It's Not Enough
Encyclopedia
"It's Not Enough" is a song recorded by The Who
, written by Pete Townshend
and his partner Rachel Fuller
, and featured on The Who's 2006 album Endless Wire
. The song also appears on a re-issue of The Who's compilation album Then and Now and in Pete Townshend's rock musical The Boy Who Heard Music
. The lead single from Endless Wire, "It's Not Enough" peaked at #37 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks
chart, their first chart hit in the United States since "Eminence Front
" in 1982.
, but Townshend liked the music and wrote different lyrics to use for the song that appears on Endless Wire
. He later explained the origins of the song: "Watching Le Mepris, the ‘60s film by Jean Luc Godard starring Brigitte Bardot
, I found myself wondering why it is that we choose people to partner who we feel aren’t quite right. Bardot asks her lover, ‘Do you adore my legs?’ He nods. ‘My breasts?’ He nods. ‘My arms?’ He nods. She goes over her entire body. He nods every time. When she’s finished she gets up and tells him, ‘It’s not enough". Bardot and the film 'Mepris' are mentioned specifically in the song.
Townshend explained on one of his and Fuller's In The Attic
video podcasts that he was worried some people may criticize the song because it was co-written, but he goes on to say that it sounds more like The Who than anything else on the album.
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...
, written by Pete Townshend
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...
and his partner Rachel Fuller
Rachel Fuller
Rachel Fuller is a British musician. She is a successful independent pop music artist, a composer and occasional collaborator with rock musician and partner to Pete Townshend.-Early life:...
, and featured on The Who's 2006 album Endless Wire
Endless Wire (The Who album)
Endless Wire is the eleventh album by the English rock band The Who released on 30 October 2006, through Polydor Records and the following day in the United States by Universal Republic. It was their first new album of original material in twenty-four years following the release of It's Hard in 1982...
. The song also appears on a re-issue of The Who's compilation album Then and Now and in Pete Townshend's rock musical The Boy Who Heard Music
The Boy Who Heard Music
The Boy Who Heard Music is a rock opus that began life as an Internet novella written by musician and songwriter Pete Townshend. Townshend wrote in the foreword to the novella that he typically sketches out his opera in this way to lay out the plots and storylines, but in this case he published the...
. The lead single from Endless Wire, "It's Not Enough" peaked at #37 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
chart, their first chart hit in the United States since "Eminence Front
Eminence Front
"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...
" in 1982.
History
The song originally started life with music and lyrics by Rachel FullerRachel Fuller
Rachel Fuller is a British musician. She is a successful independent pop music artist, a composer and occasional collaborator with rock musician and partner to Pete Townshend.-Early life:...
, but Townshend liked the music and wrote different lyrics to use for the song that appears on Endless Wire
Endless Wire (The Who album)
Endless Wire is the eleventh album by the English rock band The Who released on 30 October 2006, through Polydor Records and the following day in the United States by Universal Republic. It was their first new album of original material in twenty-four years following the release of It's Hard in 1982...
. He later explained the origins of the song: "Watching Le Mepris, the ‘60s film by Jean Luc Godard starring Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Bardot
Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot is a French former fashion model, actress, singer and animal rights activist. She was one of the best-known sex-symbols of the 1960s.In her early life, Bardot was an aspiring ballet dancer...
, I found myself wondering why it is that we choose people to partner who we feel aren’t quite right. Bardot asks her lover, ‘Do you adore my legs?’ He nods. ‘My breasts?’ He nods. ‘My arms?’ He nods. She goes over her entire body. He nods every time. When she’s finished she gets up and tells him, ‘It’s not enough". Bardot and the film 'Mepris' are mentioned specifically in the song.
Townshend explained on one of his and Fuller's In The Attic
In the Attic (webcast)
In The Attic was a live weekly webcast from Pete Townshend's Oceanic studios in London hosted by British singer-songwriters Rachel Fuller and Mikey Cuthbert. This lively show features regular guest appearances by Pete Townshend, Simon Townshend and Jerry Hall. The shows feature musical numbers,...
video podcasts that he was worried some people may criticize the song because it was co-written, but he goes on to say that it sounds more like The Who than anything else on the album.
Personnel
- 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...
- Lead GuitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, Backing Vocals - Jolyon DixonJolyon DixonJolyon Keith Dixon is an English guitarist and is currently a member of Rachel Fuller's band and played some guitar on The Who's 2006 album Endless Wire.-Biography:...
- Acoustic GuitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound... - Stuart RossStuart RossStuart Ross is a Canadian fiction writer, poet, editor, and creative-writing instructor.Ross was born in Toronto's north end in 1959 and grew up in the Borough of North York. He began writing at a very young age and was first published at age 16 by Books by Kids . This book, The Thing in Exile,...
- BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Rachel FullerRachel FullerRachel Fuller is a British musician. She is a successful independent pop music artist, a composer and occasional collaborator with rock musician and partner to Pete Townshend.-Early life:...
- KeyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Peter HuntingtonPeter HuntingtonPeter Huntington is a drummer for Rachel Fuller, and occasional drummer for her partner, Pete Townshend. Due to Zak Starkey's touring commitments with the band, Oasis, Huntington was the main drummer for The Who's first album in 24 years, Endless Wire. He has also played for Darren Hayes, formerly...
- DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....