Released 16 May 1970
Recorded 14 February 1970, University of Leeds, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Decca DL 79175
Producer Jon Astley, Kit Lambert, and The Who
Singles from Live at Leeds
1. "Summertime Blues"
Released: June 1970
Live at Leeds is The Who's first live album, and is their only live album that was released while the group was still recording and performing regularly. Initially released in the United States on 16 May 1970, by Decca and MCA and the United Kingdom on 23 May 1970, by Track and Polydor, the album has been reissued on several occasions on different formats.
After releasing Tommy in mid-1969 The Who went on an extended world tour to promote it, and returned to England at year's end with a desire to release a live album from the tour. However, they balked at the prospect of listening to approximately 80 hours of accumulated recordings to decide which would make the best album; it was rumoured that Townshend burned the tapes (to prevent bootlegging), a rumour squashed later by Daltrey in an interview
Two shows were consequently scheduled, one at the University of Leeds and the other in Hull, for the expressed purpose of recording and releasing a live album. The shows were performed on February 14 (Leeds) and 15th (Hull) 1970, but technical problems with the recordings from the Hull gig — the bass guitar had not been recorded on some of the songs — made it all the more necessary for the show from the 14th to be released as the album.
The album's reputation has become so lofty that the venue at which it was recorded, the University of Leeds refectory, has been named a national landmark in the UK, commemorated with a blue plaque.
Side one
1. "Young Man Blues" (Mose Allison) – 5:51
2. "Substitute" (Pete Townshend) – 2:05
3. "Summertime Blues" (Jerry Capehart, