Everything about this is awesome - the music, the ridiculous premise, Elton's giant legs, the hilarious facial expressions, Keith Moon trashing his drumkit.
Yes, that is so right. The 60s seem reasonably straightforward in terms of their pop culture. The 70s are so complex. They never seem to resolve into any kind of single narrative.
Funny thing is, is that Elton REFUSED outright to do this film as "The Bally Pinball Champion", but when they told him what the character would be wearing, Elton said he'd do it with one condition and that was that he got to take the huge ass doc-martins home with him as a memento from filming "TOMMY".
Roger Daltrey, big eyes on the pinball machine. Pete Townshend, smashing his guitar. Keith Moon, absolutely obliterating his drum kit. Elton John, big legs, crushing the ivories like a master in a fancy suit! John Entwhistle, playing his bass the only way he knew how with absolute class and calmness. Classic movie scene! RIP John and Keith!
Pete Townshend said out of all the songs on the soundtrack, this was the easiest one he had to produce, as Elton used his own band to record the track and they were so tight in the studio, that it only took two or three takes for the final version on the soundtrack.
@@gerinurse5975 That gels with what I'd heard - that the Who didn't show up on time for the recording session, so Elton and his band recorded the song on their own without waiting for them. Pete did look after the whole soundtrack for the film though, so he would have likely had a hand in further production on that track for the film after the day of recording. It sounds like he at least overdubbed the guitar part from 2:30 for example, and the track was edited to fit the needs of the scene.
Agree, apart from being an amazing composer, he really has a great stage presence & is incredibly expressive in this. It’s a pity he didn’t do more of this type of work.
Tommy was a crazy movie, but it had it’s fantastic scenes, this being one of them. Only Elton could be the Pinball Wizard! Genius casting! Those boots are epic!
@@lib556 True enough. There's a sparseness, punch and raw power that only the original Who recording has (and maybe Woodstock....haven't heard that in years.) But I do love this version too!
@@greatwestern101 Oh yeah. I grew up with the original 1969 album and always loved it. When I finally saw the film, the guest performances were ... jarring to me. I've grown to appreciate Elton, Tina and Eric's versions of their songs. They are their unique performances. But, I still prefer Daltrey's voice. He is the voice of the Who!... Except, of course those few songs sung by Pete and John...😁
Wow. This is something that could only have existed in the 70's. It is soooooo of its time. The 80's advanced this with video games right away. But this still stands as a testament to its time.
4:19 Love it that when Elton tosses his cap back, it flies straight to the back of the head of a guy with a red cap who literally turns in surprise going "wtf just hit me?" on the very last part of the video.
My grandmother took me to see this movie when I was 12. She would do things like that for me. She hated it but she did it for me. What I remember and didn’t see in the vhs or the dvd was 4:36 when Elton threw the cap off, someone ran over and picked it up off the floor and put it on Tommy’s head. Does anyone remember that? I know I saw that at the movie in the theater.
This was my first album,1976.It would be 1980 before I actually saw the film.I was tripping balls and Eltons big boots blew my young fragile mind.Thanks WHO!
"Tommy" is the Who's attempt to write/create/perform/produce a "rock opera." Andrew Lloyd Webber was so enamored with this idea of a "rock opera," he and Tim Rice started writing "Jesus Christ Superstar." And the rest is history, Webber being credited with the birth of "rock operas"-- when in fact the Who did it first.
@@edricawebb1578 This movie was creative genius. I wish this kind of quality musical theater and/or movie could still be found. I get so tired of Hollywood’s endless remakes of classic films that have had their storylines “sanitized” for political correctness. That seems to be all that’s coming out today.
I was 12 when this movie came out - saw it in the theater & was absolutely obsessed!!! My first time seeing so many people perform - Tina Turner, The Who, Eric Clapton and of course Sir Elton!!!
