"Substitute"
Cover of the 1966 Italy single
Single by the Who
B-side
Released4 March 1966 (1966-03-04)
Recorded12 February 1966
StudioOlympic, London
GenrePower pop, hard rock[1][2][3]
Length3:47 (UK)
  • 2:59 (US)
LabelReaction (UK)
Songwriter(s)Pete Townshend
Producer(s)Pete Townshend
The Who singles chronology
"My Generation"
(1965)		 "Substitute"
(1966)		 "A Legal Matter"
(1966)
Audio sample
"Substitute"
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"Substitute" is a song by the English rock band the Who, written by Pete Townshend. Released in March 1966, the single reached number five in the UK and was later included on the compilation album Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy in 1971.[4] In 2006, Pitchfork ranked "Substitute" at number 91 on the "200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s".[5]

Inspiration and writing

"Substitute" was primarily inspired by the 1965 soul single "The Tracks of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles. Pete Townshend became obsessed, particularly, with the line, "Although she may be cute/She's just a substitute." This had then led Townshend "to celebrate the word with a song all its own."[6]

For the American single, released in April 1966, a different vocal take was used that changed the line in the chorus, "I look all white but my dad was black", to "I try walking forward but my feet walk back."[4] The complete second verse and chorus were also edited from the US release, reducing the track's length to two minutes and fifty-nine seconds.[7]

Reception

Cash Box described the song as a "pulsating, fast-moving blues-drenched woeser which concerns a guy who’s miserable ’cause he’s only a stand-in for the fella his girl really wants."[8] Record World wrote it "has gritty folknroll sound."[9]

In 2012, Paste ranked the song number 13 on its list of the 20 greatest The Who songs,[10] and in 2022, Rolling Stone ranked the song number 11 on its list of the 50 greatest The Who songs.[11]

Performance history

The song remains a familiar fan-favourite and was performed at most of their concerts.[3] "Substitute," along with "I Can't Explain," have served as the group's opening numbers since 1971.[12] It appears on the Live at Leeds album, as well as Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970.[13]

On the album Live at Leeds, Townshend comments on the song by saying:

We'd like to play three hit singles from our past for ya. Three selected hit singles, the three easiest. There's "Substitute," which we like. [crowd cheers] Thank you. That was our first number four [crowd laughs]...[14]

In 1976, radio pirates interrupted BBC programmes in the south and southwest of England by overpowering a feeder station in Wrotham, Kent. The fake program, which started at 11:00pm and ran for 35 minutes before government engineers regained control, fittingly began with "Substitute."[15]

Cover versions

Sex Pistols played "Substitute" live on numerous gigs during 1976. A studio version, also recorded in 1976, was released on the 1979 double album The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.

Great White recorded a cover and produced a video of this song on their debut album in 1984.[16]

The Ramones recorded "Substitute" for their 1992 covers album Acid Eaters. A video accompanying the song was shot in which The Cramps vocalist Lux Interior and Lemmy Kilmister, among others, make appearances.

Car Seat Headrest created a cover for their 2020 EP MADLO: Influences.

Personnel

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1966) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[17] 17
Finland (Soumen Virallinen)[18] 29
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] 2
UK Singles (OCC)[20] 5
West Germany (Official German Charts)[21] 13
Chart (1976) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[22] 7

References

  1. ↑ Theo Cateforis (7 June 2011). Are We Not New Wave?: Modern Pop at the Turn of the 1980s. University of Michigan Press. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-472-03470-3.
  2. ↑ Moerder, Adam (16 August 2006). "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s – Part Three: #100-61". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 Unterberger, Richie. "Substitute – Song Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 7 April 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). AllMusic. Rovi.
  4. 1 2 John Atkins (2000). The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963–1998. McFarland. p. 324. ISBN 978-0-7864-0609-8.
  5. ↑ Staff, Pitchfork (16 August 2006). "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s". Pitchfork Media. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, 'The Tracks of My Tears'". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. 7 April 2011.
  7. ↑ Mike Segretto (1 March 2014). The Who FAQ. Backbeat Books. p. 187. ISBN 978-1-4803-9252-6.
  8. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 9 April 1966. p. 18. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  9. ↑ "Singles Reviews" (PDF). Record World. 9 April 1966. p. 6. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  10. ↑ Tremml, Brian (7 November 2012). "The 20 Best Songs by The Who". Paste. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "The Who's 50 Greatest Songs". Rolling Stone. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  12. ↑ Chris Charlesworth; Ed Hanel (2004). The Who: The Complete Guide to Their Music. Omnibus Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-1-84449-428-6.
  13. ↑ Janovitz, Bill. The Who – Substitute at AllMusic. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  14. ↑ The Who – Uncensored on The Record. Coda Books Ltd. p. 40. ISBN 978-1-908538-83-3.
  15. ↑ Pirate Radio Stations: Tuning In To Underground Broadcasts. TAB Books. 1990. p. 90. ISBN 0-8306-9268-1.
  16. ↑ "Great White - Substitute (1984 Video)". YouTube.
  17. ↑ "The Who – Substitute" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  18. ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. p. 135. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  19. ↑ "The Who – Substitute" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  20. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  21. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Who – Substitute" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 26 March 2019. To see peak chart position, click "TITEL VON The Who"
  22. ↑ The Who – Official Chart History
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