Who – Relay

This was a non-album single released in 1972. It was released between Who’s Next (1971) and Quadrophenia (1973).

Pete Townshend wrote this… it was part of his “Lifehouse” project, which was a film script featuring The Who in a future world where rock ‘n’ roll saves the masses. The Who scrapped plans for the concept double album and released most of the songs on Who’s Next…pretty much agreed their best album and one of the best in rock period.

Townshend’s use of the ARP synthesizer on Who’s Next was groundbreaking. He didn’t just add texture to it but the ARP became part of the structure of the songs. This was not like today’s synthesizer where you just took it out of the box. It had to be programmed and connected together…and not many people knew how to do it. He took a risk using it because technology in general always moving ahead, Who’s Next could have sounded dated a few years afterward but it still sounds fresh and interesting today…unlike some other synth music.

They played this song on the Russell Harty Show and Harty looked terrified of The Who. Harty was a gay man which was secret in the 1970s… Keith knew this and you could tell he thought Keith Moon was going to say something out loud in an interview but of course Keith didn’t. He was messing with Harty and the interview is both funny and demented to watch. I keep thinking….an interview like this would not happen today. What makes the interview funnier is how Daltrey and Entwistle just chill in the background while Moon and Townshend torment Harty.

Who is The Who? The History of the Legendary Band - Backstage Stories - Page 2 of 31

They were joking around with Harty and you could see Harty tense up a bit when Moon stripped down to his underwear. Moon and Townshend then preceded to rip and tear each other’s shirt off.

Harty asked them some questions and if they were all married. That was when Moon started to talk about messing with Harty’s sleeves (as Pete and Keith did to each other) he said to Harty “You leave his sleeves alone… personal them ay…Can’t touch the interviewer can we? Hey he is in command isn’t he? You can make everyone else look like a right twit as long as you don’t have a go at him. How long have you been happily married? ” You have to wonder by the look on Harty’s face if he thought Moon was going to say something out loud…he did know Harty was gay…but of course, Moon didn’t…he was just having fun with him.

Someone put all the Rusell Harty short interview segments together from the documentary The Kids Are Alright…I have it below.

Anyway…a good song and it peaked at #21 in the UK, #50 in Canada, and #39 on the Billboard 100 in 1972.

Relay

You can hear it in the street, see it in the dragging feet
The word is gettin’ out about control
Spies they’ve come and gone, the story travels on
The only quiet place is inside your soul

From tree to tree, from you to me
Travelin’ twice as fast as on any freeway
Every single dream, wrapped up in the scheme
They all get carried on the relay

Relay, things are brewin’
Relay, something’s doin’
Relay, there’s a revolution
Relay, relay
(Hand me down a solution, yeah)
Pass it on, come on, a relay

Someone disapproves, what you say and do
I was asked to see what I could really learn you
Don’t believe your eyes, they’re tellin’ only lies
What is done in the first place don’t concern you

From tree to tree, from you to me
Travelin’ twice as fast as on any freeway
Every single dream wrapped up in the scheme
They all get carried on the relay

Relay, things are brewin’
Relay, something’s doin’
Relay, there’s a revolution
Relay, relay
(Hand me down a solution, yeah)
Pass it on, pass it on, pass it on, hey you, pass it on

We’re on the relay, get a movin’
Get on a movin’ on
The relay, the relay
The relay, the relay

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

49 thoughts on “Who – Relay”

    1. LOL…
      Oh I emailed you a question…I just picked up a couple of things at a yard sale…and a correction….one of them is not 1979 but a 1972 I just found out.

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  2. Not a bad tune but brand new to me. It sounds almost like it could have been a Queen one with that chorus. Looking back, I think ‘Squeezebox’ was the only Who song I remember being played on AM radio in the ’70s when I was listening. They were a big concert draw in Toronto, so I would guess the FM stations played them a lot at that time.

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    1. They told a lot of stories about Canada….one hotel got compeletely wrecked! Not just Moon but Townshend also…the Mounties were called and everything lol.

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  4. Good tune that hadn’t been on my radar. The most entertaining clip is the interview with Russell Harty. It’s completely hilarious, but jeez, you have to feel for the poor host, especially with Keith who looked like he could have done anything, and not only to Pete, Roger or John!

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      2. We had a good time! We probably won’t do it again anytime soon but we spent our allotted money and we just got home a few minutes ago. It was fun but if I do it again….it’s going to be Vegas where they have real slot machines…the coin ones.

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      3. I’ve been to Vegas three times, once professionally and two other times passing through while on vacation. All three visits date back more than 10 years.

        Personally, gambling isn’t my cup of tea, though I did feed a few quarters in a hungry slot machine just for the heck of it.

        Going to Vegas, IMHO, feels like going to a Disney amusement park. It’s kitschy and impressive at the same time!

