I'm a Boy
| "I'm a Boy" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Swedish picture sleeve | ||||
| Single by the Who | ||||
| B-side | "In the City" | |||
| Released | 26 August 1966[1] | |||
| Recorded | 14, 19 June & 31 July 1966[2] | |||
| Studio | IBC, London | |||
| Length | 2:34 | |||
| Label | Reaction (UK) Decca (US) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Pete Townshend | |||
| Producer(s) | Kit Lambert | |||
| The Who singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Performance video | ||||
| "I'm a Boy" on BeatClub (1967) on YouTube | ||||
"I'm a Boy" is a 1966 rock song written by Pete Townshend for the Who.[3] The song was originally intended to be a part of a rock opera called Quads, which was to be set in a future in which parents can choose the sex of their children. The idea was later scrapped, but this song survived and was later released as a single.[3]
Overview
The song is about a family who "order" four girls, but a mistake is made and three girls and one boy are delivered instead. The boy dreams of partaking in sports and other boy-type activities, but his mother forces him to act like his sisters and refuses to believe the truth ("I'm a boy, I'm a boy, but my Ma won't admit it").[3] The track was produced by Kit Lambert at IBC Studios around 31 July–1 August 1966 and released just over three weeks later on 26 August 1966, with "In the City" as the B-side. The single was hugely successful in the United Kingdom and Ireland, reaching number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and number 7 in Ireland. The single actually reached number 1 in all the weekly music paper charts, as well as the top spot on several pirate radio stations, but as the BBC used just one chart - From Record Retailer - the single only 'officially' reached number 2. It failed to repeat that success in the US.[3]
The original recording (released as a single), which features John Entwistle's French horn arrangement prominently in the mix, is available on the album Who's Missing.[4] The version included on most compilations, between the original 1966 release and The Who Hits 50!, is exactly the same recording, with French horns and drum overdubs removed.[citation needed]
A different, slower version was recorded in London in the week of 3 October 1966 and was intended for an early version of A Quick One titled Jigsaw Puzzle, but was later released on Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy in 1971. The same version, but without its intro and therefore beginning with the vocals, was released on a bonus disc of The Ultimate Collection in 2002 and is unique to that album.
The song was performed at the Who's concert at Leeds, released in album format as Live at Leeds. On the Live at Leeds album, Pete Townshend comments on the song by saying:[5]
We'd like to play three selected hit singles--three easiest...and "I'm a Boy" which according to the, (crowd cheers) thank you, according to the Melody Maker was our first number one in England I think for about a half an hour (crowd laughs).
"In the City"
Released as the B-side of the single was "In the City", the only song credited to the songwriting collaboration of John Entwistle and Keith Moon.[6] Entwistle referred to it as rip-off of Jan and Dean, a group that was a favorite of Moon's.[7] The track was later included on the 1995 reissue of A Quick One.
Chart performance
Charts
| Chart (1966–1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] | 16 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[8] | 16 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[9] | 7 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[8] | 6 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[8] | 4 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[10] | 2 |
| West Germany (Media Control)[8] | 10 |
References
- ^ Neill 2007, p. 107.
- ^ Neill 2007, pp. 127, 131.
- ^ a b c d Richie Unterberger. "I'm a Boy - The Who | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ^ "The Who - Who's Missing (Vinyl, LP)". Discogs. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ^ "The Who's Live at Leeds Remains a Peerless Document of Rock and Roll Power". Consequence of Sound. 16 May 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
- ^ Atkins, John (14 June 2015). The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963-1998. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-0657-6.
- ^ Moore, Mark A. (18 February 2016). The Jan & Dean Record: A Chronology of Studio Sessions, Live Performances and Chart Positions. McFarland. ISBN 978-0-7864-9812-3.
- ^ a b c d e "The Who – I'm A Boy". ultratop.be.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I'm a Boy". Irish Singles Chart.
- ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
Sources
- Neill, Andrew (2007). Anyway Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of the Who 1958–1978. London: Virgin Books. ISBN 978-0-7535-1217-3.
