Tommy(The Who album)

Tommy
Studio albumby the Who
Released	19 May 1969(1969-05-19)
Recorded	19 September 1968 – 7 March 1969
Studio	IBCandMorgan,London
Genre	Hard rock
Length	74:44
Label	Track(UK) Decca(US)
Producer	Kit Lambert
The WhoUK chronology
Direct Hits (1968) Tommy (1969) Live at Leeds (1970)
The Who US chronology
Magic Bus: The Who On Tour (1968) Tommy (1969) Live at Leeds (1970)
SinglesfromTommy
"Pinball Wizard"/" Dogs Part Two " Released: 7 March 1969 "I'm Free"/"We're Not Gonna Take It" Released: July 1969 "See Me, Feel Me"/"Overture from Tommy" Released: September 1970

Tommyis the fourthstudio albumby the Englishrockbandthe Who,released on 19 May 1969.Written primarily by guitaristPete Townshend,Tommyis adouble albumand an earlyrock operathat tells the story of the fictional Tommy Walker and his path to becoming a spiritual leader and messianic figure.

Townshend came up with the concept ofTommyafter being introduced to the work ofMeher Baba,and he attempted to translate Baba's teachings into music. Recording of the album began in September 1968, but took six months to complete as material needed to be arranged and re-recorded in the studio. The Who promoted the album's release with an extensive tour, including a live version ofTommy,which lasted throughout 1969 and 1970. Key gigs from the tour included appearances atWoodstock,the1969 Isle of Wight Festival,theUniversity of Leeds,theMetropolitan Opera House,and the1970 Isle of Wight Festival.The live performances ofTommydrew critical praise and revitalised the band's career.

Upon its release,Tommywas acclaimed by critics, who hailed it as the Who's breakthrough. Its critical standing diminished slightly in later years; nonetheless, several writers view it as an important and influential album in the history of rock music. In 1998,Tommywas inducted into theGrammy Hall of Fame.

Subsequently, the rock opera was developed into other media, including a ballet in Montreal in 1970, aSeattle Operaproduction in 1971, an orchestral version byLou Reiznerin 1972, afilmdirected byKen Russelland featuringJack NicholsonandOliver Reedin 1975, and aBroadwaymusicalin 1992.

Tommyhas been reissued several times on CD, including a remix byJon Astleyin 1996, a deluxeSuper Audio CDin 2003, and a super deluxe box set in 2013, including previously unreleased demos and live material.

Synopsis

Tommytells the story of a fictional characternamed Tommy Walker.The following synopsis ofTommywas published following the original album's release.

British Army Captain Walker goes missing during an expedition and is believed dead ( "Overture"). His wife, Mrs. Walker, gives birth to their son, Tommy (" It's a Boy "). Years later, Captain Walker returns home and discovers that his wife has found a new lover. The Captain kills the lover in front of Tommy. Tommy's parents coerce Tommy into believing he did not see or hear anything. Tommy begins to disassociate and becomes deaf, dumb and blind to the outside world (" 1921 "). Tommy now relies on his sense of touch and imagination, developing an innerpsyche( "Amazing Journey/Sparks" ).

Aquackclaims his wife can cure Tommy ( "The Hawker"). Tommy's parents are increasingly frustrated that he will never find religion in the midst of his isolation (" Christmas "). Tommy's parents neglect him, leaving him to be tortured by hissadistic"Cousin Kevin" andsexually abusedby his uncle Ernie ( "Fiddle About" ). The Hawker's drug-addicted wife, "The Acid Queen",gives Tommy a dose ofLSD,causing ahallucinogenicexperience that is expressed musically ( "Underture" ).

As Tommy grows older, he discovers that he can feel vibrations sufficiently well to become an expertpinballplayer ( "Pinball Wizard"). His parents take him to a respected doctor (" There's a Doctor "), who determines that the boy's disabilities arepsychosomaticrather than physical. Tommy is told by the Doctor to "Go to the Mirror!",and his parents notice he can stare at his reflection. After seeing Tommy spend extended periods staring at a mirror in the house, his mother smashes it out of frustration (" Smash the Mirror "). This removes Tommy'smental block,and he recovers his senses, realising he can become a powerful leader ( "Sensation" ). He starts a religious movement ( "I'm Free"), which generates fervour among its adherents (" Sally Simpson ") and expands into aholiday camp( "Welcome" / "Tommy's Holiday Camp" ). However, Tommy's followers ultimately reject his teachings and leave the camp ( "We're Not Gonna Take It"). Tommy retreats inward again ("See Me, Feel Me") with his" continuing statement of wonder at that which encompasses him ".

