Overture (The Who song)
Encyclopedia
Overture is a song by English
rock band The Who
, written by Pete Townshend
. The track is one of three instrumental
tracks released on Tommy; the other two being "Underture" and "Sparks". The song is considered to be an early example of Synth-rock and features John Entwistle
as a one-man horn section
.
On October 9, 1970 song was released as the b-side of "See Me, Feel Me" - which did not chart - and was titled Overture from Tommy.
the song features samples of Tommy's most famous songs:
There is no pause between the tracks "Overture" and "It's a Boy" so the songs are often combined as "Overture".
, scored with a remake of "Overture" which peaked at #16 in August, 1970 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
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...
, 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...
. The track is one of three instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
tracks released on Tommy; the other two being "Underture" and "Sparks". The song is considered to be an early example of Synth-rock and features John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
as a one-man horn section
Horn section
In music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
.
On October 9, 1970 song was released as the b-side of "See Me, Feel Me" - which did not chart - and was titled Overture from Tommy.
Song Structure
As an overtureOverture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
the song features samples of Tommy's most famous songs:
- 0:00 - 0:34 Adapted from "1921"
- 0:35 - 1:01 Adapted from "We're Not Gonna Take It"
- 1:02 - 1:35 Adapted from "Go to the Mirror!"
- 1:36 - 1:52 Adapted from "See Me, Feel Me"
- 1:53 - 2:20 Adapted from "Go to the Mirror!" with "Pinball Wizard"
- 2:21 - 2:58 Adapted from "Listening to You"
- 2:59 - 3:22 Adapted from "We're Not Gonna Take It"
- 3:23 - 3:50 Adapted from "Pinball Wizard"
There is no pause between the tracks "Overture" and "It's a Boy" so the songs are often combined as "Overture".
The Assembled Multitude version
The Assembled Multitude, an instrumental ensemble group from Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, scored with a remake of "Overture" which peaked at #16 in August, 1970 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart.