A "super deluxe" reissue of the Who's pioneering rock opera Tommy is out Nov. 11 in a variety of formats.
Here's the press release:
“TOMMY” BY THE WHO
SUPER DELUXE BOXSET and DELUXE EDITION
Remastered with 20 UNRELEASED DEMOS, A FULL UNRELEASED LIVE VERSION OF TOMMY and HI FIDELITY 5.1 MIX
Released November 11th 2013
August 28, 2013 – Tommy,
The Who’s defining, breakthrough concept album – a full-blown rock
opera about a deaf, dumb and blind boy that launched the band to
international superstardom is to be released in Deluxe and Super Deluxe
editions this Autumn.
Originally
released in May 1969, The Who were at a career crossroads, known mainly
as a singles band, but this project launched them as a serious ‘albums
band’ and it has now sold over 20 million copies as well as regularly
turning up in lists of the most influential albums of all time.
Coming
after The Who Sell Out in 1967, it marked a complete change in style
with Pete Townshend’s lengthy conceptual narrative bringing exciting new
opportunities to rock music. Tommy was and remains to be an ambitious,
complex and controversial work, which was initially banned by the BBC.
This
new Deluxe and Super Deluxe version of the album comes with a wealth of
previously unheard material in the form of 20 demos from Pete
Townshend’s archive and also a full live performance of Tommy from 1969
taken from tapes that infamously Townshend asked the band’s sound
engineer to burn!
18
of the previously unheard and thought to be long lost live tracks are
taken from a live show at the Capital Theatre, Ottawa, Canada on October
the 15th 1969. Three others, I’m Free, Tommy’s Holiday Camp and We’re Not Gonna Take It were lost due to tape reels being changed during the show so are taken from later shows of the same era.
As
discussed at length in Pete Townshend’s autobiography the tapes were
all supposed to be destroyed but were kept by long time Who sound man
Bob Pridden despite Pete’s instructions.
The Super Deluxe box also features a 5.1 mix featuring the complete album remixed in surround sound on new Hi Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-ray format
As
well as the music the limited edition Super Deluxe boxset comes with a
hardback 80-page full-colour book featuring rare period photos,
memorabilia, a 20,000-word essay by legendary Who aficionado Richard
Barnes and a rare facsimile Tommy poster housed in a hard-back deluxe
slip-case.
TRACKLISTING AND FURTHER INFORMATION
Super-Deluxe Edition (UPC 006025 37473960)
Disc 1 – The original album (2013 re-master)
Digitally re-mastered in HD
Disc 2 – The demos and out-takes
Features 20 previously unreleased tracks from Pete Townshend’s demo archive.
Disc 3 – The 5.1 album mix – Hi Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-ray
The complete album remixed in surround sound on new Hi Fidelity Pure Audio Blu-ray format
Disc 4 – The live ‘bootleg’ album
Features 21 previously-unreleased tracks from various live shows from 1969
Hardback 80-page full-colour book featuring rare period photos and memorabilia
20,000-word essay by legendary Who aficionado Richard Barnes
Rare facsimile Tommy poster
Limited edition, housed in a hard-back deluxe slip-case
Disc 1 The original album (2013 re-master)
1. Overture 5.20
2. It’s A Boy 0.38
3. 1921 2.49
4. Amazing Journey 5.04
5. Sparks 2.05
6. The Hawker (Eyesight To The Blind) 2.13
7. Christmas 4.34
8. Cousin Kevin 4.05
9. The Acid Queen 3.34
10. Underture 10.01
11. Do You Think It’s Alright? 0.24
12. Fiddle About 1.29
13. Pinball Wizard 3.01
14. There’s A Doctor 0.23
15. Go To The Mirror! 3.47
16. Tommy Can You Hear Me? 1.35
17. Smash The Mirror 1.34
18. Sensation 2.25
19. Miracle Cure 0.12
20. Sally Simpson 4.10
21. I’m Free 2.39
22. Welcome 4.32
23. Tommy’s Holiday Camp 0.57
24. We’re Not Gonna Take It 7.06
Disc 2 Demos & extras
1. Overture 4:07
2. It’s A Boy 0:41
3. 1921 3:13
4. Amazing Journey 4:47
5. Dream One 3:09
6. Sparks 7:38
7. The Hawker 4:45
8. Christmas 4:42
9. Acid Queen 3:35
10. Underture (Dream Two) 1:47
11. Do You Think It’s Alright 0:26
12. Pinball Wizard 3:42
13. There’s A Doctor 0:24
14. Go To The Mirror! 4:32
15. Success 0:10
16. Tommy Can You Hear Me 1:15
17. Smash The Mirror 1:37
18. Sensation 2:47
19. Miracle Cure 0:11
20. Sally Simpson 4:50
21. I’m Free 2:27
22. Welcome 3:26
23. We’re Not Gonna Take It 5:02
24. Trying To Get Through 2:27
25. Young Man Blues 2:47
Tracks 1 – 23 - Pete Townshend – original demos.
