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Tommy
Tommy cover
Studio album by The Who
Released 23 May 1969 (1969-05-23)
Recorded 19 September 1968 – 7 March 1969 at IBC Studios, London
Genre Rock
Length 74:00
Label Track, Polydor (UK)
Decca, MCA (U. A studio album is an original collection of new tracks by a recording artist The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend Events 1430 - Siege of Compiègne: Joan of Arc is captured by the Burgundians while leading an army to relieve Compiègne Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 161 - Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius dies and is succeeded by co-Emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The IBC Recording Studios (IBC International Broadcasting Company) were recording studios in 35 Portland Place, London England London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Track Records was an "Independent" Record label founded in 1967 by Kit Lambert, Chris Stamp (managers of The Who) and Pete Polydor Records is a Record label currently headquartered in the UK, and is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Decca Records is a British Record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. MCA Records was an American -based record company owned by MCA Inc S. )
Producer Kit Lambert
Professional reviews
The Who chronology
Magic Bus: The Who on Tour
(1968)		 Tommy
(1969)		 Live at Leeds
(1970)

Tommy is the fourth album by the English rock band The Who. In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing Christopher "Kit" Sebastian Lambert ( 11 May, 1935 &ndash 7 April, 1981) was a Record producer and the Manager allmusic (previously All Music Guide) is a Metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. PopMatters is an international Webzine of cultural criticism Its scope is broadly cast on all things pop culture Georgiy Sergeevich Starostin (Russian Гео́ргий Серге́евич Ста́ростин born July 4, 1976) is a Russian Linguistics researcher Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend Magic Bus The Who on Tour is a compilation album by British rock band The Who, released in the United States in September 1968 Live at Leeds (1970 is The Who 's first Live album, and is their only live album that was released while the band was still recording and performing England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend A concept album, Tommy was the first musical work to be billed as a rock opera. In Popular music, a concept album is an Album which is "unified by a theme which can be instrumental compositional narrative or lyrical" Rock operas, Concept albums Song cycles and Oratorios all differ from a conventional rock album which usually includes songs that are unrelated to each Released in 1969, the album was mostly composed by guitarist Pete Townshend. Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born 19 May 1945 in Chiswick, London) is an English rock Guitarist, Singer, The album, according to Roger Daltrey, was recorded in 9 weeks.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 96 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published The album was also ranked #90 on VH1's 100 Greatest Albums of Rock & Roll and appears in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. VH1 (known as VH-1 Video Hits One from 1985 to 1994 and VH1 Music First until 2003) is an American Cable television [1] NME named it the 16th on "NME Writers All Time Top 100" in 1974. The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been [2] Q ranked it 9th on their list of "The Music That Changed The World: Part One 1954-1969" in 2004. Q is a Music Magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 130179 as of June 2007 [3]

Contents

Synopsis

The opera was written to express how Townshend felt after being taught by Meher Baba and other writings and expressing the enlightenment he believes he received -- "a metaphorical story of different states of consciousness. Meher Baba ( Devanāgarī: मेहेर बाबा) (February 25 1894 Merwan Sheriar Irani – January 31 1969 was an Indian mystic and spiritual "[4]

Characters

Story in chronological order

In its original album version, the story is quite scattered, and details were often filled in post facto by Townshend in interviews. As other adaptations of the album appeared, some details were filled out and others were changed. Notably, some later versions change the time frame from World War I/1921 to World War II/1951. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The film version of Tommy also changes a major plot point: instead of Captain Walker killing his wife's new lover, the lover kills Captain Walker. This has led to endless confusion over the storyline, as some remember the album's version of events while others recall the film's.

Analysis and history

When Tommy was released, critics were split between those who thought the album was a masterpiece, the beginnings of a new genre, and those that felt it was "sick" and exploitative because of its dark theme. The album was banned by the BBC and certain U. S. radio stations. Ultimately, the album became a huge commercial success, as did The Who's frequent live performances of the rock opera in the following years, elevating The Who to a new level of prestige and international stardom. ([1])