Background

Townshend had been looking at ways of progressing beyond the standard three-minute pop single format since 1966.Co-managerKit Lambertshared Townshend's views and encouraged him to develop musical ideas,conceiving the term "rock opera".The first use of the term was applied to a suite calledQuads,set in a future where parents could choose the sex of their children. A couple want four girls but instead receive three girls and a boy, raising him as a girl anyway. The opera was abandoned after writing a single song, the hit single, "I'm a Boy".When the Who's second album,A Quick One,ran short of material during recording, Lambert suggested that Townshend should write a "mini-opera" to fill the gap. Townshend initially objected, but eventually agreed to do so, coming up with "A Quick One, While He's Away",which joined short pieces of music together into a continuous narrative.During 1967, Townshend learned how to play thepianoand began writing songs on it, taking his work more seriously.That year'sThe Who Sell Outincluded a mini-opera in the last track, "Rael", which like "A Quick One... "was a suite of musical segments joined together.

The package I hope is going to be called"Deaf, Dumb and Blind Boy."It's a story about a kid that's born deaf, dumb and blind and what happens to him throughout his life... But what it's really all about is the fact that... he's seeing things basically as vibrations which we translate as music. That's really what we want to do: create this feeling that when you listen to the music you can actually become aware of the boy, and aware of what he is all about, because we are creating him as we play. "

Pete Townshendtalking toJann Wenner,August 1968

By 1968, Townshend was unsure about how the Who should progress musically. The group were no longer teenagers, but he wanted their music to remain relevant.His friend,International Timesart directorMike McInnerney, told him about the Indian spiritual mentorMeher Baba,and Townshend became fascinated with Baba's values of compassion, love and introspection.The Who's commercial success was on the wane after the single "Dogs"failed to make the top 20, and there was a genuine risk of the band breaking up.The group still performed well live and spent most of the spring and summer touring the US and Canada,but their stage act relied on Townshend smashing his guitar orKeith Moondemolishing his drums, which kept the group in debt. Townshend and Kit Lambert realised they needed a larger vehicle for their music than hit singles and a new stage show, and Townshend hoped to incorporate his love of Meher Baba into this concept.He decided that the Who should record a series of songs that stood well in isolation but formed a cohesive whole on the album. He also wanted the material performed in concert, to counter the trend of bands likethe Beatlesandthe Beach Boysproducing studio output that was not designed for live performance.

In August 1968, in an interview toRolling Stone,Townshend talked about a new rock opera and described the entire plot in great detail, which ran to 11 pages.The Who biographerDave Marshsubsequently said the interview described the narrative better than the finished album.Townshend later regretted publishing so much detail, as he felt it forced him to write the album according to that blueprint.The rest of the Who, however, were enthusiastic about the idea, and let him have artistic control over the project.

Recording

The Who started recording the album atIBC Studioson 19 September 1968.There was no firm title at this point, which was variously referred to asDeaf, Dumb and Blind Boy,Amazing Journey,Journey into Space,The Brain OperaandOmnibus.Townshend eventually settled onTommybecause it was a common British name and a nickname for soldiers in theFirst World War.Kit Lambert took charge of the production, with Damon Lyon-Shaw as engineer. Sessions were block-booked from 2pm – 10pm, but recording often spilled over into the early morning.

The album was recorded using aneight-track system,which allowed various instruments to beoverdubbed.Townshend used several guitars in the studio but made particular use of theGibson J-200acoustic and theGibson SG.As well as their usual instruments, Townshend playedpianoandorganand bassistJohn Entwistledoubled onfrench horn.Keith Moonused a new double bass drum kit owned by roadie Tony Haslam, afterPremierhad refused to loan him any more equipment due to the items repeatedly being abused.Though Townshend wrote the majority of the material, the arrangements came from the entire band. SingerRoger Daltreylater said that Townshend often came in with a half-finisheddemo recording,adding "we probably did as much talking as we did recording, sorting out arrangements and things."Townshend asked Entwistle to write two songs ( "Cousin Kevin" and "Fiddle About" ) that covered the darker themes of bullying and abuse. "Tommy's Holiday Camp" was Keith Moon's suggestion of what kind of religious movement Tommy could lead. Moon got the songwriting credit for suggesting the idea, though the music was composed and played by Townshend.A significant amount of material had a lighter style than earlier recordings, with greater prominence put on the vocals. Moon later said, "It was, at the time, very un-Wholike. A lot of the songs were soft. We never played like that."

