The first version of The Who’s famous “rock opera” Tommy that I ever heard was the 1975 movie soundtrack. I was a huge Elton John fan as a kid, so I was actually surprised to discover Pinball Wizard was someone else’s song.
I found the original studio version to be lacking somehow. I still do, and prefer Tommy tour-era live versions. Seeing as there are so many versions and full performances of Tommy, I decided to make a playlist of my favourite versions. For the most part, the 40th anniversary Super Deluxe Edition of Live At Leeds/Live At Hull (2010) is the best Tommy, but I sprinkled in a few others just for variety and fun — even Dogs Part Two, from the album Maximum As & Bs. It’s a song originally intended for inclusion on Tommy.
I drew from the 1969 studio original, the 1975 movie soundtrack, the 1979 Kids Are Alright soundtrack, the 1996 three-disc live album Live At The Isle Of Wight, any number of both official and unofficial Woodstock releases, the incredible Live At Leeds box set which includes Live At Hull, and finally, the 1996 Deluxe and/or Super Deluxe editions of the studio album — which includes the heavily bootlegged concert here in Ottawa at the former Capitol Theatre on Oct. 15, 1969.
Wait, what? Ottawa? Yep — The Who hit the nation’s capital as part of their multi-leg Tommy tour. Back then, Bytown was just 550,000 people compared to Toronto which was almost 2.5 million. For those familiar with Ottawa, the Capitol Theatre was a 2,500-seat venue which typically showed movies, but also hosted live bands including Cream and Jimi Hendrix. Ottawa’s largest theatre was designed by famed architect Thomas Lamb and occupied the southwest corner of Queen and Bank streets — about a one-minute walk from where I work. It was stunning, which is why Pete Townshend jokes about playing in “this garbage can” in his Tommy preamble and band introductions at the Ottawa show on the ’96 Super Deluxe Edition. You can also hear that bit on Spotify (and on my playlist, below).
Following the May 1970 demolition of the Capitol Theatre, the new structure was initially used as office space, stores and a three-cinema multiplex until 1999. I saw Silence Of The Lambs there. The theatres are gone. It’s just a downtown multi-use high rise and parking garage now. The only thing the same is the address: 230 Queen St.
The Who show was one of the last major concerts at the venue, having been rescheduled to October 1969 from their original date in May because the band’s equipment didn’t arrive on time. In the interim they played this little gig called Woodstock. The trip back to Ottawa allowed the band to play Toronto twice — first as originally scheduled in May at The Rockpile (now The Concert Hall) and then at the CNE when they came back in the fall, just weeks after playing the Isle Of Wight.
The original Tommy studio album has seen a number pressings, repressings, remasters and remixes. Vinyl was being made up until 1998 and again in 2006 as a 140 or 200g remaster. Modern pressings happened in 2013-2015 and a new half-speed master arrive last year. The first CD version showed up in 1984 as a two-disc set. MOFI released a single-CD gold disc version in 1990.
John Astley remixed and remastered the album for CD in 1996. He was given access to the original eight-track tapes so he could bring instruments to the foire which had been previously buried in the mix. Another remix/remaster and a 5.1 mix was done involving Townshend in 2003. Finally, there are the Deluxe and Super Deluxe versions from 2013, which were originally available as a three-disc + one BluRay box set. The audio from those is available on streaming services. The most ridiculous version of the original studio Tommy is the 8-track cartridge, which messes with the running order and even leaves a few songs out.
No matter how you feel about the rock opera, it is quite the achievement and has loads of great songs, though many of them don’t work as standalones. Townshend wrote the whole thing, apart from a cover of Sonny Boy Williamson’s Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker) and the pair of abuse songs Pete asked bassist John Entwistle to write: Cousin Kevin and Fiddle About. Keith Moon is credited as the writer of Tommy’s Holiday Camp. He didn’t write it, Townshend did. But, Pete gave Moonie credit because it was his idea.