This is my favorite version of this song. Elton’s face at the beginning is the best example of “I’m so done with this sh!t” I’ve ever seen lol the whole thing is brilliant
Ever since I was a young boy, I've played the silver ball. From Soho down to Brighton I must have played them all. But I ain't seen nothing like him In any amusement hall... That deaf, dumb and blind kid Sure plays a mean pinball !
It is incredible. This part of the movie and why not to say the whole of it - never gets old. It is music live, wonderful, the psychedelic still showing power. Thanks for the Giant Elton John.
God bless the 1970's. The GREATEST decade in music of all-time. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, comes close. I was too young to see Elton live, and I really missed out.
What an incredible performance. Entwistle looks like his typical subdued self playing while Townshend jumps all over the place and Keith Moon smashes the hell out of the drums as he was always known for. The Who was (and still is) a force to be reckoned with in the world of Rock and Roll Music and of course Elton's stellar performance brings the whole thing together. BRILLIANT!
Elton John did two cover versions in 73/74 -both of which were superior to the original versions-"Pinball Wizard" as you say is one;"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" being the other. Outdoing the Who and the Beatles with their own songs says a lot about EJ in his 70's hey day.
This scene was "larger than life" when I was 13 year old pinball maniac. Could not stop playing Elton's pinball machine, Captain Fantastic, when it came out.
There was an original machine that was kept pristine at a small 50's style diner on Sunset Boulevard and La Brea in Hollywood. It was the only machine still going in the city when the diner finally closed and the lines to play at at the end were suprising.
Elton...the greatest of all time at his absolute best! I saw this at the old Ziegfeld on 54th street, when it premiered. I was 13. This performance snapped my cap. I learned to play it on guitar, and have been playing it ever since.
So thank you for making me aware of the fact he was naming the MACHINE he was playing on, not the place he's from. I just assumed Bally was the name of whatever fictional place Tommy was set in-- Like if Champ had said "I thought I was the New York table king" yknow? I have been listening to Tommy since my dad showed it to me as a child, and now this makes so much more sense. I Learned Today. That being said, I love that it was the Words in the Song and the production team still didn't get it right for whatever reason. I wonder if that was a stylistic choice for whatever reason.
Yes he has so many hits he finds it hard to choose successes like (Scrifice Nikata some saved my life tonight or Tonight) and others are not part of the singing tour
I saw this movie at the theater back in 1975, when the scene with Elton came up, the audience applauded. One can see why they cheered, he was one of the best known singer/music artist at that time with one song after another on the radio/charts.
im actually a pinball arcade repair and restoration technician. The way Roger Daultrey is hitting the flipper buttons on Gottliebs' KINGS AND QUEENS (from 1965) wouldn't work! the flipper would just remain extended and not have time in between button presses to reset down to its original position. Also for those wondering the Gottlieb game that Elton is playing is called Buckaroo from 1965 Its been extremely modified to the point that its just the playfield with custom lock bar and cabinet.
Elton owned this song. He was also at his peak at this point right after Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. I thought this and Tina Turner’s performance stole the show.
@@LannieLord1977-78 were forgettable for him, but 1979 was the beginning of the peak of his vocal capabilities in a live setting, which lasted until 1986
I was so young and green that Tina's "Acid Queen" actually frightened me somewhat.It was like a car wreck you can't stop staring at. Miss you Miss Tina!
This movie was THE talk of the rock world. I remember reading about it as a kid and how hyped it was. When I saw it felt a bit let down. I was 10 and it felt silly. Now it’s rock history and I love it.
I saw it in a theater I was a kid and I didn't get it. Years later our high-school class chose the " senior movie" 1980 . The film stopped at the baked beans scene and it was announced that anyone wanting to leave could go to the cafeteria and sit.3/4 of the place emptied out. Lol
Elton said back then in an interview he was nervous wearing those boots at first. But by daze end he said, "I was doing the Charleston in those boots."
a dream decade they missed everything was so new and magic WW2 was only a few decades back...color tv was new and fresh,,,1960s reruns were fun,,, tv dinners ,,,muscle cars etc
I met Sir Elton John! He is a very kind and gentle man! Very humble and humorous! He gave a friend of mine Nancy Patterson 4 tickets for the Oscar's! Dr. Tim Rasico
You probably wouldn't like him so much if you know what they have to do to be mega successful in this world and that he has most definitely been involved in blood sacrifice to Moloch.
