Arena shows: Selections from Tommy were considered crown favorites and played at almost all live concerts they performed at large sports arenas and stadiums.Roles were played by several well-known professional musicians and actors, as well as The Who. Symphony: The London Symphony Orchestra in 1972 did two live concerts, with a recorded studio album to follow.Opera: During which Bette Midler performed two roles in the Seattle Opera production.It was also performed at The Metropolitan Opera House in New York in 1970 Ballet: Montreal’s Les Grands Ballets Canadiens did a dance version in 1970.Concerts: Songs from Tommy appeared in eponymous rock concerts like Woodstock in 1969 (featured in the film) and the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970 (which also resulted in an album.).Album: The initial 1969 record was just the beginning.Like “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” the rock opera Tommy has had several incarnations. Years later, while watching a recording of the show, Townsend realized this was when his hearing loss began. This time drummer, Keith Moon had set high explosives in his drum set behind Townsend. The band routinely smashed guitars and kick over drum sets to conclude their performances. Unbeknownst to Peter Townsend, he lost part of his hearing during a performance in 1967 on an episode of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. I always wear earplugs to their concerts now. In 1976 The Who was listed as the “record holder” of the loudest band ever at 126 dB, measured 32 meters away when performing in London, beating the 1972’s Guinness Book of World Records leader Deep Purple at 117 dB. Several of the songs have appeared in their live tours up to the modern-day. The Who performed Tommy live throughout 19, and did selections from it during the ‘70s. Bobby McFerrin’s 1988 song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” was also inspired by a popular quote from Baba. The 1971 song “Baba O’Riley” was named in part after the leader. Peter Townsend, the lead guitarist, and writer of Tommy claims that the rock opera came out of his exposure in 1968 to Indian spiritual leader Meher Baba. In addition to the counterculture rock and hippie scene at that time - especially in New York’s Greenwich Village, San Francisco’s Haight-Asbury, and Berkeley’s Telegraph Avenue - we saw the rise of the Jesus Movement with its attendant Jesus Music, as well as the secular rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The late 1960s was a time of spiritual enlightenment and revival. “Tommy” is a common English name as well as a nickname for British soldiers during World War I. Despite several attempts to cure him, he has a spiritual awakening and becomes a sensational religious leader. The rock opera tells the disturbing story about an apparently “deaf, dumb, and blind boy” who following a childhood trauma becomes the Pinball Wizard. The album has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, representing about a fifth of their total records sold. Its success signified a breakthrough for the band and elevated The Who to a world-class touring and studio band. Several of the songs were released as singles that charted in the Top 20 in both the UK and US. Commercially the record went Gold in the UK and Double Platinum in the US. Fifty-three years ago today, on May 23, 1969, the British rock group The Who released the double-album rock opera, Tommy.
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