Face Dances
Encyclopedia
Face Dances is the ninth album by English rock band The Who
. It was originally released in 1981 in the US on Warner Bros. Records
and in the UK on Polydor Records
. It was the first full new Who album with drummer Kenney Jones
as a replacement for Keith Moon
, and their first for Warner Bros.
Although some jeered at the album, Roger Daltrey
went on record saying he liked this album in a 1994 interview. Some critics, notably in the Boston Globe in a review in April 1981, said it was the Who's best album since 1973's Quadrophenia
.
The album peaked at #4 on the US Billboard album charts (the chart topper was Styx
's Paradise Theatre) and #2 on the UK album charts.
The album cover features paintings of the members by many British painters, who were commissioned by Peter Blake
, designer of the cover of The Beatles
' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
album. Artists include Tom Phillips
, Richard Hamilton
, Allen Jones
, David Hockney
, Clive Barker
, R. B. Kitaj
, Howard Hodgkin
, Patrick Caulfield
, and Blake himself.
In 1997, the album was re-released by MCA Records
with three outtakes as well as two live tracks. The live track "How Can You Do It Alone" is an edited version of the live performance.
The first single on this album was "You Better You Bet"; its music video was one of the first music videos aired on MTV
in 1981.
On the band's 1981 tour
supporting the album, six songs were performed live: "You Better You Bet", "Don't Let Go The Coat", "The Quiet One", "Did You Steal My Money", "How Can You Do It Alone", and "Another Tricky Day". However, only "You Better You Bet", "The Quiet One" and "Another Tricky Day" were played after the tour.
"You Better You Bet" is one of the band's more famous live songs, being played in almost every tour following 1981, namely 1989
, 1999
, 2000
, 2002
, 2004
, 2006, 2007
, 2008, and 2009. Live performances of this song did not differ much from the studio arrangement, save for the guitar solo, which was usually played differently.
"Don't Let Go The Coat" was played in every concert of the 1981 tour, but did not last past it.
"The Quiet One" was written by Entwistle to replace "My Wife
" on stage, and it did for the years of 1981 and 1982
. However, in the proceeding tours, this was never played again and "My Wife" was brought back.
"Did You Steal My Money" was only played four times on the 1981 tour, three of those times as an encore, and usually leading into another song.
"How Can You Do It Alone" was first performed live much earlier than the release date of the album. In fact, all of its live performances came before its release. In 1979
, Townshend introduced this song with a different, faster arrangement with different lyrics during the encores of the North American leg of the tour. It was played once more in 1980
. A version more similar to the studio version (though still quite different) was played at a concert at the Cornwall Coliseum in St Austell
on 30 January 1981. By that time, the lyrics had been more or less set in stone. However, it was never played again after that concert.
"Another Tricky Day" was also performed live first before 1981. Townshend introduced some lyrics of the song during a jam of "Dance It Away" in Los Angeles on the 1980 tour. 1981 performances of this song featured a lengthy jam at its conclusion, and these versions could reach as long as eight minutes. In 2002, this song was brought back for the North American tour as a tribute to Entwistle, who died right before the start of the tour. The song was played a few more times in 2004 as well.
"Cache Cache" and "You" were never performed live by The Who, but Daltrey performed the former once on his 2009 Use It or Lose It tour, while the John Entwistle Band sometimes played the latter during their concerts.
except where noted.
Side one
Side two
1997 reissue bonus tracks
Additional musicians
Production
Album artwork
Singles
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 was originally released in 1981 in the US on Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
and in the UK on Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
. It was the first full new Who album with drummer Kenney Jones
Kenney Jones
Kenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.-Small Faces to the Faces:...
as a replacement for Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
, and their first for Warner Bros.
Although some jeered at the album, 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...
went on record saying he liked this album in a 1994 interview. Some critics, notably in the Boston Globe in a review in April 1981, said it was the Who's best album since 1973's Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia
Quadrophenia is the sixth studio album by English rock band The Who. Released on 19 October 1973 by Track and Polydor in the UK, and Track and MCA in the US, it is a double album, and the group's second rock opera...
.
The album peaked at #4 on the US Billboard album charts (the chart topper was Styx
Styx (band)
Styx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
's Paradise Theatre) and #2 on the UK album charts.
The album cover features paintings of the members by many British painters, who were commissioned by Peter Blake
Peter Blake (artist)
Sir Peter Thomas Blake, KBE, CBE, RDI, RA is an English pop artist, best known for his design of the sleeve for the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. He lives in Chiswick, London, UK.-Career:...
