"The Acid Queen" is a song written by Pete Townshend

Pete Townshend

Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...

 and is the ninth song on The Who

The Who

The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...

's rock opera Tommy

Tommy (rock opera)

Tommy is the fourth album by English rock band The Who, released by Track Records and Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and Decca Records/MCA in the United States. A double album telling a loose story about a "deaf, dumb and blind boy" who becomes the leader of a messianic movement, Tommy was...

. The song tells the attempts of Tommy's parents to try and cure him. They leave him with a gypsy, a self-proclaimed "Acid Queen". She feeds Tommy various hallucinogenic drugs.

It is often grouped with the album's next track, "Underture", a lengthy instrumental which deals with Tommy's hallucinations and his experience with acid.

Several notable singers have performed the song including Merry Clayton

Merry Clayton

Merry Clayton is an American soul and gospel singer , and an actress...

, Patti LaBelle

Patti LaBelle

Patricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry...

, Bette Midler

Bette Midler

Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...

 and Tina Turner

Tina Turner

Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...

.

The Acid Queen's origin

Pete Townshend used Tommy's blindness to represent our "...blindness to reality." The Acid Queen symbolized mindless self-indulgence, and then heroically attempted to use drugs to cure Tommy's ailments: deafness, muteness and blindness.

Tina Turner version

"Acid Queen" is the third single released from the Tina Turner album Acid Queen

Acid Queen

"The Acid Queen" is a song written by Pete Townshend and is the ninth song on The Who's rock opera Tommy. The song tells the attempts of Tommy's parents to try and cure him. They leave him with a gypsy, a self-proclaimed "Acid Queen"...

, following "Baby Get It On" and "Whole Lotta Love

Whole Lotta Love

"Whole Lotta Love" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin. It is featured as the opening track on the band's second album, Led Zeppelin II, and was released in the United States and Japan as a single. The US release became their first hit single, it was certified Gold on 13 April 1970, when it...

". It was released in early 1976. A different recording of the song is also included on the soundtrack album

Tommy (soundtrack)

Tommy is a soundtrack album by The Who featuring contributions from numerous artists. The soundtrack was used in the 1975 Tommy film that was based on the original album that was released by The Who in 1969...

 to the 1975 film Tommy

Tommy (film)

Tommy is a 1975 British musical film based upon The Who's 1969 rock opera album musical Tommy. It was directed by Ken Russell and featured a star-studded cast, including the band members themselves...

in which Turner stars as the Acid Queen.

The song was the last Tina Turner song to be produced by Ike Turner

Ike Turner

Isaac Wister Turner was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk...

 before her split from him and the Ike & Tina Turner

Ike & Tina Turner

Ike & Tina Turner were an American rock & roll and soul duo, made of the husband-and-wife team of Ike Turner and Tina Turner in the 1960s and 1970s. Spanning sixteen years together as a recording group, the duo's repertoire included rock & roll, soul, blues and funk...

 Revue in 1976.

The original soundtrack version of the song has been featured in the Tina Turner compilation albums The Collected Recordings - Sixties to Nineties

The Collected Recordings - Sixties to Nineties

The Collected Recordings – Sixties to Nineties is a 16 bit digitally remastered three disc compilation album by American rock singer Tina Turner...

(1994), Tina! (2008) and The Platinum Collection (2009). It has also been included in some Ike & Tina Turner compilations including Proud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner

Proud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner

Proud Mary: The Best of Ike & Tina Turner is a compilation album by Ike & Tina Turner, released in 1991. Songs were originally recorded on Sue Records, Liberty Records, and United Artists Records labels during the 1960s and 1970s....

(1991), even though it is officially a solo Tina Turner song.

The song was also featured on Turner's 50th Anniversary Tour in 2008 with added elements of "Won't Get Fooled Again

Won't Get Fooled Again

"Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song by the rock band The Who which was written by Pete Townshend The original version of the song appears as the final track on the album Who's Next...

" and was included on the DVD of the live album Tina Live

Tina Live

Tina Live is a live album/home video by Tina Turner released on September 28, 2009 in Europe and October 13, 2009 in the United States. The tracks were recorded from Turner's hugely successful 50th Anniverary Tour on March 21, 2009 live from the Gelredome in Arnhem, Netherlands.-Track listing:Disc...

.

Official versions

• Original soundtrack version – 3:50
• Album version – 3:01