Although Tommy is conventionally described as a rock opera, author and Who historian Richard Barnes states that this definition is not strictly correct, since Tommy does not utilise the classic operatic formulae of staging, scenery, acting and recitative (although new operas are frequently performed without the first three features before a full mounting, similarly to Tommy, and some of its songs, such as "1921", "Christmas", "Do You Think It's All Right?" and "Go to the Mirror" have the qualities of recitative). Richard Barnes may refer to Richard Barnes (British politician, London politician Richard Barnes (journalist, Australian journalist Theatrical scenery is that which is used as a setting for a Theatrical production Recitative /rɛsɪtə'tiv/ (also known by its Italian name "recitativo" (/retʃita'tivo/ is a style of delivery (much used in Operas Oratorios According to Barnes, Tommy could be more accurately described as a "rock cantata" or a "rock song cycle". A cantata (derived from the Italian word 'cantare' meaning 'to sing' is a vocal composition with an instrumental Accompaniment and often Song cycles in classical music The first generally accepted example of a song cycle is Ludwig van Beethoven 's An die ferne Geliebte (1816 It most closely resembles an "oratorio" (e. g. Handel's "Messiah") in form, as it includes instrumental, choral and solo sections, with no dialogue between characters, and no sets, costumes or choreography. To call it a "rock opera" conveys some of the disdain for convention that is characteristic of "The Who" and of the late '60's in general. At the same time, this "rock opera" displays a deep commitment to the quality and originality of the music the group was creating.

Musically, the original album is a complex set of pop-rock arrangements, generally based upon Townshend's acoustic guitar and built up with many overdubs by the four members of the band using many instruments, including bass, electric and acoustic guitars, piano, organ, drum kit, gong, timpani, trumpet, French horn, three-part vocal harmonies and occasional doubling on vocal solos. Despite this instrumental richness the sound tends to be very "stark", especially in comparison to the band's later work. Many of the instruments only appear intermittently -- the ten-minute "Underture" features a single toot on the horn -- and when overdubbed many of the instruments are mixed at low levels that require careful listening to notice. Townshend mixes fingerpicking in with his trademark power chords and fat riffs, and in some delicate moments his guitar sounds almost like a harpsichord. In Music, a power chord (also fifth chord) is a note plus the note a fifth above usually played on Electric guitar. In Music, a riff is an Ostinato figure a repeated Chord progression, pattern refrain or melodic figure, often played by the Rhythm A harpsichord is a Musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. Moon's drumming is controlled with a few dramatic moments; Entwistle's bass provides support and effectively takes the instrumental lead in several cuts. Daltrey swaggers as lead vocalist, but shares that role with the others on a surprising number of tracks. Townshend's later interest in synthesizers is foreshadowed by the use of taped sounds played in reverse to give a whistling, chirping sound on "Amazing Journey. "

"Amazing Journey" can be interpreted as the central pivot of Tommy, since its lyrics are essential to understanding what the opera is about (beyond the facile story line). Lyrics (in singular form Lyric) are a set of words that accompany music either by speaking or singing "Go to the Mirror" is the climax of the opera both musically and dramatically; tradition holds that when the band were touring the show live the audiences would spontaneously stand up during "Go to the Mirror" and remain standing until the end—listening in silence, unlike the customary behavior of Who fans. "We're Not Gonna Take It / See Me, Feel Me / Listening to You" is the denouement, with its ambiguous return to the earlier state of the story reinforced in concert by returning to the riff from "Overture" and "Go to the Mirror" at the very end rather than the long fade from the studio recording. In Literature, a dénouement ( IPA:/deˈnuːmɑ̃/ consists of a series of events that follow the climax of a drama or narrative and thus serves as the Various themes are repeated in different songs in order to give the opera a coherent feel.

The tracks "Overture", "Pinball Wizard", "I'm Free", and the "See Me, Feel Me / Listening to You" reprise were released as singles and got a decent amount of airplay. " Pinball Wizard " is a song written by Pete Townshend and performed by the English rock band The Who, and featured on their 1969 "Pinball Wizard" reached the top twenty in the U. S. and the top five in the UK, and was a hit for Elton John in 1975/76. Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer "See Me, Feel Me / Listening To You" landed high in the top twenty in the U. S. and "I'm Free" reached the top forty. The tracks "Overture", "Christmas", "I’m Free", and "See Me Feel Me" were released on an EP in late 1970. An extended play ( EP) is a Vinyl record, CD, or Music download which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify The "Overture" was also covered by a band called The Assembled Multitude and received a lot of airplay. The Assembled Multitude was an instrumental ensemble consisting entirely of Studio musicians which music producer Tom Sellers organized in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tommy was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998. The Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative

