A Quick One, While He's Away
Encyclopedia
"A Quick One, While He's Away" is a 1966 medley
written by Pete Townshend
and recorded by The Who
for their album A Quick One
. The song also appears on the album BBC Sessions
. In the performance on their Live at Leeds
album Townshend calls the 9 minute "epic" track a "mini-opera" and introduces it as "Tommy's parent". This song tells the story of an unnamed girl whose lover has been gone "for nigh on a year." Her friends inform her that they "have a remedy"; the remedy comes in the form of Ivor the Engine Driver
. When the lover returns, the girl confesses her infidelity, and she is ultimately forgiven.
intro is titled "Her Man's Gone". The "Crying Town" section is sung by Roger Daltrey
in an atypical low register. Daltrey also sings "We Have a Remedy" in his more usual voice. John Entwistle
plays "Ivor the Engine Driver" in that section. Then comes "Soon Be Home", another harmonized section. Finally, "You Are Forgiven" is sung by Pete Townshend
— his only lead vocal on the album (except, on most versions of the album, a small part of "Heat Wave") The Who wanted cellos at the final "mini"-movement, "You Are Forgiven", but producer and manager Kit could not afford it so they ended up saying "Cello, cello, cello".
This song is The Who's first publicized venture into the rock opera
genre, although the song "I'm a Boy
" was the result of Townshend's first delve into rock opera, entitled "Quads", and a precursor to their later, more ambitious project Tommy.
A studio recording appears on their A Quick One
album, and a live recording appears on Live at Leeds
. Curiously, when the song was performed live, instead of "girl", Townshend and Daltrey would make a point to sing "Girl Guide
". A video performance was made for The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
, and can be seen on that video and on the documentary film The Kids Are Alright
. It also appears on both films' soundtrack albums. Another version recorded live at the Monterey Pop Festival can be found on the Monterey Pop Festival four-disk set and on another Who film, Thirty Years of Maximum R&B Live. A mixed studio and live version can be found on The Who's four disk set Thirty Years of Maximum R&B
.
Another version of this song is available on the DVD, At Kilburn 1977 + Live at the Coliseum
, with Townshend's long explanation of the song and constant humorous comments by Keith Moon
. However, because of problems with the cameras, part of the performance is lost, and was replaced by stylised footage.
The section where the band repeats the word "cello
" was done as a joke. The band wanted a string section to play in the song but Kit Lambert said that they couldn't afford it, so they just repeated the word where the cello was supposed to play.
The Live at Leeds
version of the song was used in the soundtrack of the movie Rushmore
(though the Rock and Roll Circus
version, specifically "You Are Forgiven", was used in the film).
A short tease of the final section, "You Are Forgiven", was used to end a concert at the Wembley Arena
on November 16, 2000. That was the first time any part of the song was played live by The Who since 1970, and also the last time so far. Pete Townshend played the song in its entirety on several dates of his 1993 PSYCHODERELECT solo tour.
The song was rehearsed for inclusion in The Who's 2006/2007 North American Tour, but was not part of any set list
.
The name of "Ivor the Engine Driver" was influenced by the UK TV series Ivor the Engine
.
performed the song in late 2004 at the Queens of Noize
Christmas Party.
My Morning Jacket
performed a cover
of the song at the 2006 Bonnaroo Music Festival
and on several European dates during their stint as an opening act
for Pearl Jam
in the same year, when the latter's frontman Eddie Vedder
would join them on stage. One such occasion (9/19/06, PalaIsozaki, Torino) is documented as a bonus track
on the DVD
version of the Pearl Jam concert film
Immagine in Cornice
. My Morning Jacket covered the song again during the encore of night 4 of their 5-day concert series at New York City's Terminal 5
in 2010.
Green Day
recently recorded a cover that was included as a bonus track on deluxe editions of their recent album 21st Century Breakdown
. They have also performed all six sections of the song at sound checks. The band performed the song in its entirety at their July 28, 2009 concert at New York City's Madison Square Garden
and also on April 25, 2010 at New York City's Bowery Electric as their side-project Foxboro Hot Tubs
.
Medley (music)
In music, a medley is a piece composed from parts of existing pieces, usually three, played one after another, sometimes overlapping. They are common in popular music, and most medleys are songs rather than instrumental. A medley which is a remixed series is called a megamix, often done with tracks...
