Eminence Front
{{short description|1982 single by the Who}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Eminence Front
| cover = The-who-eminence-front-cover.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Cover of the cancelled UK single
| type = single
| artist = the Who
| album = It's Hard
| B-side = "One at a Time"{{ref|http://www.thewho.com/index.php?module=discography&discography_item_id=57}}
| released = December 1982
| format =
| recorded = 1982
| studio =
| genre = Arena rock,{{cite magazine |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |date=2022-09-27 |title=100 Best Songs of 1982 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-1982-1234592830/ |access-date=2023-09-09 |magazine=Rolling Stone |quote=...one final blast of greatness with “Eminence Front”, one of their meatiest, beatiest arena-rousers... |archive-date=11 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111091126/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-1982-1234592830/ |url-status=live }} funk{{Cite news |url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv1-83.php |title=Christgau's Consumer Guide |work=The Village Voice |date=25 January 1983 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709122913/http://robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv1-83.php |archive-date=9 July 2017 |url-status=live |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau}}
| length = 5:39
| label = Polydor (UK)
Warner Bros. (US)
| writer = Pete Townshend
| producer = Glyn Johns
| prev_title = Athena
| prev_year = 1982
| next_title = It's Hard
| next_year = 1983
| misc = {{external music video|header=Promo music video|{{YouTube|KI_npEyjgxA|"Eminence Front" by the Who}}}}
}}
"Eminence Front" is a song by the Who, written and sung by lead guitarist Pete Townshend. It appears on the group's tenth studio album It's Hard (1982). The single entered Billboard Hot 100 on 25 December 1982, reaching number 68.{{cite web |url=http://www.thewho.com/index.php?module=discography&discography_item_id=72 |title=Discography |work=thewho.com |access-date=26 February 2009 |archive-date=14 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090314001430/http://www.thewho.com/index.php?module=discography&discography_item_id=72 |url-status=live }}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-who/chart-history/hsi/ |title=Billboard |magazine=Billboard }}
Background and recording
In the song, Townshend sings about the delusions and drug use of the wealthy and hedonistic. The lyrics describe a party in which people hide from their problems behind a façade. Townshend has introduced the song in live performances with: "This song is about what happens when you take too much white powder; it's called 'Eminence Front'."{{cite web |author=The Archivist |date=2011-10-11 |url=http://wnew.radio.com/2011/10/11/video-classics-eminence-front/ |title=Video Classics: Eminence Front |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130131214535/http://wnew.radio.com/2011/10/11/video-classics-eminence-front/ |archivedate=2013-01-31 |work=Wnew.com |accessdate=2012-10-29 }} In an interview, Townshend explained:
{{blockquote|"Eminence Front" was written around a chord progression I discovered on my faithful Yamaha E70 organ. I hesitate to try to explain what it was about. It's clearly about the absurdity of drug-fueled grandiosity, but whether I was pointing the finger at myself or at the cocaine dealers of Miami Beach is hard to recall.{{cite magazine |last1=Browne |first1=David |last2=Fricke |first2=David |last3=Dolan |first3=Jon |last4=Grow |first4=Kory |last5=Gehr |first5=Richard |last6=Greene |first6=Andy |last7=Hermes |first7=Will |title=The Who's 50 Greatest Songs: 10. 'Eminence Front' ('It's Hard', 1982) |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/the-whos-50-greatest-songs-81794/eminence-front-its-hard-1982-24906/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=26 August 2020 |date=3 March 2016 |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807032654/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/the-whos-50-greatest-songs-81794/eminence-front-its-hard-1982-24906/ |url-status=live }}}}
Personnel
The Who:
- Pete Townshend – lead vocals, lead guitar, Yamaha E70 organ, backing vocals
- Roger Daltrey – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- John Entwistle – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Kenney Jones – drums
Additional Personnel:
- Tim Gorman – electric piano
Release
"Eminence Front" was scheduled to be released as a single in the UK by Polydor Records in 1982; the catalog number was WHO 7 but the single was never released. The picture sleeve, by Richard Evans, depicted a 1930s Art Deco house in Miami.{{ref|http://www.thewho.com/index.php?module=discography&discography_item_id=57}} The single in its picture sleeve was finally released in 2017 as part of the Who's The Polydor Singles 1975-2015 box set.{{cite web |title=THE POLYDOR SINGLES BOX 1975 – 2015 |url=https://www.thewho.com/the-polydor-singles-box-1975-2015/ |website=thewho.com |date=25 January 2016 |publisher=The Who |access-date=28 August 2020 |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726131745/https://www.thewho.com/the-polydor-singles-box-1975-2015/ |url-status=live }} It was released as a promotional 12-inch single in both the US and UK, and as a 7-inch single in the US and Canada.
Critical reception
In a wholly negative review of It's Hard, Robert Christgau gave faint praise to "Eminence Front" as the album's high point, sarcastically noting how the aging Townshend "discovers funk. Just in time. Bye." Cash Box said that it "rides along on Pete Townshend's cleanly slicing guitar and the band's patented synth sound" as well as a "strong bottom" from the drums and bass guitar."{{cite magazine|title=Reviews|magazine=Cash Box|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1982/CB-1982-12-04.pdf|date=December 4, 1982|accessdate=2022-07-07|page=8|archive-date=9 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809235144/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1982/CB-1982-12-04.pdf|url-status=live}} Rolling Stone ranked the song as the Who's tenth best song, stating, {{"'}}Eminence Front' showed they could connect Townshend's new wave-influenced solo work with the classic sound of Who's Next."
In popular culture
The song has been used as the intro music for Dallas Mavericks games since it was adopted during the 2000–01 NBA season, the team's final season at the Reunion Arena.{{cite web |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/music/2019/10/22/what-pete-townshend-of-the-the-who-thinks-about-the-mavs-intro-song-which-he-wrote/ |title=What Pete Townshend of The Who thinks about the Mavs' intro song (which he wrote) |last=Christiansen |first=Thor |date=22 October 2019 |website=The Dallas Morning News |access-date=3 June 2020 |archive-date=3 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603112527/https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/music/2019/10/22/what-pete-townshend-of-the-the-who-thinks-about-the-mavs-intro-song-which-he-wrote/ |url-status=live }}
In 2016, the song appeared in the movie The Infiltrator.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1355631/soundtrack/ |title=The Infiltrator (2016) - Soundtracks - IMDb |language=en-US |access-date=2025-03-18 |via=www.imdb.com}}
In 2025, the song appeared in the second season of Severance.{{cite web |last1=Weiss |first1=Josh |title=Why The Who’s ‘Eminence Front’ Was A Brilliant Choice For ‘Severance’ |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshweiss/2025/03/10/why-the-whos-eminence-front-was-a-brilliant-choice-for-severance/ |website=Forbes |publisher=Forbes |access-date=14 March 2025}}
Charts
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
| Chart (1982–1983)
!Peak |
|---|
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|68|artist=The Who|rowheader=true}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|5|artist=The Who|rowheader=true}} |
References
{{reflist|1}}
External links
- [https://www.lyrics007.com/The%20Who%20Lyrics/Eminence%20Front%20Lyrics.html Eminence Front lyrics]
{{It's Hard}}
{{The Who singles}}
{{Dallas Mavericks}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Songs written by Pete Townshend
Category:Song recordings produced by Glyn Johns
Category:Warner Records singles