NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Pinball Wizard

"Pinball Wizard" is a song written by Pete Townshend and performed by the English rock band The Who, and featured on their 1969 rock opera Tommy. The original recording was released as a single in 1969 and reached #4 in the UK charts. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 300 Ã— 300 pixelsFull resolution (300 Ã— 300 pixel, file size: 131 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)http://www. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... The Who are an English rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... Alternate cover Deluxe edition cover Tommy 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. ... â€œB-Sidesâ€ redirects here. ... is the 66th day of the year (67th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... â€œHard Rockâ€ redirects here. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Polydor Records is a record label once headquartered in Germany. ... It has been suggested that Decca Music Group be merged into this article or section. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... 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. ... Kit Lambert (May 11, 1935 â€“ April 7, 1981) was a record producer and the manager for The Who. ... // A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... â€œHot 100â€ redirects here. ... The Who are an English rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... Magic Bus is one of The Whos most popular songs. ... Go to the Mirror! is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who. ... Alternate cover Deluxe edition cover Tommy 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. ... Fiddle About is a song written by John Entwistle of The Who. ... Theres a Doctor is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who. ... Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... The Who are an English rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... The Whos Tommy, the first album explicitly billed as a rock opera A rock opera is a rock music album or stage production that resembles the form of an opera. ... Tommy (1969) is one of The Whos two full-scale rock operas, and the first musical work explicitly billed as a rock opera. ...

Story

The lyrics are written from the perspective of a local pinball champion astounded by the skills of the opera's eponymous main character, Tommy Walker: "That deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball", and "I thought I was the bally table king, but I just handed my pinball crown to him." Alternate cover Deluxe edition cover Tommy 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. ... This article discusses the way the word deaf is used and how deafness is perceived by hearing and Deaf communities. ... Speech disorders or speech impediments, as they are also called, are a type of communication disorders where normal speech is disrupted. ... This article is about the visual condition. ...

Townshend once called it "the most clumsy piece of writing [he'd] ever done"^[1]. Ironically, the song was a gigantic commercial success and one of the most recognized tunes from the opera. It was a perpetual concert favorite for Who fans due to its pop sound and familiarity. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Position on the album

The song was introduced into Tommy as an afterthought^{[citation needed]}. In late 1968 or early 1969, when The Who played a rough assembly of their new album to critic Nik Cohn, Cohn gave a lukewarm reaction. Following this, Townshend, as Tommy's principal composer, discussed the album with Cohn and concluded that, to lighten the load of the rock opera's heavy spiritual overtones (Townshend had recently become deeply interested in the teachings of Meher Baba), the title character, a "deaf, dumb, and blind" boy, should also be particularly good at a certain game. Knowing Cohn was an avid pinball fan, Townshend suggested that Tommy would play pinball, and Cohn immediately declared Tommy to be a masterpiece^{[citation needed]}. The song "Pinball Wizard" was written and recorded almost immediately. Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nik Cohn (also written Nick Cohn) is a British rock journalist. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Masterpiece (disambiguation). ...

Covers

The song was featured in a medley with another song from Tommy ("See Me, Feel Me") in a recording by the British easy-listening pop group The New Seekers in 1973. This version reached #16 on the UK charts. The New Seekers was a British pop group formed in 1969 by Keith Potger after the break-up of his group, The Seekers. ...

The song was performed by musician Elton John in Ken Russell's 1975 theatrical adaptation of Tommy. This version was released as a single in 1975 in the US, and in 1976 in the UK, where it reached #7 in the latter year. Elton John's version uses a piano in the place of the acoustic guitar in the original, and features additional lyrics specially written for the movie by Townshend, as well as a short sample of The Who's earlier "I Can't Explain". John continues to perform the song in his Las Vegas Red Piano Show and on tour. To date, it is the only cover of a Who song to reach the top ten. Sir Elton Hercules[1] John CBE[2] (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight on 25 March 1947) is a five-time Grammy and one-time Academy Award-winning English pop/rock singer, composer and pianist. ... Henry Kenneth Alfred Russell, known as Ken Russell (born July 3, 1927), is an iconoclastic English film director, particularly well-known for his films about famous composers and his controversial, often outrageous pioneering work in film. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Roger Daltrey as Tommy Tommy was a 1975 musical film, based on The Whos 1969 rock opera concept album Tommy. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic - President George Walker Bush (R) - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Year 1976 Pick up sticks(MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... I Cant Explain is a song released by English rock band The Who in 1965, written by Pete Townshend and produced by Shel Talmy. ... // The Red Piano show is performed at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas by Sir Elton John. ...

