172-450: Simon Townshend ( / ˈ t aʊ n z ən d / ; born 10 October 1960) is a British guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is the younger brother of the Who 's guitarist Pete Townshend , and is most associated with The Who and the various side projects of its original members. Simon Townshend has also performed with numerous other acts including Pearl Jam , Dave Grohl and Jeff Beck . Townshend
344-536: A pop art group and thus viewed advertising as an artform; they recorded a wide variety of radio advertisements, such as for canned milkshakes and the American Cancer Society , in defiance of the rising anti-consumerist ethos of the hippie counterculture. Townshend stated, "We don't change offstage. We live pop art." Later that year, Lambert and Stamp formed a record label, Track Records , with distribution by Polydor . As well as signing Hendrix, Track became
516-938: A tour of the US with Roger Daltrey and the No Plan B band. The band continued touring in the spring of 2010, playing a number of dates in support of Eric Clapton . Further tours in 2011 and 2012 followed, with the band performing a complete version of Tommy . In February 2012, he began his own tour of the UK, in support of his new album which has been credited as his most impactful solo recording to date " Looking Out Looking In ", which London's Daily Express rated 5/5, calling it "utterly compelling" and naming Simon Townshend "a genuinely original talent." His live band for this contained Tony Lowe (guitar), Phil Spalding (bass), and Greg Pringle (drums), His live shows have been variously described as "supercharged" (New York Times), "irresistible" (Washington Post) and
688-503: A whip on stage, and occasionally leapt into the crowd; Moon threw drumsticks into the air mid-beat; Townshend mimed machine-gunning the crowd with his guitar while jumping on stage and playing guitar with a fast arm-windmilling motion, or stood with his arms aloft allowing his guitar to produce feedback in a posture dubbed "the Bird Man". Meaden was replaced as manager by two filmmakers, Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp . They were looking for
860-525: A "catharsis" (Los Angeles Times). Billboard labelled him "impressive" and Goldmine affirmed, "truly enjoyable listening." In short, as London's Gig Guide said, "you would be a fool to miss him." In the late summer and autumn of 2012, he played with The Who on the Quadrophenia and More tour, which included a performance at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony. In July 2014 at Milton Keynes Bowl he again joined Pearl Jam on stage to perform his song “I'm
1032-623: 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 inner psyche ("Amazing Journey/Sparks"). A quack claims his wife can cure Tommy (" The Hawker "). Tommy's parents are increasingly frustrated that he will never find religion in
1204-436: 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
1376-573: A concert version of Tommy at the Rainbow Theatre , London. There were two performances that took place on the same evening. The concerts featured the Who, plus a guest cast, backed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Measham . The concerts were held to promote the release of Reizner's new studio recording of this symphonic version of Tommy . The album and concerts featured an all-star cast, including Graham Bell (as
1548-403: A continuous narrative. During 1967, Townshend learned how to play the piano and began writing songs on it, taking his work more seriously. That year's The Who Sell Out included 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
1720-611: A contrast to the themes on Tommy . The tour included their second appearance at the Isle of Wight Festival . A record attendance in England which the Guinness Book of Records estimated at between 600,000 and 700,000 people, the Who began their set at 2:00 A.M. on Sunday 30 August. Tommy secured the Who's future, and made them millionaires. The group reacted in different ways – Daltrey and Entwistle lived comfortably, Townshend
1892-623: A feature of the Who's live set. By late 1964, the Who were becoming popular in London's Marquee Club , and a rave review of their live act appeared in Melody Maker . Lambert and Stamp attracted the attention of the American producer Shel Talmy , who had produced the Kinks . Townshend had written a song, " I Can't Explain ", that deliberately sounded like the Kinks to attract Talmy's attention. Talmy saw
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#17328809518902064-482: A follow-up, Townshend insisted that the Who take a lengthy break, as they had not stopped touring since the band started. There was no group activity until May 1972, when they started working on a proposed new album, Rock Is Dead—Long Live Rock! , but, unhappy with the recordings, abandoned the sessions. Tensions began to emerge as Townshend believed Daltrey just wanted a money-making band and Daltrey thought Townshend's projects were getting pretentious. Moon's behaviour
2236-494: A front-page headline saying "Who's Tommy: A Masterpiece". Critics and fans were confused by the storyline, but Kit Lambert pointed out this made Tommy no less confusing than the operas of Richard Wagner or Giacomo Puccini a century earlier. In a 1969 column for The Village Voice , music critic Robert Christgau said that, apart from the Mothers of Invention's We're Only in It for
2408-551: A gig having been on the Ready Steady Go! set with the Beach Boys ' Bruce Johnston . During "My Generation", Townshend attacked Moon with his guitar; Moon suffered a black eye and bruises, and he and Entwistle left the band, but changed their minds and rejoined a week later. Moon kept looking for other work, and Jeff Beck had him play drums on his song " Beck's Bolero " (with Page, John Paul Jones and Nicky Hopkins ) because he
2580-423: 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
2752-557: A guitarist, Daltrey on rhythm guitar, Entwistle on bass, Harry Wilson on drums, and Colin Dawson on vocals. The band played instrumentals by the Shadows and the Ventures , and a variety of pop and trad jazz covers. Daltrey was considered the leader and, according to Townshend, "ran things the way he wanted them". Wilson was fired in mid-1962 and replaced by Doug Sandom , though he was older than
2924-509: 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 Townshend talking to Jann Wenner , August 1968 By 1968, Townshend
3096-468: A known cast, though Townshend wanted people who could sing the material, and he was particularly disappointed at not being allowed to cast Stevie Wonder as the Pinball Wizard. In several cinemas, the film supported a multi-track soundtrack billed as quintaphonic sound , which placed speaker banks in the four quadrants of the house and directly behind the centre of the screen. Townshend also oversaw
3268-565: A lead instrument, playing melodies. In February 1964, the Detours became aware of the group Johnny Devlin and the Detours, and changed their name. Townshend and his house-mate Richard Barnes spent a night considering names, focusing on a theme of joke announcements, including "No One" and "the Group". Townshend preferred "the Hair", and Barnes liked "the Who" because it "had a pop punch". Daltrey chose "the Who"
3440-512: A lengthy narrative introduced "new possibilities to rock music." Uncut wrote 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 in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), felt that "in retrospect, Tommy isn't quite the masterpiece it was originally hyped to be", suggesting The Who Sell Out
3612-661: A light show and accompanying films by the Quebec Film Bureau. In 1971, the Seattle Opera under director Richard Pearlman produced the first ever fully staged professional production of Tommy at Seattle 's Moore Theatre . The production included Bette Midler playing the role of the Acid Queen and Mrs. Walker, and music by the Syracuse, New York band Comstock, Ltd. On 9 December 1972, entrepreneur Lou Reizner presented
