Eminence Front
Encyclopedia
"Eminence Front" is a song written and sung by Pete Townshend
of The Who
. It appears as the sixth track on the group's 1982 studio album, It's Hard
. The single reached #68 on the Billboard Hot 100
. It is the only song from the album that the band has opted to play live after the initial post-release tours. Lead singer Roger Daltrey
, vocally critical of the album, described "Eminence Front" as the only song on it that he felt was worthy of being released (although he later sang "Cry If You Want" during their 2006 tour, incorporating the lyrics into an extended version of "My Generation.")
; it's called Eminence Front".
In the originally released version there's a timing flaw or a syncopation
in the first chorus, where Townshend sings "behind an eminence front", while Daltrey sings the title term in time. A more linear-sounding remixed version appears on the 1997 re-release of the CD (a live version, recorded on the band's final stop on their 1982 tour in Toronto
, appears as a bonus track on the re-release). Additionally, the remix has Townshend's vocals panned centrally rather than hard left in the stereo spectrum.
The song produced a video, shot at a rehearsal in Landover, Maryland
, during their 1982 US tour, which enjoyed consistent airplay on MTV
upon its release. Footage from the Who's 1982 concert at Shea Stadium
was also used in the video.
"Eminence Front" was scheduled to be released as a single in the UK by Polydor Records in 1982; the catalog number was WHO 7 but the single was never released. The picture sleeve, by Richard Evans
, depicted a 1930s Art Deco house in Miami.
The song is in the key of F minor
.
third season episode "Kill Shot".
The song was used in the trailer for the 2000 experimental film Time Code
.
The song is played on the radio station K-DST in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
. It is also available for download in the music video game
series Rock Band
.
CBS had intended to use the song as the theme song for the London-based spin-off of its popular CSI franchise, but the show was ultimately scrapped.
In the first episode of HBO's Entourage
, the song plays while the characters drive through during the red carpet scene.
In the movie Law Abiding Citizen
, character Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler
) enjoys a steak dinner in prison while listening to the song on iPod
speakers. The lyrics "They're hiding... behind an eminence front... it's a put-on" hints that Clyde is not what he seems to be and forebodes what is to come. The song is then changed to "Engine No. 9" by the Deftones
and the volume increased as Clyde stabs his cell mate to death.
The Oakland Athletics
, Los Angeles Dodgers
and Dallas Mavericks
have used the introduction to the song as background music for player lineup introductions.
The song appears in the Local on the 8s
forecast music, January 2010 playlist on the Weather Channel.
The song is occasionally used by the MSNBC show Morning Joe
.
UFC fighter Stephan Bonnar
is a Who fan and uses "Eminence Front" as his entrance music. Another UFC fighter, Nate Marquardt, also uses this song as an entrance song before his fights.
The instrumental intro of the song is used to close out the radio show of Michael Felger
and Tony Massarotti
on WBZ-FM
.
NBA's Dallas Mavericks
uses a slightly modified version of the song's instrumental intro for their starting lineup introduction.
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
. It appears as the sixth track on the group's 1982 studio album, It's Hard
It's Hard
It's Hard is the tenth studio album by English rock band The Who. It is the last Who album to feature bassist John Entwistle and drummer Kenney Jones, as well as the last to be released on Warner Bros. Records in the US. It was their last album until 2006's Endless Wire. It was released in 1982 on...
. The single reached #68 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. It is the only song from the album that the band has opted to play live after the initial post-release tours. Lead singer Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
, vocally critical of the album, described "Eminence Front" as the only song on it that he felt was worthy of being released (although he later sang "Cry If You Want" during their 2006 tour, incorporating the lyrics into an extended version of "My Generation.")
Writing and recording
In the song, Townshend sings about the delusions and drug use of the wealthy and hedonistic. The lyrics describe a party in which people hide from their problems behind a façade. Townshend has introduced the song in live performances with: "This song is about what happens when you take too much white powderCocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
; it's called Eminence Front".
In the originally released version there's a timing flaw or a syncopation
Syncopation
In music, syncopation includes a variety of rhythms which are in some way unexpected in that they deviate from the strict succession of regularly spaced strong and weak but also powerful beats in a meter . These include a stress on a normally unstressed beat or a rest where one would normally be...
in the first chorus, where Townshend sings "behind an eminence front", while Daltrey sings the title term in time. A more linear-sounding remixed version appears on the 1997 re-release of the CD (a live version, recorded on the band's final stop on their 1982 tour in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, appears as a bonus track on the re-release). Additionally, the remix has Townshend's vocals panned centrally rather than hard left in the stereo spectrum.
