The Who to Release 1968 Fillmore East Concert
An oft-bootleg concert by the Who will soon gets its first official release. Live at the Fillmore East 1968, which documents the last show of a two-night stand at the New York venue, arrives on April 20.
The two-disc, three-LP set, whose track listing is below, focuses largely on material from their two previous records, The Who Sell Out and A Quick One. But there are also three Eddie Cochran covers -- "Summertime Blues," "C'mon Everybody" and "My Way" -- takes on Benny Spellman's Allen Toussaint-penned "Fortune Teller" and Johnny Kidd and the Pirates' "Shakin' All Over," and a lengthy version of "My Generation."
The band's manager, Kit Lambert, had recorded the shows in the hopes of putting out a live album as a stopgap while the band worked on Tommy. Instead, they put their new single, "Magic Bus," with some older tracks and delivered Magic Bus: The Who on Tour. The Fillmore tapes were mixed by longtime Who live soundman Bob Pridden for this release.
Bill Graham had only opened the East Village club a month earlier. Although it was only open for three years -- Graham closed it in 1971 due to changes in the music industry -- its place in rock history was secured due to the number of famous live albums that were recorded in that time, including works by the Allman Brothers Band, Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa.
For the record, this is not the concert that Pete Townshend mentioned in The Kids Are Alright where he was arrested for kicking a policeman, who was trying to stop the show because the building next door was on fire, off the stage. That took place in May 1969.
The Who, 'Live at the Fillmore East 1968' Track Listing
LP 1
1. "Summertime Blues"
2. "Fortune Teller"
3. "Tattoo"
4. "Little Billy"
5. "I Can't Explain"
6. "Happy Jack"
7. "Relax"
LP 2
1. "I'm a Boy"
2. "A Quick One, While He's Away"
3. "My Way"
4. "C'mon Everybody"
5. "Shakin' All Over"
6. "Boris the Spider"
LP 3
1. "My Generation (Part 1)"
2. "My Generation (Part 2)"