Pinball Wizard
Encyclopedia
"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
album Tommy. The original recording was released as a single in 1969 and reached No. 4 in the UK charts and No. 19 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
The B-side of the Pinball Wizard single is an instrumental credited to Keith Moon
, titled Dogs Part Two. Despite similar titles it has no musical connection to The Who's 1968 U.K. single Dogs
.
champion, called "Local Lad" in the Tommy libretto
book, 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".
Townshend once called it "the most clumsy piece of writing [he'd] ever done" nevertheless, the song was a commercial
success and one of the most recognised tunes from the opera. It was a perpetual concert favourite for Who fans due to its pop sound and familiarity.
, 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
. The song "Pinball Wizard" was written and recorded almost immediately.
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 performed by the English rock band 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...
, and featured on their 1969 rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
album Tommy. The original recording was released as a single in 1969 and reached No. 4 in the UK charts and No. 19 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
The B-side of the Pinball Wizard single is an instrumental credited to Keith Moon
Keith Moon
Keith John Moon was an English musician, best known for being the drummer of the English rock group The Who. He gained acclaim for his exuberant and innovative drumming style, and notoriety for his eccentric and often self-destructive behaviour, earning him the nickname "Moon the Loon". Moon...
, titled Dogs Part Two. Despite similar titles it has no musical connection to The Who's 1968 U.K. single Dogs
Dogs (The Who song)
"Dogs" is a U.K single released by The Who in June 1968. It reached number 25 on the UK singles chart. The B-side of the U.K. single was "Call Me Lightning." Both songs were originally released mixed in mono only, as they were not originally intended for album release.The lyrics of Dogs were...
.
Story
The lyrics are written from the perspective of a pinballPinball
Pinball is a type of arcade game, usually coin-operated, where a player attempts to score points by manipulating one or more metal balls on a playfield inside a glass-covered case called a pinball machine. The primary objective of the game is to score as many points as possible...
champion, called "Local Lad" in the Tommy libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
book, astounded by the skills of the opera's eponymous main character, Tommy Walker: "That deaf
Hearing impairment
-Definition:Deafness is the inability for the ear to interpret certain or all frequencies of sound.-Environmental Situations:Deafness can be caused by environmental situations such as noise, trauma, or other ear defections...
, dumb
Muteness
Muteness or mutism is an inability to speak caused by a speech disorder. The term originates from the Latin word mutus, meaning "silent".-Causes:...
and blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
kid sure plays a mean pinball", and "I thought I was the Bally table king, but I just handed my pinball crown to him".
Townshend once called it "the most clumsy piece of writing [he'd] ever done" nevertheless, the song was a commercial
Commercialism
Commercialism, in its original meaning, is the practices, methods, aims, and spirit of commerce or business. Today, however, it primarily refers to the tendency within open-market capitalism to turn everything into objects, images, and services sold for the purpose of generating profit...
success and one of the most recognised tunes from the opera. It was a perpetual concert favourite for Who fans due to its pop sound and familiarity.
Position on the album
The song was introduced into Tommy as an afterthought. In late 1968 or early 1969, when The Who played a rough assembly of their new album to critic Nik CohnNik Cohn
Nik Cohn is a British rock journalist, born in London in 1946. He was brought up in Derry, in the North of Ireland, the son of historian Norman Cohn and Russian writer Vera Broido...
, 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
Meher Baba
Meher Baba , , born Merwan Sheriar Irani, was an Indian mystic and spiritual master who declared publicly in 1954 that he was the Avatar of the age....
), 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
Masterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
. The song "Pinball Wizard" was written and recorded almost immediately.
