
"The Last Time"
(1967)		 "I Can See for Miles"
(1967)		 "Dogs"/"Call Me Lightning"
(1968)

"I Can See for Miles" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who, recorded for the band's 1967 album, The Who Sell Out.[3] It was the only song from the album to be released as a single, on 14 October 1967. It remains The Who's biggest hit single in the US to date, and their only one to reach the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.[4]

Background

Recorded in several separate sessions in studios across two continents, the recording of "I Can See for Miles" exemplifies the increasingly sophisticated studio techniques of rock bands in the late 1960s, such as those used for the Beatles and the Beach Boys. The backing tracks were recorded in London, the vocals and overdubbing were performed in New York at Talentmasters Studios, and the album was mastered in Los Angeles at the Gold Star Studios.[5] The initial UK mono pressing (Track Records) and the US Decca single has an overdubbed second bass line mixed upfront, whilst the drums are mixed slightly lower.

It reached number 10 in the UK and number 9 in the US. Though these figures would seem successful to most bands, Townshend was disappointed. He had written the song in 1966 but had held it back as an "ace in the hole", believing it would be The Who's first number one single.[6] He is quoted as saying, "To me it was the ultimate Who record, yet it didn't sell. I spat on the British record buyer."

The song may have inspired The Beatles' "Helter Skelter". Paul McCartney recalls writing "Helter Skelter" after reading a review of The Who Sell Out in which the critic claimed that "I Can See for Miles" was the "heaviest" song he had ever heard. McCartney had not heard the song, but wrote "Helter Skelter" in an attempt to make an even "heavier" song than the one praised in the review.

"I Can See for Miles" was rarely performed live by The Who during the Keith Moon era; the complex vocal harmonies were difficult to replicate on stage, as was the percussion style found on the original recording. The song was performed on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in September 1967, but it was mimed. It was performed more regularly beginning in 1979 when Kenney Jones became the band's drummer, albeit in a much more straightforward rhythm. It was also played at nearly every show of the group's 1989 tour with Simon Phillips on drums and has been performed a handful of times with current drummer Zak Starkey.

Roger Daltrey has played this song with his band No Plan B since 2009. It is a regular encore for his Tommy show.

The 1979 compilation/soundtrack album The Kids Are Alright has a 2'45 abridged alternate mix of this song, as heard in the September 1967 mimed performance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. The 1984 compilation album The Singles on both LP and CD releases has the 4'02 initial UK mono single version with the overdubbed second bass line mix.

Critical reception

The song is ranked number 40 on Dave Marsh's "The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made",[7] number 37 on NME's "The Top 100 Singles of All-Time",[8] number 162 on Pitchfork Media's "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s",[9] and number 258 on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[10]

Covers

References in pop culture

Notes

  1. ↑ I Can See for Miles at Rolling Stone. Retrieved 3 November 2012
  2. ↑ Casey Harison (6 November 2014). Feedback: The Who and Their Generation. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 109. ISBN 978-1-4422-4010-0.
  3. ↑ Show 49 - The British are Coming! The British are Coming!: With an emphasis on Donovan, the Bee Gees and the Who. [Part 6] : UNT Digital Library
  4. ↑ I Can See For Miles Songfacts
  5. ↑ Charlesworth, C. "The Who Sell Out Liner Notes". thewho.net. Retrieved 2012-01-07.
  6. ↑ Atkins, John. The Who on record: a critical history, 1963-1998. McFarland. p. 89.
  7. ↑ The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made
  8. ↑ The Top 100 Singles of All-Time
  9. ↑ The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s
  10. ↑ 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
  11. ↑ Rock Band 3 Set List Revealed - PlayStation 3 News at IGN

References

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