Pete Townshend’s Scoops – The Essential Demos

In Ken McNab’s book, And In The End, John Lennon said, “The production bit is a bore…get the bass right, get the drums right, that’s a drag to me. All I want to do is get my guitar out and sing songs.”  Pete Townshend, songwriter and guitarist of The Who, could not have been more different. For Townshend, producing demos and getting the sound exactly right was everything.

Since the 1960s, Vortexion mono and stereo tape machines, Revoxes 15 ips, NEVE desk, 3M 16-track, Oceanic, and Portastudio gear are only a partial list of the recording equipment Townshend used to capture his music. His passion for writing songs matched his obsession with playing a multitude of instruments and recording demos.

These demos would be delivered to his band, then Townshend would produce the session with The Who. Often, a non-Who member, such as Kit Lambert, Shel Talmy, Glyn Johns, and John Astley, assisted Townshend in the studio session, and together they would shape the demo into a Who song.

What started out as simple strumming of an acoustic guitar with quiet singing and light drumming ended as explosive electric guitar workouts, fevered screams, thundering bass and brass, and pounding drumming by his bandmates. These newly dressed-up songs were then presented to the world, with the origins unknown. That was until Townshend released his Scoop albums.

Fans always want a peek behind the curtain. The genesis of Townshend’s songs presented on Scoop, Another Scoop, and Scoop 3 is a marvel to hear. We’re lucky that Townshend has shared his recordings with us. Here are five demos that are fine examples of Townshend’s wondrous musical experimentations.

Scoop – “So Sad”

“So, Sad” is a 1966 demo captured in Townshend’s home in Chelsea. It’s one of the more no-frills Scoop production gems featuring Townshend singing and playing acoustic guitar. Street traffic noises are audible!

Townshend announces the song, and then the performance is captured. On this recording, Townshend creates a melancholy mood, and his voice is appropriately sorrowful as he holds the notes to the opening words “so sad.”  This demo would eventually be transformed by The Who.

They released the song as “So Sad About Us,” and there is not a hint of bittersweetness or sad farewell in the mix. Townshend, with his bandmates, played the song faster and added pop flourishes of joyous harmony singing and splashy drums.

In 1978, The Jam covered it. Fast forward to 2000, Paul Weller joined Townshend on stage at the Royal Albert Hall. The two sang a quiet and wistful version reminiscent of the demo Townshend recorded in Chelsea all those years ago.

Scoop – “Behind Blue Eyes”

The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes” was first recorded in Townshend’s home, with just Townshend singing and strumming an acoustic. Townshend, with blue eyes that are bluer than the ocean, claims “Behind Blue Eyes” is not autobiographical. Whether that’s true or not, it’s an intriguing song.

In the liner notes, Townshend commented, The Who added ‘passion and a fire that really made it blossom from the sad song it appears to be here.”  Townshend also mentioned that his wife, upon hearing him play it, said she especially liked this one.

Scoop – “Love Reign O’er Me”

Townshend’s demo of “Love Reign O’er Me” is representative of his growing skills as a writer and producer of complex arrangements. Though it doesn’t have the transcendental power that the finished version has, this recording documents the energy and passion Townshend put into the song.

Hearing Townshend’s early working of the song is a sublime experience, especially when he struggles to sing the high notes toward the song’s conclusion.

Another Scoop – “The Kids Are Alright”

Another Scoop has more demos that became Who and solo Townshend tracks, and songs that were rejected by the band.

On the demo of “The Kids Are Alright,” Townshend maps out The Who’s early pop gem. It’s always a delight to hear a great song in a myriad of formats, and here we get an early raw version with Townshend playing all the instruments.

Scoop 3 – “Marty Robbins”

Scoop 3 has demos with vocals, but many of the tracks are instrumentals. There are many delightful piano pieces, but this one has Townshend playing unaccompanied guitar, and it’s wonderful.

His playing is poignant, not because of any complex sounds or chords, but rather the dramatic build, fall, and release of tension.

In the liner notes of Scoop 3, Townshend commented, “I don’t mind being accused of attempting to progress pop music, a form that resists progression.”

When Townshend succeeds in pushing the boundaries of pop music, think of Tommy and Quadrophenia; the results are astounding, and the Scoop releases shed light on the process.

-Vincent Maganzini

Photo: Pete Townshend, 2008 (Kubackeck via Wikimedia Commons)