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#17328809518903784-461: A lot of weight, though Daltrey later said, "even at his worst, Keith Moon was amazing." Recording of Who Are You started in January 1978. Daltrey clashed with Johns over the production of his vocals, and Moon's drumming was so poor that Daltrey and Entwistle considered firing him. Moon's playing improved, but on one track, "Music Must Change", he was replaced as he could not play in 6/8 time. In May,
3956-598: A new double bass drum kit owned by roadie Tony Haslam, after Premier had 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. Singer Roger Daltrey later said that Townshend often came in with a half-finished demo 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
4128-438: A new rock opera and described the entire plot in great detail, which ran to 11 pages. The Who biographer Dave Marsh subsequently 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
4300-540: 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 like the Beatles and the Beach Boys producing studio output that was not designed for live performance. In August 1968, in an interview to Rolling Stone , Townshend talked about
4472-453: A peak. After the 1976 tour, Townshend took most of the following year off to spend time with his family. He discovered that former Beatles and Rolling Stones manager Allen Klein had bought a stake in his publishing company. A settlement was reached, but Townshend was upset and disillusioned that Klein had attempted to take ownership of his songs. Townshend went to the Speakeasy where he met
4644-505: A powerful leader ("Sensation"). He starts a religious movement (" I'm Free "), which generates fervour among its adherents ("Sally Simpson") and expands into a holiday 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". Townshend had been looking at ways of progressing beyond
4816-485: A remix by Jon Astley in 1996, a deluxe Super Audio CD in 2003, and a super deluxe box set in 2013, including previously unreleased demos and live material. Tommy tells the story of a fictional character named Tommy Walker. The following synopsis of Tommy was 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
4988-560: A respected doctor ("There's a Doctor"), who determines that the boy's disabilities are psychosomatic rather 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's mental block , and he recovers his senses, realising he can become
5160-552: A roadie. The next single, " My Generation ", followed in October. Townshend had written it as a slow blues, but after several abortive attempts, it was turned into a more powerful song with a bass solo from Entwistle. The song used gimmicks such as a vocal stutter to simulate the speech of a mod on amphetamines , and two key changes . Townshend insisted in interviews that the lyrics "Hope I die before I get old" were not meant to be taken literally. Peaking at No. 2, "My Generation"
5332-463: A series of promotional television interviews, and Entwistle worked on the soundtrack for The Kids Are Alright . On 6 September, Moon attended a party held by Paul McCartney to celebrate Buddy Holly 's birthday. Returning to his flat, Moon took 32 tablets of clomethiazole which had been prescribed to combat his alcohol withdrawal . He passed out the following morning and was discovered dead later that day. Tommy (The Who album) Tommy
Simon Townshend - Misplaced Pages Continue
5504-457: A short European tour , the remainder of 1972 was spent working on an orchestral version of Tommy with Lou Reizner . By 1973, the Who turned to recording the album Quadrophenia about mod and its subculture, set against clashes with Rockers in early 1960s Britain. The story is about a boy named Jimmy, who undergoes a personality crisis, and his relationship with his family, friends and mod culture. The music features four themes, reflecting
5676-489: A short show without any major responsibilities. After the Hermits tour, the Who recorded their next single, " I Can See for Miles ", which Townshend had written in 1966 but had avoided recording until he was sure it could be produced well. Townshend called it "the ultimate Who record", and was disappointed it reached only No. 10 in the UK. It became their best selling single in the US, reaching No. 9. The group toured
5848-474: A star-studded cast, including the band members. David Essex auditioned for the title role, but the band persuaded Daltrey to take it. The cast included Ann-Margret , Oliver Reed , Eric Clapton , Tina Turner , Elton John and Jack Nicholson . Townshend and Entwistle worked on the soundtrack for most of the year, handling the bulk of the instrumentation. Moon had moved to Los Angeles, so they used session drummers, including Kenney Jones (who would later join
6020-484: A straightforward pop band and enjoyed drugs and practical jokes. They bonded with Moon, who was excited to learn that cherry bombs were legal to purchase in Alabama. Moon acquired a reputation of destroying hotel rooms while on tour, with a particular interest in blowing up toilets. Entwistle said the first cherry bomb they tried "blew a hole in the suitcase and the chair". Moon recalled his first attempt to flush one down
6192-424: 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
6364-625: A young, unsigned rock group that they could make a film about, and had seen the band at the Railway Hotel in Wealdstone , which had become a regular venue for them. Lambert related to Townshend and his art school background, and encouraged him to write songs. In August, Lambert and Stamp made a promotional film featuring the group and their audience at the Railway. The band changed their set towards soul, rhythm and blues and Motown covers, and created
6536-543: Is about a girl who has an affair while her lover is away, but is ultimately forgiven. The album was titled A Quick One ( Happy Jack in the US), and reached No. 4 in the UK charts. It was followed in 1967 by the UK Top 5 single " Pictures of Lily ". By 1966, Ready Steady Go! had ended, the mod movement was becoming unfashionable, and the Who found themselves in competition on the London circuit with groups including Cream and
6708-512: Is available on Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 , released in 1996. The Coliseum Theatre gig is available on the 2007 video release At Kilburn 1977 + Live at the Coliseum . Portions of the Woodstock performance of Tommy were released on the documentaries Woodstock and The Kids Are Alright . The Who continued to play a smaller selection of Tommy live in subsequent tours throughout
6880-422: Is one of several by the Who to appear in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . According to music critic Martha Bayles , Tommy did 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 monotonous hard rock ". Bayles argued that it was more acceptable to audiences than the art rock "concoctions" of
7052-418: Is presented as part of a triptych -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 of Meher Baba , would be
Simon Townshend - Misplaced Pages Continue
7224-540: Is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Who , released on 19 May 1969. Written primarily by guitarist Pete Townshend , Tommy is a double album and an early rock opera that 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 of Tommy after being introduced to the work of Meher Baba , and he attempted to translate Baba's teachings into music. Recording of
7396-521: Is the group's highest-charting single in the UK. The debut album My Generation was released in late 1965. Among original material by Townshend, including the title track and " The Kids Are Alright ", the album has several James Brown covers from the session earlier that year that Daltrey favoured. After My Generation , the Who fell out with Talmy, which meant an abrupt end to their recording contract. The resulting legal acrimony resulted in Talmy holding
7568-398: The 1970 Isle of Wight Festival . The live performances of Tommy drew critical praise and revitalised the band's career. Upon its release, Tommy was 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, Tommy