Some of the material had already been written for other projects. "Sensation" was written about a girl Townshend had met on the Who's tour of Australia in early 1968, "Welcome" and "I'm Free"were about peace found throughMeher Babaand "Sally Simpson" was based on a gig withthe Doorswhich was marred by violence.Other songs had been previously recorded by the Who and were recycled; "It's A Boy" was derived from "Glow Girl", an out-take fromThe Who Sell Out,while "Sparks" and "Underture" re-used and expanded one of the instrumental themes in "Rael"."Amazing Journey" was, according to Townshend, "the absolute beginning" of the opera and summarised the entire plot."The Hawker" was a cover ofSonny Boy Williamson's "Eyesight to the Blind". A cover ofMercy Dee Walton's "One Room Country Shack" was also recorded but was scrapped from the final track listing as Townshend could not figure out a way to incorporate it in the plot.

Recording atIBCwas slow, due to a lack of a full plot and a full selection of songs. The group hoped that the album would be ready by Christmas 1968, but sessions dragged on.Melody Maker'sChris Welchvisited IBC studios in November and while he was impressed with the working environment and the material,the project still did not have a title and there was no coherent plotline.The Who's US record company,Decca Records,got so impatient waiting for new product that they released the compilation albumMagic Bus: The Who on Tourwhich received a scathing review from Greil Marcus inRolling Stoneover its poor selection of material and misleading name (as the album contained studio recordings and was not live).

The Who took a break from recording at the end of 1968 to tour, including a well received appearance atThe Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circuson 10 December.They resumed sessions at IBC in January 1969, block booking Monday to Thursday, but had to do gigs every weekend to stop going further into debt.A major tour was booked for the end of April, and the group's management insisted that the album would have to be finished by then, as it had been well over a year sinceThe Who Sell Out.Kit Lambert wrote a script,Tommy (1914–1984),which he professionally printed and gave copies to the band, helping them focus on the storyline and also deciding to make the album a double.The group were still coming up with new material; Lambert insisted that the piece should have a proper overture,while Townshend wrote "Pinball Wizard" so thatNik Cohn,a pinball fan, would give the album a favourable review inThe New York Times.Lambert wanted an orchestra to appear on the album, but Townshend was strongly against the idea, and time and budget constraints meant it could not happen anyway.

By March 1969, some songs had been recorded several times, yet Townshend still thought there were missing pieces.Entwistle had become fed up with recording, later saying "we had to keep going back and rejuvenating the numbers... it just started to drive us mad."The final recording session took place on 7 March, the same day that "Pinball Wizard" was released as a single.The group started tour rehearsals and promotional activities for the single and Lambert went on holiday inCairo.The mixing was left to Damon Lyon-Shaw and assistant engineer Ted Sharp, who did not thinkIBCwas well suited for the task.The album overshot its April deadline, as stereomasteringcontinued into the end of the month.

Release and reception

After delays surrounding the cover artwork,Tommywas released on 19 May 1969 in the US byDeccaand 23 May in the UK byTrack Records.The original double album was configured with sides 1 and 4 on one disc, and sides 2 and 3 on the other, to accommodaterecord changers.

The album was commercially successful, reaching No. 2 in the UK album charts. It peaked at No. 7 in the US in 1969,but in 1970 it re-entered the charts, at which time it went on to peak at No. 4.It sold 200,000 copies in the first two weeks in the US alone and was awarded a gold record for sales of 500,000 on 18 August."Pinball Wizard", "I'm Free" and "See Me, Feel Me" were released as singles and received airplay on the radio. "Pinball Wizard" reached the top 20 in the US and the top five in the UK. "See Me, Feel Me" reached the top 20 in the US and "I'm Free" reached the top 40. AnEPof selections from the album was planned to be released in the UK in November 1970 but was withdrawn.

When it 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 exploitative. The album had a hostile reception with theBBCand certain US radio stations, withTony Blackburndescribing "Pinball Wizard" as "distasteful".Nevertheless,BBC Radio 1received an advance copy of the album at the start of May and gave the material its first airplay onPete Drummond's show on 3 May.Townshend promoted the album's release with interviews in which he attempted to explain the plotline. Unfortunately, because it fundamentally dealt with the abstract concept ofMeher Baba's spiritual precepts, the interviews often gave confusing and contradictory details.

ForMelody Maker,Chris Welchwent to the album's press launch show atRonnie Scott'sand although the volume left his ears ringing for 20 hours, he concluded "we wanted more."Disc and Music Echoran a front-page headline saying "Who's Tommy: A Masterpiece".Critics and fans were confused by the storyline, butKit Lambertpointed out this madeTommyno less confusing than the operas ofRichard WagnerorGiacomo Puccinia century earlier.In a 1969 column forThe Village Voice,music criticRobert Christgausaid that, apart from the Mothers of Invention'sWe're Only in It for the Money,Tommyis the first successful "extended work" inrock music,but Townshend's parodic side is more "profound and equivocal" thanFrank Zappa.He praised Townshend for deliberately constructing the album so that each song can be enjoyed individually and felt that he is determined to "give his audience what it wants without burying his own peculiarity".Albert Goldman,writing inLifemagazine, said that the Who play through "all the kinky complications" of the narrative in ahard rockstyle that is the antithesis of most contemporary "serious" rock. Goldman asserted that, based on innovation, performance, and "sheer power",Tommysurpasses anything else in studio-recorded rock.Robert Christgau namedTommythe best album of 1969 in his year-end list forJazz & Popmagazine.