I didn’t grab any tracks from the many non-rock versions of Tommy, such as the Broadway musical from the ’90s or the star-studded 1972 London Symphony Orchestra version which featured appearances by Townshend, Roger Daltrey, Ringo Starr, David Essex, Steve Winwood, Rod Stewart, Richard Harris, Merry Clayton, Peter Sellers, Roy Wood, Maggie Bell, Richie Havens and Sandy Denny.
One of the first non-Who versions was actually done in Canada in 1970 by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens — the first dance version of Tommy. Seattle Opera did the first full-staged professional version in 1971, which included Bette Midler.
So here we go, my FrankenTommy sequence:
Overture | Live in Ottawa, Oct. 15 1969, from Deluxe 1996 reissue of Tommy.
It’s A Boy | Live at Leeds, Feb. 14, 1970, from Super Deluxe 40th Anniversary 2010 reissue of Live At Leeds.
1921 | Studio version recorded Sept. 1968-March 1969 in London, from Deluxe 1996 reissue.
Amazing Journey| Live at Leeds, Feb. 14, 1970, from Super Deluxe 40th Anniversary 2010 reissue of Live At Leeds.
Sparks | Live at Hull, Feb. 15, 1970, from Super Deluxe 40th Anniversary 2010 reissue of Live At Leeds.
Eyesight To The Blind (The Hawker) | Eric Clapton version from 1975 Tommy soundtrack. Clapton on vocals/guitar, Kenney Jones on drums, Arthur Brown on vocals, John Entwistle on bass.
Christmas | Live in Ottawa, Oct. 15 1969, from Deluxe 1996 reissue of Tommy.
Cousin Kevin | Paul Nicholas version from 1975 Tommy soundtrack. Nicholas on vocals, Pete Townshend on guitar, Tony Newman on drums and Dave Wintour on bass.
The Acid Queen | Tina Turner version from 1975 Tommy soundtrack. Ronnie Wood on guitar, Kenney Jones on drums, John Entwistle on bass and Nicky Hopkins on piano.
Underture | Studio version recorded Sept. 1968-March 1969 in London, from Deluxe 1996 reissue.
Do You Think It’s Alright? | Live at Leeds, Feb. 14, 1970, from Super Deluxe 40th Anniversary 2010 reissue of Live At Leeds.
Fiddle About | Keith Moon version from 1975 Tommy soundtrack.
Pinball Wizard | Elton John version from 1975 Tommy soundtrack.
There’s A Doctor | Live at Leeds, Feb. 14, 1970, from Super Deluxe 40th Anniversary 2010 reissue of Live At Leeds.
Go To The Mirror! | Live at Leeds, Feb. 14, 1970, from Super Deluxe 40th Anniversary 2010 reissue of Live At Leeds.
Tommy Can You Hear Me? | From the 1979 The Kids Are Alright soundtrack, but is a lip-synch performance of the studio version done on German TV in August 1969.
Smash The Mirror | Live at Woodstock, 5 a.m., August 16, 1969.
Dogs Part Two | From Maximum As & Bs, released on a five-CD set in 2017. Recorded in 1968, this was originally the B-side of Pinball Wizard.
Sensation | Studio version recorded Sept. 1968-March 1969 in London, from Deluxe 1996 reissue.
Miracle Cure | Live at the Isle of Wight Festival, August 29, 1970. From Live at the Isle of Wight Festival album, 1996.
Sally Simpson | Live at Hull, Feb. 15, 1970, from Super Deluxe 40th Anniversary 2010 reissue of Live At Leeds.
I’m Free | Live at the Isle of Wight Festival, August 29, 1970. From Live at the Isle of Wight Festival album, 1996.
Welcome | Studio version recorded Sept. 1968-March 1969 in London, from Deluxe 1996 reissue.
Tommy’s Holiday Camp | Live in Ottawa, Oct. 15 1969, from Deluxe 1996 reissue of Tommy.
We’re Not Gonna Take It | Live at Leeds, Feb. 14, 1970, from Super Deluxe 40th Anniversary 2010 reissue of Live At Leeds.
• • •
Area Resident is an Ottawa-based journalist, recording artist, music collector and re-seller. Hear (and buy) his music on Bandcamp, email him HERE, follow him on Instagram and check him out on Discogs.