Totally remember seeing this in the movie theatre when it came out. Uncle Ernie and the lightbulb freaked me out. Elton did an awesome job covering this adapting the guitar parts to piano. Elton also did a killer Lucy in the Sky w Diamonds. For such a prolific songwriter he did a few killer covers.
I was stationed in London when this came out and the theater had a contest that if you could guess Elton John's height with the big shoes on. I forget what the prize was but had a lot of fun watching Tommy. I re-watched it on TV for some good memories but my wife couldn't get into it yet she could watch a couple of hours of kittens playing on a video.
Was living in southern California when this was released. Couple friends and I went to the Loma theater to see this. Still recall that theater --- It was for its time and in its time, a great theater. The huge marquee --- hundreds and hundreds of lights --- Such a wonderful film --- Made even better in that the experience of it was shared with friends - most now gone. Almost 50 years since it was released in 75 --- Sometimes I can't help but wonder where the time has gone and how it passed so quickly.
I’m 45 years old and my parents took me to see E.T. at the Loma theater when I was four years old. The neon sign out front is still there but now it’s a bookstore lol
I was today years old when I saw this for the first time. I'm over the hill, and I'm transfixed! It's surreal. LOVE IT. Always knew the song from the movie.
Tommy sure may play a mean pinball but Elton John sure played a mean piano!🎹
...always get the free ball,never tilt at all....
This is NOT a scene from the movie "Tommy"!
This is just Elton John hanging around his living room on an average Tuesday afternoon.
😂
😂😂😂😂
yesterday
Yup, just another day in the world of Sir John. No more bombastic than any other day for him.
Everything about this is awesome - the music, the ridiculous premise, Elton's giant legs, the hilarious facial expressions, Keith Moon trashing his drumkit.
Meanwhile Entwhistle's no flash, just business as usual and that's what makes him one of the best bass players ever.
¡Absolutamente!
Rip 🪘goat 🐐
I guess Elton only agreed to do this if he was able to keep the giant Doc Martens.
@@daviddemaria3982 Absolute stompers, aren't they? 🤣
The 70s sure were a strange-awesome-trippy time
Yes, that is so right. The 60s seem reasonably straightforward in terms of their pop culture. The 70s are so complex. They never seem to resolve into any kind of single narrative.
Eltons facial expressions look exactly like the angry video game nerds lol
ahahahahhahaahah, sir, internet is yours for today🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hahahahahaha "what a shit load of fuck!" As the nerd would say!
@@m1lst3r89How sweet is you it's mine everyday I own it all church music
Wow. I can't unsee that now.
Angry Pinball Machine Nerd
Funny thing is, is that Elton REFUSED outright to do this film as "The Bally Pinball Champion", but when they told him what the character would be wearing, Elton said he'd do it with one condition and that was that he got to take the huge ass doc-martins home with him as a memento from filming "TOMMY".
😂😂😂
says the unfunny ulcer !
😂😂😂
So they're the same ones one might see in other music videos like Nikita?
So he still has them? 😮
Roger Daltrey, big eyes on the pinball machine. Pete Townshend, smashing his guitar. Keith Moon, absolutely obliterating his drum kit. Elton John, big legs, crushing the ivories like a master in a fancy suit! John Entwhistle, playing his bass the only way he knew how with absolute class and calmness. Classic movie scene! RIP John and Keith!
Not being enough of a music geek to know, I'm watching the video thinking "Isn't that a young Hugh Fitzcairn from Highlander? He sure got around."
I know! Wasn't that awesome?!!😁😁😁😁😁
Elton being Elton, The Who being The Who.
