The Who have released a super deluxe edition of their 1975 album The Who By Numbers to mark its 50th anniversary. The 5CD/1 Blu-ray box set is out now and includes 92 previously unreleased tracks and mixes, new Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and stereo mixes by Pete Townshend, and a 100-page hardback book with photos, memorabilia and essays by Townshend and Who historian Andy Neill. The set is also available as a 3LP edition, 2CD set and limited colored vinyl.
The reissue includes 11 of Townshend’s original demos for the album, tracking sessions recorded at Ramport and Shepperton Studios, early mixes and guide vocals. The Blu-ray features what the label describes as the fullest version to date of a 1976 live recording from Vetch Field in Swansea, Wales, along with previously unreleased audio and video from a Who concert filmed at Metropolitan Stadium in Pontiac, Michigan.
Produced by Glyn Johns, The Who By Numbers originally reached No. 8 on the Billboard chart and No. 7 in the U.K. upon its October 1975 release, with the single Squeeze Box becoming an international hit. Among the newly surfaced material is an early mix of “However Much I Booze” featuring an alternate Pete Townshend vocal and additional instrumental parts not present on the final master.
Based on a press release provided to Music Industry Weekly by FunHouse Entertainment.