7740-625: The BBC , as one of the best live rock albums of all time. The Tommy tour included shows in European opera houses and saw the Who become the first rock act to play at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. In March the Who released the UK top 20 hit " The Seeker ", continuing a theme of issuing singles separate to albums. Townshend wrote the song to commemorate the common man, as
7912-555: The Metropolitan Opera House , which was the first time Townshend announced the show as being the "last Tommy ever". The group made a second trip to the Isle of Wight, appearing at the 1970 festival on 29 August, before an audience of 600,000. The last live performance for 1970 was at The Roundhouse , London on 20 December. Townshend said "This is the very last time we'll play Tommy on stage", to which Keith Moon promptly cried, "Thank Christ for that!" Public reaction to
8084-568: The Monterey Pop Festival and released " I Can See for Miles ", their only US top-ten single. The group's 1969 concept album Tommy included the single " Pinball Wizard " and was a critical and commercial success. Further festival appearances at Woodstock and the Isle of Wight , along with the concert album Live at Leeds (1970), established their reputation as a respected rock act. The success put pressure on lead songwriter Townshend, and
8256-533: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. The Who evolved from an earlier group, the Detours, and established themselves as part of the pop art and mod movements , featuring auto-destructive art by destroying guitars and drums on stage. Their first single as the Who, " I Can't Explain " (1965), reached the UK top ten, and was followed by a string of hit singles including " My Generation " (1965), " Substitute " and " Happy Jack " (both 1966). In 1967, they performed at
8428-559: The West End of London . The group experienced a difficult time when touring Denmark in September, which culminated in Daltrey throwing Moon's amphetamines down the toilet and assaulting him. Immediately on returning to Britain, Daltrey was sacked, but was reinstated on the condition that the group became a democracy without his dominant leadership. At this time, the group enlisted Richard Cole as
8600-410: The hippie movement, and thought their violent stage act would stand in sharp contrast to the peaceful atmosphere of the festival. Hendrix was also on the bill, and was also going to smash his guitar on stage. Townshend verbally abused Hendrix and accused him of stealing his act, and the pair argued about who should go on stage first, with the Who winning the argument. The Who brought hired equipment to
8772-406: The second Isle of Wight Festival , using one of the largest live PAs available. Though media attention was on Bob Dylan playing his first major live concert since 1966, the Who stole the show. Townshend later said, "We know that the stage act we had, with Tommy in it, would work under any circumstances, because it had worked many times on tour." Tommy remained in the Who's live set through
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#17328809518908944-538: The 1970s. They revived Tommy as 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 the Join Together live album and the Tommy and Quadrophenia Live DVD . The Los Angeles version of this show featured Phil Collins as Uncle Ernie, Patti LaBelle as
9116-567: The Acid Queen, Steve Winwood as the Hawker, Elton John as the Pinball Wizard, and Billy Idol as Cousin Kevin. In 1970 Fernand Nault, choreographer of the Montreal ballet group Les Grands Ballets Canadiens , created the first dance-based adaptation of Tommy . The ballet was premiered in Montreal in October 1970 and obtained a real success. The performance toured New York in April 1971, which included
9288-817: The Answer.” From 2014 to 2016, Townshend joined The Who on their 50th anniversary tour, The Who Hits 50! . In 2018, he toured with Roger Daltrey, performing Tommy with local orchestras in the United States. Simon Townshend is married to Janie Townshend, with whom he has three children. His song "Girl in New York" was written for her. The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey , guitarist Pete Townshend , bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon . They are considered one of
9460-685: The B-side, " Instant Party ", and the single was withdrawn. A new B-side, "Waltz for a Pig", was recorded by the Graham Bond Organisation under the pseudonym "the Who Orchestra". In 1966 the Who released " I'm a Boy ", about a boy dressed as a girl, taken from an abortive collection of songs called Quads ; " Happy Jack "; and an EP, Ready Steady Who , that tied in with their regular appearances on Ready Steady Go! The group continued to have conflict; on 20 May, Moon and Entwistle were late to
9632-431: The B-side, "Bald Headed Woman". "I Can't Explain" became popular with pirate radio stations such as Radio Caroline . Pirate radio was important for bands as there were no commercial radio stations in the UK and BBC Radio played little pop music. The group gained further exposure when they appeared on the television programme Ready Steady Go! Lambert and Stamp were tasked with finding "typical teens", and invited
9804-497: The European leg of The Who 's tour, playing a support set with Casbah Club as well as performing with The Who (see The Who Tour 2006-2007 ). Simon Townshend played rhythm guitar, mandolin , and performed backing vocals. He played a modified Fender Stratocaster with P-90 pick-ups . Simon Townshend also uses a signature guitar designed and developed by JJ Guitars in addition to their Retro Lux model. His first credited collaboration with The Who involved participation as one of
9976-859: 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), and Ian Meldrum (as Uncle Ernie in Sydney), and a full orchestra. The Melbourne concert was videotaped, then televised by Channel 7 on 13 April 1973. In 1975 Tommy
10148-514: The Jimi Hendrix Experience . Lambert and Stamp realised that commercial success in the US was paramount to the group's future, and arranged a deal with promoter Frank Barsalona for a short package tour in New York. The group's performances, which still involved smashing guitars and kicking over drums, were well received, and led to their first major US appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival . The group, especially Moon, were not fond of
10320-613: The Local Lad), and Jon Pertwee (as the Doctor). The orchestral version was also performed twice in Australia on 31 March 1973 at Melbourne's Myer Music Bowl and on 1 April at Sydney's Randwick Racecourse . Keith Moon appeared as Uncle Ernie (in Melbourne only), Graham Bell as the Narrator, with local stars Daryl Braithwaite (as Tommy), Billy Thorpe (as the Local Lad), Doug Parkinson (as
10492-399: 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), and Ringo Starr (as Uncle Ernie). Townshend played some guitar, but otherwise the music was predominantly orchestral. Richard Harris played the role of the Doctor on the record, but he
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#173288095189010664-413: 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 album Tommy . The documentary is titled Sensation: The Story of
10836-523: The Money , Tommy is the first successful "extended work" in rock music , but Townshend's parodic side is more "profound and equivocal" than Frank 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 in Life magazine, said that
11008-495: The Sex Pistols ' Steve Jones and Paul Cook , fans of the Who. After leaving, he passed out in a doorway, where a policeman said he would not be arrested if he could stand and walk. The events inspired the title track of the next album, Who Are You . The group reconvened in September 1977, but Townshend announced there would be no live performances for the immediate future, a decision that Daltrey endorsed. By this point, Moon