YOUR SENSES CANNOT HANDLE ALL THIS OVERLOAD OF AWESOMNESS IN ONE SETTING!!!
Pete Townshend said out of all the songs on the soundtrack, this was the easiest one he had to produce, as Elton used his own band to record the track and they were so tight in the studio, that it only took two or three takes for the final version on the soundtrack.
Replacing the acoustic guitar with Elton's piano riff, during the intro, was a stroke of genius.
Easier for him to produce because he didn't produce it. Elton used his own band and produced Gus Dudgeon for the track.
One of my favorite songs
The movie clip doesn't include Davey Johnstone's guitar solo, which is just as amazing as Elton's piano parts
@@gerinurse5975 That gels with what I'd heard - that the Who didn't show up on time for the recording session, so Elton and his band recorded the song on their own without waiting for them. Pete did look after the whole soundtrack for the film though, so he would have likely had a hand in further production on that track for the film after the day of recording. It sounds like he at least overdubbed the guitar part from 2:30 for example, and the track was edited to fit the needs of the scene.
My mums in the crowd in this. Filmed in Portsmouth. They didn’t get paid but they got to meet The Who and Elton afterwards
Portsmouth UK?
Sounds like a fair trade to me
So coool
So did all the 800 girls who showed the boobs
Small world👍🏻
I like to think that's just how Elton John wanders around at home.
😄😄 You and me both.
Elton John's facial expressions in Pinball Wizard, are why I've watched this video so many times.
the whole movie is now on youtube, it's such a trip watching Keith Moon as Uncle Ernie. LOL
Agree, apart from being an amazing composer, he really has a great stage presence & is incredibly expressive in this. It’s a pity he didn’t do more of this type of work.
I keep watching it for Elton's ridiculous outfit and boots.
Director: "Elton, we need to tone down your usual wardrobe for this shoot."
An angry Elton with big shoes and blind smiling Roger with big eyes. Hilarious
Kinda a flip of Elton's and Rogers normal on-stage personas
I love how he's staring at the camera when it first pans up to his face. It's like he's going "Yep, that's right. It's me."
❤
Tommy was a crazy movie, but it had it’s fantastic scenes, this being one of them. Only Elton could be the Pinball Wizard! Genius casting! Those boots are epic!
Wouldn't Roger be the Pinball wizard?
Do you remember Ann Margaret getting covered in baked beans? With some really odd music playing?
He's good. But, music-wise, I much prefer the original with Roger on vocals (like live at Woodstock).
@@lib556 True enough. There's a sparseness, punch and raw power that only the original Who recording has (and maybe Woodstock....haven't heard that in years.) But I do love this version too!
@@greatwestern101 Oh yeah. I grew up with the original 1969 album and always loved it. When I finally saw the film, the guest performances were ... jarring to me. I've grown to appreciate Elton, Tina and Eric's versions of their songs. They are their unique performances. But, I still prefer Daltrey's voice. He is the voice of the Who!... Except, of course those few songs sung by Pete and John...😁
Wow. This is something that could only have existed in the 70's. It is soooooo of its time. The 80's advanced this with video games right away. But this still stands as a testament to its time.
Sim, nos 70 eram os fliperamas, nada de eletrônica.
In those days,they called me Dr.Gotliebe....
I never noticed til now how awesome Elton's piano is on this tune.
4:19 Love it that when Elton tosses his cap back, it flies straight to the back of the head of a guy with a red cap who literally turns in surprise going "wtf just hit me?" on the very last part of the video.
Nice souvenir if he pocketed it.
@@mangoman9290 He didn't, in the next scene, you can see Roger Daltrey's Tommy wearing the cap like a crown.
My grandmother took me to see this movie when I was 12. She would do things like that for me. She hated it but she did it for me. What I remember and didn’t see in the vhs or the dvd was 4:36 when Elton threw the cap off, someone ran over and picked it up off the floor and put it on Tommy’s head. Does anyone remember that? I know I saw that at the movie in the theater.
