Tommy (soundtrack)

This article is about the 1975 film soundtrack. For the 1993 theatre soundtrack, see Tommy (original cast recording).

Tommy
Soundtrack album by
The Who
Released19 March 1975
RecordedJanuary–March 1974
StudioRamport and Eel Pie, London
Genre
Length90:35
LabelPolydor
ProducerThe Who
The Who chronology
Odds & Sods
(1974) 		Tommy
(1975) 		The Who by Numbers
(1975)
Singles from Tommy soundtrack
  1. "Pinball Wizard"
    Released: 12 March 1976

Tommy is a soundtrack album by The Who with contributions from numerous artists. The soundtrack was used in the 1975 Tommy film that was based on the original album that was released by The Who in 1969. Pete Townshend oversaw the production of this double-LP recording that returned the music to its rock roots, and on which the unrecorded orchestral arrangements he had envisaged for the original Tommy LP were realised by the extensive use of synthesiser.

The soundtrack LP also employed many leading sessions musicians including Caleb Quaye, Phil Chen and Nicky Hopkins (who also receives a "Special Thanks" in the album credits for help with the arrangements) as well as members of The Faces' Ronnie Wood and future Keith Moon replacement Kenney Jones. Although the music for this song is performed by "The Elton John Band", as he was calling his musical team, the film depicts John being backed by The Who (dressed in pound-note suits). According to the album's back cover credits, the song was the only one not produced by Townshend, helmed instead by Elton's producer, Gus Dudgeon. Townshend performs additional synthesizer and/or guitar on all tracks. Credits to "The Who" indicate performances by Townshend, John Entwistle and Moon jointly, regardless of vocalist.

Track listing

All songs are written and composed by Pete Townshend, except where noted. (For narrative, see Tommy (1975 film).)

Bonus track on CD reissues (CD 1)
No.TitlePerformerLength
1."Overture from Tommy"Pete Townshend5:01
LP side one (cassette side 1, CD 1)
No.Title...Length
1."Prologue – 1945"Pete Townshend and John Entwistle2:55
2."Captain Walker/It's a Boy"Pete Townshend, Margo Newman and Vicki Brown2:38
3."Bernie's Holiday Camp"Oliver Reed, Alison Dowling and Ann-Margret3:42
4."1951/What About The Boy?"Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed2:49
5."Amazing Journey"Pete Townshend3:19
6."Christmas"Ann-Margret, Alison Dowling and Oliver Reed3:59
7."Eyesight to the Blind" (Willie "Sonny Boy" Williamson)Eric Clapton3:21
LP side two (cassette side 1, CD 1)
No.Title...Length
1."The Acid Queen"Tina Turner3:47
2."Do You Think It's Alright? (1)"Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed0:57
3."Cousin Kevin" (John Entwistle)Paul Nicholas3:07
4."Do You Think It's Alright? (2)"Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed0:46
5."Fiddle About" (John Entwistle)Keith Moon1:40
6."Do You Think It's Alright? (3)"Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed0:29
7."Sparks"Instrumental3:07
8."Extra, Extra, Extra"Simon Townshend0:37
9."Pinball Wizard"Elton John5:22
LP side three (cassette side 2, CD 2)
No.Title...Length
1."Champagne"Ann-Margret and Roger Daltrey4:43
2."There's a Doctor"Oliver Reed and Ann-Margret0:29
3."Go to the Mirror"Jack Nicholson, Roger Daltrey and Ann-Margret[1]3:49
4."Tommy, Can You Hear Me?"Ann-Margret0:55
5."Smash the Mirror!"Ann-Margret1:22
6."I'm Free"Roger Daltrey2:36
7."Mother and Son"Ann-Margret and Roger Daltrey2:36
8."Sensation"Roger Daltrey2:49[1]
LP side four (cassette side 2, CD 2)
No.Title...Length
1."Miracle Cure"Simon Townshend0:23
2."Sally Simpson"Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey5:38
3."Welcome"Roger Daltrey, Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed4:15
4."T.V. Studio"Ann-Margret and Oliver Reed1:14
5."Tommy's Holiday Camp" (Keith Moon)Keith Moon1:29
6."We're Not Gonna Take It"Roger Daltrey with the vocal chorus4:46[1]
7."See Me, Feel Me/Listening to You[1]"Roger Daltrey with the vocal chorus4:19[1]

The Who:

  • Roger Daltrey – vocals for (grown up) "Tommy" ("Young Tommy" vocals by Alison Dowling)
  • John Entwistle – bass, brass overdubs
  • Keith Moon – drums, vocals for "Uncle Ernie"
  • Pete Townshend – guitars, synthesizers, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals for "Narrator"

"Overture from Tommy"

  • The Who

"Prologue – 1945"

  • John Entwistle – brass overdubs
  • Pete Townshend – all other instruments

"Captain Walker/It's a Boy"

  • Pete Townshend – all instruments

"Bernie's Holiday Camp"

  • The Who

"1951/What about the Boy?"

