Armenia City in the Sky
Encyclopedia
"Armenia City in The Sky" is a song by The Who
released on their album The Who Sell Out
. It was recorded and mixed at IBC Studios, London on 20 October 1967. Oddly enough, it was not written by a member of The Who, but rather by Pete Townshend
's former roommate and chauffeur John Keen. Apparently, they were good friends and one day, John told Pete that he had written them a song. This was the only time that The Who used a song written specifically for them by a person outside the group. A year later Keen would be part of the Townshend-created group Thunderclap Newman
. This track was released as a single in Japan backed with "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand
".
) this particular track shows the most prominent influence from the sub-genre and sounds very different from most of their songs. The track begins with a fake radio style intro (The Who Sell Out
is a concept album
which makes the album seem like a fake radio broadcast), as a heavily distorted voice recites the days of the week. The voice slowly fades out, and is answered by a very long and psychedelic note from a horn, which effectively starts the song. In a lengthy interview with Rolling Stone
, Pete describes why their producer at the time, Kit Lambert
, had done so well on numerous songs during that period: Pete had made numerous demos for songs ("I Can See For Miles
" and "Magic Bus
") that were 'very good' and 'easily comparable to the current versions.' This effectively 'blackmailed' Lambert into doing better, not to say he was doing poorly, but that Pete had very excellent demos.
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...
released on their album The Who Sell Out
The Who Sell Out
-Track listing:All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted. The between song jingles apparently have no official titles and are not listed anywhere on the original album packaging, though they are listed in the inner booklet of the 1995 remaster.Side one...
. It was recorded and mixed at IBC Studios, London on 20 October 1967. Oddly enough, it was not written by a member of The Who, but rather 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...
's former roommate and chauffeur John Keen. Apparently, they were good friends and one day, John told Pete that he had written them a song. This was the only time that The Who used a song written specifically for them by a person outside the group. A year later Keen would be part of the Townshend-created group Thunderclap Newman
Thunderclap Newman
Thunderclap Newman were a British one-hit wonder band that Pete Townshend of The Who and Kit Lambert had formed circa December 1968 - January 1969 in a bid to showcase the talents of John "Speedy" Keen, Andy "Thunderclap" Newman and Jimmy McCulloch....
. This track was released as a single in Japan backed with "Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand
Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand
"Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand" is a song written by Pete Townshend and first released on The Who's 1967 album The Who Sell Out, and subsequently on several Who compilation albums. The song has a Latin-influenced melody and ambiguous lyrics that have been subject to a variety of interpretations...
".
Musical Sound
Although The Who have released numerous psychedelic songs (namely "Sparks" from Tommy and "The Rock" from QuadropheniaQuadrophenia
Quadrophenia is the sixth studio album by English rock band The Who. Released on 19 October 1973 by Track and Polydor in the UK, and Track and MCA in the US, it is a double album, and the group's second rock opera...
) this particular track shows the most prominent influence from the sub-genre and sounds very different from most of their songs. The track begins with a fake radio style intro (The Who Sell Out
The Who Sell Out
-Track listing:All songs written by Pete Townshend except where noted. The between song jingles apparently have no official titles and are not listed anywhere on the original album packaging, though they are listed in the inner booklet of the 1995 remaster.Side one...
is a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
which makes the album seem like a fake radio broadcast), as a heavily distorted voice recites the days of the week. The voice slowly fades out, and is answered by a very long and psychedelic note from a horn, which effectively starts the song. In a lengthy interview with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, Pete describes why their producer at the time, Kit Lambert
Kit Lambert
Christopher "Kit" Sebastian Lambert was a record producer and the manager for The Who.-Early life:Kit Lambert was the son of noted composer, Constant Lambert...
, had done so well on numerous songs during that period: Pete had made numerous demos for songs ("I Can See For Miles
I Can See For Miles
"I Can See for Miles" is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who, recorded for the band's 1967 album, The Who Sell Out. It was the only song from the album to be released as a single, on 14 October 1967...
" and "Magic Bus
Magic Bus (song)
"Magic Bus" is a song written by Pete Townshend at the time of My Generation in 1965, but not recorded by The Who until 1968. It is one of the band's most popular songs and has been a concert staple. The record reached #26 in the United Kingdom and #25 in the United States.The song's arrangement...
") that were 'very good' and 'easily comparable to the current versions.' This effectively 'blackmailed' Lambert into doing better, not to say he was doing poorly, but that Pete had very excellent demos.