STUCK IN THE VINYL AGAIN - PETE TOWNSEND - WHITE CITY : A NOVEL

[maggot]

Good morning vinyl enthusiasts and welcome back to the Friday edition of Stuck In The Vinyl Again . Today we celebrate English singer songwriter and author, Pete Townsend (Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend) as he celebrates his 78th Birthday. Happy Birthday Pete ! He was born in 1945 to parents Cliff Townshend, a professional alto saxophonist in the Royal Air Force's dance band the Squadronaires and his mother, Betty  a singer with the Sydney Torch and Les Douglass Orchestras, and is best known as the co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, but today we are spinning his 4th solo album, White City: A Novel. The concept album was released November 11, 1985 on the Atco label and produced by Chris Thomas. It peaked at #70 in the UK, #31 in the Netherlands, #26 in Austria and on the Billboard 200, #20 in New Zealand, #17 in Sweden, #16 in Australia, #15 in Germany, and #11 in Switzerland. Three singles were issued ; "Face the Face" (#89 UK, #26 Hot 100, #17 Canada, #1 Germany, #14 Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland,  #11 New Zealand, #8 Sweden, #3 Mainstream Rock) ,  "Give Blood" (#77 Australia) , and "Secondhand Love". The story takes place in a low-income housing estate in the West London district of White City and deals with cultural conflict, racial tension and youthful hopes. Pete is joined by Pink Floyd guitarist, David Gilmore, who plays guitar on "Give Blood" and "White City Fighting". A film of the same name, starring Townshend, Andrew Wilde and Frances Barber was released the same year. 

1. "Give Blood" 5:44
2. "Brilliant Blues" 3:06
3. "Face the Face" 5:51
4. "Hiding Out" 3:00
5. "Secondhand Love" 4:12

Side two

6. "Crashing by Design" 3:14
7. "I Am Secure" 4:00
8. "White City Fighting"
David Gilmour, Townshend
4:40
9. "Come to Mama" 4:40

Pete Townshend – vocals; guitar

John "Rabbit" Bundrick – keyboards

Tony Butler, Phil Chen, Chucho Merchan, Pino Palladino, & Steve Barnacle – bass guitars

Mark Brzezicki, Simon Phillips – drums

Clem Burke – drums (tracks 2, 5)[9]

David Gilmour – guitar (tracks 1, 8)

Peter Hope-Evans – harmonica

Kick Horns: Simon Clarke, Roddy Lorimer, Tim Sanders, Peter Thoms

Ewan Stewart – voice (spoken word)

Emma Townshend, Jackie Challenor, Mae McKenna, & Lorenza Johnson – backing vocals
Justine Frischmann – backing vocals on "Night School"

Technical

Chris Thomas – producer

Bill Price – recording

Chris Ludwinski, Dave Edwards, & Jules Bowen – assistant engineers

Artwork

Richard Evans – art direction; cover design; inner sleeve photography

Alex Henderson – front cover photography

Malcolm Heywood – inner sleeve photography