The song “is a co-write with Josh Hunsacker, who I met on Soundcloud,” explains guitarist Pete Townshend. “He wrote the music, I wrote the lyric and vocal melody. In 1932 on a visit to London, the spiritual master Meher Baba said that he had come to draw all the religions of the world together like beads on one string. We wait in hope, with love.
“The ‘Beads On One String’ remix was an adventure to try to recapture some of the subtleties of my first solo demo,” he continues. “I love the studio version, but this remix by Myles Clarke and myself returns to the original synthesiser demo shared with me by my co-writer Josh Hunsacker. I also play bass rather than the genius Pino Palladino (I’ve got some nerve) and we removed the real drums and returned to computer drum tracks programmed by my co-producer Myles Clarke. We also restored Roger’s vocal track to its first incarnation which is more heartfelt.
“This is a gentler version of this song, less demanding perhaps, less bullying about our need to cut each other space, each on our own path. Why does it need to be more gentle than the album version? Because it must stand alone in a period when each of us is tempted to blame someone else for our troubles, maybe even God whoever we take her/him/both to be. I’m hoping it sounds less rock, and more modern indie-pop to new listeners.”
The track will be among the extras included in the expanded reissue of “Who” when it arrives on October 30, where it will be joined by a series of acoustic tracks from the band’s only live shows of 2020 when they performed at London’s Pryzm nightclub on Valentine’s Day to mark the 50th anniversary of The Who’s seminal show at Leeds University in 1970, which resulted in the “Live At Leeds” album.
First previewed with the lead single, “Ball And Chain”, “Who” debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200 to tie their highest placement on the list … matching the success of 1973’s “Quadrophenia” and 1978’s “Who Are You”, and at No. 3 in the UK to deliver the band’s highest-charting album in their homeland in 38 years.
The "Who" reissue will be available in 2CD, digital and 6-disc 7” vinyl box set editions.
See also:
The Who stream virtual concert series finale
The Who premiere rare 2006 concert footage
The Who stream Tommy highlights from 2017 Royal Albert Hall show
The Who share highlights from 1970 Isle Of Wight Festival
Search The Who at hennemusic
