RockHippie1969"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.[1] 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.[2] The song is in chromatic-minor.
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. 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.[4] The US Decca single has an overdubbed second bass line.
It reached #10 in the U.K. and #9 in the U.S. 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.[5] 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'd 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, 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 an alternate mix of this song.
Critical reception
The song is ranked #40 on Dave Marsh's "The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made",[6] #37 on NME's "The Top 100 Singles of All-Time",[7] #162 on Pitchfork Media's "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s",[8] and #258 on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[9]
Miscellaneous
The intro to the song was used in the film The Boat that Rocked during the unsuccessful police raid scene.
The song was used in the soundtrack of the Dennis Hopper film Easy Rider.
The opening segment combined with the chorus part at 1:03 was used for an automobile headlights advertisement, by Sylvania.
Featured in a Jiffy Lube TV ad campaign of the 1990s, "I can drive for miles and miles".
Rock singer Tina Turner covered the song for her 1975 solo album, Acid Queen.
This song is included in the Apollo 13 soundtrack.
It was covered by Japanese thrash metal band Outrage for their 2004 album Cause for Pause.
In 2005, "I Can See for Miles" was covered by Styx for the album Big Bang Theory.
Also in 2005, Petra Haden covered "I Can See for Miles" on Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out, an album which covers The Who Sell Out in its entirety.
In 2007, country music star Marty Stuart teamed up with bluegrass quintet Old Crow Medicine Show to cover the song on the album Compadres, which consists of Stuart's covers of famous songs with other guest musicians.
"I Can See for Miles" also appeared in Rhino Records' 1995 compilation Golden Throats: the Great Celebrity Sing Off. The cover was sung by actor Frankie Randall.
"I Can See for Miles" was also included in a commercial for American Honda Motors in September and October 2007.
The song, along with "I Can't Explain", was covered by Incubus in 2008 at Vh1's Rock Honors show, which was a tribute to The Who.
This song is part of the soundtrack of Rock Band 3.[10]
This song is used as the opening and closing credits of the TV sitcom Supernova.
The WHO - I Can See For Miles (1968)RockHippie19692012-09-13 | "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.[1] 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.[2] The song is in chromatic-minor.
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. 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.[4] The US Decca single has an overdubbed second bass line.
It reached #10 in the U.K. and #9 in the U.S. 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.[5] 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'd 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, 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 an alternate mix of this song.
Critical reception
The song is ranked #40 on Dave Marsh's "The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made",[6] #37 on NME's "The Top 100 Singles of All-Time",[7] #162 on Pitchfork Media's "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s",[8] and #258 on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[9]
Miscellaneous
The intro to the song was used in the film The Boat that Rocked during the unsuccessful police raid scene.
The song was used in the soundtrack of the Dennis Hopper film Easy Rider.
The opening segment combined with the chorus part at 1:03 was used for an automobile headlights advertisement, by Sylvania.
Featured in a Jiffy Lube TV ad campaign of the 1990s, "I can drive for miles and miles".
Rock singer Tina Turner covered the song for her 1975 solo album, Acid Queen.
This song is included in the Apollo 13 soundtrack.
It was covered by Japanese thrash metal band Outrage for their 2004 album Cause for Pause.
In 2005, "I Can See for Miles" was covered by Styx for the album Big Bang Theory.
Also in 2005, Petra Haden covered "I Can See for Miles" on Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out, an album which covers The Who Sell Out in its entirety.
In 2007, country music star Marty Stuart teamed up with bluegrass quintet Old Crow Medicine Show to cover the song on the album Compadres, which consists of Stuart's covers of famous songs with other guest musicians.
"I Can See for Miles" also appeared in Rhino Records' 1995 compilation Golden Throats: the Great Celebrity Sing Off. The cover was sung by actor Frankie Randall.
"I Can See for Miles" was also included in a commercial for American Honda Motors in September and October 2007.
The song, along with "I Can't Explain", was covered by Incubus in 2008 at Vh1's Rock Honors show, which was a tribute to The Who.