The entire "Tommy" soundtrack is awesome.
I love concept albums, and this one is one of the best
I saw this when I was probably eleven years old. I was electrified! It still gives shivers. An AMAZING performance!
My mom wouldn't allow me to see this at the movies when I was 13. I don't think I ever got over it. 😂
It got pretty negative reviews generally, but I quite enjoy it.
Music will never be this cool again
Nice pinhead avatar to go along with this pinball video.
@@Keranu Hey! Who you callin’ a pinhead?
Sad, but true 😢
This was my first album,1976.It would be 1980 before I actually saw the film.I was tripping balls and Eltons big boots blew my young fragile mind.Thanks WHO!
Each scene in “Tommy” is like a video recording of somebody’s dream.
Tommy is a Masterpiece in all the way!Greetings from Greece
Love this movie so much. Every so often, I'll listen to the soundtrack & sing along to every song. ❤
Set to music, of course.
"Tommy" is the Who's attempt to write/create/perform/produce a "rock opera."
Andrew Lloyd Webber was so enamored with this idea of a "rock opera," he and Tim Rice started writing "Jesus Christ Superstar." And the rest is history, Webber being credited with the birth of "rock operas"-- when in fact the Who did it first.
@@edricawebb1578 This movie was creative genius. I wish this kind of quality musical theater and/or movie could still be found. I get so tired of Hollywood’s endless remakes of classic films that have had their storylines “sanitized” for political correctness. That seems to be all that’s coming out today.
Elton was the piano wizard...he looks like a kid in this...fabulous!
Ken Russell was such a great director in the way he visualized his films! I remembered being blown away by this film when I was 15!
Russell totally ruined Tommy, absolutely awful film. Ann Margeret in a tub of baked beans I ask you wtf!
This was the coolest thing I ever saw as a youth. I’m a 50 year Elton John fan.
52 year fan ;)
I'm 68 and remember going the theatre to watch it, unreal back then.
I was 12 when this movie came out - saw it in the theater & was absolutely obsessed!!! My first time seeing so many people perform - Tina Turner, The Who, Eric Clapton and of course Sir Elton!!!
Im 64! have lived him for about 50 yrs also!!!!
This is my favorite version of this song. Elton’s face at the beginning is the best example of “I’m so done with this sh!t” I’ve ever seen lol the whole thing is brilliant
Same.
Elton's face is like...What's with this small ass keyboard? lol
That piano keyboard on the pinball machine is far out!
This was my first time seeing Elton John . I was so blown away by this movie . Honestly , the theater had the volume so loud , I was a nervous wreck!
And the Quintaphonic sound
He's not this tall in person!
Thanks for the memories, Sir Elton John. Enjoy your retirement. I'm glad we can still listen to his music.
He will...He is worth £320 Million.
Best part Moon trashing the drums
Beautiful Moon the loon! ❤
Apparently they were already ruined from water damage.
Moon and Townsend tearing shit up and Entwistle just standing there playing bass like nothing is happening.
Rumour is Keith done a few lines before filming this scene 😂
Ever since I was a young boy,
I've played the silver ball.
From Soho down to Brighton
I must have played them all.
But I ain't seen nothing like him
In any amusement hall...
That deaf, dumb and blind kid
Sure plays a mean pinball !
It is incredible. This part of the movie and why not to say the whole of it - never gets old. It is music live, wonderful, the psychedelic still showing power. Thanks for the Giant Elton John.
God bless the 1970's. The GREATEST decade in music of all-time. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, comes close. I was too young to see Elton live, and I really missed out.
Hardly ! Most artists were off their face in the 70’s on drugs ! Other than ABBA and punk most of it is pretty forgettable.
Great decade but the 60s laid the groundwork for it
Steely Dan. @@dogwalker456
@dogwalker456 that is the most ridiculous thing you've ever said.
