Live at Leeds
Live album by The Who
Released	May 16, 1970 February 28, 1995 (remaster) September 18, 2001 (deluxe)
Recorded	February 14, 1970
Genre	Rock
Length	19:14 (original) 36:24
Label	Track, Polydor (UK) Decca, MCA (U.S.)
Producer(s)	The Who, Kit Lambert, Jon Astley
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (B) link PopMatters (positive) link George Starostin (10/10) link
The Who chronology
Tommy (1969)	Live at Leeds (1970)	Who's Next (1971)

Live at Leeds (1970) is The Who's first live album, and indeed is their only live album that was released while the band was still recording and performing regularly. In 2003, the album was ranked number 170 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. [1], and is considered to be one of the best live albums ever.[2] The album cover of The Whos Live At Leeds. Available under fair use policy. ... A live album is a musical recording containing recorded concert performances. ... It has been suggested that Bob Pridden be merged into this article or section. ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 14 is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Track Records is a record label founded by The Who to distribute artists and projects they wanted to support. ... 1920s vintage Polydor export label with its double-horn gramophone logo In 1954 Polydor Records introduced their distinctive orange label. ... It has been suggested that Decca Music Group be merged into this article or section. ... The Music Corporation of America, commonly known as MCA, is a United States based corporation in the music business. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... It has been suggested that Bob Pridden be merged into this article or section. ... Kit Lambert (May 11, 1935 – April 7, 1981) was a record producer and the manager for The Who. ... Jon Astley is a record producer who recorded and released two albums as a singer-songwriter in the late 1980s. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... ... PopMatters is an international magazine of cultural criticism. ... Georgiy Sergeevich Starostin, (Russian: , born July 4, 1976) is a linguistics researcher, head of the Sinology Department of the Institute of Oriental Cultures at the Russian State University for the Humanities, where he also teaches. ... It has been suggested that Bob Pridden be merged into this article or section. ... Tommy (1969) is the first of The Whos two full-scale rock operas (the second being Quadrophenia), and the first musical work explicitly billed as a rock opera. ... Whos Next is an album by The Who. ... It has been suggested that Bob Pridden be merged into this article or section. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Promotional Book Cover The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time is the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003. ...

Background

After releasing Tommy in mid-1969 The Who went on an extended world tour to promote it, and returned to England at year's end with a desire to release a live album from the tour. However, they balked at the prospect of listening to the hundreds of hours of accumulated recordings to decide which would make the best album, so they ritually burned the tapes (to prevent bootlegging) and scheduled two shows, one at the University of Leeds and the other in Hull, for the express purpose of recording and releasing a live album. The shows were performed on February 14th (Leeds) and 15th (Hull) 1970, but technical problems with the recordings from the 15th - the bass guitar had not been recorded - made it necessary for the show from the 14th to be released as the album. Tommy (1969) is the first of The Whos two full-scale rock operas (the second being Quadrophenia), and the first musical work explicitly billed as a rock opera. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area... An assortment of bootleg recordings A bootleg recording (or simply bootleg or boot) is an audio and/or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist, or under other legal authority. ... The University of Leeds is a major teaching and research university, one of the largest in the United Kingdom with over 32,000 full-time students. ... Hull or Kingston upon Hull is a British city situated on the north bank of the Humber estuary. ...

Perhaps because of these circumstances, or perhaps because The Who were hyped up due to their international success with Tommy, or perhaps simply because The Who were in their prime at the time of recording, Live At Leeds turned out to be a wildly popular recording. It also became a critical smash, with the New York Times acclaiming it as "the best live rock album ever made."[3] Its reputation as such continues to this day with Q magazine recently putting it at the top of its list of the greatest live albums of all time.[4] The album's reputation has become so lofty that the venue it was recorded at has been named a national landmark in the UK, commemorated with a blue plaque.[5] The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... Q is a music and entertainment magazinepublished monthly in the United Kingdom. ... A blue plaque showing information about The Spanish Barn at Torre Abbey in Torquay. ...