The child abuse that features so prominently in the story caused a good deal of outcry when it was first released. It has often been claimed that the basic idea of the Tommy story was lifted from The Pretty Things' 1968 concept album S.F. Sorrow, and Townshend himself later admitted that he listened to the Pretty Things LP extensively and that it was a major inspiration for Tommy. The Pretty Things are a Rock and roll band from London. They pioneered a raw approach to Rhythm and blues that influenced a number of key SF Sorrow is the title of a 1968 LP by the British rock group The Pretty Things. Steve Marriott also claimed that some musical elements in Tommy were "borrowed" from the music of The Small Faces. Stephen Peter Marriott ( January 30 1947 - April 20 1991) popularly known as Steve Marriott, was a successful and versatile Small Faces were an English rock group from East London, heavily influenced by American Rhythm and blues. Christian rock pioneer Larry Norman, in his official biography, states that "Pete Townshend credited Larry's own rock-opera, The Epic, for inspiring the rock-opera, Tommy, recorded by The Who" [2]. Notwithstanding the numerous outside influences, several structural precedents for Tommy exist in Townshend's own work, including "Glow Girl" (1968), "Rael" (1967), and the sectional work "A Quick One While He's Away" (1966). A Quick One is the second album by English rock band The Who, released in 1966

A couple of years before the album came out Pete Townshend explained his ideas and apparently actually thought out some of the structure of the opera during a famous Rolling Stone interview. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published John Entwistle claimed years after the release that he had never actually listened to the album because he was so sick of it after the endless takes and re-takes. A take is a single continuous recorded performance The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production

Editions

Tommy was originally released as a two-LP set with a thin booklet of lyrics and artwork in a triptych-style fold-out cover. A gramophone A triptych (pronounced "trip-tick" trip'tik (or US: 'tɹʷɪp All three of the outer panels of the triptych are spanned by a single Pop Art painting by Mike McInnerney. Pop Art is a visual Art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in parallel in the late 1950s in the United States. The drawing is a sphere with diamond-shaped cutouts and an overlay of clouds and seagulls rendered with a figure-ground ambiguity similar to that in the work of M. C. Escher. Maurits Cornelis Escher (17 June 1898 – 27 March 1972 usually referred to as M To one side a star-spangled hand bursts from the dark background, index finger pointing forward. (The image above only shows the central panel of the triptych. ) The label's executives insisted on having a picture of the band on the cover, so, small, barely recognizable images of the band members' faces were inserted into the gaps in the sphere, each with an outstretched hand like a groping Tommy Walker. (The most recent remastered CD release reverts to McInnerney's original artwork without the faces. ) The internal artwork consists of a photo of some jugglers/magicians and some very simple paintings that only hint at illustrating the story.

MCA re-released the album as a two-CD set in 1984. MCA Inc (or Music Corporation of America) was an American Corporation in the music and television businesses The CDs were in separate jewel cases and each had a miniaturised copy of the original artwork and lyrics in the insert, though it only included two panels of the magnificent triptych. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab later published it on a single gold-plated Ultradisc in their Original Master Recording series, with a much improved reproduction of the artwork (including a fold-out of the full original cover), and with the substitution of an alternate take on "Eyesight to the Blind". Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab ( MFSL or MoFi) is a company that produces reissues of classic albums Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab ( MFSL or MoFi) is a company that produces reissues of classic albums MCA finally released their own remastered edition on a single disc in 1996, complete with good artwork and a written introduction by Richard Barnes. Richard Barnes was a British Singer who saw limited chart success in the early 1970s

Currently Tommy is now released as a deluxe 2-disc hybrid SACD with a 5. Super Audio CD ( SACD) is a read-only optical audio disc format that can provide higher fidelity digital audio reproduction than the Red 1 multi-channel mix. This was done utilizing master tapes that were thought long lost. When Tommy was first released, a "sweetened" master tape was used incorporating echo effects and doubling the vocal harmonies. This bare-bones master is said to have a more warm and natural sound to give a more "live" feel. Many critics have hailed this release to be the more definitive edition. The re-mastering was done under the supervision of Townshend and also includes some outtakes and other cuts during the same sessions. One cut called "Dogs-Part 2" that was only previously available as the B-side of the Pinball Wizard single and on the 1987 collection Two's Missing is included. Two's Missing is a compilation of rare and previously unreleased songs by The Who.