All previously unreleased except 2, 11 and 12 – released in 2003
Track 24 – The Who – studio demo/out-take.
Track 25 – The Who – studio recording (NOTE: This version was previously only available on ‘The House That Track Built’ vinyl sampler).
Disc 3 Hi Fidelity Pure Audio -Blu-ray disc (5.1 mixes)
- Overture 5.20
- It’s a boy 0.37
- 1921 2.49
- Amazing journey 5.05
- Sparks 2.05
- The Hawker 2.14
- Christmas 4.34
- Cousin Kevin 4.07
- The acid queen 3.34
- Underture 10.05
- Do you think it’s alright? 0.25
- Fiddle about 1.31
- Pinball wizard 3.01
- There’s a doctor 0.24
- Go to the mirror! 3.48
- Tommy can you hear me? 1.35
- Smash the mirror 1.33
- Sensation 2.27
- Miracle cure 0.12
- Sally Simpson 4.11
- I’m Free 2.39
- Welcome 4.32
- Tommy’s holiday camp 0.57
- We’re not gonna take it 7.06
Disc 4 Live Bootleg
1. Overture (including Introduction) 7.00
2. It’s A Boy 0.39
3. 1921 2.28
4. Amazing Journey 5.07
5. Sparks 2.49
6. The Hawker (Eyesight To The Blind)1.54
7. Christmas 3.11
8. The Acid Queen 3.30
9. Pinball Wizard 2.47
10. Do You Think It’s Alright? 0.21
11. Fiddle About 1.12
12. Tommy Can You Hear Me? 0.55
13. There’s A Doctor 0.24
14. Go To The Mirror! 3.22
15. Smash The Mirror 1.10
16. Miracle Cure 0.12
17. Sally Simpson 4.01
18. I’m Free 2.12
19. Tommy’s Holiday Camp 0.48
20. We’re Not Gonna Take It 3.28
21. See Me, Feel Me / Listening To You 7.51
OTHER FORMATS OF THE WHO’s TOMMY DELUXE EDITION
Physical
2-CD deluxe, digi-pak
CD 1 Original album remastered
CD 2 Live Bootleg
1-CD remastered version
Original album (single disc)
Deluxe vinyl edition
2-piece, heavyweight
Original LP configuration
UVINYL Website
Exclusive vinyl version of live ‘bootleg’ album
Hi Fidelity Pure Audio (Blu-ray)
‘Stand-alone’ original album mixed in 5.1
Digital Formats
Super-deluxe box set
Tracks from SDE box, excluding 5.1 mixes
+ MFiT version (iTunes only)
Digital deluxe edition
‘Mirror’ of 2-CD physical
+ MFiT version (iTunes only)
Digital album (original album)
Mirror’ of 1-CD physical
+ MFiT version (iTunes only)