The album cover looks like the simple cover of a bootleg LP of the era: it is of plain brown cardboard with "The Who | Live At Leeds" printed on it in plain blue or red block letters as if stamped on with ink. The original LP's cover opened out, butterfly-style, and had a pocket on either side of the interior, with the record in a paper sleeve on one side and facsimiles of various memorabilia on the other, including a photo of the band from the My Generation photoshoot, handwritten lyrics to the "Listening to You" chorus from Tommy, a receipt for smoke bombs, and the early black "Maximum R&B" poster showing Pete Townshend windmilling his Rickenbacker in mid-leap. The label was handwritten (apparently in Townshend's hand), and included instructions to the engineers not to attempt to remove any crackling noise (the recording is in fact very clean, except of course for the deliberate electronic distortion of the amplified instruments). An assortment of bootleg recordings A bootleg recording (or simply bootleg or boot) is an audio and/or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist, or under other legal authority. ... It has been suggested that Childrens gramophone records be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Peter Dennis Blandford (Pete) Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ...

Track listing

Original 1970 release

The original LP contained these six tracks:

1. "Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison) – 4:45
2. "Substitute" (Pete Townshend) – 2:05
3. "Summertime Blues" (Jerry Capeheart, Eddie Cochran) – 3:22
4. "Shakin' All Over" (Johnny Kidd) – 4:15
5. "My Generation" (Townshend) – 14:27
6. "Magic Bus" (Townshend) – 7:30

Mose John Allison, Jr. ... Peter Dennis Blandford (Pete) Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... Summertime Blues (1958) is a classic and often-covered song by Eddie Cochran about the trials and tribulations of teenage life in America. ... Ray Edward Eddie Cochran (October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an early American rockabilly musician and an important influence on popular music during the late 1950s and early 1960s. ... Frederick Albert Heath best known as Johnny Kidd, was an English singer and songwriter, who was the front man for the rock band, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. ... This article is about the song. ... Magic Bus is one of The Whos most popular songs. ...

Remastered 1995 CD

The digitally remastered CD, released in 1995, had the original tracks, which were expanded, and many new ones: Remaster (and its derivations, frequently found in the phrases digitally remastered or digital remastering) is a word and concept ushered into the mass consciousness via the digital age, although it had existed before then. ... A Compact Disc or CD is an optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio. ...

1. "Heaven and Hell" (John Entwistle) – 4:50
2. "I Can't Explain" (Pete Townshend) – 2:58
3. "Fortune Teller" (Naomi Neville aka Allen Toussaint; original by Benny Spellman) – 2:34
4. "Tattoo" (Townshend) – 3:42
5. "Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison) – 5:51
6. "Substitute" (Townshend) – 2:06
7. "Happy Jack" (Townshend) – 2:13
8. "I'm a Boy" (Townshend) – 4:41
9. "A Quick One, While He's Away" (Townshend) – 8:41
10. "Amazing Journey/Sparks" (Townshend) – 7:54
11. "Summertime Blues" (Jerry Capeheart/Eddie Cochran) – 3:22
12. "Shakin' All Over" (Frederick Heath) – 4:34
13. "My Generation" (Townshend) – 15:46
14. "Magic Bus" (Townshend) – 7:46

The remastered CD includes song introductions and other banter that was edited out of the original release. It is also available in a Deluxe Edition that includes more chat between the songs, and then provides a near complete performance of Tommy on a second disk, which plays every song except Cousin Kevin, Underture, Sensation,and Welcome. At the concert Tommy was performed between "A Quick One, While He's Away" and "Summertime Blues"; the Deluxe Edition of the remastered CD moves "Amazing Journey/Sparks" to their appropriate place during the Tommy performance, and includes almost everything that was performed at the concert. This article or section seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ... John Alec Entwistle (October 9, 1944 – June 27, 2002) was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, and horn player, who was best known as the bass guitarist for rock band The Who. ... I Cant Explain is a song released by English rock band The Who in 1965, but primarily written by Pete Townshend and produced by Shel Talmy. ... Peter Dennis Blandford (Pete) Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... Paul Shaffer (L) and Allen Toussaint on the September 7, 2005 show of The Late Show with David Letterman Allen Toussaint (born January 14, 1938) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer and one of the most influential figures in New Orleans R&B. In the 1960s and 1970s... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Mose John Allison, Jr. ... Substitute is a song by The Who written by Pete Townshend. ... Happy Jack is a song by the British rock band The Who. ... Im a Boy is a song written by rock and roll song writer Pete Townshend for his band The Who. ... A Quick One While Hes Away is a 1966 medley written by Pete Townshend and recorded by The Who for their album A Quick One. ... Amazing Journey is a song by The Who, originally featured on their 1969 album Tommy. ... Sparks is an instrumental by The Who, which originally featured on the album Tommy (1969). ... Summertime Blues (1958) is a classic and often-covered song by Eddie Cochran about the trials and tribulations of teenage life in America. ... Ray Edward Eddie Cochran (October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an early American rockabilly musician and an important influence on popular music during the late 1950s and early 1960s. ... Shakin All Over is a famous rock and roll song from the 1960s. ... Frederick Albert Heath best known as Johnny Kidd, was an English singer and songwriter, who was the front man for the rock band, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. ... This article is about the song. ...