Legacy and reappraisal

Retrospective professional reviews

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
MusicHound Rock	4/5
Q
Robert Christgau	A−
Rolling Stone
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Tom Hull – on the Web	A−
Uncut

According to music journalistRichie Unterberger,Tommywas hailed by contemporary critics as the Who's breakthrough.Robert Christgauwrote in 1983, "Tommy's operatic pretensions were so transparent that for years it seemed safe to guess that Townshend's musical ideas would never catch up with his lyrics. "In his review forAllMusic,Unterberger said that, despite its slight flaws, the album has "many excellent songs" permeated with "a suitably powerful grace", while Townshend's ability to devise a lengthy narrative introduced "new possibilities to rock music."Uncutwrote that the album "doesn't quite realise its ambitions, though it achieves a lot on the way", and felt it was not as well developed as their later album,Quadrophenia.Mark Kemp,writing inThe Rolling Stone Album Guide(2004), felt that "in retrospect,Tommyisn't quite the masterpiece it was originally hyped to be ", suggestingThe Who Sell Outwas better, though because of Townshend, it produced several "bona fide classic songs"."Rock opera may seem like a laughable concept these days, but when the Who brought it to the world viaTommyin 1969, it was an unmatched thrill ", writes Mac Randall ofRolling Stonein 2004 in a more positive appraisal. "Almost thirty-five years later, thisclassic-rocktouchstone still has the power to enthrall. "

In 1998, the album was inducted into theGrammy Hall of Famefor "historical, artistic and significant value".In 2000 it was voted number 52 inColin Larkin'sAll Time Top 1000 Albums.In 2003,Rolling Stonemagazine rankedTommynumber 96 on its list ofthe 500 greatest albums of all time,it maintained the rating in a 2012 revised list,and was re-ranked at number 190 on the 2020 list.The album is one of several by the Who to appear in1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

According to music criticMartha Bayles,Tommydid not mix rock with classical music, as its "rock opera" title may have suggested, but instead was "dominated by the Who's mature style: ponderous, rhythmically monotonoushard rock".Bayles argued that it was more acceptable to audiences than theart rock"concoctions" of the time because of the cultural climate during the late 1960s: "Tommywas considered more authentic, precisely because it consists of hard rock, rather than doctored-upMussorgsky... and avoids the typical pseudoromantic themes of art rock (fairy-tale bliss and apocalyptic angst) in favor of the more up-to-date subject ofpopular cultureitself. "High Fidelitymagazine also characterised the Who's album as a "reasonably hard-rock version" of the opera.

Dave Marshthought the problem with the album's narrative is that there isn't enough transitional material provided by the lyrics. There are no stage directions, no cast, and narration is restricted to key phrases (such as "Tommy can you hear me?" )Key problems included an unclear explanation of what Tommy didn't hear or see in "1921", how or why he plays pinball, why "Smash the Mirror" leads into "I overwhelm as I approach you" (the opening line in "Sensation" ), why Tommy tells his followers in "We're Not Gonna Take It" they cannot drink or smoke but can play pinball, and what the "you" is in "Listening to you, I get the music".

In 2013, Townshend and Daltrey participated in a documentary about the making of the albumTommy.The documentary is titledSensation: The Story of the Who's Tommyand features in-depth interviews with them.

Editions and cover art

Tommywas originally released as a two-LPset with artwork designed by Mike McInnerney, which included a booklet including lyrics and images to illustrate parts of the story. Townshend asked McInnerney to do the cover artwork for Tommy in September 1968.Townshend had originally consideredAlan Aldridgefor the cover.The cover is presented as part of atriptych-style fold-out cover, and the booklet contained abstract artwork that outlined the story.Although the album included lyrics to all the songs, indicating individual characters, it did not outline the plot, which led to a concert programme being prepared for shows, that carried a detailed synopsis.

Townshend thought Mike McInnerney, a fellow follower ofMeher Baba,would be a suitable choice to do the cover. As recording was near completion, McInnerney received a number of cassettes with completed songs and a brief outline for the story, which he immediately recognised as being based on Baba's teachings.He wanted to try and convey the world of a deaf, dumb and blind boy and decided to "depict a kind of breaking out of a certain restricted plane into freedom."The finished cover contained a blue and white web of clouds, a fist punching into the black void to the left of it.