Track listing

All songs were written by Pete Townshend except where noted. Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born 19 May 1945 in Chiswick, London) is an English rock Guitarist, Singer,

Original 1969 album

Side one

  1. "Overture" – 5:21
  2. "It's a Boy" – 0:38
  3. "1921" – 2:49
  4. "Amazing Journey" – 3:25
  5. "Sparks" – 3:46
  6. "Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)" (Williamson) – 2:13

Side two

  1. "Christmas" – 4:34
  2. "Cousin Kevin" (Entwistle) – 4:07
  3. "Acid Queen" – 3:34
  4. "Underture" – 10:09

Side three

  1. "Do You Think It's Alright?" – 0:24
  2. "Fiddle About" (Entwistle) – 1:26
  3. "Pinball Wizard" – 3:01
  4. "There's a Doctor" – 0:23
  5. "Go to the Mirror!" – 3:49
  6. "Tommy, Can You Hear Me?" – 1:36
  7. "Smash the Mirror" – 1:35
  8. "Sensation" – 2:27

Side four

  1. "Miracle Cure" – 0:12
  2. "Sally Simpson" – 4:12
  3. "I'm Free" – 2:40
  4. "Welcome" – 4:34
  5. "Tommy's Holiday Camp" (Moon) – 0:57
  6. "We're Not Gonna Take It" – 7:08

On some versions of the album, the title of "1921" was changed to "You Didn't Hear It". Aleck "Rice" Miller ( December 5 1899 or March 11 1908 – May 25 1965) a John Alec Entwistle ( October 9, 1944 – June 27, 2002) was an English Bass guitarist, Songwriter, Singer John Alec Entwistle ( October 9, 1944 – June 27, 2002) was an English Bass guitarist, Songwriter, Singer " Pinball Wizard " is a song written by Pete Townshend and performed by the English rock band The Who, and featured on their 1969 " Go to the Mirror! " is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who. " Tommy Can You Hear Me? " is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who. " I'm Free " is a song written by Pete Townshend and performed by The Who on the album Tommy. Keith John Moon ( August 23, 1946 &ndash September 7, 1978) was the Drummer of the rock group The Who. Some vinyl copies had both titles, the former in the lyrics and the latter on the label.
On the Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs CD remaster, "Eyesight to the Blind (The Hawker)" features a significantly different mix from that of the original LP (and currently available CD releases). The most prominent difference is a harmony vocal on the main verses sung by Townshend in a fashion similar to live performances of the song during 1969-70.
"Tommy's Holiday Camp" was also written by Townshend. Keith Moon was awarded credit for conceiving the holiday camp setting. Keith John Moon ( August 23, 1946 &ndash September 7, 1978) was the Drummer of the rock group The Who.

Deluxe edition

In 2003, Tommy was released as a deluxe edition as a Hybrid SACD and DVD-audio. The term special edition ( deluxe edition and collector's edition are also used is a term generally used as a Marketing incentive for various kinds of products Super Audio CD ( SACD) is a read-only optical audio disc format that can provide higher fidelity digital audio reproduction than the Red DVD-Audio (commonly abbreviated as DVD-A) is a digital format for delivering very High-fidelity audio content on a DVD. The two formats featured the original album remixed into 5. 1 surround sound and both featured a bonus disc of "out-takes and demos". The DVD-Audio edition also includes a bonus video interview with Pete Townshend plus a demonstration of his remixing the original recording into 5. 1 sound.

Bonus disc

The first twelve tracks are out-takes and demos and the last five are stereo only demos.

  1. "I Was" (previously unreleased) – 0:17
  2. "Christmas" (Outtake 3) (previously unreleased) – 4:43
  3. "Cousin Kevin Model Child" – 1:25
  4. "Young Man Blues" (Version 1) (Allison) – 2:51
  5. "Tommy Can You Hear Me?" (alternate version, previously unreleased) – 1:59
  6. "Trying to Get Through" (previously unreleased) – 2:51
  7. "Sally Simpson" (Outtake) (previously unreleased) – 4:09
  8. "Miss Simpson" (previously unreleased) – 4:18
  9. "Welcome" (Take 2) (previously unreleased) – 3:44
  10. "Tommy's Holiday Camp" (band's version, previously unreleased) – 1:07
  11. "We're Not Gonna Take It" (alternate version, previously unreleased) – 6:08
  12. "Dogs, Part Two" (Moon) – 2:26
  13. "It's a Boy" (previously unreleased) – 0:43
  14. "Amazing Journey" (previously unreleased) – 3:41
  15. "Christmas" – 1:55
  16. "Do You Think It's Alright?" (previously unreleased) – 0:28
  17. "Pinball Wizard" – 3:46

Singles

Live recordings

Whilst The Who regularly played Tommy live at the time of its release, they rarely, if ever, played it in the form in which it was released, instead deciding to change the running order and omit some tracks entirely. Four tracks that were regularly not featured were "Cousin Kevin", "Underture", "Sensation" and "Welcome".