Live performances
This song is one of the band's most famous live songs, being played at almost every Who concert since its debut live performance on 2 May 1969. The live performances rarely deviated from the album arrangement, save for an occasional jam at the end sometimes leading to another song. Bootleg recordings show that this song has been known to last as long as 8 minutes (at a concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London on 3 February 1981), although live versions lasting as long as that are extremely rare.Covers
- The song was featured in a medley with another song from Tommy ("See Me, Feel Me") in a recording by the British pop group The New Seekers in 1973. This version reached No. 16 on the UK charts. In the same year, this medley was covered by the Shadows, in instrumental version, on "Rocking with Curly Leads"
- The song was performed by Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
in Ken RussellKen RussellHenry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell was an English film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. He attracted criticism as being obsessed with sexuality and the church...
's 1975 theatrical adaptationTommy (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...
of Tommy. This version was released as a single in 1975 in the US, and in 1976 in the UK, where it reached No. 7 in the latter year. John's version uses a piano as the song's centerpiece in place of the acoustic guitar in the original (in the film, John's character is shown playing his pinball machine via a small piano keyboard), and features additional lyrics specially written by Townsend for the movie version, as well as a subtle inclusion of musical phrases from The Who's 1960s hit "I Can't ExplainI Can't Explain"I Can't Explain" is a song by the English rock band The Who, written by Pete Townshend, and produced by Shel Talmy. The song was issued as a single in December 1964 in the United States and on 15 January 1965 in the United Kingdom.-Background:...
" during the outro. (Similarly, The Who's later cover of John's "Saturday Night's Alright for FightingSaturday Night's Alright For Fighting"Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" is a rock song performed by musician Elton John and covered by W.A.S.P., Flotsam and Jetsam, Nickelback , Queen and The Who...
" included parts of "Take Me to the PilotTake Me to the Pilot"Take Me to the Pilot" is a rock song performed by British musician Elton John. The song was written by Bernie Taupin and composed by John for his eponymous second album in 1970....
.") Unlike most of the soundtrack's music, which featured various combinations of The Who and some of the era's best session players, John used his own band (Dee Murray, Nigel Olsson, Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper) and producer (Gus Dudgeon) for the track. John has performed the song as part of his Las Vegas Red Piano Show, as well as on various tours. To date, it is the only cover of a Who song to reach the top 10. - Rod StewartRod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
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 a film version of "Tommy." John replied no way, "Don't touch it with a barge pole." A year later, The Who asked John to sing the same song, and he agreed. "I don't think Rod's quite forgiven me for that," he commented years later. - The song was also performed by Tenacious DTenacious DTenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
as the closing song at shows on their 2006–2007 tour, usually as part of a medley of Tommy songs. They also played the first verse and chorus of the song at their 2nd Headliner slot at 2008's Reading Festival. - 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.
- McFlyMcFlyMcFly are an English pop rock band who first found fame in 2004. The band consists of Tom Fletcher , Danny Jones , Dougie Poynter and Harry Judd . They were signed to the Island Records label from their 2004 launch until December 2007, before creating their own label, Super Records...
covered the song in 2005. It was given a video and used as a b-Side. - On the BBC Radio 4 series I'm Sorry I Haven't a ClueI'm Sorry I Haven't a ClueI'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, sometimes abbreviated to ISIHAC or Clue, is a BBC radio comedy panel game broadcast since 11 April 1972 at the rate of one or two series each year , transmitted on BBC Radio 4, with occasional repeats on BBC Radio 4 Extra and the BBC's World Service...
, Tim Brooke-TaylorTim Brooke-TaylorTimothy Julian Brooke-Taylor OBE is an English comic actor. He became active in performing in comedy sketches while at Cambridge University, and became President of the Footlights club, touring internationally with the Footlights revue in 1964...
once sang Pinball Wizard to the tune of Jerusalem. - GenesisGenesis (band)Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
would insert part of Pinball Wizard into their Turn It On AgainTurn It On Again"Turn It On Again" is a single from the British progressive rock band Genesis, from their 1980 album Duke.The lyrics deal with a man who does nothing more than watch his television, so much that he becomes obsessed with the people he watches on it, believing them to be his friends.The song is also...