, designer of the cover of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
album. Artists include Tom Phillips
Tom Phillips (artist)
Tom Phillips CBE R.A. is an English artist. He was born in London, where he continues to work. He is a painter, printmaker and collagist.-Life:...
, Richard Hamilton
Richard Hamilton (artist)
Richard William Hamilton, CH was a British painter and collage artist. His 1956 collage, Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?, produced for the This Is Tomorrow exhibition of the Independent Group in London, is considered by critics and historians to be one of the...
, Allen Jones
Allen Jones (sculptor)
Allen Jones RA is a British pop artist, best known for his sculptures. He lives and works in London.Jones was born in Southampton and from 1955 to 1961 studied at the Hornsey College of Art...
, David Hockney
David Hockney
David Hockney, CH, RA, is an English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer and photographer, who is based in Bridlington, Yorkshire and Kensington, London....
, Clive Barker
Clive Barker (artist)
Clive Barker is a pop artist who was born in Luton, Bedfordshire in 1940 as the second youngest of six children. He has been exhibited in numerous galleries around the world during his career and has works in permanent collections including the Tate collection and the National Portrait Gallery. He...
, R. B. Kitaj
R. B. Kitaj
Ronald Brooks Kitaj was an American artist who spent much of his life in England.-Life:Born in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, near Cleveland, United States, his Hungarian father, Sigmund Benway, left his mother, Jeanne Brooks, shortly after he was born and they were divorced in 1934. His mother was the...
, Howard Hodgkin
Howard Hodgkin
Sir Gordon Howard Eliot Hodgkin CH, CBE is a British painter and printmaker. His work is most often associated with abstraction.-Early life:...
, Patrick Caulfield
Patrick Caulfield
Patrick Joseph Caulfield, CBE, RA was an English painter and printmaker known for his bold canvases, which often incorporated elements of Photorealism within a pared down scene.-Life and work:...
, and Blake himself.
In 1997, the album was re-released by MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
with three outtakes as well as two live tracks. The live track "How Can You Do It Alone" is an edited version of the live performance.
The first single on this album was "You Better You Bet"; its music video was one of the first music videos aired on MTV
First music videos aired on MTV
This is a list of the first music videos broadcast on MTV's first day, August 1, 1981. Video of the launch of MTV was uploaded onto YouTube in 2009.-List:#"Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles#"You Better Run" by Pat Benatar...
in 1981.
Live performances
Every song on this album, with the exception of "Daily Records", has been performed live by either The Who or one its members' solo projects.On the band's 1981 tour
The Who Tour 1981
The Who Tour 1981 was The Who's third concert tour since the death of original drummer Keith Moon, with most dates performed in advance of the release of their recently-recorded Face Dances album...
supporting the album, six songs were performed live: "You Better You Bet", "Don't Let Go The Coat", "The Quiet One", "Did You Steal My Money", "How Can You Do It Alone", and "Another Tricky Day". However, only "You Better You Bet", "The Quiet One" and "Another Tricky Day" were played after the tour.
"You Better You Bet" is one of the band's more famous live songs, being played in almost every tour following 1981, namely 1989
The Who Tour 1989
The Who Tour 1989 was The Who's reunion tour in celebration of their 25th anniversary and their first without drummer Kenney Jones, who had replaced Keith Moon in 1979...
, 1999
The Who 1999 Performances
The Who reformed again for a series of shows in late 1999 following both the momentum from their 1996-97 Quadrophenia tours and Pete Townshend's renewed interest in his Lifehouse rock opera. These performances are notable in that they were the first time the band played as a five-piece group since...
, 2000
The Who Tour 2000
The Who Tour 2000 was in support of The Who's live album The Blues to the Bush and their first full-fledged tour as a five-piece band since 1982.-History:...
, 2002
The Who Tour 2002
The Who Tour 2002 was a tour by The Who, partially in support of the DVD The Who & Special Guests: Live at the Royal Albert Hall. It is perhaps known best as the first tour the band did without original bassist John Entwistle, who died the night before the North American tour was to begin; the...
, 2004
The Who Tour 2004
The Who embarked upon a series of live shows in 2004, including the band’s first ever performances in Japan and their first in Australia since 1968.-History:...
, 2006, 2007
The Who Tour 2006-2007
The Who Tour 2006–2007 was The Who's first worldwide concert tour since 1997, supporting their Endless Wire album.-History:In December 2005, Rolling Stone magazine announced that The Who would be touring in the summer of 2006, visiting Australia, Canada, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the...
, 2008, and 2009. Live performances of this song did not differ much from the studio arrangement, save for the guitar solo, which was usually played differently.
