A Legal Matter
Encyclopedia
"A Legal Matter" is a song written by Pete Townshend
and recorded by The Who
for their debut album My Generation. It was recorded on 12 October 1965 at IBC Studios, and released as the B-Side to "The Kids Are Alright
". The single
was released by producer Shel Talmy without the permission of The Who on 11 March 1966 (the day drummer Keith Moon married his girlfriend Kim) and reached #32. This was an attempt to sabotage the release of the band's chosen single, "Substitute" which reached #5. The subject of the song is teenage divorce and it marks the first time Townshend sang lead vocals, rather than Roger Daltrey
, possibly because the song was too close to home for Daltrey who was divorcing
his wife at the time.
The song was covered
by Richard Thompson on his 2003 album
, 1000 Years Of Popular Music
.
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 debut album My Generation. It was recorded on 12 October 1965 at IBC Studios, and released as the B-Side to "The Kids Are Alright
The Kids Are Alright (song)
"The Kids Are Alright" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who. It appears as the seventh track on the group's first album, My Generation . It was not released as a single until more than six months after it first appeared on the LP, first in the United States, and in the UK the following...
". The single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
was released by producer Shel Talmy without the permission of The Who on 11 March 1966 (the day drummer Keith Moon married his girlfriend Kim) and reached #32. This was an attempt to sabotage the release of the band's chosen single, "Substitute" which reached #5. The subject of the song is teenage divorce and it marks the first time Townshend sang lead vocals, rather than 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...
, possibly because the song was too close to home for Daltrey who was divorcing
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
his wife at the time.
The song was covered
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...
by Richard Thompson on his 2003 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, 1000 Years Of Popular Music
1000 Years of Popular Music
1000 Years of Popular Music is a live album by Richard Thompson.The album was originally conceived after Thompson was ignored by Playboy magazine; initially meant simply as a list to be printed by the magazine, it was subsequently published into CD format. The songs comprising the tracklist cover a...
.