Pete dedicated the album to his wife Karen.Īt this period of his life, Pete drew on the strength and influence of Avatar Meher Baba. Many of the songs on the album are introspective, spiritual and deeply personal.
Pete was also experiencing difficulties in his personal life at that time, dealing with alcohol problems and marital issues. Many consider the songs chosen for Empty Glass to be far superior. He was under contract to deliver albums for both The Who and as a solo artist, so Pete was writing material for both Empty Glass and The Who's Face Dances album at the same time. Pete wrote and recorded Empty Glass at a tumultuous time in his career when he was moving away from The Who, following the death of Keith Moon in 1978. His singing on songs like 'I Am An Animal' and 'Empty Glass' is absolutely beautiful. In addition to the incredible instrumental work, Pete also gave a stunning vocal performance on Empty Glass, digging down deep to display a wide range of styles and heart-felt emotions throughout the album. The lineup included Rabbit Bundrick on keyboards, Tony Butler on bass, Simon Phillips, Kenney Jones, Mark Brzezicki, and James Asher on drums, Peter Hope-Evans on harmonica, and Raphael Rudd, who arranged the horn parts on 'Rough Boys'. Pete performed all the guitar and synth parts, and brought in various musicians to lay down the piano, bass, drums, and harmonica parts. Additional recording was done at AIR Studios in Oxford Street and Pete’s Eel Pie Studios. Recording sessions for the album began in November 1979 at Wessex Studios in North London, with legendary producer Chris Thomas at the helm, and Bill Price as the engineer. A couple songs ('Keep On Working' and 'Empty Glass') were initially recorded by The Who during the Who Are You sessions.
Pete began writing the songs and recording demos for Empty Glass in his 24-track home studio around 1978. It was Pete’s most successful solo album, reaching #5 on the Billboard charts.
It was released on Atco Records, which was part of Atlantic Records. The album hit the stores in the UK on 14th April 1980, and in the US the following week on 21st April. Pete Townshend’s solo album Empty Glass was released 40 years ago this month! Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Empty Glass!
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