A live recording of Tommy in this altered state is available on the 2001 Deluxe Edition of the 1970 live album Live at Leeds. Live at Leeds (1970 is The Who 's first Live album, and is their only live album that was released while the band was still recording and performing It is also available on the official release Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 from the same period, which was released in 1996. Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 is an official Live album by The Who, recorded at the Isle of Wight Festival on August 29

The Who also performed Tommy for its 20th anniversary during their 1989 reunion tour, reinstating the previously overlooked "Cousin Kevin" and "Sensation" but still omitting "Underture" and "Welcome". Recordings from this tour can be found on the Join Together live album and the Tommy and Quadrophenia Live with Special Guests DVD.

Other incarnations

1972 orchestral version

In late 1972 entrepreneur Lou Reizner presented two concert versions of Tommy at the Rainbow Theatre, London. The Rainbow was a live Rock music venue in north London that opened in September 1971 with a concert by The Who, supported by Quiver and closed London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The concerts featured The Who, plus an all-star guest cast, backed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Measham. The London Symphony Orchestra ( LSO) is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. The concerts were held to promote the release of Reizner's new studio recording of this "symphonic" version of Tommy.

Both in concert and on record, major singing roles were performed by leading pop and rock stars of the day -- David Essex, Maggie Bell, Sandy Denny, Steve Winwood, Rod Stewart, Richie Havens and Ringo Starr. David Essex OBE, was born David Albert Cook 23 July 1947, in Plaistow, County Borough of West Ham within Essex. Sandy Denny, born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny ( 6 January 1947 &ndash 21 April 1978) was an English Singer Stephen Lawrence "Steve" or "Stevie" Winwood (born 12 May 1948 in Handsworth, Birmingham) is an English Singer-songwriter Roderick "Rod" David Stewart, CBE (born 10 January 1945 is a Singer and Songwriter born and raised in London England and currently Richie Havens (born January 21, 1941) is an American folk Singer and Guitarist. Ringo Starr, MBE (born Richard Starkey on 7 July 1940 is an English Musician, Singer, Songwriter and Actor Pete Townshend also plays a bit of guitar, but otherwise the music is predominantly orchestral. Richard Harris sang-talk the role of the specialist. Richard St John Harris ( October 1 1930 - October 25 2002) was a two-time Academy Award -nominated and Grammy Award

The studio version of the orchestral Tommy was issued in a lavish boxed-set format, featuring stunning original artwork and photography, which used a pinball as its main motif. The packaging, designed by Wilkes and Braun, won the Best Album Package Grammy in 1974. The 16th Grammy Awards were held March 2, 1974, and were broadcast live on American television

The orchestral version was also performed twice in Australia in March and April 1973, to thousands at open air venues (Melbourne's Myer Music Bowl and Sydney's Randwick Racecourse). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Sidney Myer Music Bowl is an outdoor performance venue in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Royal Randwick Racecourse is a Racecourse for Horseracing in the Eastern Suburbs in Sydney, New South Wales. Keith Moon appeared as "Uncle Ernie" (in Melbourne only), Graham Bell as The Narrator, with local stars Daryl Braithwaite (as Tommy), Billy Thorpe, Doug Parkinson, Wendy Saddington, Jim Keays, Broderick Smith, Colleen Hewitt, Linda George, Ross Wilson, Bobby Bright, Ian Meldrum (as "Uncle Ernie" in Sydney), and a full orchestra. Graham Bell may refer to Alexander Graham Bell (1847&ndash1922 inventor Graham Bell QC, former Scottish Advocate Depute Daryl Braithwaite (born January 11, 1949 in Melbourne Australia) is an Australian pop Singer. For a full history see Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs. Billy Thorpe, AM ( 29 March 1946 &ndash 28 February Doug Parkinson is an Australian singer who first came to fame with his band Doug Parkinson In Focus in 1969 and had numerous hits on the Australian Top 40 charts The Masters Apprentices were a leading Australian rock band of the 1960s and early 1970s fronted by singer Jim Keays. Broderick Smith (born 1948 in Hertfordshire England) aka Brod Smith is an Australian Singer-songwriter, Harmonica, Guitar Linda George is an internationally renowned Assyrian singer who began singing at the age of five in the local church choir Daddy Cool is an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1970 with the original line-up of Wayne Duncan ( bass, vocals) Ross Bobby & Laurie were a popular Australian singing duo of the 1960s featuring Laurie Allen (vocals guitar keyboards and Bobby Bright (vocals guitar Ian Alexander "Molly" Meldrum OAM (born 29 January 1946 in Orbost, Victoria) is an Australian Popular music [5] The Sydney concert was videotaped, then televised by Channel 7 on 13 April 1973.

