White City: A Novel

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White City: A Novel
Studio album by Pete Townshend
Released	November 30, 1985 July 11, 2006 (reissue)
Recorded	1985
Genre	Rock
Length	38:27
Label	Atco Hip-O Records (reissue)
Producer	Chris Thomas
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Rolling Stone (not rated) link
Pete Townshend chronology
Scoop (1983) White City: A Novel (1985) Another Scoop (1987)

White City: A Novel is a solo album by Pete Townshend of The Who. The album was released in 1985 on Atco.

The title refers to a story (called a "novel" in the album title) that accompanies the album, and which takes place in a low-income housing estate in the West London area of White City, near where Townshend grew up. The story tells of cultural conflict, racial tension, and youthful hopes and dreams in the 1960s--a world of "prostituted children," "roads leading to darkness, leading home," and despairing residents living in "cells" with views of "dustbins and a Ford Cortina." The song "White City Fighting," which features David Gilmour's soaring guitar work, tells listeners that the White City was "a black, violent place" where "battles were won, and battles were blown, at the height of the White City fighting." The album opens with brilliant, crashing guitar chords that nicely capture a feeling of urban chaos, leading into "Give Blood," a song with Townshend's trademark, moral lyrics demanding listeners to "give blood, but you may find that blood is not enough."

The disc also mentions a film based on the album, directed and "adapted for longform video" by Richard Lowenstein. The video, entitled "White City: The Music Movie," was released by Vestron Music Video in 1985 and stars Pete Townshend, Andrew Wilde, and Frances Barber; it is approximately 60 minutes long. The videotape also features exclusive footage of Pete Townshend discussing the album and film, and the premiere performance of "Night School."

Contents 1 White City Fighting 2 Track listing 3 Bonus Tracks (2006 Hip-O USA Release) 4 Bonus Tracks (2006 Japan Release) 5 Non-album Tracks 6 Personnel 7 Charts 8 Certifications

[edit] White City Fighting

The track "White City Fighting" originated as a tune written by David Gilmour for his second, 1984 solo album About Face. He asked Townshend to supply lyrics, but felt that those provided were not something he could relate to, so Townshend used the song instead, with Gilmour playing guitar. Gilmour sent the same tune to Roy Harper, whose lyrics had the same effect on Gilmour. Harper used the result, "Hope", which has a markedly slower tempo, on his 1985 album with Jimmy Page, Whatever Happened to Jugula?.

[edit] Track listing

All tracks written by Pete Townshend except as indicated.

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
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

[edit] Bonus Tracks (2006 Hip-O USA Release)

10. "Night School" – 3:23 previously unreleased
11. "Save It for Later" (Roger Charlery, Andy Cox, Everett Morton, David Steele, Dave Wakeling) – 4:58 previously unreleased
12. "Hiding Out" (12" mix) – 5:50 previously released on 12" single

[edit] Bonus Tracks (2006 Japan Release)

10. "Secondhand Love" (Live in Brixton, England) –
11. "Face the Face" (Live in Brixton) –

[edit] Non-album Tracks

1. "Face the Face" (Vocal Long Version) – 6:08 Only available on 12" US and European Singles
2. "Hiding Out" (Instrumental version) – Only available on 12" Atco Germany single titled "Hiding Out"
3. "Night School" – 3:03 Video version
4. "Face the Face" (Single Edit) – 4:23 Available on 7" US single
5. "Face the Face" (Edit) – 3:59 Available on 12" US promo single

[edit] Personnel

• Pete Townshend – vocals, guitar
• Steve Barnacle – bass guitar
• Mark Brzezicki – drums
• John (Rabbit) Bundrick – keyboards
• Clem Burke – drums
• Tony Butler – bass guitar
• Phil Chen – bass guitar
• David Gilmour – guitar
• Peter Hope-Evans – harmonica
• Kick Horns: Simon Clarke, Roddy Lorimer, Tim Sanders, Peter Thoms
• Chucho Merchán – bass guitar
• Pino Palladino – bass guitar
• Simon Phillips – drums
• Ewan Stewart – voice (spoken word)
• Backing vocals – Jackie Challenor, Mae McKenna, Lorenza Johnson, Emma Townshend

[edit] Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1985	The Billboard 200	26

Single

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1985	"Give Blood"	Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	5
1985	"Face The Face"	Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	3
1986	"Secondhand Love"	Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks	32
1986	"Face The Face"	Billboard Hot 100	26

[edit] Certifications

Organization	Level	Date
RIAA – USA	Gold	January 22, 1986

v • d • e Pete Townshend Studio albums Who Came First (1972) · Rough Mix (with Ronnie Lane) (1977) · Empty Glass (1980) · All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes (1982) · White City (1985) · Iron Man (1989) · Psychoderelict (1993) Live albums Deep End Live! (1986) · Live: Brooklyn Academy of Music (1993) · Live: The Fillmore (1996) · Live: The Empire (1996) · A Benefit for Maryville Academy (1998) · Live: Sadler's Wells (2000) · Live: La Jolla (June 22nd) (2001) · Live: La Jolla (June 23rd) (2001) · The Oceanic Concerts (with Raphael Rudd) (2001) · Magic Bus / Live From Chicago (2004) Compilations Scoop (1983) · Another Scoop (1986) · Coolwalkingsmoothtalkingstraightsmokingfirestoking (1996) · The Lifehouse Chronicles (2000) · Lifehouse Elements (2000) · Scoop 3 (2001) · Scooped (2002) · Gold (2005) · The Definitive Collection (2007) Meher Baba Tributes (With Ronnie Lane et al) Happy Birthday (1970) · I Am (1972) · With Love (1976) · Jai Baba (2001) · O Parvardigar (2001)