"Join Together" is also notable for its roots in The Who's abandoned Lifehouse album, a quality shared by another of The Who's 1972 singles, "Relay".

The song was eventually recorded on the same day as "Relay" (its follow-up single) and a demo of "Long Live Rock" in May 1972.

I felt that, with a lot of songs, we'd end up spending so much time creating these piddly one-note noises that it would've been better just doing it on guitar.

[2]With the definitive title of "Join Together", the song was released as a non-album single in 1972, backed with a live and unedited version of Marvin Gaye's "Baby Don't You Do It", recorded at San Francisco's Civic Auditorium on 13 December 1971.

A video shot in June 1972 shortly after completing the song featured The Who miming to playback in front of an excited audience.

On 13 January 2011, the band played this song with guests Debbie Harry, Jeff Beck and Bryan Adams as the show-closer for The Concert for Killing Cancer benefit show.