11180-438: The UK and No. 4 in the US. " Baba O'Riley " and " Won't Get Fooled Again " are early examples of synthesizer use in rock, featuring keyboard sounds generated in real time by a Lowrey organ ; on "Won't Get Fooled Again", it was further processed through a VCS3 synthesizer. The synthesizer intro to "Baba O'Riley" was programmed based on Meher Baba's vital stats, and the track featured a violin solo by Dave Arbus . The album
11352-453: The US again with Eric Burdon and the Animals , including an appearance on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour , miming to "I Can See For Miles" and "My Generation". Moon bribed a stage hand to put explosives in his drum kit, who loaded it with ten times the expected quantity. The resulting detonation threw Moon off his drum riser and his arm was cut by a flying piece of a cymbal. Townshend's hair
11524-649: The US later that month, where Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times described the Who as "the Greatest Show on Earth". The tour was slightly disrupted at the Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on 12 December when Moon passed out over his kit after overdosing on brandy and barbiturates. He recovered and completed the gig, playing to his usual strength. After touring Who's Next , and needing time to write
11696-504: The Who and were recycled; "It's A Boy" was derived from "Glow Girl", an out-take from The 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 of Sonny Boy Williamson 's "Eyesight to the Blind". A cover of Mercy Dee Walton 's "One Room Country Shack"
11868-549: The Who are now the band against which all others are to be judged." Daltrey had significantly improved as a singer, and set a template for rock singers in the 1970s by growing his hair long and wearing open shirts on stage. Townshend had taken to wearing a boiler suit and Doctor Martens shoes. In August, the Who performed at the Woodstock Festival , despite being reluctant and demanding $ 13,000 up front. The group were scheduled to appear on Saturday night, 16 August, but
12040-414: The Who filmed another performance at Shepperton Sound Studios for The Kids Are Alright . This performance was strong, and several tracks were used in the film. It was the last gig Moon performed with the Who. The album was released on 18 August, and became their biggest and fastest seller to date, peaking at No. 6 in the UK and No. 2 in the US. Instead of touring, Daltrey, Townshend and Moon did
12212-554: The Who have continued to perform and tour, most commonly with Starkey on drums, Pino Palladino on bass, and Pete's brother Simon Townshend on second guitar and backing vocals. In 2019, the group released the album Who and toured with a symphony orchestra. The founding members of the Who, Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend and John Entwistle , grew up in Acton, London and went to Acton County Grammar School . Townshend's father, Cliff , played saxophone and his mother, Betty, had sung in
12384-452: The Who play through "all the kinky complications" of the narrative in a hard rock style that is the antithesis of most contemporary "serious" rock. Goldman asserted that, based on innovation, performance, and "sheer power", Tommy surpasses anything else in studio-recorded rock. Robert Christgau named Tommy the best album of 1969 in his year-end list for Jazz & Pop magazine. According to music journalist Richie Unterberger , Tommy
12556-400: The Who were widely considered one of the best and most popular live rock bands; Chris Charlesworth described their concerts as "leading to a kind of rock nirvana that most bands can only dream about". They decided a live album would help demonstrate how different the sound at their gigs was to Tommy , and set about listening to the hours of recordings they had accumulated. Townshend baulked at
12728-401: The Who's Tommy and features in-depth interviews with them. Tommy was originally released as a two- LP set 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 considered Alan Aldridge for the cover. The cover
12900-449: The Who's album as a "reasonably hard-rock version" of the opera. Dave Marsh thought 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
13072-405: The Who's concerts that included Tommy was overwhelmingly positive. The touring helped keep the album in the public eye and cleared the band's debts. Several live recordings of Tommy from the Who's 1969–70 tours have been released. A complete performance is available on the 2002 Deluxe Edition of the live album Live at Leeds , recorded on 14 February 1970. The second Isle of Wight performance
13244-521: The Who). Elton John used his own band for "Pinball Wizard". Filming was from April until August. 1500 extras appeared in the "Pinball Wizard" sequence. The film premiered on 18 March 1975 to a standing ovation. Townshend was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score . Tommy was shown at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival , but not in the main competition. It won the award for Rock Movie of
13416-728: The Year in the First Annual Rock Music Awards and generated over $ 2 million in its first month. The soundtrack reached number two on the Billboard charts. Work on Tommy took up most of 1974, and live performances by the Who were restricted to a show in May at the Valley , the home of Charlton Athletic , in front of 80,000 fans, and a few dates at Madison Square Garden in June. Towards
13588-466: The absence of the original libretto . In 2013, a super deluxe version of Tommy was released as a 3-CD / Blu-ray box 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
13760-413: The accompanying single, "Pinball Wizard", a début performance at Ronnie Scott's , and a tour , playing most of the new album live. Tommy sold 200,000 copies in the US in its first two weeks, and was a critical success, Life saying, "for sheer power, invention and brilliance of performance, Tommy outstrips anything which has ever come out of a recording studio". Melody Maker declared: "Surely
13932-478: 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 of Tommy , which lasted throughout 1969 and 1970. Key gigs from the tour included appearances at Woodstock , the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival , the University of Leeds , the Metropolitan Opera House , and
14104-399: 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 at The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus on 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
14276-518: The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for "historical, artistic and significant value". In 2000 it was voted number 52 in Colin Larkin 's All Time Top 1000 Albums . In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Tommy number 96 on its list of the 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
14448-463: The audience would all stand up at the same time and stay standing. This indicated that live performances of Tommy had a significant positive response. The group continued to play large halls in the US, organised by tour promoter Frank Barsalona , and generally avoided festivals, but made an important exception with the Woodstock festival on 16 August. After spending all night arguing with Barsalona,
14620-408: 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 Hoffman took to the stage to protest about the imprisonment of John Sinclair before 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
14792-407: The band as a full touring member in 2002 and has played with them on each of their tours since. Simon Townshend also joined Casbah Club in 2004, which included Bruce Foxton (bass guitarist for The Jam ) and Mark Brzezicki (drummer for Big Country ) and Bruce Watson (guitarist for Big Country), where he functioned as lead guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter. In 2006 Simon Townshend joined
14964-592: The band as a support act. The Detours were influenced by the bands they supported, including Screaming Lord Sutch , Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers , Shane Fenton and the Fentones , and Johnny Kidd and the Pirates . The Detours were particularly interested in the Pirates as they also only had one guitarist, Mick Green , who inspired Townshend to combine rhythm and lead guitar in his style. Entwistle's bass became more of