The inner triptych, meanwhile, showed a hand reaching out to light and a light shining in a dark void.Townshend was too busy finishing the recording to properly approve the artwork, but Kit Lambert strongly approved of it and said it would work. The final step was for record company approval from Polydor, making one concession that pictures of the band should appear on the cover. These were added to the globe on the front.These pictures were later removed on the 1996 CD remastered reissue.

Tommywas first released on CD in 1984 as a two disc set.Mobile Fidelity Sound Labsubsequently released a special single-disc edition of the album in 1990, featuring an alternate take of "Eyesight to the Blind" and a low volume extensive break on the glass in "Smash the Mirror".It was also remastered by Erick Labson for single disc release in 1993.Polydor and MCA released a newly remastered version on single disc in 1996, which had been remixed byJon Astley.Astley was able to access the original8 track tapesand bring out instruments that had been buried, such as the guitar in "Christmas", theFrench hornin "Sparks", the cymbals in "The Acid Queen"and the organ in" We're Not Gonna Take It ".This release came with Mike McInnerney's complete artwork and a written introduction by Richard Barnes.For this edition, the cover was revised to remove the Who's faces, which were originally placed at the request of the record label.

In 2003Tommywas made available as a deluxe two-disc hybridSuper Audio CDwith a 5.1 multi-channel mix. The remastering was done under the supervision of Townshend and also includes related material not on the original album, including "Dogs-Part 2" (theB-Sideto "Pinball Wizard" ), "Cousin Kevin Model Child" and "Young Man Blues", plus demos for the album and other unreleased songs that were dropped from the final running order.Rolling Stoneconsidered the disc sonically "murkier" than the 1996 CD and was critical of the absence of the originallibretto.In 2013, a super deluxe version ofTommywas released as a 3-CD /Blu-raybox set. As well as the original album, the package includes additional demos and a live performance mostly taken from the Who's show at the Capital Theatre,Ottawa, Ontario,Canada on 15 October 1969. The live disc was significant, as it debunked a long-standing myth that the tapes for the tour were burned in preference for the Leeds University show in February 1970 that made upLive at Leeds.

Live performances

Main article:Tommy Tour

The Who had planned to performTommylive since starting the project. The group spent April 1969 rehearsing a live version of the show at theHanwell Community CentreinEalingincluding a final run down of the entire stage piece on 23 April.The running order was changed, and four songs ( "Cousin Kevin", "Underture", "Sensation" and "Welcome" ) were dropped entirely.Townshend later said the group "did the whole thing from start to finish andthatwas when we first realized we had something cohesive and playable. "Roger Daltrey's singing had improved substantially since the group's early tours, and they realised their new live act could completely change their career.

After a few warm up gigs towards the end of April,the group gave a preview concert to the press atRonnie Scott's Jazz Club,London on 1 May. Realising the opera's narrative was difficult to understand, Townshend explained a synopsis of the story, before the Who playedTommyall the way through at full stage volume.The next day, the group flew out to New York to start the US tour, with the first gig on 9 May at theGrande Ballroom,Detroit.At the end of May, the group played four nights at theKinetic Playground,Chicago,and they noticed the audience would all stand up at the same time and stay standing. This indicated that live performances ofTommyhad a significant positive response.

The group continued to play large halls in the US, organised by tour promoterFrank Barsalona,and generally avoided festivals,but made an important exception with theWoodstockfestival on 16 August. After spending all night arguing with Barsalona, the band agreed to perform at Woodstock for $12,500.The festival ran late and the Who did not take to the stage until the early morning of 17 August. During "Pinball Wizard",Abbie Hoffmantook to the stage to protest about the imprisonment ofJohn Sinclairbefore being kicked offstage by Townshend, while during "See Me, Feel Me", the sun rose, almost as if on cue.Two weeks later, the group played thesecond Isle of Wight Festival,using one of the largest livePAsavailable.Though media attention was onBob Dylanplaying his first major live concert since 1966, the Who stole the show. Townshend later said, "We know that the stage act we had, withTommyin it, would work under any circumstances, because it had worked many times on tour. "

By 1970,Tommyhad achieved sufficient critical acclaim to be performed live in theMetropolitan Opera House.