"Don't Let Go The Coat" was played in every concert of the 1981 tour, but did not last past it.
"The Quiet One" was written by Entwistle to replace "My Wife
My Wife
"My Wife" is a song by British rock band The Who, written by bassist John Entwistle. It was originally released in 1971 on Who's Next, and later as the b-side of the popular single "Baba O'Riley" on November 6, 1971 in the United States by Decca Records....
" on stage, and it did for the years of 1981 and 1982
The Who Tour 1982
The Who Tour 1982 was The Who's last with drummer Kenney Jones. While the tour was originally intended to support their 1982 album It's Hard, the band later announced it would be their final tour, though they would eventually reunite twice and then tour again in 1989.-History:Aside from two warm-up...
. However, in the proceeding tours, this was never played again and "My Wife" was brought back.
"Did You Steal My Money" was only played four times on the 1981 tour, three of those times as an encore, and usually leading into another song.
"How Can You Do It Alone" was first performed live much earlier than the release date of the album. In fact, all of its live performances came before its release. In 1979
The Who Tour 1979
The Who Tour 1979 was The Who's first concert tour since the death of original drummer Keith Moon, supporting their 1978 album Who Are You.-History:...
, Townshend introduced this song with a different, faster arrangement with different lyrics during the encores of the North American leg of the tour. It was played once more in 1980
The Who Tour 1980
The Who Tour 1980 was The Who's second concert tour since the death of original drummer Keith Moon, supporting their 1978 album Who Are You.-History:...
. A version more similar to the studio version (though still quite different) was played at a concert at the Cornwall Coliseum in St Austell
St Austell
St Austell is a civil parish and a major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated on the south coast approximately ten miles south of Bodmin and 30 miles west of the border with Devon at Saltash...
on 30 January 1981. By that time, the lyrics had been more or less set in stone. However, it was never played again after that concert.
"Another Tricky Day" was also performed live first before 1981. Townshend introduced some lyrics of the song during a jam of "Dance It Away" in Los Angeles on the 1980 tour. 1981 performances of this song featured a lengthy jam at its conclusion, and these versions could reach as long as eight minutes. In 2002, this song was brought back for the North American tour as a tribute to Entwistle, who died right before the start of the tour. The song was played a few more times in 2004 as well.
"Cache Cache" and "You" were never performed live by The Who, but Daltrey performed the former once on his 2009 Use It or Lose It tour, while the John Entwistle Band sometimes played the latter during their concerts.
Track listing
All songs written by Pete TownshendPete 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...
except where noted.
Side one
- "You Better You BetYou Better You Bet"You Better You Bet" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who for their 1981 album, Face Dances. It appears as the first track on the album....
" – 5:36 - "Don't Let Go the CoatDon't Let Go the Coat"Don't Let Go the Coat" is a song written by Pete Townshend and first released on The Who's 1981 album Face Dances. It was released as a single following up on the first single from Face Dances, "You Better You Bet," but did not achieve the same success, reaching #47 in the UK and #84 in the US...
" – 3:44 - "Cache Cache" – 3:57
- "The Quiet One" (John EntwistleJohn EntwistleJohn Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
) – 3:10 - "Did You Steal My Money" – 4:11
Side two
- "How Can You Do It Alone" – 5:26
- "Daily Records" – 3:27
- "You" (Entwistle) – 4:31
- "Another Tricky Day" – 4:55
1997 reissue bonus tracks
- "I Like Nightmares" – 3:09
- "It's In You" – 4:59
- "Somebody Saved Me" – 5:31
- "How Can You Do It Alone" (Live, 8 December 1979, at Chicago International Amphitheater) – 5:24
- "The Quiet One" (Live, 13 October 1982, at Shea StadiumShea StadiumWilliam 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...
) – 4:28
Personnel
The Who- Roger DaltreyRoger DaltreyRoger 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...
– lead vocals - Pete TownshendPete TownshendPeter 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...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals on "I Like Nightmares" and "Somebody Saved Me" - John EntwistleJohn EntwistleJohn Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals, lead vocals on "The Quiet One" - Kenney JonesKenney JonesKenneth Thomas "Kenney" Jones is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in Small Faces, Faces, and The Who.-Small Faces to the Faces:...
– drums
Additional musicians
- John "Rabbit" Bundrick – keyboards, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
, backing vocals
Production
- Allen Blazek – engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Chris Charlesworth – executive producer
- Bill CurbishleyBill CurbishleyBill Curbishley is a music producer and band manager, best known for his work with English rock groups The Who and Judas Priest as well as artists Jimmy Page and Robert Plant....