Bootleg issues of the London concert performances (which were recorded by the BBC) have also been released. A bootleg recording is an audio and/or Video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority

Below is the track listing with the London performer(s) of the track in parenthesis. All songs include the Chamber Choir and London Symphony Orchestra as performers, although they are not listed as such unless they are the sole performer.

Track listing for the orchestral version

  1. "Overture" (London Symphony Orchestra)
  2. "It's a Boy" (Sandy Denny & Pete Townshend)
  3. "1921" (Graham Bell, Maggie Bell, Roger Daltrey & Steve Winwood)
  4. "Amazing Journey" (Pete Townshend)
  5. "Sparks" (London Symphony Orchestra)
  6. "Eyesight to the Blind" (Richie Havens)
  7. "Christmas" (Roger Daltrey & Steve Winwood)
  8. "Cousin Kevin" (John Entwistle)
  9. "The Acid Queen" (Merry Clayton)
  10. "Underture" (London Symphony Orchestra)
  11. "Do You Think It's Alright?" (Maggie Bell & Steve Winwood)
  12. "Fiddle About" (Ringo Starr)
  13. "Pinball Wizard" (Rod Stewart)
  14. "There's a Doctor" (Roger Daltrey, Richard Harris & Steve Winwood)
  15. "Go to the Mirror" (Roger Daltrey & Steve Winwood)
  16. "Tommy, Can You Hear Me?" (Maggie Bell)
  17. "Smash the Mirror" (Maggie Bell)
  18. "I'm Free" (Roger Daltrey)
  19. "Miracle Cure" (Chamber Choir)
  20. "Sensation" (Roger Daltrey)
  21. "Sally Simpson" (Pete Townshend)
  22. "Welcome" (Roger Daltrey)
  23. "Tommy's Holiday Camp" (Roger Daltrey & Ringo Starr)
  24. "We're Not Gonna Take It" (Roger Daltrey)
  25. "See Me, Feel Me" (Roger Daltrey)

1975 film version

See main article Tommy (film). The London Symphony Orchestra ( LSO) is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. Sandy Denny, born Alexandra Elene Maclean Denny ( 6 January 1947 &ndash 21 April 1978) was an English Singer Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born 19 May 1945 in Chiswick, London) is an English rock Guitarist, Singer, Graham Thomas Bell (born 17 April 1948, in Blyth Northumberland, died 2 May 2008 in London) was an English Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944) is an English rock Vocalist, songwriter and actor best known as the Stephen Lawrence "Steve" or "Stevie" Winwood (born 12 May 1948 in Handsworth, Birmingham) is an English Singer-songwriter Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born 19 May 1945 in Chiswick, London) is an English rock Guitarist, Singer, The London Symphony Orchestra ( LSO) is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. Richie Havens (born January 21, 1941) is an American folk Singer and Guitarist. Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944) is an English rock Vocalist, songwriter and actor best known as the Stephen Lawrence "Steve" or "Stevie" Winwood (born 12 May 1948 in Handsworth, Birmingham) is an English Singer-songwriter John Alec Entwistle ( October 9, 1944 – June 27, 2002) was an English Bass guitarist, Songwriter, Singer Merry Clayton (born December 25, 1948 in Gert Town New Orleans, Louisiana) has had a rich Career as an American soul The London Symphony Orchestra ( LSO) is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom. Stephen Lawrence "Steve" or "Stevie" Winwood (born 12 May 1948 in Handsworth, Birmingham) is an English Singer-songwriter Ringo Starr, MBE (born Richard Starkey on 7 July 1940 is an English Musician, Singer, Songwriter and Actor Roderick "Rod" David Stewart, CBE (born 10 January 1945 is a Singer and Songwriter born and raised in London England and currently Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944) is an English rock Vocalist, songwriter and actor best known as the Richard St John Harris ( October 1 1930 - October 25 2002) was a two-time Academy Award -nominated and Grammy Award Stephen Lawrence "Steve" or "Stevie" Winwood (born 12 May 1948 in Handsworth, Birmingham) is an English Singer-songwriter Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944) is an English rock Vocalist, songwriter and actor best known as the Stephen Lawrence "Steve" or "Stevie" Winwood (born 12 May 1948 in Handsworth, Birmingham) is an English Singer-songwriter Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944) is an English rock Vocalist, songwriter and actor best known as the Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944) is an English rock Vocalist, songwriter and actor best known as the Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born 19 May 1945 in Chiswick, London) is an English rock Guitarist, Singer, Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944) is an English rock Vocalist, songwriter and actor best known as the Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944) is an English rock Vocalist, songwriter and actor best known as the Ringo Starr, MBE (born Richard Starkey on 7 July 1940 is an English Musician, Singer, Songwriter and Actor Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944) is an English rock Vocalist, songwriter and actor best known as the Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944) is an English rock Vocalist, songwriter and actor best known as the Tommy is a 1975 Musical film, based on The Who's 1969 "rock opera" album musical Tommy.

