The Seeker (The Who song)

Last updated

Quite loosely, "The Seeker" was just a thing about what I call Divine Desperation, or just Desperation. And what it does to people. It just kind of covers a whole area where the guy's being fantastically tough and ruthlessly nasty and he's being incredibly selfish and he's hurting people, wrecking people's homes, abusing his heroes, he's accusing everyone of doing nothing for him and yet at the same time he's making a fairly valid statement, he's getting nowhere, he's doing nothing and the only thing he really can't be sure of is his death, and that at least dead, he's going to get what he wants. He thinks! [3]

"I suppose I like this least of all the stuff", wrote Townshend the following year. "It suffered from being the first thing we did after Tommy , and also from being recorded a few too many times. We did it once at my home studio, then at IBC where we normally worked then with Kit Lambert producing. Then Kit had a tooth pulled, breaking his jaw, and we did it ourselves. The results are impressive. It sounded great in the mosquito-ridden swamp I made it up in—Florida at three in the morning drunk out of my brain with Tom Wright and John Wolff. But that's always where the trouble starts, in the swamp. The alligator turned into an elephant and finally stampeded itself to death on stages around England. I don't think we even got to play it in the States." [4] However, the Who performed "The Seeker" for about two weeks on their 1970 American tour. [5] The Who revived the song briefly in 2000 and then extensively starting on the 2006–2007 tour for Endless Wire .

The lyrics name-check several people who had high profiles in contemporary pop culture: musicians Bob Dylan (as "Bobby Dylan") and the Beatles, and advocate of psychedelic drugs Timothy Leary. Townshend was a devotee of the teachings of Meher Baba, a Persian-Indian mystic whose 1966 treatise/pamphlet God in a Pill? famously lambasted drug use as a means of consciousness expansion. Similarly, Townshend was an opponent of drug abuse throughout this period.

Nicky Hopkins plays piano on '"The Seeker".

Release

Released in the UK as Track 604036 on 21 March 1970, "The Seeker" reached number 19 in the charts. Released in the US as Decca 7-32670, it hit the Billboard charts on 11 April 1970, eventually peaking at number 44. [6] The B-side, "Here for More", is one of the few Who songs written by lead singer Roger Daltrey. [6]

Cash Box described it as showing "the Who still operating with blistering instrumental thrust, but turning to lyrics more meaningful than before." [7] Record World said that the single "was worth the wait and the group is still a real powerhouse." [8]

Charts

"The Seeker"
The Seeker.jpg
Polydor picture sleeve
Single by the Who
B-side "Here for More"
Released20 March 1970 (1970-03-20)
RecordedJanuary 1970
Studio IBC, London
Genre
Length3:12
Label Track (UK)
Decca (US)
Songwriter(s) Pete Townshend
Producer(s)
The Who UKsingles chronology
"Pinball Wizard"
(1969)		"The Seeker"
(1970)		"Summertime Blues"
(1970)
The Who USsingles chronology
"I'm Free"
(1969)		"The Seeker"
(1970)		"Summertime Blues"
(1970)
Chart (1970)Peak position
Canadian RPM Top Singles21
UK Singles Chart [9] 19
U.S. Billboard Hot 10044
German Singles Chart [10] 18
Austrian Singles Chart [10] 15
Dutch Singles Chart [10] 15
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart [10] 29

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Townshend</span> English musician (born 1945)

Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend is an English musician. He is the co-founder, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s. His aggressive playing style and poetic songwriting techniques, with the Who and in other projects, have earned him critical acclaim.

<i>Tommy</i> (The Who album) 1969 studio album by the Who

Tommy is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Who, released on 19 May 1969. Written primarily by guitarist Pete Townshend, Tommy is a double album and an early rock opera that tells the story of the fictional Tommy Walker and his path to becoming a spiritual leader and messianic figure.

<i>The Who by Numbers</i> 1975 studio album by the Who

The Who by Numbers is the seventh studio album by English rock band the Who, released on 3 October 1975 in the United Kingdom through Polydor Records, and on 6 October 1975 in the United States by MCA Records. It was named the tenth-best album of the year in The Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Generation</span> 1965 single by the Who

"My Generation" is a song by the English rock band the Who, written by guitarist and primary songwriter Pete Townshend. One of the band's most recognizable songs, it was placed number 11 by Rolling Stone on its list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” in 2004 and 2010, re-ranked number 232 in the 2021 edition. It became part of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and is inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "historical, artistic and significant" value. It is considered one of the band's signature songs.

<i>Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy</i> 1971 compilation album by The Who

Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy is a compilation album of singles by English rock band the Who, released in 1971 as Track 2406 006 in the UK and as Decca DL 79184 in the US. It entered the US Billboard 200 chart on 20 November 1971, peaking at number 11, and the UK chart on 3 December 1971, peaking at number 9.

<i>Odds & Sods</i> 1974 compilation album by The Who

Odds & Sods is an album of studio outtakes by British rock band the Who. It was released by Track Records in the UK and Track/MCA in the US in October 1974. Ten of the recordings on the original eleven-song album were previously unreleased. The album reached No. 10 on the UK charts and No. 15 in the US.