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 recorded by The Who
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...
for their album A Quick One
A Quick One
A Quick One is the second album by English rock band The Who, released in 1966. The American record company executives at Decca Records released the album under the title Happy Jack, rather than the sexually suggestive title of the original UK release, and due to "Happy Jack" being a top 40 hit in...
. The song also appears on the album BBC Sessions
BBC Sessions (The Who)
BBC Sessions by The Who was released 15 February 2000 on Polydor Records internationally and MCA Records in the US. It contains 24 songs and two jingles recorded live at the BBC studios in London....
. In the performance on their Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds is The Who's first live album, and is the only live album that was released while the group were still recording and performing regularly. Initially released in the United States on 16 May 1970, by Decca and MCA and the United Kingdom on 23 May 1970, by Track and Polydor, the album...
album Townshend calls the 9 minute "epic" track a "mini-opera" and introduces it as "Tommy's parent". This song tells the story of an unnamed girl whose lover has been gone "for nigh on a year." Her friends inform her that they "have a remedy"; the remedy comes in the form of Ivor the Engine Driver
Railroad engineer
A railroad engineer, locomotive engineer, train operator, train driver or engine driver is a person who drives a train on a railroad...
. When the lover returns, the girl confesses her infidelity, and she is ultimately forgiven.
Parts to the song
The song has six distinct sections. The brief harmonized a cappellaA cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
intro is titled "Her Man's Gone". The "Crying Town" section is sung by Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger 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...
in an atypical low register. Daltrey also sings "We Have a Remedy" in his more usual voice. John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
plays "Ivor the Engine Driver" in that section. Then comes "Soon Be Home", another harmonized section. Finally, "You Are Forgiven" is sung 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...
— his only lead vocal on the album (except, on most versions of the album, a small part of "Heat Wave") The Who wanted cellos at the final "mini"-movement, "You Are Forgiven", but producer and manager Kit could not afford it so they ended up saying "Cello, cello, cello".
This song is The Who's first publicized venture into the rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
genre, although the song "I'm a Boy
I'm a Boy
"I'm a Boy" is a 1966 rock song written by Pete Townshend for his band The Who. The song, like other early recordings by the band, such as "I Can't Explain", "The Kids Are Alright" and "Happy Jack", centers around the early power pop genre...
" was the result of Townshend's first delve into rock opera, entitled "Quads", and a precursor to their later, more ambitious project Tommy.
A studio recording appears on their A Quick One
A Quick One
A Quick One is the second album by English rock band The Who, released in 1966. The American record company executives at Decca Records released the album under the title Happy Jack, rather than the sexually suggestive title of the original UK release, and due to "Happy Jack" being a top 40 hit in...
album, and a live recording appears on Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds is The Who's first live album, and is the only live album that was released while the group were still recording and performing regularly. Initially released in the United States on 16 May 1970, by Decca and MCA and the United Kingdom on 23 May 1970, by Track and Polydor, the album...
. Curiously, when the song was performed live, instead of "girl", Townshend and Daltrey would make a point to sing "Girl Guide
Girl Guides
A Guide, Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Scouts. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian...
". A video performance was made for The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is a film released in 1996 of an 11 December 1968 event put together by The Rolling Stones. The event comprised two concerts on a circus stage and included such acts as The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and Jethro Tull...
, and can be seen on that video and on the documentary film The Kids Are Alright
The Kids Are Alright (film)
The Kids Are Alright is a 1979 rockumentary film about the English rock band The Who, including live performances, promotional films and interviews from 1964 to 1978.-Production:...
. It also appears on both films' soundtrack albums. Another version recorded live at the Monterey Pop Festival can be found on the Monterey Pop Festival four-disk set and on another Who film, Thirty Years of Maximum R&B Live. A mixed studio and live version can be found on The Who's four disk set Thirty Years of Maximum R&B
Thirty Years of Maximum R&B
Thirty Years of Maximum R&B is a box set by British rock band, The Who released by Polydor Records internationally and by MCA Records in the US; since 2003, it has been issued in America by Geffen Records...
.
Another version of this song is available on the DVD, At Kilburn 1977 + Live at the Coliseum
At Kilburn 1977 + Live at the Coliseum
The Who At Kilburn: 1977 is a film of two live performances by British rock band the Who released as a two-disc DVD set on 17 November 2008 by Image Entertainment. The first disc included the band's performance at the Gaumont State Theatre on 15 December 1977, while the second disc featured the...
, with Townshend's long explanation of the song and constant humorous comments by Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
. However, because of problems with the cameras, part of the performance is lost, and was replaced by stylised footage.