In 1975 Tommy was adapted as a film, produced by expatriate Australian entrepreneur Robert Stigwood and directed by maverick British auteur Ken Russell. Robert Stigwood (born April 16, 1934 in Adelaide, South Australia) is an Australian -born Impresario and entertainment entrepreneur Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell, known as Ken Russell (born 3 July 1927 is an English Film director. The movie version starred Daltrey as Tommy, and featured other members of The Who plus an eclectic supporting cast including Hollywood legend Ann-Margret as Tommy's mother, Oliver Reed as the boyfriend, with cameo appearances by Elton John, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Arthur Brown and Jack Nicholson. Ann-Margret (born April 28 1941 is a Swedish -born American actress singer Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 &ndash 2 May 1999 was an English Actor known for his burly screen presence Sir Elton Hercules John CBE (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947 is an English pop / rock Singer, Composer Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an eight time Grammy Award -winning American Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945 is an English Blues-rock Guitarist, singer Songwriter and Composer Arthur Brown (born Arthur Wilton 24 June 1942, Whitby, Yorkshire) is an English Rock and roll Singer John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson (born April 22 1937) is an American Actor, internationally renowned for his often dark-themed portrayals

Tommy was one of the first music films released with a multichannel hi-fi soundtrack (billed as "quintaphonic sound") and in many theaters it was presented with high-powered concert-style sound reinforcement, played at rock concert volumes.

The film received mixed reviews but was a huge commercial success on release and has achieved cult film status due to scenes such as Arthur Brown's portrayal of a priest in Tommy's cult, Ann-Margret's frolic in a pool of beans (a reference to the cover of The Who's 1967 LP Sell Out) and the sharp satire on pop music presented by the "Sally Simpson" scene. A cult film is a Film that has acquired a highly devoted but relatively small group of fans. Arthur Brown (born Arthur Wilton 24 June 1942, Whitby, Yorkshire) is an English Rock and roll Singer Ann-Margret (born April 28 1941 is a Swedish -born American actress singer The Who Sell Out is the third album by the English rock band The Who, released in 1967 Other highlights included Elton John's memorable appearance (sporting metre-high Doctor Marten boots) as the "Pinball Wizard" and Tina Turner's electrifying cameo as the "Acid Queen. For the ITV Comedy/Drama series click here Dr Martens is a Footwear, clothing and accessories brand and the footwear products are most often known "

Townshend reworked the storyline extensively for the film, fleshing out much that was obscure in the original version, and moving the time-frame forward to a more believable era, the period following World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including This also (somewhat) cured the anachronism arising from Sally Simpson's marriage to a rock musician from California after her ejection from Tommy's sermon. Since no such musicians existed until the 1960s, Sally would have had a 30+ year wait and would have been in her 50s by then.

The film version also reversed a crucial plot point: in the film, Tommy's father is murdered by his mother's lover, rather than the lover being killed by the returning Capt. Walker, as in the original storyline. The result can be seen as lending an incestuous charge to the mother/son relationship as Tommy's mother sees her former husband within her son.

Townshend also oversaw the production of a new double-LP recording that returned the music to its rock roots, and on which the unrecorded orchestral arrangements he had envisaged for the original Tommy LP were realised by the extensive use of synthesiser. The soundtrack LP also employed many leading sessions musicians including Caleb Quaye and longtime Who associate John "Rabbit" Bundrick. Caleb Quaye (born 1948 in London, England) is an Afro-European rock Guitarist and Studio musician best known for his work John Douglas "Rabbit" Bundrick (born November 21, 1948) is a prominent American-born rock Keyboardist, Pianist, and The song "Pinball Wizard" was a major hit when released as a single. Curiously, although the music for this song is performed entirely by Elton John and his band, the film depicts Elton being backed by The Who (dressed in pound-note suits).

