Wire & Glass (subtitled "Six songs from a mini-opera") is the only EP[1] released from The Who's 2006 album, Endless Wire. The EP was released exclusively to the iTunes Music Store on 17 July 2006 but a Maxi-CD/12" was released a week later in Australia and the United Kingdom. The EP was released as a "mini-opera" in six songs. No North American distribution was secured prior to the release of Endless Wire, but promo copies were pressed in France, Germany, Ireland, and Ukraine.
| Wire & Glass | ||||
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | 17 July 2006 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 11:28 | |||
| Label | Polydor | |||
| Producer | Pete Townshend | |||
| The Who chronology | ||||
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| The Who EP chronology | ||||
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The EP reached the top three on the Canadian Singles Chart. The songs from this album were used in the rock musical adaptation of The Boy Who Heard Music which debuted in July 2007 as part of Vassar College's Powerhouse Summer Theater workshop series.
The songs
edit"Sound Round" was reportedly written for the 1971 album Who's Next but not recorded. "Mirror Door" was released ahead of the rock opera for radio play in June 2006, but initial reaction was lukewarm due to a questionable mix. Between dates on the 2006 UK and European tour, Townshend remixed the track, adding echo to Daltrey's vocals and giving it a punchier sound.[citation needed]
Track listing
editAll songs written by Pete Townshend
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wire & Glass
| 7:12 |
| 2. | "Mirror Door" | 4:16 |
Upon release as a CD/12", all six songs were presented as a single track.
Personnel
editThe Who
- Roger Daltrey – vocals
- Pete Townshend – guitars, vocals, mandolin, ukulele, banjo
Additional musicians
- John "Rabbit" Bundrick – keyboards, organ
- Peter Huntington – drums[a]
- Billy Nicholls – backing vocals
- Pino Palladino – bass guitar
- Simon Townshend – backing vocals
Production
- Myles Clarke – engineering
- Bob Pridden – engineering
Design
- Richard Evans – design and art direction
- Ross Halfin – cover photograph
Charts
edit| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[2] | 51 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[3] | 31 |
| Denmark (Tracklisten)[4] | 3 |
| Germany (GfK)[5] | 58 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[6] | 39 |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[7] | 9 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[8] | 83 |
References
edit- ^ "Home".
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 301.
- ^ "The Who – Wire & Glass" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "The Who – Wire & Glass". Tracklisten. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "The Who – Wire & Glass" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "The Who – Wire & Glass". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "The Who – Wire & Glass" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ "The Who – Wire & Glass". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
- ^ Peter Huntington, the drummer for Pete Townshend's girlfriend, Rachel Fuller, plays drums on the EP due to the absence of regular Who drummer Zak Starkey as he was touring with Oasis.