Tommyremained in the Who's live set through the rest of the year and into 1970. In October 1969, the Who played six shows at theFillmore East,whereLeonard Bernsteinpraised them for their new music.The group's show on 14 December at theLondon Coliseumwas filmed for a possible futureTommyfeature.Lambert was keen forTommyto be taken seriously and wanted the Who to perform atopera houses.In June 1970, the group performed two shows at theMetropolitan Opera House,which was the first time Townshend announced the show as being the "lastTommyever ".The group made a second trip to the Isle of Wight, appearing at the1970 festivalon 29 August, before an audience of 600,000.The last live performance for 1970 was atThe Roundhouse,London on 20 December. Townshend said "This is the very last time we'll playTommyon stage ", to which Keith Moon promptly cried," Thank Christ for that! "

Public reaction to the Who's concerts that includedTommywas overwhelmingly positive. The touring helped keep the album in the public eye and cleared the band's debts.Several live recordings ofTommyfrom the Who's 1969–70 tours have been released. A complete performance is available on the 2002Deluxe Editionof the live albumLive at Leeds,recorded on 14 February 1970. The second Isle of Wight performance is available onLive at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970,released in 1996.The Coliseum Theatre gig is available on the 2007 video releaseAt Kilburn 1977 + Live at the Coliseum.Portions of the Woodstock performance ofTommywere released on the documentariesWoodstockandThe Kids Are Alright.

The Who continued to play a smaller selection ofTommylive in subsequent tours throughout the 1970s.They revivedTommyas a whole for its twentieth 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 theJoin Togetherlive album and theTommy and Quadrophenia LiveDVD.The Los Angeles version of this show featuredPhil Collinsas Uncle Ernie,Patti LaBelleas the Acid Queen,Steve Winwoodas the Hawker,Elton Johnas the Pinball Wizard, andBilly Idolas Cousin Kevin.

Other incarnations

1970 Les Grands Ballets Canadiens

In 1970 Fernand Nault, choreographer of the MontrealballetgroupLes Grands Ballets Canadiens,created the first dance-based adaptation ofTommy.The ballet was premiered in Montreal in October 1970 and obtained a real success. The performance toured New York in April 1971, which included a light show and accompanying films by the Quebec Film Bureau.

1971 Seattle Opera production

In 1971, theSeattle Operaunder directorRichard Pearlmanproduced the first ever fully staged professional production ofTommyatSeattle'sMoore Theatre.The production includedBette Midlerplaying the role of the Acid Queen and Mrs. Walker, and music by theSyracuse, New Yorkband Comstock, Ltd.

London Symphony Orchestra version

Main article:Tommy(London Symphony Orchestra album)

On 9 December 1972, entrepreneurLou Reiznerpresented a concert version ofTommyat theRainbow Theatre,London. There were two performances that took place on the same evening. The concerts featured the Who, plus a guest cast, backed by theLondon Symphony Orchestraconducted byDavid Measham.The concerts were held to promote the release of Reizner's new studio recording of this symphonic version ofTommy.

The album and concerts featured an all-star cast, includingGraham Bell(as the Lover),Maggie Bell(as the Mother),Sandy Denny(as the Nurse),Steve Winwood(as the Father),Rod Stewart(as the Local Lad),Richie Havens(as the Hawker),Merry Clayton(as the Acid Queen), andRingo Starr(as Uncle Ernie). Townshend played some guitar, but otherwise the music was predominantly orchestral.Richard Harrisplayed the role of the Doctor on the record, but he was replaced byPeter Sellersfor the stage production. The stage show had a second run on 13 and 14 December 1973 with Daltrey, Graham Bell, Havens, and Clayton returning, and a new cast includingDavid Essex(as the Narrator),Elkie Brooks(as the Mother),Roger Chapman(as the Father),Marsha Hunt(as the Nurse),Bill Oddie(as Cousin Kevin),Vivian Stanshall(as Uncle Ernie),Roy Wood(as the Local Lad), andJon Pertwee(as the Doctor).

The orchestral version was also performed twice in Australia on 31 March 1973 at Melbourne'sMyer Music Bowland on 1 April at Sydney'sRandwick Racecourse.Keith Moon appeared as Uncle Ernie (in Melbourne only),Graham Bellas the Narrator, with local starsDaryl Braithwaite(as Tommy),Billy Thorpe(as the Local Lad),Doug Parkinson(as the Hawker),Wendy Saddington(as the Nurse),Jim Keays(as the Lover),Broderick Smith(as the Father),Colleen Hewett(as the Mother),Linda George(as the Acid Queen),Ross Wilson(as Cousin Kevin),Bobby Bright(as the Doctor), andIan Meldrum(as Uncle Ernie in Sydney), and a full orchestra.The Melbourne concert was videotaped, then televised by Channel 7 on 13 April 1973.

