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Kings Theatre
“We were too rough at the edges to be a pop group.”
Roger Daltrey, singer of The Who and lead in the film Tommy.
Tommy, The Who’s rock opera is not a classic. The ultimate proof of the iconoclastic character of a group at the top of its art. This work was acclaimed by both critics and the public, and was first recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra three years after its release. Soon after, producer and manager Robert Stigwood bought the rights to make a feature film. From the beginning, he wanted Ken Russell to direct. When he became officially attached to the project, the latter made it his own, going so far as to rework the script, which he considered too shaky.
Ken Russell proposes the first role, that of Tommy, to Roger Daltrey, the singer of The Who. He is quickly joined by Jack Nicholson, Ann-Margret and Elton John. The majority of the filming takes place in and around Portsmouth. A place that the director knows for having already shot his film The Boy Friend in 1971. Its return allows many locals to play the extras. When it came time to film the famous pinball duel between Elton John and Roger Daltrey, and thus to film the cover of the hit Pinball Wizard, the team settled at the Kings Theatre.
For the film album, the musicians decided to re-record all the songs. Several are even added to the track-list. In the end, Tommy the rock opera and Tommy, the film’s soundtrack, are very different even if the hits of the first one are found in the second one, sometimes reworked, like Pinball Wizard. A piece that Elton John appropriates and likes to interpret regularly in concert.
Cult! music: 100 mythical music places [French Edition]
Want to know more about this place and its connection to The Who? Find the whole story and 99 others in the book Cult! music!
Since 1964, The Who has sold 100 million albums.
Kings Theatre
The Kings Theatre in Southsea, a Grade II listed building, was opened on September 30, 1907.
The Kings Theatre hosts plays and musicals. With a capacity of 1,600 seats, it has undergone an ambitious renovation campaign to maintain its prestige. Among the great shows that have been staged there are Chicago, Beauty and the Beast, the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Grease.
The movie Tommy has already been screened there. A nice way to come full circle and remind the younger generation that once upon a time, a rock band accompanied by a visionary director and a few prestigious guests, turned codes upside down.
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Map of 100 cult places in PARIS (French Edition)
The Paris Fantrippers map, an original way to discover the French capital! Through 100 pop culture places, walk through its streets from another angle. Movies, TV shows, music, comics and novels, will allow you to spend a pleasant moment in the World City. With a folded format of 10 x 18 cm and an unfolded format of 60 x 54 cm, it slips easily into your pocket or bag for easy reference.
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Discover all the places Tommy on our map
By Gilles Rolland
Passionné de cinéma, de rock and roll, de séries TV et de littérature. Rédacteur de presse et auteur des livres Le Heavy Metal au cinéma, Paroles de fans Guns N' Roses, Paroles de fans Rammstein et Welcome to my Jungle : 100 albums rock et autres anecdotes dépareillées. Adore également voyager à la recherche des lieux les plus emblématiques de la pop culture.