Album · 60 years old this year
A Quick One
A Quick One is the second studio album by the Who, released on 9 December 1966 on the Reaction label. It sits between My Generation and The Who Sell Out, and it sounds like a band opening the doors a little wider. Pete Townshend wrote much of the material, as usual, but this time everyone chipped in: Roger Daltrey contributed one song, while John Entwistle and Keith Moon each wrote two. There's also a cover of the Holland–Dozier–Holland number "Heat Wave".
The real reason to seek it out is the closer, "A Quick One, While He's Away", a multi-part suite that pointed the way towards the rock operas the Who would later be known for. In the United States the record came out in April 1967 as Happy Jack, with a slightly altered track listing, after the single of that name made the top 40 there.
A Quick One: tracklist, credits and charts
10 tracks · 31:31Tracklist
- 1Run Run RunPete Townshend2:41
- 2Boris the SpiderJohn Entwistle2:26
- 3I Need YouKeith Moon2:20
- 4Whiskey ManJohn Entwistle2:56
- 5HeatwaveDozier, Holland, Holland1:54
- 6Cobwebs and StrangeTony Crombie and Keith Moon2:29
- 7Don’t Look AwayPete Townshend2:52
- 8See My WayRoger Daltrey1:51
- 9So Sad About UsPete Townshend2:57
- 10A Quick One, While He’s AwayPete Townshend9:05
- Produced by
- Kit Lambert
- Executive producer
- Chris Stamp
- Recorded at
- Pye Studios, IBC Studios (all London), Regent Sound Studios
- Recorded
- 30 August–November 1966
- Artwork
- Alan Aldridge
- Labels
- Reaction, Decca (US)
- Length
- 31:31
Line-up
- John Entwistle · bass guitar, vocals, electric bass guitar, background vocals, lead vocals, trumpet
- Keith Moon · membranophone, drums (drum set), background vocals, cymbal
- Pete Townshend · guitar, vocals, electric guitar, background vocals, whistle
- Roger Daltrey · vocals, trombone, lead vocals · guest
Singles
- “Happy Jack” · 2 December 1966
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart · 1966–1967 | 2 |
| UK Disc and Music Echo Top Ten LPs · 1966–1967 | 3 |
| UK New Musical Express Top 15 LP's · 1966–1967 | 3 |
| UK Melody Maker Top Ten LPs · 1966–1967 | 4 |
| UK Record Retailer LPs Chart · 1966–1967 | 4 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1966–1967 | 13 |
| West German Musikmarkt LP Hit Parade · 1966–1967 | 15 |
| Swedish Kvällstoppen Chart · 1966–1967 | 19 |
| US Record World 100 Top LP's · 1966–1967 | 27 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 Albums · 1966–1967 | 35 |
All 12 charts
| US Billboard Top LP's · 1966–1967 | 67 |
| Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart · 1966–1967 | 163 |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
77.5
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
3.7k
ListenBrainz listeners
106k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
7.4k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 9 December
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More from The Who
Full discography →
My Generation
1965
Ready Steady Who
1966
The Who
1967
The Who Sell Out
1967
Number Two
1968
Magic Bus: The Who on Tour
1968
Direct Hits
1968
Tommy
1969
Live at Leeds
1970
Who’s Next
1971
Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy
1971
Quadrophenia
1973
Odds & Sods
1974
Investigacion de mercado
1975
Tommy
1975
The Who by Numbers
1975
Substitute
1976
The Story of The Who
1976
Who Are You
1978
The Kids Are Alright
1979
Face Dances
1981
Hooligans
1981
It’s Hard
1982
Who’s Greatest Hits
1983
The Singles
1984
Who’s Last
1984
Who’s Missing
1985
Two’s Missing
1987
This Is My Generation
1988
Who’s Better, Who’s Best
1988
Won’t Get Fooled Again
1988
Join Together
1990
Thirty Years of Maximum R&B
1994
My Generation – The Very Best of The Who
1996
Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
1996
20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection: The Best of The Who
1999
BBC Sessions
2000
The Who Live: The Blues to the Bush 1999
2000
Live at the Royal Albert Hall
2001
The Ultimate Collection
2002
Then and Now
2004
Live From Toronto
2006
Endless Wire
2006
Amazing Journey: The Story of the Who
2008
Greatest Hits
2009
Greatest Hits Live
2010
Live at Hull 1970
2012
Quadrophenia: Live in London
2014
The Who Hits 50!
2014
Live at Shea Stadium 1982
2015
Ready Steady Who Two
2016
Ready Steady Who Three
2017
Live at the Fillmore East 1968
2018
WHO
2019
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More on Reaction
The label →Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata; also seen: 1966-12-03 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 3 December 1966 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 9 December 1966 | |
| Wikidata | 9 December 1966 | |
| UK / Europe release | 3 December 1966 | earliest UK or European date |
20 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | US | MCA Records | other | |
| 3 December 1966 | GB | Reaction | original | |
| May 1967 | US | Decca Records | other | |
| May 1967 | US | Decca Records | other | |
| 1981 | DE | Polydor | other | |
| 1988 | XE | Polydor | 042283572829 | other |
| 1988 | CA | MCA Records | 076731133126 | other |
| 1 June 1989 | JP | Polydor | 4988005050212 | other |
| 1 September 1994 | JP | Polydor | 4988005143297 | other |
| 1995 | GB | Polydor | 731458980025 | remaster |
| 1995 | GB | Polydor | 731452775825 | remaster |
| 1995 | US | MCA Records | 008811126728 | other |
| 20 June 1995 | US | MCA Records | 008811126728 | other |
| 14 April 2003 | GB | Polydor | 731458980025 | other |
| 29 October 2008 | JP | Universal | 4988005521330 | other |
| 27 June 2012 | JP | Polydor | 4988005715784 | other |
| 9 December 2014 | US | Geffen | 0602537945849 | other |
| 2015 | US | Geffen | other | |
| 18 April 2026 | GB | — | other | |
| — | — | — | other |
Cover art sources
deezer · upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1200×1200 | upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 301×300 | upscaled |