        Also, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen as many lightbulbs in one place – seriously, it’s insane! I wonder what the average electricity bill for one of the big casinos there is.

        I would say Vegas is worth a visit, especially if you can combine it with something else like Monument Valley.

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      4. I’m not a gambler either but I want to see those real slot machines.
        I would also like to rent a car and drive through to route 66 and go through the desert.

        I would like to see the place at night…I would love to see all of those lights.

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      5. Me too (Route 66)! My wife couldn’t care less about the mother road. Perhaps you and I can team up one day to do that California trip!😀

        BTW, have you already checked out Dylan’s new album? I’m currently listening to it for the fourth time. It’s gets better with every additional time!😎

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      6. Now I’m up for that Christian!
        No but I’ve seen where it was released…I’ll catch up with it soon.

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      7. Cool, man, I might take you up on it! 🙂

        I’d be curious how you feel about Zimmy’s latest.

        I’m off to listen to do it again, listening to “my Steely Dan tribute band”, like a 1,000 times before – my wife thinks I’m insane. She’s probably right! 🙂

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      8. I can’t wait to listen to him….That is so cool dude…I’m sorry I haven’t been to your site yet…I’ve been unpacking and running around. I’ll get there Christian

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      9. All good, Max. This is supposed to be fun, not an obligation.

        I’m thinking about writing up Dylan for Tue. I think this album deserves a stand-alone post rather than one track lumped together with songs from other artists. That’s why I didn’t include it in today’s post.

        It was quite a busy week on the new releases front – more than I can process!😆

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      10. Yea but you know what I mean…I hate being late!

        Any Dylan album deserves it’s own day I agree! I heard The Heavy Heavy again…I caught up on my post on Jeff’s site…I do like them.
        The Foo Fighters released one also right?

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      12. If you do Route 66 together, you need to get a Corvette from the early 60s and call each other Tod and Buz (like the Route 66 TV show from that era). Good luck finding what’s left of the old highway – “It winds from Chicago to LA/More than 2000 miles all the way/Get your kicks/On Route 66.”

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      13. I love that show! I have the complete set. Milner was great on that show.
        Yea I’ve heard it’s commercialized now…which wouldn’t surprise me.

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      14. I’d be up to get my kicks on Route 66 in an old Corvette. Or how about an old Mustang Fastback? As a German, of course, I also have to mention the ultimate sports car, a 911!

        I also know nowadays there’s not much left of the original Route 66. Anyway, it would be a cool trip!

        We’d be listening to 1,000 versions of the bloody song!😆

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    1. It was one of my favorite things about The Kids Are Alright… I loved seeing the interviewed pieced back together.

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      1. Back when they still had some youthful exuberance. A few years earlier they woke up the Smothers Brothers. I would have like to seen them on a few of those afternoon talk shows nowadays. WAKE UP!!
        Great pick again Max.

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      2. Can you imagine how quickly they would get cancelled? and they would not care one bit. Thanks CB…I love this period in their career.

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    1. Phil…I’ve seen them twice but of course…no Moon and without Moon they really weren’t the Who.

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    1. I’ve always wanted to see it. I have an ex HR director living in California and she has invited us out to visit…we have thought about it.

      Obbverse…I haven’t find an Opel yet…but I did find two things that I’m going to work on and try to get back to good working order. A 1972 Schwinn Varsity 10-speed….and a 1980s Trek 10-speed…Like I said….not an Opel but a fun project.

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      1. I’ll look ’em up- I know Scwinn was THE name from pre-boomer days. And maybe that Opel will turn up. Imagine one day, cycling through the neighborhood on your newly renovated 10 speed and there, half hidden in a ramshakle garage down some driveway that you never saw clearly when zooming by in the car sits the Kamm tail of a GT…

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  9. That scene is the main thing I remember from watching The Kids Are Alright back when I was in college. Those two knew how to make someone feel uncomfortable for sure. I’ve seen the documentary more recently, and it confirmed that it was indeed as weird as I remembered. It’s a great documentary. I enjoy Relay. It’s not one of their main hits, but it melds right in with their best known tracks.

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    1. That is probably my favorite rock documentary ever.
      No Relay is not one of their hits…but yes you can tell they made it around the time they made Long Live Rock…it has the same sound. Harty had his hands full that day…but I don’t think Moon would have ever said anything knowing what was at stake…his career.

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    1. If I may suggest the next time you are at your library…Their documentary is “The Kids Are Alright”…it’s what got me into the Who. It was made right before Keith Moon passed…that doc is why they are number 2 to me right behind the Beatles…for me personally.

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      3. Thanks, Max, I can! Just saved it to watch later. I’m wrapping up a season of “Alone” and then have some other things to watch, but now I know where it is.

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