"Amazing Journey"

"Christmas"

  • Nicky Hopkins – piano
  • Vocal chorus – backing vocals

"Eyesight to the Blind"

"Acid Queen"

"Do You Think It's Alright?" (1, 2, and 3)

  • Phil Chen – bass
  • Graham Deakin – drums
  • Nicky Hopkins – piano
  • Alan Ross – acoustic guitar

"Cousin Kevin"

"Fiddle About"

  • The Who

"Sparks"

  • The Who

"Extra, Extra, Extra"

  • Kenney Jones – drums
  • Alan Ross – acoustic guitar
  • Tony Stevens – bass

"Pinball Wizard"

"Champagne"

  • The Who

"There's a Doctor"

  • Kenney Jones – drums
  • Alan Ross – acoustic guitar
  • Chris Stainton – piano
  • Ronnie Wood – guitar

"Go to the Mirror"

  • Richard Bailey – drums
  • Phil Chen – bass
  • Nicky Hopkins – piano
  • Caleb Quaye – guitar

"Tommy, Can You Hear Me?"

  • Nicky Hopkins – piano
  • Alan Ross, Chris Stainton – acoustic guitar

"Smash the Mirror!"

  • Kenney Jones – drums
  • Alan Ross – acoustic guitar

"I'm Free"

  • Nicky Hopkins – piano
  • Kenney Jones – drums

"Mother and Son"

  • Pete Townshend – all instruments except bass (John Entwistle)

"Sensation"

  • Phil Chen – bass
  • Nicky Hopkins – piano
  • Alan Ross – acoustic guitar

"Miracle Cure"

  • Kenney Jones – drums
  • Alan Ross – acoustic guitar
  • Tony Stevens – bass

"Sally Simpson"

  • Phil Chen – bass
  • Eric Clapton – guitar
  • Graham Deakin – drums
  • Nicky Hopkins – piano

"Welcome"

  • Pete Townshend – all instruments

"T.V. Studio"

  • Pete Townshend – all instruments

"Tommy's Holiday Camp"

  • Gerald Shaw – organ

"We're Not Gonna Take It"

  • Nicky Hopkins – piano
  • Mike Kelly – drums
  • Alan Ross – acoustic guitar
  • Fuzzy Samuels – bass
  • Chris Stainton – organ
  • Caleb Quaye – guitar
  • Vocal chorus – backing vocals

"See Me, Feel Me/Listening to You"

The Who, plus:

  • Nicky Hopkins – piano
  • Chris Stainton – organ
  • Vocal chorus – backing vocals

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Tommy
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[14] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[15] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[16] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Notes:
    1. The length 2:49 is the length of "Sensation" on the LP and 8-track; the cassette and CD feature a lead-in verse sung by Pete Townshend and a guitar solo (labeled parts 1 and 2 of 3), making it 4:37
    2. The soundtrack album's liner notes give Oliver Reed a vocal credit for "Go to the Mirror" even though his vocals are only on the film version of the song—not the soundtrack-album version. The song book for the soundtrack album, however, correctly attributes the concluding verses' vocals solely to "Mother" (Ann-Margret).
    3. "See Me, Feel Me/Listening To You" is the name given in the song book for the soundtrack album; the soundtrack album itself, counterintuitively, calls it "Listening To You/See Me, Feel Me". Also, the original 1993 CD version, curiously, splits the last two tracks at the onset of the "Listening To You" movement, leaving the "See Me, Feel Me" movement with "We're Not Gonna Take It". Times given here, however, represent the correct split between the two songs. The 2000 remastered version has the song-book track labeling and the correct split on the CD.
  2. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 282. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  3. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6136a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  4. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Soundtrack – Tommy - the Movie" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  5. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 18 March 2023. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Titolo" field, search "Tommy".
  6. ^ "Charts.nz – Soundtrack – Tommy - the Movie". Hung Medien. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  7. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Soundtrack – Tommy - the Movie". Hung Medien. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  8. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  9. ^ "The Who Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  10. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Soundtrack – Tommy - the Movie". Hung Medien. Retrieved July, 8 2023.
  11. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 427. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6489a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  13. ^ "Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1975". BestSellingAlbums.org. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  14. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Soundtrack – Tommy". Music Canada.
  15. ^ "British album certifications – Soundtrack – Tommy-Ost". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  16. ^ "American album certifications – Soundtrack – Tommy". Recording Industry Association of America.
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