1975 film

Main article:Tommy(1975 film)

In 1975Tommywas adapted as a film, produced by expatriate Australian entrepreneurRobert Stigwoodand directed by British auteurKen Russell.The movie version starred Roger Daltrey as Tommy and featured the other members of the Who, plus a supporting cast that includedAnn-Margretas Tommy's mother andOliver Reedas the Lover, with appearances byElton John,Tina Turner,Eric Clapton,Arthur Brown,andJack Nicholson.Russell insisted on having a known cast, though Townshend wanted people who could sing the material, and he was particularly disappointed at not being allowed to castStevie Wonderas the Pinball Wizard.In several cinemas, the film supported amulti-tracksoundtrack billed asquintaphonic sound,which placed speaker banks in the four quadrants of the house and directly behind the centre of the screen.

Townshend also oversaw the production of asoundtrack album,on which the unrecorded orchestral arrangements Kit Lambert had envisaged for the originalTommyLP were realised by the extensive use ofsynthesizer.He started work on the soundtrack album immediately after the Who's 1973 US tour in December and worked on it almost continuously for the next four months.As well as the Who, the film's music track and the original soundtrack LP also employed several session musicians includingCaleb Quaye,Ronnie Wood,Nicky Hopkins,Chris Stainton,and longtime Who associateJohn "Rabbit" Bundrick.Due to Keith Moon's commitments with the filming ofStardust,Kenney Jones(who would take over as the Who's drummer after Moon's death in 1978) played drums on much of the soundtrack album.

"Pinball Wizard" was a major hit when released as a single. This sequence in the film depicts Elton John being backed by the Who (dressed in pound-note suits); the band portrayed the Pinball Wizard's band for filming,but on the music track and soundtrack album, the music was performed entirely by him and his regular touring band.Most of the extras were students atPortsmouth Polytechnicand were paid with tickets to a Who concert after filming wrapped.

The film and its soundtrack album featured six new songs, all written by Townshend, and an alteration to the running order compared to the original album. The CD reissue of the film soundtrack also included an additional Overture.

Stage musical

Main article:The Who's Tommy

In 1991, Townshend broke his wrist in a cycling accident and could not play guitar. Looking for alternative work while recuperating, he responded to a request from the PACE Theatrical Group for the rights to astage musicaladaptation ofTommy.The group introduced him toLa Jolla PlayhousedirectorDes McAnuff,and the pair began to develop the musical together. It opened at La Jolla in summer 1992 and was an immediate commercial success.Townshend wrote a new song, "I Believe My Own Eyes", to explain the relationship between Tommy's parents, but otherwise tried to be faithful to the music on the original album.

The musical had a mixed response from critics,while Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle thought the show was too passive.Anthony DeCurtis,writing inRolling Stone,said the orchestra drummer had "the thankless task of having to reproduce Keith Moon's parts".Townshend and Des McAnuff rewrote parts of the musical when it moved from La Jolla toBroadway,to show a darker side for the title character.McAnuff won aTony Awardin 1993 forBest Director,whileWayne Cilentowon the award forBest Choreography.The Broadway run lasted from 1993 to 1995.McAnuff revisitedTommyduring the 2013 season of theStratford Shakespeare Festival,and with Townshend's input, staged a 2023revivalat theGoodman TheatreinChicago, Illinois,which transferred to Broadway in 2024.

Roger Daltrey live orchestral version

Main article:The Who's Tommy Orchestral

In 2018, Daltrey toured the US performing the full version ofTommy,with members of the Who band and an orchestra conducted by Keith Levenson. To mark the 50th anniversary of the release of the original album, a recording of the live concert was released on 14 June 2019. This live album was performed in Bethel, New York, at the site of the originalWoodstockfestival, and a new orchestral backing recorded by Levenson in Hungary, with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra.

Track listing

Track names and timings vary across editions; some editions have two tracks merged into one and vice versa. "See Me, Feel Me", for example, is the second half of "We're Not Gonna Take It", but is its own track as a single and on the 2003 deluxe edition.

All tracks are written byPete Townshend,except where noted

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Overture"		Townshend	3:50
2.	"It's a Boy"		Townshend	2:07
3.	"1921"		Townshend, withJohn EntwistleandRoger Daltreyon chorus	2:49
4.	"Amazing Journey"		Daltrey	3:25
5.	"Sparks"		instrumental	2:05
6.	"The Hawker"	Sonny Boy Williamson II	Daltrey	2:13
Total length:				18:09

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Christmas"		Daltrey, Townshend on bridge	4:34
2.	"Cousin Kevin"	John Entwistle	Townshend and Entwistle	4:06
3.	"The Acid Queen"		Townshend	3:34
4.	"Underture"		instrumental	10:04
Total length:				22:18