"Fortune Teller" and "Young Man Blues" are R&B tunes that were a standard part of The Who's stage repertoire at the time. "Shakin' All Over" is a cover of a hit by pioneering early 1960s British rocker Johnny Kidd and "Summertime Blues" is a cover of an Eddie Cochran song. (The Who's cover of "Summertime Blues" is similar to Blue Cheer's version, which had recently been a hit single.) Rhythm and blues (also known as R&B or RnB) is a popular music genre combining jazz, gospel, and blues influences — first performed by African American artists. ... Frederick Albert Heath best known as Johnny Kidd, was an English singer and songwriter, who was the front man for the rock band, Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. ... Ray Edward Eddie Cochran (October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an early American rockabilly musician and an important influence on popular music during the late 1950s and early 1960s. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

"My Generation" is drawn out into an almost sixteen minute medley including "See Me, Feel Me" / "Listening To You", the instrumental riff from the end of "Naked Eye", "The Seeker," and a number of other mostly unfamiliar themes. "Magic Bus" is drawn out to seven and a half minutes. The rest of the tracks are fairly straightforward renditions of the original songs, albeit with a consistent hard-rock power trio sound rather than any attempt to re-create the various studio sounds of their original recordings. This article is about the song. ... The power trio is a rock and roll band format popularized in the 1960s (see 1960s in music). ...

A similar concert from later the same year was released in 1996 as Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970, along with a film of the same event titled Listening to You: The Who at the Isle of Wight Festival.

See also 1970 in music. See also: other events of 1970 list of years in music 1970s in music // Charles Wuorinen, aged 32, becomes the youngest composer ever to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. ...

Deluxe edition (2001)

Disc one

1. "Heaven and Hell" (John Entwistle)
2. "I Can't Explain" (Pete Townshend)
3. "Fortune Teller" (Naomi Neville)
4. "Tattoo" (Townshend)
5. "Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison)
6. "Substitute" (Townshend)
7. "Happy Jack" (Townshend)
8. "I'm a Boy" (Townshend)
9. "A Quick One, While He's Away" (Townshend)
10. "Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran & Jerry Capehart)
11. "Shakin' All Over" (Johnny Kidd a.k.a Fred Heath)
12. "My Generation" (Townshend)
13. "Magic Bus" (Townshend)

John Alec Entwistle (October 9, 1944 – June 27, 2002) was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, and horn player, who was best known as the bass guitarist for rock band The Who. ... Peter Dennis Blandford (Pete) Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ...

Disc two (Tommy)

1. "Overture" (Townshend)
2. "It's a Boy" (Townshend)
3. "1921" (Townshend)
4. "Amazing Journey" (Townshend)
5. "Sparks" (Townshend)
6. "Eyesight to the Blind" (Sonny Boy Williamson)
7. "Christmas" (Townshend)
8. "The Acid Queen" (Townshend)
9. "Pinball Wizard" (Townshend)
10. "Do You Think It's Alright?" (Townshend)
11. "Fiddle About" (Entwistle)
12. "Tommy, Can You Hear Me?" (Townshend)
13. "There's a Doctor" (Townshend)
14. "Go to the Mirror" (Townshend)
15. "Smash the Mirror" (Townshend)
16. "Miracle Cure" (Townshend)
17. "Sally Simpson" (Townshend)
18. "I'm Free" (Townshend)
19. "Tommy's Holiday Camp" (Moon)
20. "We're Not Gonna Take It" (Townshend)

During the concert, "Summertime Blues," "Shakin' All Over," "My Generation," and "Magic Bus" were played after the Tommy set, but for easier listening the Deluxe Edition devoted the entire second disc to the Tommy set, and moved "My Generation" and "Magic Bus" out of order to the end of the first disc. During 1970, the regular Who concert set was set up this way, but an album with a 1970 concert in true order wasn't available until 1996 when the official Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 album was released. Tommy (1969) is the first of The Whos two full-scale rock operas (the second being Quadrophenia), and the first musical work explicitly billed as a rock opera. ... Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (1970) is an album by The Who which was released in 1996. ...