medley live in the 80s. - The Flaming LipsThe Flaming LipsThe Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
covered the song at the VH1 tribute to The Who. - ThunderThunderThunder is the sound made by lightning. Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the listener, thunder can range from a sharp, loud crack to a long, low rumble . The sudden increase in pressure and temperature from lightning produces rapid expansion of the air surrounding and within...
did a cover of "Pinball Wizard" to be featured on "Hollywood Rocks" CD produced with Classic Rock magazine - 2010: Les FradkinLes FradkinLes Fradkin is a guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known for being a member of the original cast of the hit Broadway show Beatlemania...
(On his solo Ztar album Hyper MIDI Guitar) - The University of OklahomaUniversity of OklahomaThe University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
Marching Band did a cover of Pinball Wizard during the halftime show of the 2009 BCS Championship. - The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain does a cover during almost every concert.
- Guns N' RosesGuns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
occasionally played an excerpt of the song during their 1993 world tour, as an introduction to their song "Patience". - At The Freddie Mercury Tribute ConcertThe Freddie Mercury Tribute ConcertThe Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open-air concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium, for an audience of 72,000. The concert was produced for television by Ray Burdis and broadcast live on television and radio to 76 countries around the...
, a brief intro of the song was played after "Heaven and HellHeaven and Hell (Black Sabbath song)"Heaven and Hell" is the title track to Black Sabbath's ninth studio album, Heaven and Hell. It was written mainly by Tony Iommi, but as with almost all Black Sabbath albums, credit is given to the entire band. The lyrics were written entirely by then-newcomer Ronnie James Dio...
" intro before "I Want It AllI Want It All"I Want It All" is a song by English rock band Queen, featured on their 1989 twelfth studio album The Miracle. Written by guitarist and backing vocalist Brian May and produced by David Richards, the song was released as the lead single from the album on 2 May 1989...
", performed by Roger DaltreyRoger DaltreyRoger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
, Tony IommiTony IommiAnthony Frank "Tony" Iommi is an English guitarist and songwriter best known as the founding member of pioneering heavy metal band Black Sabbath, and its sole continual member through multiple personnel changes.Iommi is widely recognised as one of the most important and influential guitarists in...
and QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
. - The Cornell UniversityCornell UniversityCornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
Big Red Marching Band performs an arrangement of this during most post-game concerts. - Noted theatre organist Jonas Nordwall has recorded covers on his albums Can't Stop the Music and Bits, Bytes, & Pipes Vol. 2
- The Dartmouth Aires performed the song on the third seasonThe Sing-Off (season 3)The Sing-Offs third season is the third season of the show The Sing-Off. The season premiered on September 19, 2011. The number of a cappella groups was increased from 10 to 16, resulting in a new format. The show created two brackets, with only half the groups performing each week for the first...
of The Sing-OffThe Sing-OffThe Sing-Off is an American television singing competition featuring a cappella groups. It premiered on NBC on December 14, 2009, and is produced by Sony Pictures Television....
during the 60's classics round.
In popular culture
- Bruce Springsteen refers to the song in his song, 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)"4th of July, Asbury Park ", often known just as "Sandy", is a 1973 song by Bruce Springsteen, originally appearing as the second song on his album The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle....
. In the first verse, he sings, "As the wizards play down on Pinball Way on the boardwalk way past dark." - The track is featured on the video games Rock Band 2Rock Band 2Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
, Rock Band UnpluggedRock Band UnpluggedRock Band Unplugged is an expansion of the Rock Band series of music video games released for the PlayStation Portable. The game is developed by Backbone Entertainment in conjunction with Harmonix Music Systems and is distributed by MTV Games and Electronic Arts...
and Karaoke Revolution: American Idol Encore 2, as well as on The Who's Tommy Pinball WizardThe Who's Tommy Pinball WizardThe Who's Tommy Pinball Wizard is a pinball machine based on the rock musical The Who's Tommy. The machine features twenty-one songs from the musical sung by original Broadway cast members.-External links:*...
