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The Seeker (The Who song)

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Wikipedia article




{{Infobox song

| name = The Seeker

| cover = The_Seeker.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Polydor picture sleeve

| type = single

| artist = the Who

| album =

| B-side = Here for More

| released =

| recorded = January 1970

| studio = IBC, London

| genre = *Hard rock

*power pop

| length = 3:12

| label = *Track (UK)

*Decca (US)

| writer = Pete Townshend

| producer = *Kit Lambert

*the Who

| chronology = The Who UK

| prev_title = Pinball Wizard

| prev_year = 1969

| next_title = Summertime Blues

| next_year = 1970

| misc =

}}

"'The Seeker'" is a song written by Pete Townshend and performed by English rock band the Who. First released as a non-album single in March 1970, it is included on their 1971 compilation album 'Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy' and other compilations.

Background



Around the time of the song's release, Townshend explained its meaning in an interview with 'Rolling Stone':

"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 inFlorida 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." However, the Who performed "The Seeker" for about two weeks on their 1970 American tour. The Who revived the song briefly in 2000 and then extensively starting on the 20062007 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.[https://www.thewho.com/music/the-seeker/ TheWho.com] The B-side, "Here for More", is one of the few Who songs written by lead singer Roger Daltrey.

'Cash Box' described it as showing "the Who still operating with blistering instrumental thrust, but turning to lyrics more meaningful than before."

Charts



References



Category:1970 singles

Category:The Who songs

Category:Rush (band) songs

Category:Songs written by Pete Townshend

Category:Decca Records singles

Category:Track Records singles

Category:Song recordings produced by Kit Lambert

Category:1970 songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Pete Townshend

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