The song produced a video, shot at a rehearsal in Landover, Maryland
Landover, Maryland
Landover is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, within the census-designated place of Greater Landover. The Prince Georges County Sports and Learning Complex is in Landover...
, during their 1982 US tour, which enjoyed consistent airplay on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
upon its release. Footage from the Who's 1982 concert at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
was also used in the video.
"Eminence Front" was scheduled to be released as a single in the UK by Polydor Records in 1982; the catalog number was WHO 7 but the single was never released. The picture sleeve, by Richard Evans
Richard Evans (designer)
Richard Evans was born on 30 March 1945 in Wilmslow, Cheshire, England. He studied fashion design at Nottingham School of Art and graphic design at Leicester College of Art. He worked as a graphic designer in the 1970s at Hipgnosis studio, designers of many famous rock album covers...
, depicted a 1930s Art Deco house in Miami.
The song is in the key of F minor
F minor
F minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. The harmonic minor raises the E to E. Its key signature has four flats ....
.
Use in other media
The song was used in the Miami ViceMiami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
third season episode "Kill Shot".
The song was used in the trailer for the 2000 experimental film Time Code
Timecode (film)
Timecode is a 2000 American experimental film directed by Mike Figgis.The film is constructed from four continuous 90-minute takes that were filmed simultaneously by four cameramen; the screen is divided into quarters and the four shots are shown simultaneously...
.
The song is played on the radio station K-DST in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
. It is also available for download in the music video game
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
series Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
.
CBS had intended to use the song as the theme song for the London-based spin-off of its popular CSI franchise, but the show was ultimately scrapped.
In the first episode of HBO's Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
, the song plays while the characters drive through during the red carpet scene.
In the movie Law Abiding Citizen
Law Abiding Citizen
Law Abiding Citizen is a 2009 thriller film directed by F. Gary Gray from a screenplay written by Kurt Wimmer, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. The film takes place in Philadelphia and tells the story of a man whose developed sociopathic tendencies drove him into killing while targeting not...
, character Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler
Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television. A trained lawyer, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies , which he followed with steady work on television, most notably in...
) enjoys a steak dinner in prison while listening to the song on iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
speakers. The lyrics "They're hiding... behind an eminence front... it's a put-on" hints that Clyde is not what he seems to be and forebodes what is to come. The song is then changed to "Engine No. 9" by the Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
and the volume increased as Clyde stabs his cell mate to death.
The Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
have used the introduction to the song as background music for player lineup introductions.
The song appears in the Local on the 8s
Local on the 8s
The Local on the 8s or Local Forecast is the portion of programming where viewers see current weather conditions and local weather forecasts for their respective area on The Weather Channel in the United States...
forecast music, January 2010 playlist on the Weather Channel.
The song is occasionally used by the MSNBC show Morning Joe
Morning Joe
Morning Joe is a weekday morning talk show on MSNBC, with Joe Scarborough discussing the news of the day in a panel format with co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist. It was created as the replacement for Imus in the Morning, which was canceled in April 2007 after simulcasting on MSNBC since 1996...
.
UFC fighter Stephan Bonnar
Stephan Bonnar
Stephan Patrick Bonnar is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes for the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
is a Who fan and uses "Eminence Front" as his entrance music. Another UFC fighter, Nate Marquardt, also uses this song as an entrance song before his fights.
The instrumental intro of the song is used to close out the radio show of Michael Felger
Michael Felger
Michael "Mike" Felger is a television sports reporter and anchorman for Comcast SportsNet New England. He also co-hosts an afternoon sports radio talk with The Boston Globe online columnist Tony Massarotti on WBZ-FM "98.5 The Sports Hub" in Boston....
and Tony Massarotti
Tony Massarotti
Anthony 'Tony' Massarotti is an American newspaper sportswriter, author and online and print contributor for the Boston Globe. He also co-hosts a sports talk radio show on WBZ-FM with former Boston Herald columnist Michael Felger...
on WBZ-FM
WBZ-FM
WBZ-FM is a sports radio station known as "98.5 The Sports Hub" and broadcasting on 98.5 MHz in Boston, Massachusetts. Owned by CBS Radio, the current WBZ-FM began on August 13, 2009 and competes with AM sports talk stations WEEI and competed with the ESPN Radio pair of WAMG and WLLH before their...
.
NBA's Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
uses a slightly modified version of the song's instrumental intro for their starting lineup introduction.