. - "Pinball Wizard" is the name of a video game controller from NanoTech Entertainment. It is designed for playing pinball games on a PC.
- The videogame Peggle NightsPeggle NightsPeggle Nights is a Windows, Mac OS X and Microsoft Xbox Live Arcade downloadable game from PopCap Games. It is the sequel to 2007's Peggle. It is also unlockable in Peggle: Dual Shot for the Nintendo DS. However, in Peggle Dual Shot, Marina is not unlockable...
also features this song as a parody. - The MMORPGMMORPGMassively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
RuneScapeRuneScapeRuneScape is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game released in January 2001 by Andrew and Paul Gower, and developed and published by Jagex Games Studio. It is a graphical browser game implemented on the client-side in Java, and incorporates 3D rendering...
features a song with the same name. - A pinball machine of the same name and based on the Broadway musical of Townsend's rock opera was produced by Data East in the 1990s. It plays every song from the album during gameplay, performed by the original musical cast.
- Spinball WhizzerSpinball WhizzerSonic Spinball , is a steel spinning roller coaster made by Maurer Söhne of Germany and sponsored by SEGA. The ride is located in the Adventure Land area of Alton Towers in Staffordshire, England. It's based on SEGA's number one franchise Sonic the Hedgehog...
(name based on Pinball Wizard) is located at Alton Towers ResortAlton TowersAlton Towers is a theme park and resort located in Staffordshire, England. It attracts around 2.7 million visitors per year making it the most visited theme park in the United Kingdom. Alton Towers is also the 9th most visited theme park in Europe...
and plays 60s pop music in the queue. - The TV show Kids Next Door has a character named Dodgeball Wizard which is possibly a parody of the song title Pinball Wizard.
- A 1999 DilbertDilbertDilbert is an American comic strip written and drawn by Scott Adams. First published on April 16, 1989, Dilbert is known for its satirical office humor about a white-collar, micromanaged office featuring the engineer Dilbert as the title character...
strip has CatbertCatbertCatbert is a fictional cat, and the "evil director of human resources" in the Dilbert comic strip. He was supposed to be a one-time character but resonated with readers so well that Adams brought him back as the HR director.-Publication history:...
, after saying that when listening to morons, he covers his ears and sings, begins the refrain to "Pinball Wizard" when AsokAsokAsok may refer to:* Ashoka, Indian emperor of Maurya dynasty in the 3rd century BC* Asok * Asok or Asoke, alternative name for Sukhumvit Soi 21 in Bangkok* Asok Station, a BTS skytrain station in Bangkok...
begins talking. - The song gets a mention in the fourteenth volume of the 20th Century Boys20th Century Boysis a science fiction-mystery manga created by Naoki Urasawa. It won the 2001 Kodansha Manga Award in the General category, an Excellence Prize at the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival, and the 2003 Shogakukan Manga Award in the General category. The last two volumes of the story were serialized under...
manga. - In the SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
episode "Sweet and Sour Squidward", the song is parodied by PlanktonPlankton (SpongeBob SquarePants)Sheldon Jim Plankton, Jr., or simply Plankton, is a fictional character on the American television cartoon series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is voiced by Mr. Lawrence. The character is also in video games and other media based on the series...
and SquidwardSquidward TentaclesSquidward Quincy Tentacles is a fictional character on the television cartoon series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is voiced by Rodger Bumpass. The character is an octopus, as his name would not imply Squidward appears in 270 episodes of the series, second only to Spongebob's 305.-Personality:Unlike...
. - The song is a part of the soundtrack for a pinball machine, The Party ZoneThe Party ZoneThe Party Zone is a pinball machine created by the Bally Company in 1991.-Back Glass:The back glass as well as the playfield contain characters from previous games :...