This song is part of the soundtrack of Rock Band 3.[10]
This song is used as the opening and closing credits of the TV sitcom Supernova.Happy HolidaysRockHippie19692015-12-06 | ...Release the BabyRockHippie19692014-08-06 | ...Indecent Obsession Tell Me SomethingRockHippie19692013-10-18 | ...Quadrant of LifeRockHippie19692013-09-08 | ...Quadrant Urethane Technologies Supports Our TroopsRockHippie19692013-08-23 | Homes for Our Troops is a national highly rated non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2004. We are strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to our country and have returned home with serious injuries since September 11, 2001.Green Day - Holiday - HD - 1080RockHippie19692013-06-13 | ...Peter Frampton - Do You Feel Like We DoRockHippie19692013-06-13 | "Do You Feel Like We Do" is a song by Peter Frampton originally appearing on the Frampton's Camel album that he released in 1973. The song became one of the highlights of his live performances in the following years, and it became one of the three hit singles released from his Frampton Comes Alive! album, released in 1976. The live version was recorded at the State University of New York's Plattsburgh Memorial Hall.Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek has diedRockHippie19692013-05-21 | ...Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come Today Special HDRockHippie19692013-04-19 | The Chambers Brothers are a soul-music group, best known for its 1968 hit record, the 11-minute long song "Time Has Come Today". The group was part of the wave of new music that integrated American blues and gospel traditions with modern psychedelic and rock elements. Based on their Southern roots, the brothers brought a raw authenticity to their recordings and live performances that was missing from many other acts of that era. Their music has been kept alive through heavy use in film soundtracks.
"Time Has Come Today" is a song recorded by The Chambers Brothers in 1966 and released on the album The Time Has Come in November 1967. Although the single never quite reached the top ten in America, spending five weeks at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the fall of 1968, it is today considered one of the landmark rock songs of the psychedelic era.
Various effects were employed in its recording and production, including the alternate striking of two cow bells producing a "tick-tock" sound, warped throughout most of the song by reverb, echo and changes in tempo. It also quotes several bars from "The Little Drummer Boy" at 5.40m in the long version.Elvis - Burning LoveRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Three Dog Night - Elis ComingRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Michael Jackson - We are the WorldRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Traffic - Dear Mr. FantasyRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...INXS - By My SideRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...The Chambers Brothers - Time Has Come TodayRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Three Dog Night - CelebrateRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...eddie and the cruisers - On the Dark SideRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Pirates Of The Caribbean - Symphonic Metal Cover By Peter Crowley Fantasy Dream (Avril 2011) - YouTubeRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...The YoungBloods - Darkness DarknessRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Righteous Brothers - UNCHAINED MELODYRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...The Cowsills - Hair (1969)RockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...On the RadioRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Berlin - Take My Breath Away 1986 Video stereo widescreen - YouTubeRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Robert Plant - Darkness DarknessRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Chris Isaak - Wicked Game 1990 Video Herb Ritts Version stereo widescreen - YouTubeRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...The Rolling Stones - You Have Me RockingRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Chris Issac - SpecialRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Britney Spears - ToxicRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Green Day - ¡Viva la Gloria!(LIVE IN JAPAN HD)RockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Jesus Christ Superstar - SuperstarRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Elvis - Bridge Over Troubled WaterRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Kiss MeRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...AC_DC - Highway to Hell (Live At Donington 1991) - YouTubeRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Neil Young - Cowgirl In The Sand (LIVE) - Massey Hall, Toronto, OntarioRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...THE DOORS - LIGHT MY FIRE - Live _ -HQ- _ Widescreen _ LyRiCs (english_deutsch) - YouTubeRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...The Muppets- Bohemian RhapsodyRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...INXS - Suicide BlondeRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Rolling Stones - Bo Diddly - Who Do You LoveRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Eddie Vedder Society with Johnny DeppRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Shapes of Things to ComeRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...The Association - Along Comes MaryRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Elvis - Early Morning RainRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Robert Plant - Ship of Fools HD - YouTubeRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...INXS - What You NeedRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Morrison - The EndRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...ERIC BURDON - THE ANIMALS - MONTEREYRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...SimpleMindsOfficials ChannelRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Stones Symp for the devilRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Jim Morrison The EndRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...Led Zeppelin - HeartbreakerRockHippie19692013-04-19 | ...