15136-407: 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. Tommy was first released on CD in 1984 as a two disc set. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab subsequently 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
15308-448: The band. "Sally Simpson" is about a fan who tried to climb on stage at a gig by the Doors that they attended and " Pinball Wizard " was written so that New York Times journalist Nik Cohn , a pinball enthusiast, would give the album a good review. Townshend later said, "I wanted the story of Tommy to have several levels ... a rock singles level and a bigger concept level", containing
15480-537: The commitment of the group prevented him from releasing solo material. The next album, The Who by Numbers , had introspective songs from Townshend that dealt with disillusionment such as "However Much I Booze" and "How Many Friends"; they resembled his later solo work. Entwistle's "Success Story" gave a humorous look at the music industry, and " Squeeze Box " was a hit single. The group toured from October, playing little new material and few Quadrophenia numbers, and reintroducing several from Tommy . The American leg of
15652-519: The country; Prime Minister John Gorton sent a telegram to the Who telling them never to return to Australia. The Who would not return to Australia again until 2004. They continued to tour across the US and Canada during the first half of the year. By 1968, the Who had started to attract attention in the underground press . Townshend had stopped using drugs and became interested in the teachings of Meher Baba . In August, he gave an interview to Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner describing in detail
15824-408: 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
15996-486: The demands of the music; added to this issue, tour rehearsals had been interrupted due to an argument that culminated in Daltrey punching Townshend and knocking him out cold. At a gig in Newcastle, the tapes completely malfunctioned, and an enraged Townshend dragged sound-man Bob Pridden on-stage, screamed at him, kicked all the amps over and partially destroyed the backing tapes. The show was abandoned for an "oldies" set, at
16168-592: The drumming and, according to Sandom, Townshend immediately turned on him and threatened to fire him if his playing did not immediately improve. Sandom left in disgust, but was persuaded to lend his kit to any potential stand-ins or replacements. Sandom and Townshend did not speak to each other again for 14 years. During a gig with a stand-in drummer in late April at the Oldfield, the band first met Keith Moon. Moon grew up in Wembley , and had been drumming in bands since 1961. He
16340-406: The end of 1976. The release of Who Are You (1978) was overshadowed by Moon's death shortly after. Kenney Jones replaced Moon and the group resumed touring, and released a film adaptation of Quadrophenia and the retrospective documentary The Kids Are Alright (both 1979). The band embarked on the It's Hard Tour in support of their 1982 album, It's Hard . After Townshend became weary of
16512-429: 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 since The 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
16684-450: The end of the year, the group released the out-takes album Odds & Sods , which featured several songs from the aborted Lifehouse project. In 1975, Daltrey and Townshend disagreed about the band's future and criticised each other via interviews in the music paper New Musical Express . Daltrey was grateful that the Who had saved him from a career as a sheet-metal worker and was unhappy at Townshend not playing well; Townshend felt
16856-560: The end of which Townshend smashed his guitar and Moon kicked over his drumkit. The Independent described this gig as one of the worst of all time. The US tour started on 20 November at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California ; Moon passed out during "Won't Get Fooled Again" and during " Magic Bus ". Townshend asked the audience, "Can anyone play the drums? – I mean somebody good." An audience member, Scot Halpin , filled in for
17028-657: The entertainment division of the Royal Air Force during World War II, and both supported their son's interest in rock and roll . Townshend and Entwistle became friends in their second year of Acton County, and formed a trad jazz group; Entwistle also played French horn in the Middlesex Schools' Symphony Orchestra. Both were interested in rock, and Townshend particularly admired Cliff Richard 's début single, " Move It ". Entwistle moved to guitar, but struggled with it due to his large fingers, and moved to bass on hearing
17200-422: The festival ran late and they did not take to the stage until 5 am on Sunday; they played most of Tommy . During their performance, Yippie leader Abbie Hoffman interrupted the set to give a political speech about the arrest of John Sinclair ; Townshend kicked him off stage, shouting: "Fuck off my fucking stage!" During " See Me, Feel Me ", the sun rose almost as if on cue; Entwistle later said, "God
17372-415: The festival; Hendrix shipped over his regular touring gear from Britain, including a full Marshall stack . According to biographer Tony Fletcher , Hendrix sounded "so much better than the Who it was embarrassing". The Who's appearance at Monterey gave them recognition in the US, and "Happy Jack" reached the top 30. The group followed Monterey with a US tour supporting Herman's Hermits . The Hermits were
17544-456: The follow-up to Tommy , Lifehouse , was abandoned. Songs from the project made up the album Who's Next (1971), including the hits " Won't Get Fooled Again ", " Baba O'Riley ", and " Behind Blue Eyes ". The group released another concept album, Quadrophenia (1973), as a celebration of their mod roots, and oversaw the film adaptation of Tommy (1975). They continued to tour to large audiences before semi-retiring from live performances at
17716-463: The four personalities of the Who. Townshend played multi-tracked synthesizers, and Entwistle played several overdubbed horn parts. By the time the album was being recorded, relationships between the band and Lambert and Stamp had broken down irreparably, and Bill Curbishley replaced them. The album reached No. 2 in both the UK and US. The Quadrophenia tour started in Stoke on Trent in October and
17888-477: 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 by Jon Astley . Astley was able to access the original 8 track tapes and bring out instruments that had been buried, such as the guitar in "Christmas", the French horn in "Sparks", the cymbals in " The Acid Queen " and
18060-447: The group "did the whole thing from start to finish and that was 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 at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club , London on 1 May. Realising
18232-600: The group in rehearsals and was impressed. He signed them to his production company, and sold the recording to the US arm of Decca Records , which meant that the group's early singles were released in Britain on Brunswick Records , one of UK Decca's labels for US artists. "I Can't Explain" was recorded in early November 1964 at Pye Studios in Marble Arch with the Ivy League on backing vocals, and Jimmy Page played fuzz guitar on
18404-667: The group to release a solo album, Smash Your Head Against the Wall , in May 1971. Recording at the Record Plant in New York City in March 1971 was abandoned when Lambert's addiction to hard drugs interfered with his ability to produce. The group restarted with Glyn Johns in April. The album was mostly Lifehouse material, with one unrelated song by Entwistle, " My Wife ", and was released as Who's Next in August. The album reached No. 1 in