Rod Stewart performed the song for the 1972 orchestral version of Tommy, and it is included on several of Stewart's greatest hits compilations. According to the book The Duh Awards by Bob Fenster, Rod Stewart asked Elton John if he should accept an offer to sing in Tommy. Elton told him no way, "Don't touch it with a barge pole." A year later, The Who asked Elton John to sing the same song. Elton grabbed his barge pole and took the offer. "I don't think Rod's quite forgiven me for that," he commented years later. Roderick David Stewart, CBE (born January 10, 1945), is an English singer and songwriter born and raised in London. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The song was also performed by Tenacious D as the closing song at shows on their 2006-2007 tour, usually as part of a medley of Tommy songs. Tenacious D, or The D as they are known by their fans,[1] is an American rock band duo composed of musician/actors Kyle Gass and Jack Black. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

On the TV show Rock Star: Supernova, Storm Large sung Pinball Wizard as her opening song on the first Live week as well as being the First to Sing

McFly covered the song in 2005 & it was given a video & used as a b-Side. McFly can refer to: McFly (band) Marty McFly, fictional character from the Back to the Future film trilogy, and his family, the McFly family. ...

Trivia

A live version of the song, sung by Pete Townshend, aired on The Howard Stern Show on Sirius Satellite Radio. During the song, Howard Stern commented, "Poor bastard can't even sing his own songs. But there's something cool about him not being able to do it and trying." Howard's sidekick, Robin Quivers, agreed, "Yeah, it makes him human," Adding, "But, Roger really rocks this!" (referring to Roger Daltrey the lead singer for The Who) ^[2] Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... This article is about the radio show hosted by Howard Stern. ... Sirius Satellite Radio NASDAQ: SIRI is one of two satellite radio (SDARS) services operating in the United States and Canada, along with XM Satellite Radio. ... This article is a biography of Howard Stern as an individual; for information regarding his radio show see The Howard Stern Show. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944) is a rock vocalist, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. ... The Who are an English rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ...

In the Elton John film clip of the Pinball Wizard song (featuring The Who playing on the stage with Roger Daltry as Tommy), Elton is playing a Gottlieb "Buckaroo" from 1965, while Tommy (Roger) is playing a Gottlieb "Kings and Queens", also from 1965. The Buckaroo has an animated mechanical horse in the backglass, a glimpse of which can be seen towards the end of the song. Elton's Buckaroo has been customised with a keyboard mounted on the lockdown bar. Gottlieb (formerly D. Gottlieb & Co. ...

This is one of Karl Pilkington's favourite songs as he only likes a 'song with a story'. Pinball Wizard was featured on the Ricky Gervais radio show on XFM, although, he doesn't see how a 'deaf, dumb and blind kid' plays pinball. He says he wouldn't even know he was playing pinball. Why put money in the machine? ^[3] Karl Pilkington (born September 23, 1972 in Manchester) is an English, Sony Award-winning radio producer and personality best known for producing and co-presenting The Ricky Gervais Show on the radio station XFM. On October 3, 2006, Pilkingtons first book The World of Karl Pilkington was released, featuring... Ricky Dene Gervais (IPA: ) (born June 25, 1961) is an Emmy, Golden Globe and BAFTA award-winning British comic writer and performer from Reading, Berkshire. ... Xfm logo Xfm is a brand of commercial radio stations focused on current and unsigned alternative music and owned by GCap Media in the United Kingdom. ...

On the 21st of April, 2007, Pinball Wizard was the group song on the reality TV show Any Dream Will Do. Any Dream Will Do is a popular song written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. ...

