Roger Daltrey Archives - chimesfreedom

Pete Townshend has been working on remaking The Who’s Quadrophenia (1972) into a symphonic project in the upcomign album Classic Quadrophenia. The first video from the project features English tenor Alfie Boe showing his chops on “Love Reign O’er Me.”

Boe is joined on the song by the London Oriana Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. And the video includes scenes from from the movie Quadrophenia (1979) intercut with new images of Brighton Beach. I suppose the beach scenes are appropriate for a song featuring the lines “Only love can make it rain / The way the beach is kissed by the sea.” Check out the video below.

Deutsche Grammophon is releasing Classic Quadrophenia on June 9. Meanwhile, Townshend, Roger Daltrey, and the rest of The Who are touring North America as part of the band’s “Who Hits 50!” tour.

What do you think of the operatic “Love Reign O’er Me”? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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Who Are You . . . Pete Townshend?

How Smokey Robinson Inspired a Who Song

(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

This week on CBS Sunday Morning, Anthony Mason interviewed Pete Townshend, who opened up about his childhood, the criminal charges that almost ended his career, and his relationship with Roger Daltrey. It was a very incisive interview with the Who musician that among other things, saw Townshend contemplating how his own very troubled childhood inspired the rock opera Tommy.

Although I had already heard the story about how Townshend adopted his trademark windmill style of guitar playing from a misunderstanding about The Rolling Stones, it is such a great story that it is always worth hearing him tell it again. Check out this short but unusually insightful rock star TV interview.

What do you think of the interview? Leave your two cents in the comments.