18576-536: The group would be ideal to represent the growing mod movement in Britain which involved fashion, scooters and music genres such as rhythm and blues , soul and modern jazz . He renamed the group the High Numbers, dressed them up in mod clothes, secured a second, more favourable audition with Fontana and wrote the lyrics for both sides of their single " Zoot Suit"/"I'm the Face " to appeal to mods. The tune for "Zoot Suit"
18748-733: The group's regular audience from the Goldhawk Social Club. Enthusiastic reception on television and regular airplay on pirate radio helped the single slowly climb the charts in early 1965 until it reached the top 10. In early 1965, the Who made their first appearance on the television music show, Top of the Pops , at the BBC 's Dickenson Road Studios in Manchester , with "I Can't Explain". The follow-up single, " Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere ", by Townshend and Daltrey, features guitar noises such as pick sliding , toggle switching and feedback , which
18920-401: The group, they split in 1983. The Who occasionally re-formed for live appearances such as Live Aid in 1985, a 25th-anniversary tour in 1989 with Simon Phillips on drums and a tour of Quadrophenia in 1996–1997. A full reunion began in 1999, with drummer Zak Starkey . After Entwistle's death in 2002, plans for a new album were delayed until 2006, with Endless Wire . Since Entwistle's death,
19092-422: The guitar work of Duane Eddy . He was unable to afford a bass and built one at home. After Acton County, Townshend attended Ealing Art College , a move he later described as profoundly influential on the course of the Who. Daltrey, who was in the year above, had moved to Acton from Shepherd's Bush , a more working-class area. He had trouble fitting in at the school, and discovered gangs and rock and roll. He
19264-586: The imprint for all the Who's UK output until the mid-1970s. The group started 1968 by touring Australia and New Zealand with the Small Faces . The groups had trouble with the local authorities and the New Zealand Truth called them "unwashed, foul-smelling, booze-swilling no-hopers". After an incident that took place on a flight to Sydney , the band were briefly arrested in Melbourne and then forced to leave
19436-519: The midst of his isolation ("Christmas"). Tommy's parents neglect him, leaving him to be tortured by his sadistic "Cousin Kevin" and sexually abused by his uncle Ernie ("Fiddle About"). The Hawker's drug-addicted wife, " The Acid Queen ", gives Tommy a dose of LSD , causing a hallucinogenic experience that is expressed musically ("Underture"). As Tommy grows older, he discovers that he can feel vibrations sufficiently well to become an expert pinball player (" Pinball Wizard "). His parents take him to
19608-516: The most influential rock bands of the 20th century. Their contributions to rock music include the development of the Marshall stack , large public address systems , the use of synthesizers , Entwistle's and Moon's influential playing styles, Townshend's feedback and power chord guitar technique, and the development of the rock opera . They are cited as an influence by many hard rock , punk , power pop and mod bands. The Who were inducted into
19780-825: The next morning. By the time the Detours had become the Who, they had already found regular gigs, including at the Oldfield Hotel in Greenford, the White Hart Hotel in Acton, the Goldhawk Social Club in Shepherd's Bush, and the Notre Dame Hall in Leicester Square. They had also replaced Druce as manager with Helmut Gorden, with whom they secured an audition with Chris Parmeinter for Fontana Records . Parmeinter found problems with
19952-448: 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 in Cairo . The mixing was left to Damon Lyon-Shaw and assistant engineer Ted Sharp, who did not think IBC was well suited for
20124-523: The opera's narrative was difficult to understand, Townshend explained a synopsis of the story, before the Who played Tommy all 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 the Grande Ballroom , Detroit . At the end of May, the group played four nights at the Kinetic Playground , Chicago , and they noticed
20296-406: 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 2003 Tommy was made available as a deluxe two-disc hybrid Super Audio CD with a 5.1 multi-channel mix. The remastering
20468-412: The original soundtrack LP also employed several session musicians including Caleb Quaye , Ronnie Wood , Nicky Hopkins , Chris Stainton , and longtime Who associate John "Rabbit" Bundrick . Due to Keith Moon's commitments with the filming of Stardust , 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"
20640-625: The piece should have a proper overture, while Townshend wrote "Pinball Wizard" so that Nik Cohn , a pinball fan, would give the album a favourable review in The 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
20812-454: The plot of a new album project and its relationship to Baba's teachings. The album went through several names during recording, including Deaf Dumb and Blind Boy and Amazing Journey ; Townshend settled on Tommy for the album about the life of a deaf, dumb and blind boy, and his attempt to communicate with others. Some songs, such as "Welcome" and "Amazing Journey", were inspired by Baba's teaching, and others came from observations within
20984-402: The plotline. Unfortunately, because it fundamentally dealt with the abstract concept of Meher Baba 's spiritual precepts, the interviews often gave confusing and contradictory details. For Melody Maker , Chris Welch went to the album's press launch show at Ronnie Scott's and although the volume left his ears ringing for 20 hours, he concluded "we wanted more." Disc and Music Echo ran
21156-403: The primary songwriter of the rock band The Who in the mid-1960s. In 1974 Townshend released his debut single, When I'm a Man , at the age of 13. Nine years later, in 1983, he released his first solo album, Sweet Sound , followed by Moving Target in 1985. In 1989, he also appeared on his brother Pete Townshend's fifth solo album, The Iron Man: The Musical by Pete Townshend , singing on
21328-450: The production of a soundtrack album , on which the unrecorded orchestral arrangements Kit Lambert had envisaged for the original Tommy LP were realised by the extensive use of synthesizer . 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
21500-635: 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 an eight-track system , which allowed various instruments to be overdubbed . Townshend used several guitars in the studio but made particular use of the Gibson J-200 acoustic and the Gibson SG . As well as their usual instruments, Townshend played piano and organ and bassist John Entwistle doubled on french horn . Keith Moon used
21672-416: The project was never broadcast. The Who had not released an album in over a year, and had not completed the recording of Tommy , which continued well into 1969, interspersed with gigs at weekends. Lambert was a key figure in keeping the group focused and getting the album completed, and typed up a script to help them understand the story and how the songs fitted together. The album was released in May with
21844-531: The project. The Who started recording the album at IBC Studios on 19 September 1968. There was no firm title at this point, which was variously referred to as Deaf, Dumb and Blind Boy , Amazing Journey , Journey into Space , The Brain Opera and Omnibus . Townshend eventually settled on Tommy because it was a common British name and a nickname for soldiers in the First World War . Kit Lambert took charge of
22016-605: The prospect of doing so, and demanded that all the tapes be burned. Instead, they booked two shows, one in Leeds on 14 February, and one in Hull the following day, with the intention of recording a live album. Technical problems from the Hull gig resulted in the Leeds gig being used, which became Live at Leeds . The album is viewed by several critics including The Independent , The Telegraph and
22188-480: 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. An EP of 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