All of the Tommy set is previously unreleased except "Amazing Journey", "Sparks" and "Pinball Wizard".
An excerpt from "We're Not Gonna Take It", titled "See Me, Feel Me", was also previously released on the Thirty Years of Maximum R&B box set. Thirty Years of Maximum R&B is a box set by British rock band, The Who. ... A box set (sometimes referred to as a boxed set) is one or more musical recordings, films, television programs, or other collection of related things that are contained in a box. ...

Editions

[1970] Track 2406 001 (in the UK), Decca DL 79175 (in the USA)

The original LP release. Released separately but almost simultaneously in the UK and the USA. Cover, inserts, label, and track list as described above. Produced by The Who.

[1990] MCAD-37000 / DIDX-353

The original CD re-release. Cover as described above, except no fold-out and no inserts. Standard MCA silver label with title and track listing. Tracks as on the original LP. No production credits listed.

[1995] MCAD-11215

The re-mastered CD. Cover as described above, except with better inking on the simulated stamp (possibly a bow to contemporary marketing requirements). Custom label similar to the original LP, with the engineering notice changed to "Crackling noises have been corrected!". Extended track list as described above. The front insert is a 10 leaf booklet with notes by Chris Charlesworth, notes on each track, reduced-size facsimiles of all the original inserts, facsimiles of press clippings pertaining to the concert or the album, and photos of the band taken during one of the two Leeds University concerts. Producer: Jon Astley. Executive producers: Bill Curbishley, Robert Rosenberg, and Chris Charlesworth.

[2001] MCAD-112618

Two-disc deluxe edition of the remastered CD. Cover similar to the original, but with the printing yet clearer still. The package is of paper, with a transparent vinyl slip case. Custom white labels with minimal text, some of which is still handwritten. Track list as described above, with the inclusion of a complete performance of Tommy. The cover opens to a facsimile of the LP and original inserts as they rested in the pockets of the original LP cover. It then folds out into four panels covered by reduced facsimiles of the original inserts. Inside one sleeve is a 14 leaf booklet with notes by Chris Charlesworth, notes on Tommy and each of the non-Tommy tracks, period photos of the band, and a very few reproductions of press clippings and inserts from the original LP. Producer: Jon Astley. Executive producers: Bill Curbishley, Robert Rosenberg, and Chris Charlesworth.

It has been suggested that Bob Pridden be merged into this article or section. ... Jon Astley is a record producer who recorded and released two albums as a singer-songwriter in the late 1980s. ... Bill Curbishley is a music producer, best known for his work with English rock group The Who. ... Jon Astley is a record producer who recorded and released two albums as a singer-songwriter in the late 1980s. ... Bill Curbishley is a music producer, best known for his work with English rock group The Who. ...

Personnel

• Roger Daltrey – lead vocals, harmonica, tambourine
• Pete Townshend – guitar, vocals
• John Entwistle – bass guitar, vocals
• Keith Moon – drums, vocals

Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944) is a rock vocalist, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of The Who, an English rock band. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Köçek with tambourine c. ... Peter Dennis Blandford (Pete) Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A backing vocalist or backing singer (or, especially in the U.S., backup singer or sometimes background singer) is a singer who sings in harmony with the lead vocalist, other backing vocalists, or alone but not singing the lead. ... John Alec Entwistle (October 9, 1944 – June 27, 2002) was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, and horn player, who was best known as the bass guitarist for rock band The Who. ... The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is an electrically-amplified string instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, or using a pick. ... Keith Moon (August 23, 1946 – September 7, 1978) was the drummer of the rock group The Who. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is mostly a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer. ...

References

• For more information, see the inserts to either of the two remastered editions.

External links

• Lyrics
• Guitar tablature