Side three

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Do You Think It's Alright?"		Townshend and Daltrey	0:24
2.	"Fiddle About"	Entwistle	Entwistle	1:31
3.	"Pinball Wizard"		Daltrey, Townshend on bridge	3:00
4.	"There's a Doctor"		Townshend, with Entwistle and Daltrey	0:23
5.	"Go to the Mirror!"		Daltrey, Townshend on bridge	3:47
6.	"Tommy Can You Hear Me?"		Townshend, Entwistle, and Daltrey	1:35
7.	"Smash the Mirror"		Daltrey	1:34
8.	"Sensation"		Townshend	2:27
Total length:				14:41

Side four

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Miracle Cure"		Townshend, Entwistle, and Daltrey	0:12
2.	"Sally Simpson"		Daltrey	4:10
3.	"I'm Free"		Daltrey	2:39
4.	"Welcome"		Daltrey, Townshend on bridge, Entwistle on spoken word	4:32
5.	"Tommy's Holiday Camp"	Keith Moon	Townshend	0:57
6.	"We're Not Gonna Take It"		Daltrey, with Townshend and Entwistle	7:06
Total length:				19:36

Personnel

The Who

• Roger Daltrey– vocals,harmonica
• Pete Townshend– vocals, guitar, keyboards,banjo
• John Entwistle– bass guitar,French horn,vocals
• Keith Moon– drums, vocals

Charts

1969 chart performance forTommy

Chart (1969–70)	Peak position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)	8
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)	6
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)	5
UK Albums(OCC)	2
USBillboard200	4

1976 chart performance forTommy

Chart (1976)	Peak position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)	50

2002 chart performance forTommy

Chart (2002)	Peak position
French Albums (SNEP)	143

2013 chart performance forTommy

Chart (2013)	Peak position
Belgian Albums (UltratopFlanders)	181
Belgian Albums (UltratopWallonia)	175

Certifications

Certifications forTommy

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)	Gold	100,000*
Italy (FIMI)	Gold	25,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)	Gold	7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI) release of 2012	Gold	100,000^
United States (RIAA)	2× Platinum	2,000,000^
*Sales figures based on certification alone. ^Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

Bibliography

• Atkins, John (2000).The Who on Record: A Critical History, 1963–1998.McFarland.ISBN978-0-7864-0609-8.
• Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999).MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide.Farmington Hills, Michigan: Visible Ink Press.ISBN1-57859-061-2.
• Marsh, Dave(1983).Before I Get Old: The Story of The Who.Plexus.ISBN978-0-85965-083-0.
• Neill, Andy; Kent, Matt (2002).Anywhere Anyhow Anywhere: The Complete Chronicle of The Who.Virgin Books.ISBN978-0-7535-1217-3.
• Kemp, Mark(2004).Brackett, Nathan;Hoard, Christian (eds.).The New Rolling Stone Album Guide(4th ed.).Simon & Schuster.ISBN978-0-7432-0169-8.
• Wollman, Elizabeth (2006).The Theater Will Rock: A History of the Rock Musical, from Hair to Hedwig.University of Michigan Press.ISBN978-0-472-11576-1.

Further reading

• Barnes, Richard and Townshend, Pete (1977).The Story of Tommy.Eel Pie Publishing. pp. 128.
• Cawthorne, Nigel (2005).The Who and the making of Tommy.Unanimous Ltd (Vinyl Frontier 5). pp. 224.ISBN1-903318-76-9
• Draper, Jason (2008).A Brief History of Album Covers.London: Flame Tree Publishing. pp. 70–71.ISBN9781847862112.OCLC227198538.
• Townshend, Pete (1993).Tommy: The Musical.Pantheon. 173 pp. + a CD w/ the songI Can't Believe My Own Eyes.ISBN0-679-43066-0.Also titledThe Who's Tommy: The Musical.
• Townshend, Pete (1996).Tommy: The Interactive Adventure Then and Now.Eel Pie Publishing. Kardana & Interplay Productions. Cdrom for PC (CD-MCR-263-0 / CD-C95-263-0) or for Mac (CD-MCD −263-UK)
• Charlesworth, Chris and McInnerney, Mike, (foreword) Townshend, Pete (2019).Tommy at 50: The Mood, the Music, the Look, and the Legacy of The Who’s Legendary Rock Opera.Apollo Publishers. 178 pp.ISBN978-194806-240-4

External links

• TommyatDiscogs(list of releases)
• Lyrics
• A number of interviews where Pete Townshend has commented on the concept and meaning ofTommy:
  • a 1968 Rolling Stone Interview (by Jann Wenner),
  • Pete and Tommy, among othersby Rick Sanders & David Dalton – Rolling Stone (no. 37 12 July 1969)
  • Interview with Pete Townshend at Manchester Arena, England, 12 December 1996, by Stephen Gallagher (British Youth & Popular Culture Editor, Ubu).
• Tommy notes – Song-by-song notes