Most of the extras were students at Portsmouth Polytechnic and were paid with tickets to a Who concert after filming had finished. Ken Russell included the shots he took of the pier at Southsea, which burned down while the crew were in town.

1993 stage version

See Tommy (musical) In 1993, Townshend and La Jolla Playhouse theatrical director Des McAnuff wrote and produced a Broadway musical adaptation of Tommy. La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit professional theatre-in-residence on the campus of the University of California San Diego. Desmond McAnuff (born June 19, 1952) is an American director of Musical theatre of such Broadway productions as Big River and Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located The production featured a new song by Townshend ("I Believe My Own Eyes"), several rewrites in lyrics, and an all-star cast. Initially, the show received mixed reviews; for example, while The New York Times' theatre critic Frank Rich praised it ([3]), the same paper's music critic Jon Pareles argued that "Their (Townshend's and McAnuff's) changes turn a blast of spiritual yearning, confusion and rebellion into a pat on the head for nesters and couch potatoes" ([4]). Frank Rich (born June 2, 1949 in Washington DC) is a Columnist for The New York Times who focuses on American politics Jon Pareles is an American Journalist who is chief music critic at the arts section of the New York Times. Later, Townshend partly responded to the criticisms ([5]). Ultimately, the production won five Tony Awards that year, including Best Original Score for Townshend. The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented Various touring revivals have met with popular acclaim since.

The musical version reorganises the numbers and changes many lyrics. The setting is in post-World War II Britain, as in the film version. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Nevertheless, unlike the film, the lyrics "Got a feelin '21 is gonna be a good year" remain the same, though now referring to Mrs. Walker's birthday. Also, Captain Walker kills the lover, as in the original album and unlike the film, where the lover kills Captain Walker and takes his place. Perhaps the most striking change vis-a-vis previous versions is that after the "Sally Simpson" scene, Tommy renounces his messianic role and returns to his family, embracing and praising the kind of "normality" that everybody else has and that he has been deprived of (significantly, the new version introduced lines such as "freedom lies here in normality" and excluded the earlier versions' "Hey, old hung-up Mr. Normal, don't try to gain my trust").

Miscellaneous

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1969 Billboard Pop Albums 4
1969 UK Chart Albums 2

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1969 "Pinball Wizard" Billboard Pop Singles 19
1969 "Pinball Wizard" UK Singles Charts 4
1969 "I'm Free" Billboard Pop Singles 37
1970 "See Me, Feel Me" Billboard Pop Singles 12

Personnel

The Who

Other

References

  1. ^ Outline Page
  2. ^ NME Writers All Time Albums 1993, 1985 & 1974
  3. ^ http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/qlistspage3.htm#The Music That Changed The World
  4. ^ Richard Barnes, liner notes from 1996 CD release
  5. ^ Tommy Australian concert production 1973

External links

A number of interviews where Pete Townshend has commented on the concept and meaning of Tommy:

Awards
Preceded by
Falsettos
by William Finn		 Tony Award for Best Original Score
1993
by Pete Townshend		 Succeeded by
Passion
by Stephen Sondheim
Shared with
Kiss of the Spider Woman
by John Kander and Fred Ebb
Falsettos is a musical with a book by James Lapine and William Finn and music and lyrics by Finn comprising March of the Falsettos William Alan Finn (b February 28 1952, Boston Massachusetts) is an award-winning American Composer and Lyricist, especially The Tony Award for Best Original Score is the Tony Award given to the Composers and Lyricists of the best original score written for a musical Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born 19 May 1945 in Chiswick, London) is an English rock Guitarist, Singer, Passion is a musical adapted from Ettore Scola 's film Passione d'Amore (which was in its turn based on Iginio Ugo Tarchetti Stephen Joshua Sondheim (born March 22 1930 is an American musical and film composer and lyricist winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards (seven Kiss of the Spider Woman is a musical with music by John Kander and Fred Ebb, book by Terrence McNally. John Harold Kander (born March 18, 1927 in Kansas City Missouri) is the American Composer Fred Ebb ( April 8 1933 &mdash September 11 2004) was a Musical theatre lyricist
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