Odorono

Album: The Who Sell Out (1967)
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Songfacts®:

  • In the wake of the release of Who's Next Pete Townshend said that he felt the songs he writes tell a little story. He added this tune about underarm perspiration, "was a little story, and although it's a good song, it was about something groovy - underarm perspiration." Townshend then went on to say that the song's male love interest rushes backstage to congratulate the song's female protagonist, "and it looks like she's all set, not only for stardom but also for true love. And then, underarm perspiration cuts the whole thing. And you know, without getting too serious about it, because it's supposed to be very light, that's life. It really is. That really is life." (Source of quote Mojo magazine April 2009)
  • Pete Townshend rather than Roger Daltrey was the lead vocalist on this song. In fact either Townshend or bass guitarist John Entwistle were the sole lead vocalist on seven of the songs on The Who Sell Out.
  • One of the panels on the front cover of the The Who Sell Out album shows Townshend applying some Odorono deodorant from an oversized stick. The fictitious brand name was named after an actual product called Odo-Ro-No, which was the first underarm deodorant that was marketed specifically for women. In 1919 an advert for Odo-Ro-No coined the term "B.O." Women were warned in the ad, that if they had "B.O." they might never get a man.
  • Roger Daltrey was said to have caught pneumonia after sitting in the bath of beans for the cover of The Who Sell Out. He told Q magazine: "The trouble was, the beans had come straight out the fridge. Then they stuck an electric fire behind the bath. I did become ill."

Comments: 2

  • Tara from Petoskey, MiYeah, Roy, I agree. I listen to this album when I want to just laugh. Especially this song.
  • Roy from Granbania, MaThe Who Sell Out is a very interesting record. It was a good concept (the whole pirate radio idea), but wasn't executed completely consistently. It still ended up being fun to listen to, though.
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