22360-446: The rest of the band, married, and a more proficient musician, having been playing semi-professionally for two years. Dawson left after frequently arguing with Daltrey and was briefly replaced by Gabby Connolly, before Daltrey moved to lead vocals. Townshend, with Entwistle's encouragement, became the sole guitarist. Through Townshend's mother, the group obtained a management contract with local promoter Robert Druce, who started booking
22532-497: The rest of the show. After a show in Montreal , the band (except for Daltrey, who retired to bed early) caused so much damage to their hotel room, including destroying an antique painting and ramming a marble table through a wall, that federal law enforcement arrested them. By 1974, work had begun in earnest on a Tommy film . Stigwood suggested Ken Russell as director, whose previous work Townshend had admired. The film featured
22704-530: The rest of the year and into 1970. In October 1969, the Who played six shows at the Fillmore East , where Leonard Bernstein praised them for their new music. The group's show on 14 December at the London Coliseum was filmed for a possible future Tommy feature. Lambert was keen for Tommy to be taken seriously and wanted the Who to perform at opera houses . In June 1970, the group performed two shows at
22876-475: The rights to the master tapes, which prevented the album from being reissued until 2002. The Who were signed to Robert Stigwood 's label, Reaction, and released " Substitute ". Townshend said he wrote the song about identity crisis, and as a parody of the Rolling Stones 's " 19th Nervous Breakdown ". It was the first single to feature him playing an acoustic twelve-string guitar . Talmy took legal action over
23048-513: The short song "Man Machines" and an alternative version of "Dig". In 1994, he toured with The Who's lead vocalist Roger Daltrey on the Daltrey Sings Townshend tour. In 1996, after starting his own record label and production company, Stir Music, Simon Townshend released several other albums including studio and live performances. He joined The Who as a second guitarist for their Quadrophenia Tour in 1996 and 1997. He later rejoined
23220-435: 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 or Keith Moon demolishing 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
23392-450: The slogan "Maximum R&B". In June 1964, during a performance at the Railway, Townshend accidentally broke the head of his guitar on the low ceiling of the stage. Angered by the audience's laughter, he smashed the instrument on the stage, then picked up another guitar and continued the show. The following week, the audience were keen to see a repeat of the event. Moon obliged by kicking his drum kit over, and auto-destructive art became
23564-520: The spiritual message he wanted as well as being entertaining. The album was projected for a Christmas 1968 release but recording stalled after Townshend decided to make a double album to cover the story in sufficient depth. By the end of the year, 18 months of touring had led to a well-rehearsed and tight live band, which was evident when they performed "A Quick One While He's Away" at The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus television special. The Stones considered their own performance lacklustre, and
23736-406: The standard three-minute pop single format since 1966. Co-manager Kit Lambert shared 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 called Quads , 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
23908-453: The supporting choralists for Ken Russell 's film adaptation of Tommy which was released in 1975. He also had contributed backing vocals to The Who 's Endless Wire album in 2006. On 11 August 2009 Simon joined Pearl Jam onstage at the Shepherd's Bush Empire in London for a performance of " The Real Me " from The Who 's Quadrophenia album. In the autumn of 2009, he embarked on
24080-406: The task. The album overshot its April deadline, as stereo mastering continued into the end of the month. After delays surrounding the cover artwork, Tommy was released on 19 May 1969 in the US by Decca and 23 May in the UK by Track Records . The original double album was configured with sides 1 and 4 on one disc, and sides 2 and 3 on the other, to accommodate record changers . The album
24252-408: The time because of the cultural climate during the late 1960s: " Tommy was considered more authentic, precisely because it consists of hard rock, rather than doctored-up Mussorgsky ... and avoids the typical pseudoromantic themes of art rock (fairy-tale bliss and apocalyptic angst) in favor of the more up-to-date subject of popular culture itself." High Fidelity magazine also characterised
24424-456: 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 through Meher Baba and "Sally Simpson" was based on a gig with the Doors which was marred by violence. Other songs had been previously recorded by
24596-461: The toilet: "[A]ll that porcelain flying through the air was quite unforgettable. I never realised dynamite was so powerful." After a gig in Flint, Michigan on Moon's 21st birthday on 23 August 1967, the entourage caused $ 24,000 of damage at the hotel, and Moon knocked out one of his front teeth. Daltrey later said that the tour brought the band closer, and as the support act, they could turn up and perform
24768-653: The tour began in Houston to a crowd of 18,000 at The Summit Arena , and was supported by Toots and the Maytals . On 6 December 1975, the Who set the record for largest indoor concert at the Pontiac Silverdome , attended by 78,000. On 31 May 1976, they played a second concert at the Valley which was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's loudest concert at over 120 dB. Townshend had become fed up of touring but Entwistle considered live performance to be at
24940-738: The tour were burned in preference for the Leeds University show in February 1970 that made up Live at Leeds . The Who had planned to perform Tommy live since starting the project. The group spent April 1969 rehearsing a live version of the show at the Hanwell Community Centre in Ealing including 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
25112-443: The whole of America had gone mad." A more enjoyable appearance came a few weeks later at the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival in England, which Townshend described as "a great concert for" the band. According to Townshend, at the end of the Isle of Wight gig the field was covered in rubbish left by fans (which the band's roadies helped to clear up), which inspired the line "teenage wasteland" from their single " Baba O'Riley ". By 1970,
25284-472: Was "Misery" by the Dynamics , and "I'm the Face" borrowed from Slim Harpo 's "I Got Love If You Want It". Although Meaden tried to promote the single, it failed to reach the top 50 and the band reverted to calling themselves the Who. The group – none of whom played their instruments conventionally – began to improve their stage image; Daltrey started using his microphone cable as
25456-525: Was "trying to get Keith out of the Who". To alleviate financial pressure on the band, Lambert arranged a song-writing deal which required each member to write two songs for the next album. Entwistle contributed " Boris the Spider " and "Whiskey Man" and found a niche role as second songwriter. The band found they needed to fill an extra ten minutes, and Lambert encouraged Townshend to write a longer piece, " A Quick One, While He's Away ". The suite of song fragments
25628-562: Was a critical and commercial success, and has been certified 3× platinum by the RIAA . The Who continued to issue Lifehouse -related material over the next few years, including the singles " Let's See Action ", " Join Together " and " Relay ". The band went back on tour, and "Baba O' Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" became live favourites. In November they performed at the newly opened Rainbow Theatre in London for three nights, continuing in
25800-408: 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 at Portsmouth Polytechnic and were paid with tickets to