– executive producer - Greg FulginitiGreg FulginitiGregory Fulginiti is an American recording and mastering engineer.In a career spanning three decades, Fulginiti was nominated for the TEC Awards by Mix magazine 6 times, earned 175 Gold and Platinum Awards, 25 Multi-Platinum Awards, 100 Number One recordings, 135 Grammy nominees, including the...
– masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced... - Ted Jensen – mastering
- Bob LudwigBob LudwigBob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....
– remastering - Jimmy Patterson – assistant engineering
- Teri Reed – assistant engineering
- Robert Rosenberg – executive producer
- Bill SzymczykBill SzymczykBill Szymczyk is an American music producer and technical engineer best known for working with rock and blues musicians, most notably the Eagles in the 1970s. He produced many top albums and singles of the 1970s, though he retired from the music business by 1990...
– production, engineering
Album artwork
- Michael Andrews – paintings
- Brian Aris – photography
- Clive BarkerClive Barker (artist)Clive Barker is a pop artist who was born in Luton, Bedfordshire in 1940 as the second youngest of six children. He has been exhibited in numerous galleries around the world during his career and has works in permanent collections including the Tate collection and the National Portrait Gallery. He...
– paintings, photography, paintbox bronze on rear cover - Peter BlakePeter Blake (artist)Sir Peter Thomas Blake, KBE, CBE, RDI, RA is an English pop artist, best known for his design of the sleeve for the Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. He lives in Chiswick, London, UK.-Career:...
– album cover design, concept, paintings - Patrick CaulfieldPatrick CaulfieldPatrick Joseph Caulfield, CBE, RA was an English painter and printmaker known for his bold canvases, which often incorporated elements of Photorealism within a pared down scene.-Life and work:...
– paintings - Gavin Cochraine – photography
- Richard EvansRichard Evans-Literary figures:*Richard J. Evans , English historian on the subject of Germany before and during World War II*Richard Paul Evans , American author of books with Christian themes; best known for 1995's The Christmas Box...
– graphic design - Richard HamiltonRichard Hamilton (artist)Richard William Hamilton, CH was a British painter and collage artist. His 1956 collage, Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?, produced for the This Is Tomorrow exhibition of the Independent Group in London, is considered by critics and historians to be one of the...
– paintings - David HockneyDavid HockneyDavid Hockney, CH, RA, is an English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer and photographer, who is based in Bridlington, Yorkshire and Kensington, London....
– paintings - Howard HodgkinHoward HodgkinSir Gordon Howard Eliot Hodgkin CH, CBE is a British painter and printmaker. His work is most often associated with abstraction.-Early life:...
– paintings - David InshawDavid InshawDavid Inshaw is a British artist who sprang to public attention in 1973 when his painting The Badminton Game was exhibited at the ICA Summer Studio exhibition in London...
– paintings - Bill Jacklin – paintings
- Allen JonesAllen Jones (sculptor)Allen Jones RA is a British pop artist, best known for his sculptures. He lives and works in London.Jones was born in Southampton and from 1955 to 1961 studied at the Hornsey College of Art...
– paintings - R. B. KitajR. B. KitajRonald Brooks Kitaj was an American artist who spent much of his life in England.-Life:Born in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, near Cleveland, United States, his Hungarian father, Sigmund Benway, left his mother, Jeanne Brooks, shortly after he was born and they were divorced in 1934. His mother was the...
– paintings - Tom PhillipsTom Phillips (artist)Tom Phillips CBE R.A. is an English artist. He was born in London, where he continues to work. He is a painter, printmaker and collagist.-Life:...
– paintings - Patrick Procktor – paintings
- Colin Self – paintings
- Joe Tilson – paintings
- David Tindle – paintings
Sales chart performance
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | The Billboard 200 | 4 |
| 1981 | UK Chart Albums | 2 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Another Tricky Day" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 6 |
| "Daily Records" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 36 | |
| "Did You Steal My Money" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 38 | |
| "Don't Let Go The Coat" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 84 | |
| "How Can You Do It Alone" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 50 | |
| "You Better You Bet" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 1 | |
| The Billboard Hot 100 | 18 | ||
| UK Singles Chart | 9 | ||
| "You" | Billboard Mainstream Rock | 51 |
Sales certifications
| Organization | Level | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA – U.S. | Gold | 20 May 1981 |
| Platinum | 18 September 1981 |
External links
- www.thewho.net. Face Dances Liner Notes. Retrieved 13 February 2005.
- www.allmusic.com [ Face Dances Credits]. Retrieved 13 February 2005.