The Roots of Tommy

The Roots of Tommy Music That Inspired The Who's Classic Rock Opera
Compilation album by Various
Released	April 2004
Genre	Rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, jazz, blues, music hall comedy
Length	46:54
Language	English
Label	Uncut
Producer	Andy Tidball Mick Meikleham
Compiler	Roy Carr Allan Jones

The Roots of Tommy: Music That Inspired The Who's Classic Rock Opera, a compilation album that was released with the April 2004 issue of Uncut, is composed of tracks that it is asserted influenced the creation of the 1969 rock opera Tommy by the Who.^[1]

The album ends with Pete Townshend's demo recording of "Pinball Wizard," which is followed by additional ribald comedy of Max Miller, apparently the inspiration for Uncle Ernie.

Track listing

1. The Pretty Things – "S.F. Sorrow Is Born" (Taylor, Waller)
2. Mose Allison – "A Young Man" (Allison)
3. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – "I Don't Live Today" (Hendrix)
4. The Zombies – "Care of Cell 44" (Argent)
5. Eddie Cochran – "My Way" (Capehart, Cochran)
6. The Creation – "Nightmares" (Pickett, Phillips)
7. Muddy Waters – "Mannish Boy" (Morganfield, McDaniels)
8. Nirvana – "Pentecost Hotel" (Spyropoulos, Campbell-Lyons)
9. Sonny Boy Williamson – "Eyesight to the Blind" (Miller)
10. Procol Harum – "Shine on Brightly" (Brooker, Reid)
11. Max Miller – "I Never Slept a Wink All Night" (Royd, Paighton, Nicholls)
12. The Kinks – "The Village Green Preservation Society" (Davies)
13. Keith West – "Sam" (from A Teenage Opera by Mark Wirtz), Hopkins)
14. Pete Townshend – "Pinball Wizard" (Demo) (Townshend) 3:55

• Max Miller – spoken word tag, 0:14

Notes

• Track Producers: Norman Smith (track 1), Bob Weinstock (track 2), Rod Argent & Chris White (track 4), Shel Talmy (track 6), Willie Dixon & Leonard Chess (track 7), Jimmy Miller (track 8), Denny Cordell (track 10), Ray Davies (track 12), Mark Wirtz (track 13)
• Track 9 recorded by Bill Holford
• Procol Harum appears courtesy of itself and Simon Platz
• Mastering engineer: Andrew Thompson

References