References

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | 1969 singles | 1975 singles | 1976 singles | The Who songs | Elton John songs | Songs from musicals The Who are an English rock band that first formed in 1964, and grew to be considered one of the greatest[1] and most influential[2] bands in the world. ... This page is a list of the various members of The Who. ... Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE (born 1 March 1944) is a rock vocalist, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. ... Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born May 19, 1945 in Chiswick, London), is an award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer. ... John Alec Entwistle (October 9, 1944 â€“ 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. ... Keith John Moon (August 23, 1946 â€“ September 7, 1978) was the drummer of the rock group The Who. ... Kenneth Thomas Kenney (or Kenny) Jones (born September 16, 1948 in Stepney, London) is a veteran English rock drummer best known for his work in the Small Faces, the Faces, and The Who. ... John Rabbit Bundrick (born November 21, 1948) is a prominent American-born rock keyboardist, pianist, and organist, having played on albums by The Who, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Roger Waters, Free, and Crawler, among several others. ... Pino Palladino (born on October 17, 1957 in Cardiff, Wales, UK) is a noted rock and rhythm and blues electric bass player of Italian ancestry. ... Zak Starkey (born September 13, 1965 in London, England) is the drummer for English rock band Oasis. ... Simon Townshend is a British guitarist, singer and songwriter. ... For other persons named Simon Phillips, see Simon Phillips (disambiguation). ... Doug Sandom (b. ... The Who is a British rock band of 1960s and 1970s fame. ... Brian Kehew is a Los Angeles-based musician and music producer. ... The following is a discography of albums and singles released by the UK rock band The Who. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A Quick One (1966) is the second album released by British rock band The Who. ... Back cover The back cover of The Who Sell Out The Who Sell Out is The Whos third album, released in 1967. ... Alternate cover Deluxe edition cover Tommy 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. ... For the song by Tom Lehrer, see That Was the Year That Was. ... Alternate cover Original soundtrack version Quadrophenia is a double album released by The Who on October 19, 1973, one of the groups two full-scale rock operas. ... The Who By Numbers (1975) is an album by British rock band The Who. ... Who Are You is an album by British rock band The Who. ... Face Dances is an album by British rock band The Who originally released in 1981 in the US on Warner Bros. ... Its Hard is the 10th studio album by British rock band The Who and the second album after drummer Keith Moon died. ... Endless Wire is a studio album by The Who, and their first new studio album of original material in twenty-four years following the release of Its Hard in 1982. ... Live at Leeds (1970) is The Whos first live album, and indeed is their only live album that was released while the band was still recording and performing regularly. ... A live album by The Who recorded during the 1982 farewell tour My Generation I Cant Explain Substitute Behind Blue Eyes Baba ORiley Boris The Spider Who Are You Pinball Wizard See Me, Feel Me Love Reign Oer Me Long Live Rock Wont Get Fooled Again... Join Together is a box set of live material released from The Whos 1989 25th Anniversary Tour, including performance from Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle with Simon Phillips on drums. ... Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 (1970) is an album by The Who which was released in 1996. ... BBC Sessions by The Who was released 15 February 2000 on Polydor Records. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... The Who, at the time (2002) consisting of John Entwistle, Roger Datlrey, Pete Townshend, Zak Starkey, and John Rabbit Bundrick, performed a concert at the Royal Albert Hall for the Teenage Cancer Trust. ... Encore Series 2002 is a series of recordings from The Whos 2002 American Tour. ... Encore Series 2004 is a series of recordings from The Whos 2004 tour to Japan, Australia, the UK and the U.S. It contains soundboard recordings of all 18 concerts from the tour, available as 2-CD individual shows or as part of a box set. ... Encore Series 2006 is a series of recordings from The Who Tour 2006-2007. ... This is the last concert of the Its Hard tour at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, December 17, 1982. ... Magic Bus: The Who on Tour is an album by British rock band The Who, released in the United States on November 30, 1968. ... Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy is a compilation album by British rock band The Who. ... Odds and Sods is a compilation album by British rock band, The Who. ... The Kids Are Alright (soundtrack) is an album by British rock band The Who. ... Hooligans is a two-disc compilation album of The Who. ... Join Together is a compilation album of The Who singles released from 1970 to 1973. ... Whos Greatest Hits is a 1983 condensed compilation album from The Who. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Thirty Years of Maximum R&B is a box set by British rock band, The Who. ... The Ultimate Collection (2002) by The Who is a two disc greatest hits set with both singles and top hits from albums, all of which have been remastered. ... Then and Now (2004) is an album by The Who aimed to support their comeback singles, Real Good Looking Boy and Old Red Wine. The set includes hit singles from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. ... The following is a discography of albums and singles released by the UK rock band The Who. ... Roger Daltrey as Tommy Tommy was a 1975 musical film, based on The Whos 1969 rock opera concept album Tommy. ... Quadrophenia is a 1979 British film based on the 1973 rock opera album Quadrophenia by The Who. ... Soundtrack album cover. ... Monterey Pop is a 1968 film by D.A. Pennebaker that documents the Monterey Pop Festival of 1967. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Woodstock (subtitled 3 Days of Peace & Music) is a 1970 documentary on the Woodstock Festival in 1969. ... McVicar is a dramatic British film issued in 1980 by The Who Films, Ltd. ... Buddys Song (1990) is a film starring Chesney Hawkes, Billy Murray, Lee Ross, Nick Moran, Sharon Duce, Emma Amos and Roger Daltrey, based on the novel by Nigel Hinton. ... Peter Meaden was a 1960s Mod and short time manager of the band The Who during their early days. ... Kit Lambert (May 11, 1935 â€“ April 7, 1981) was a record producer and the manager for The Who. ... Chris Stamp, a former filmmaker, was the co-manager (with Kit Lambert) and executive producer of The Who until 1973, at which point tensions between Pete Townshend and Lambert caused the management team to be replaced by former assistant Bill Curbishley. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with The Who. ... Duncan Nimmo is a technical manager from New Zealand. ... This is a history of the equipment that the English rock band The Who used. ... For the 2005 album by the band Lifehouse, see Lifehouse (Lifehouse album). ... Track Records is a record label founded by The Who to distribute artists and projects they wanted to support. ... The Who Tour 2006-2007 is The Whos first worldwide concert tour in several years. ... The Boy Who Heard Music is a internet novella written by Pete Townshend. ... Scott Halpin enjoyed fifteen minutes of fame â€“ quite literally â€“ on November 20, 1973. ...

Contents

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Position on the album

Covers

Trivia

References

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