<i>All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes</i> 1982 studio album by Pete Townshend

All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes is the fourth solo studio album by English rock musician Pete Townshend, released on 14 June 1982 by Atco Records. Chris Thomas produced the album and it was recorded by Bill Price at three separate recording studios in London, England, which were Eel Pie, AIR and Wessex. The album peaked at No. 32 on the UK Albums Chart, and at No. 26 on the US Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can't Explain</span> Original song written and composed by Pete Townshend

"I Can't Explain" is a song by English rock band the Who, written by Pete Townshend and produced by Shel Talmy. It was released as a single in the United States on 19 December 1964 by Decca and on 15 January 1965 in the United Kingdom by Brunswick. It was the band's second single release and first under the Who name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eminence Front</span> 1982 single by the Who

"Eminence Front" is a song by the Who, written and sung by lead guitarist Pete Townshend. It appears as the sixth track on the group's tenth studio album It's Hard (1982). The single entered Billboard Hot 100 on 25 December 1982, reaching number 68.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Substitute (The Who song)</span> Original song written and composed by Pete Townshend

"Substitute" is a song by the English rock band the Who, written by Pete Townshend. Released in March 1966, the single reached number five in the UK and was later included on the compilation album Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy in 1971. In 2006, Pitchfork ranked "Substitute" at number 91 on the "200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic Bus (song)</span> 1968 single by the Who

"Magic Bus" is a song recorded by British rock band the Who. It was written by their guitarist Pete Townshend during the time that their debut album My Generation was being recorded in 1965. However, it was not recorded until 1968, when it was released as a single on 27 July 1968 in the United States and Canada, followed by its release in the United Kingdom on 11 October 1968. It has become one of the band's most popular songs and has been a concert staple, although when released, the record only reached number 26 in the UK and number 25 in the United States. The song was included on their 1968 album Magic Bus: The Who on Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere</span> 1965 single by the Who

"Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" was the second single released by the English rock band the Who in 1965. It features call-and-response lyrics and some of the first ever recorded guitar feedback. The song was composed by lead singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend, the only time they wrote together. The guitar feedback, although not the first to be heard on a record, is thought to be the first solo with feedback. This is the first Who release with Nicky Hopkins playing piano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pictures of Lily</span> 1967 single by the Who

"Pictures of Lily" is a single by the British rock band the Who, written by guitarist and primary songwriter Pete Townshend. In 1971, "Pictures of Lily" was included in the Who album Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy, a compilation of previously released singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Free (The Who song)</span> 1969 single by the Who

"I'm Free" is a song written by Pete Townshend and performed by the Who on the album Tommy. The song has since been released as a single, becoming one of the best known tracks from Tommy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let My Love Open the Door</span> 1980 single by Pete Townshend

"Let My Love Open the Door" is a song written and performed by Pete Townshend from his 1980 album Empty Glass. That year, it reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at number five on RPM's Top 100 singles chart.

"Boris the Spider" is a song written by the Who's bass guitarist, John Entwistle. It appears as the second track of their 1966 album A Quick One. This song is claimed to be Entwistle's first composition, and became a staple of live shows. This song, along with "My Wife", "Heaven and Hell" and "The Quiet One", were Entwistle's most popular songs to perform live. Though this song was popular, it was not released as a single in the US or UK. In Japan, "Boris the Spider" was released as the B-side to "Whiskey Man" in 1967.

<i>The Story of The Who</i> 1976 compilation album by the Who

The Story of The Who is a 2-LP compilation album from the Who. The album was released in the UK in September 1976. The album reached number two in the UK charts. Another version of this collection with a different track listing was also released in Japan. This collection has not been released on CD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Join Together (The Who song)</span> 1972 single by the Who

"Join Together" is a song by British rock band the Who, first released as a non-album single in June 1972. The song has since been performed live multiple times and has appeared on numerous compilation albums. It was the last Who single to be released in the United States which used the Decca Records color bar label.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waspman</span> 1972 instrumental by The Who

"Waspman" is a mainly instrumental song by The Who, credited to their drummer Keith Moon. The song is the B-side to The Who's single "Relay".

<i>The Who Hits 50!</i> (album) 2014 compilation album by the Who

The Who Hits 50! is a compilation of singles by the English rock band the Who, released in 2014 by Polydor Records. The two-disc set contains every single released by the band in the United Kingdom, with the exceptions of: "A Legal Matter" and "La-La-La-Lies" from 1966; and "Long Live Rock" and the remake of "I'm One" from 1979. At the same time it also contains every single by the band released in the United States throughout their career, with the exceptions of: "The Real Me" from 1974; the reissue of "Substitute" from 1976; and "Long Live Rock" from 1979. A condensed single-disc standard edition appeared as well, both versions in conjunction with the band's 50th anniversary and associated tour of the same name. The album is notable for containing singles generally not included on other compilation albums, such as the band's Rolling Stones cover "The Last Time" done as an act of solidarity while Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were facing jail time, along with other lesser-known singles "Dogs" and "Call Me Lightning".

References

  1. ↑ Atkins, John (1 February 2000). The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963–1998. McFarland. p. 128. ISBN   978-0-7864-4097-9.
  2. ↑ Janovitz, Bill. "The Seeker – Song Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  3. ↑ Cott, Jonathan (14 May 1970). "A Talk with Pete Townshend". Rolling Stone . No. 58. Straight Arrow Publishers. p. 33.
  4. ↑ Townshend, Pete (9 December 1971). "Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy: Pete Townshend on 'Tommy'". Rolling Stone . No. 97. Straight Arrow Publishers. p. 72.
  5. ↑ Hilburn, Robert (16 June 1970). "Anaheim Rock Concert: Ecstasy Without Agony". Los Angeles Times . pp. 75, 89 . Retrieved 3 September 2024– via Newspapers.com. The Who's 1 1/2-hour performance included selections from 'Tommy', 'Young Man Blues', 'Summertime Blues', 'Shakin' All Over', 'The Seeker' and 'Magic Bus'.
  6. 1 2 "The Seeker". TheWho.com. The Who. 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  7. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 11 April 1970. p. 20. Retrieved 8 December 2021– via worldradiohistory.com.
  8. ↑ "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 4 April 1970. p. 1. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  9. ↑ "The Who". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "The Who: The Seeker". SwedishCharts.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.