@dogwalker456 70s music was fungus Jackie walnut paste of the car. CLEAB VARSITY
What an incredible performance. Entwistle looks like his typical subdued self playing while Townshend jumps all over the place and Keith Moon smashes the hell out of the drums as he was always known for. The Who was (and still is) a force to be reckoned with in the world of Rock and Roll Music and of course Elton's stellar performance brings the whole thing together. BRILLIANT!
I always preferred Elton's version over the Who's. Such a fun video too.
Me too
Me too🖤
Elton John did two cover versions in 73/74 -both of which were superior to the original versions-"Pinball Wizard" as you say is one;"Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" being the other. Outdoing the Who and the Beatles with their own songs says a lot about EJ in his 70's hey day.
@@infrasleepsaid you and maybe two other people! 😂
@@Dommymarano Exactly.
This scene was "larger than life" when I was 13 year old pinball maniac. Could not stop playing Elton's pinball machine, Captain Fantastic, when it came out.
Those were the days! I grew up on the mean streets of Winnipeg in the 70's playing pinball and smoking cigarettes in our teens.
I remember -that was the cool machine...I remember I could score really high on it and kept getting free balls. Boy, that was a long time ago...
@@johnathandavis3693 Yeah it was too long ago. 😥
That was a real machine? amazing.
There was an original machine that was kept pristine at a small 50's style diner on Sunset Boulevard and La Brea in Hollywood.
It was the only machine still going in the city when the diner finally closed and the lines to play at at the end were suprising.
Elton John is singing into my soul about pinball.
we were so blessed...what they promote as music today cant hold a candle to our music...
This song (and movie scene) makes me so happy...brings back great teenage memories of seeing this in a pot smoke filled NYC movie theater in 1975. ❤
Smoking pot in movie theaters was legal in the 70s?
@@SebastianDoble no but for some reason the NYPD left us alone. LOL
Lol, were we in the same theater 😅
I saw this when I was in the 9th grade. Smoked a lot of Black hash before went in. It was awesome.
Honestly one of the best movies ever. I remember my dad playing it on the VCR when I was 4 and I absolutely loved it. I still have the VHS tape
Hope you've upgraded to Blu-ray by now LOL.
I saw it at the,cinema the year it came out. I cant stand The who but i liked the movie. Unwatchable today.
@@zapkvr0101 Same here, I thought it was outstanding and the symbolism was so well articulated.
@@zapkvr0101 And Ann Margaret is a dude with boobs!
Elton...the greatest of all time at his absolute best! I saw this at the old Ziegfeld on 54th street, when it premiered. I was 13. This performance snapped my cap. I learned to play it on guitar, and have been playing it ever since.
I can play the fast strumming part about 50% of the time. For some reason (I'm pretty good) it can be difficult - for me at least.
"I thought I was the Bally table king"...while playing a Gottlieb machine.
So thank you for making me aware of the fact he was naming the MACHINE he was playing on, not the place he's from. I just assumed Bally was the name of whatever fictional place Tommy was set in-- Like if Champ had said "I thought I was the New York table king" yknow? I have been listening to Tommy since my dad showed it to me as a child, and now this makes so much more sense. I Learned Today. That being said, I love that it was the Words in the Song and the production team still didn't get it right for whatever reason. I wonder if that was a stylistic choice for whatever reason.
Well there's the problem.
"Never Tilts at all". "Shure plays mean pinball !!!"
I love how the band are going mental and John's just sat like a potato bassing away
Wish Elton John had done this one at his farewell concert (but he has SO many songs he can do whatever really 😆)
Fun Fact: The Who’s Touring Keyboardist Loren Gold was at the Dodger Stadium concert.
Ikr, I was at his last show in Dodgers Stadium, would have loved to hear this!
Yes he has so many hits he finds it hard to choose successes
like (Scrifice Nikata some saved my life tonight or Tonight) and others are not part of the singing tour
It was last nights opener!
Yeah, he opened his headliner set at Glastonbury with it!
Simply the greatest music video for one of the greatest songs ever
This is about the grooviest thing I've seen in a minute! The beginning confident stare with big glasses *muah!* magnific!