The section where the band repeats the word "cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
" was done as a joke. The band wanted a string section to play in the song but Kit Lambert said that they couldn't afford it, so they just repeated the word where the cello was supposed to play.
The Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds is The Who's first live album, and is the only live album that was released while the group were still recording and performing regularly. Initially released in the United States on 16 May 1970, by Decca and MCA and the United Kingdom on 23 May 1970, by Track and Polydor, the album...
version of the song was used in the soundtrack of the movie Rushmore
Rushmore (film)
Rushmore is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson about an eccentric teenager named Max Fischer , his friendship with rich industrialist Herman Blume , and their mutual love for elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross . The film was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson...
(though the Rock and Roll Circus
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus
The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is a film released in 1996 of an 11 December 1968 event put together by The Rolling Stones. The event comprised two concerts on a circus stage and included such acts as The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and Jethro Tull...
version, specifically "You Are Forgiven", was used in the film).
A short tease of the final section, "You Are Forgiven", was used to end a concert at the Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
on November 16, 2000. That was the first time any part of the song was played live by The Who since 1970, and also the last time so far. Pete Townshend played the song in its entirety on several dates of his 1993 PSYCHODERELECT solo tour.
The song was rehearsed for inclusion in The Who's 2006/2007 North American Tour, but was not part of any set list
Set list
A set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific concert performance...
.
The name of "Ivor the Engine Driver" was influenced by the UK TV series Ivor the Engine
Ivor the Engine
Ivor the Engine is a British children's animation by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin's Smallfilms company. It is a children's television series relating the adventures of a small green locomotive who lived in the "top left-hand corner of Wales" and worked for The Merioneth and Llantisilly Railway...
.
Covers
Graham CoxonGraham Coxon
Graham Leslie Coxon is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and painter. He came to prominence as the lead guitarist, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of rock band Blur, and is also a critically acclaimed solo artist, having recorded seven solo albums...
performed the song in late 2004 at the Queens of Noize
Queens of Noize
Queens of Noize are an English indie/disco or Wonky pop DJ duo based in London. The constituent members are Mairead Nash and Tabitha Denholm.-Career:...
Christmas Party.
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket
My Morning Jacket is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky.The band consists of Jim James , Tom 'Two-Tone Tommy' Blankenship , Patrick Hallahan , Carl Broemel , and Bo Koster .-History:My Morning Jacket was...
performed a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the song at the 2006 Bonnaroo Music Festival
Bonnaroo Music Festival
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four day music festival created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, held at Great Stage Park on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. It hosted its tenth annual event June 9–12, 2011...
and on several European dates during their stint as an opening act
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
for Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
in the same year, when the latter's frontman Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder
Eddie Vedder is an American musician and singer-songwriter who is best known for being the lead singer and one of three guitarists of the alternative rock band Pearl Jam. He is widely considered a cultural icon of alternative rock.He is also involved in soundtrack work and contributes to albums...
would join them on stage. One such occasion (9/19/06, PalaIsozaki, Torino) is documented as a bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
on the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
version of the Pearl Jam concert film
Concert film
A concert movie, or concert film, is a type of documentary film, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by a musician ....
Immagine in Cornice
Immagine in Cornice
Immagine in Cornice, Italian for "picture in a frame," is a live concert film documenting the 2006 five-concert tour of Italy by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam. It was released on September 25, 2007.-Overview:...
. My Morning Jacket covered the song again during the encore of night 4 of their 5-day concert series at New York City's Terminal 5
Terminal 5 (venue)
Terminal 5 is a New York City music venue in Hell's Kitchen, located at 610 West 56th Street, west of 11th Avenue. It has a multi-level event site with five distinct room environments. It has a capacity of 3,000 people....
in 2010.
Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
recently recorded a cover that was included as a bonus track on deluxe editions of their recent album 21st Century Breakdown
21st Century Breakdown
21st Century Breakdown is the eighth studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It is the band's second rock opera, following American Idiot, and their first album to be produced by Butch Vig. Green Day commenced work on the record in January 2006...
. They have also performed all six sections of the song at sound checks. The band performed the song in its entirety at their July 28, 2009 concert at New York City's Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
and also on April 25, 2010 at New York City's Bowery Electric as their side-project Foxboro Hot Tubs
Foxboro Hot Tubs
The Foxboro Hot Tubs band is a side project of Green Day. All members of the band perform live with Green Day . Their debut album, Stop Drop and Roll!!! was released on April 22, 2008....
.