Zoot Suit/I'm the Face
"Zoot Suit" b/w "I'm the Face" was the first single of the British rock band the Who, who recorded it under the name the High Numbers in an attempt to appeal to a mod audience.[1] "Zoot Suit" was written by Peter Meaden, the band's first manager. The song is a direct copy of "Misery" by the American R&B group the Dynamics, while the B-side, "I'm The Face", is a copy of Slim Harpo's "I Got Love If You Want It."[2] The single was meant for a mod audience, but failed to chart.[3] The band changed their name back to The Who, found new management and released their own composition "I Can't Explain", which was a top ten hit in the United Kingdom.
| "Zoot Suit" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by the High Numbers (The Who) | ||||
| B-side | "I'm the Face" | |||
| Released | 3 July 1964 | |||
| Recorded | June 1964 | |||
| Studio | Fontana, London, England | |||
| Genre | British rhythm and blues | |||
| Length | 1:59 | |||
| Label | Fontana | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Peter Meaden | |||
| Producer(s) | Chris Parmeinter Peter Meaden | |||
| The High Numbers (The Who) singles chronology | ||||
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Both songs embraced mod culture - a zoot suit being a fashionable item of clothing for mods, and a "Face" being mod slang for a well respected member of mod society.[4]
Album/single appearances
"I'm the Face" appeared on Odds & Sods in 1974.
"I'm the Face" was again released as a B-side single to "Long Live Rock" along with a live version of "My Wife" for the UK single but was dropped on the U.S. single.[5]
"Zoot Suit" appeared on the soundtrack to the 1979 film based on the Who's 1973 album Quadrophenia.
"Zoot Suit" b/w "I'm the Face" was reissued in 1980 and reached #49 in the UK.
"Zoot Suit" is the opening track from the compilation album The Who Hits 50! released in October 2014.
Both songs were featured on the Thirty Years of Maximum R&B box set.
References
- John Atkins (2000). The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963-1998. McFarland. p. 31.
- Mat Snow (2 November 2015). The Who: Fifty Years of My Generation. Race Point Publishing. p. 24.
- "The Who Official Band Website - Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon | | Zoot Suit". Thewho.com. 3 July 1964. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
- Rocco J. Gennaro (23 June 2016). The Who and Philosophy. Lexington Books. p. 53.
- "The Who Official Band Website - Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon | | Long Live Rock". Thewho.com. Retrieved 9 June 2011.