This movie should have gotten an Oscar for best picture pure innocence and genius a musical MASTERPIECE
Ann Margaret deserved an award for flipping around in all those baked beans!
Wow !! This Has Gotta Be One Of The Most Classic Novelty Music Video's & All Time Greatest Elton John Theatrical Music Performances
Let’s not forget Davey’s contribution to this cover. Turned it into an absolute juggernaut rock anthem.
Johnstone?
I saw this movie at the theater back in 1975, when the scene with Elton came up, the audience applauded. One can see why they cheered, he was one of the best known singer/music artist at that time with one song after another on the radio/charts.
Elton John's performance is incredible🤩🤩🤩
He has got so many talents
im actually a pinball arcade repair and restoration technician. The way Roger Daultrey is hitting the flipper buttons on Gottliebs' KINGS AND QUEENS (from 1965) wouldn't work! the flipper would just remain extended and not have time in between button presses to reset down to its original position. Also for those wondering the Gottlieb game that Elton is playing is called Buckaroo from 1965 Its been extremely modified to the point that its just the playfield with custom lock bar and cabinet.
I was wondering, thank you.
That's very cool information to know, thanks!
What? ...,..Sorry mate I fell asleep,lol
Never mind that Elton's *keyboard* isn't even controlling the flippers...!
He's a pinball wizard though, so he's obviously using magic
A Rock Classic. Forever.
Elton's amazing on this!!!
Love that through all the. mayhem going on John Entwisttle as always keeps on playing.
Elton John s voice sounds very well. Brandy Is fantastic !
No freaks gonna beat my hand! I love that lyric
Un film che io ho visto da adolescente,non lo dimentichero' MAI... questa presenza di Elton e' pazzesca.....!!!!❤
Bravissimo lui
Io preferisco questa versione a quella degli whoo
Pure io marty...mi piace molto di piu
Elton owned this song. He was also at his peak at this point right after Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. I thought this and Tina Turner’s performance stole the show.
He was about to take a nosedive tho - 1977-1979 were not good years for him.
@@LannieLord1977-78 were forgettable for him, but 1979 was the beginning of the peak of his vocal capabilities in a live setting, which lasted until 1986
@@LannieLordThat was the loss of Bernie. Elton could compose but writing wasn't his forte. I wasn't overly fond of his later stuff even hits.
I believe he recorded LSD for All This and WWII that year as well. I don't normally like covers of Beatles but it was as good as this.
I was so young and green that Tina's "Acid Queen" actually frightened me somewhat.It was like a car wreck you can't stop staring at. Miss you Miss Tina!
From a time when when music was relatable.
elton was my hero already when Tommy came out, I saw it at the theater 12 years old and couldn't wait for this part when elton shows up
This movie was THE talk of the rock world. I remember reading about it as a kid and how hyped it was. When I saw it felt a bit let down. I was 10 and it felt silly. Now it’s rock history and I love it.
I saw it in a theater I was a kid and I didn't get it. Years later our high-school class chose the " senior movie" 1980 . The film stopped at the baked beans scene and it was announced that anyone wanting to leave could go to the cafeteria and sit.3/4 of the place emptied out. Lol
Elton said back then in an interview he was nervous wearing those boots at first. But by daze end he said, "I was doing the Charleston in those boots."
The boots are now in the footwear museum in Northampton.
I remember seeing this first on HBO as a little kid...... (FIRST cable TV we ever had.) I was mesmerized. Thw WHO ,and Elton rock !
Unlike a lot of "critics", I LOVE Tommy the movie. And I LOVE Elton's version of "Pinball Wizard", even more than the Who's version. Yeah,I said it...
Aaaahh the 70's! Glad I lived through those years! It was awesome. I feel sorry for young people now.
a dream decade they missed everything was so new and magic WW2 was only a few decades back...color tv was new and fresh,,,1960s reruns were fun,,, tv dinners ,,,muscle cars etc
I suspect the young are more worried about how they are going to pay the rent rather than the pop culture of their grandparents.