25972-504: Was adapted as a film, produced by expatriate Australian entrepreneur Robert Stigwood and directed by British auteur Ken Russell . The movie version starred Roger Daltrey as Tommy and featured the other members of the Who, plus a supporting cast that included Ann-Margret as Tommy's mother and Oliver Reed as the Lover, with appearances by Elton John , Tina Turner , Eric Clapton , Arthur Brown , and Jack Nicholson . Russell insisted on having
26144-400: 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 at IBC was 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 ' s Chris Welch visited IBC studios in November and while he
26316-559: Was becoming increasingly destructive and problematic through excessive drinking and drugs use, and a desire to party and tour. Daltrey performed an audit of the group's finances and discovered that Lambert and Stamp had not kept sufficient records. He believed them to be no longer effective managers, which Townshend and Moon disputed. The painful dissolution of the managerial and personal relationships are recounted in James D. Cooper's 2014 retrospective documentary, Lambert & Stamp . Following
26488-423: Was 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 via Tommy in 1969, it was an unmatched thrill", writes Mac Randall of Rolling Stone in 2004 in a more positive appraisal. "Almost thirty-five years later, this classic-rock touchstone still has the power to enthrall." In 1998,
26660-404: Was booked for a series of experimental concerts. Townshend approached the gigs with optimism; the rest of the band were just happy to be gigging again. Eventually, the others complained to Townshend that the project was too complicated and they should simply record another album. Things deteriorated until Townshend had a nervous breakdown and abandoned Lifehouse . Entwistle was the first member of
26832-553: Was born in Chiswick , London, the same area and town where older brother Pete Townshend was born. He grew up into a musical family. He was the youngest of three sons born to Cliff Townshend , a professional saxophonist in The Squadronaires , and his wife, Betty Townshend (née Dennis), who had an early career as a singer. By the time he was born, his father's career as a jazz musician was winding down, while Pete became successful as
27004-417: 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
27176-517: Was done under the supervision of Townshend and also includes related material not on the original album, including "Dogs-Part 2" (the B-Side to "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 Stone considered the disc sonically "murkier" than the 1996 CD and was critical of
27348-465: Was embarrassed at his wealth, which he felt was at odds with Meher Baba's ideals, and Moon spent frivolously. During the latter part of 1970, Townshend plotted a follow-up Tommy : Lifehouse , which was to be a multi-media project symbolising the relationship between an artist and his audience. He developed ideas in his home studio, creating layers of synthesizers, and the Young Vic theatre in London
27520-423: Was expelled at 15 and found work on a building site. In 1959 he started the Detours, the band that was to evolve into the Who. The band played professional gigs, such as corporate and wedding functions, and Daltrey kept a close eye on the finances as well as the music. Daltrey spotted Entwistle by chance on the street carrying a bass and recruited him into the Detours. In mid-1961, Entwistle suggested Townshend as
27692-417: Was exploitative. The album had a hostile reception with the BBC and certain US radio stations, with Tony Blackburn describing "Pinball Wizard" as "distasteful". Nevertheless, BBC Radio 1 received an advance copy of the album at the start of May and gave the material its first airplay on Pete Drummond 's show on 3 May. Townshend promoted the album's release with interviews in which he attempted to explain
27864-460: Was hailed by contemporary critics as the Who's breakthrough. Robert Christgau wrote 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 for AllMusic , 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
28036-406: Was immediately beset with problems. Daltrey resisted Townshend's wish to add Joe Cocker 's keyboardist Chris Stainton (who played on the album) to the touring band. As a compromise, Townshend assembled the keyboard and synthesizer parts on backing tapes, as such a strategy had been successful with "Baba O'Riley" and "Won't Get Fooled Again". The technology was not sophisticated enough to deal with
28208-481: 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 album Magic Bus: The Who on Tour which received a scathing review from Greil Marcus in Rolling Stone over its poor selection of material and misleading name (as
28380-423: Was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame . Subsequently, the rock opera was developed into other media, including a ballet in Montreal in 1970, a Seattle Opera production in 1971, an orchestral version by Lou Reizner in 1972, a film directed by Ken Russell and featuring Jack Nicholson and Oliver Reed in 1975, and a Broadway musical in 1992. Tommy has been reissued several times on CD, including
28552-524: Was our lighting man". At the end, Townshend threw his guitar into the audience. The set was professionally recorded and filmed, and portions appear on the Woodstock film , The Old Grey Whistle Test and The Kids Are Alright . Woodstock has been regarded as culturally significant, but the Who were critical of the event. Roadie John "Wiggie" Wolff, who arranged the band's payment, described it as "a shambles". Daltrey declared it as "the worst gig [they] ever played" and Townshend said, "I thought
28724-594: Was performing with a semi-professional band called the Beachcombers, and wanted to play full-time. Moon played a few songs with the group, breaking a bass drum pedal and tearing a drum skin. The band were impressed with his energy and enthusiasm, and offered him the job. Moon performed with the Beachcombers a few more times, but dates clashed and he chose to devote himself to The Who. The Beachcombers auditioned Sandom, but were unimpressed and did not ask him to join. The Who changed managers to Peter Meaden . He decided that
28896-462: Was replaced by Peter Sellers for 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 including David 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
29068-518: Was singed and his left ear left ringing, and a camera and studio monitor were destroyed. The next album was The Who Sell Out – a concept album paying tribute to pirate radio, which had been outlawed in August 1967 by the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act 1967 . It included humorous jingles and mock commercials between songs, a mini rock opera called "Rael", and "I Can See For Miles". The Who declared themselves
29240-466: Was so unconventional that it was initially rejected by the US arm of Decca. The single reached the top 10 in the UK and was used as the theme song to Ready Steady Go! The transition to a hit-making band with original material, encouraged by Lambert, did not sit well with Daltrey, and a recording session of R&B covers went unreleased. The Who were not close friends either, apart from Moon and Entwistle, who enjoyed visiting nightclubs together in
29412-529: Was so unhealthy that the Who conceded it would be difficult for him to cope with touring. The only gig that year was an informal show on 15 December at the Gaumont State Cinema in Kilburn , London, filmed for the documentary The Kids Are Alright . The band had not played for 14 months, and their performance was so weak that the footage was unused. Moon's playing was particularly lackluster and he had gained
29584-455: 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 Times art director Mike McInnerney, told him about the Indian spiritual mentor Meher Baba , and Townshend became fascinated with Baba's values of compassion, love and introspection. The Who's commercial success was on the wane after
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