@freeman thank you, no one cares about weird ass Elton John
First time I've seen anything from this movie. First time I've seen Keith Moon playing. Awesome. Gonna have to watch it now.
I met Sir Elton John! He is a very kind and gentle man! Very humble and humorous! He gave a friend of mine Nancy Patterson 4 tickets for the Oscar's! Dr. Tim Rasico
My favorite singer in the world, Elton John!
You probably wouldn't like him so much if you know what they have to do to be mega successful in this world and that he has most definitely been involved in blood sacrifice to Moloch.
@@discodirk48 did you ever stop to think that some people got where they are cause of talent?
Totally remember seeing this in the movie theatre when it came out. Uncle Ernie and the lightbulb freaked me out. Elton did an awesome job covering this adapting the guitar parts to piano. Elton also did a killer Lucy in the Sky w Diamonds. For such a prolific songwriter he did a few killer covers.
This song made me love pinball.
So many different versions of Tommy and all brilliant. Townsend is a musical genius.
that massive shoes always get me 😆
I can't believe how damn good this is. The tune and everything. These guys can really play. Boy, whatever happened to music?
Roger daltry a fine young man in this 1970 Tommy film, Elton did sublime yet the deaf dumb and blind boy the absolute hero ❤❤❤❤
1970? i don't think so, it came out in 1975.
I think movie fk'd up my childhood.
*Tommy: **_Mission Accomplished_*
One of the best movies of all time..soundtrack is nothing but stellar.
1:34 Found Waldo!
A whole riot is going on and John Entwistle is just 🗿
I thought I saw him move a couple of inches to the right, but I could be mistaken?
Incredible talent the likes of we'll never see again!!.❤️🇬🇧
Elton John rocked this song! I love how Keith Moon kicked his drums away! And PETE Townsend smashed his guitar!
I can’t believe after all these years I’m finally seeing this. My favorite song when I was a little duffer.👍🏼😎
I felt like I was on drugs watching this movie, and I was sober. But this was a great version of this song from Elton.
This is when I discovered & fell in love with the Who and Roger Daltrey 😅
I never heard Elton singing other folks’ material before: love it! I wish i was born 20 years earlier: love this era.
this movie was a freaking fever dream, but this legit might have become one of my favorite scenes in any movie ever
The master at tickling those magic ivories,
Thank you, John!!
I was stationed in London when this came out and the theater had a contest that if you could guess Elton John's height with the big shoes on. I forget what the prize was but had a lot of fun watching Tommy. I re-watched it on TV for some good memories but my wife couldn't get into it yet she could watch a couple of hours of kittens playing on a video.
Was living in southern California when this was released. Couple friends and I went to the Loma theater to see this.
Still recall that theater --- It was for its time and in its time, a great theater. The huge marquee --- hundreds and hundreds of lights ---
Such a wonderful film --- Made even better in that the experience of it was shared with friends - most now gone.
Almost 50 years since it was released in 75 --- Sometimes I can't help but wonder where the time has gone and how it passed so quickly.
I’m 45 years old and my parents took me to see E.T. at the Loma theater when I was four years old. The neon sign out front is still there but now it’s a bookstore lol
The image quality is great!❤ As a child, I could relate almost completely with his trauma. Excellent music and storyline.
My English teacher showed this film in class. Another reason why he's still my favorite teacher from highschool.
It's amazing how much Taron looks like the 70's Elton
Who is she?
@@zapkvr Taron Egerton is the actor who portrayed Elton John in the biopic Rocketman
@@spezifisch4468 He can't sing like Elton, no one can match him. Taron was good in the movie though.
Love the Tommy Rules OK sign😂
I was today years old when I saw this for the first time. I'm over the hill, and I'm transfixed! It's surreal. LOVE IT. Always knew the song from the movie.
So well done it still gives me shivers. I am 63.
Wow such an awesome collaboration. the Who and Elton love it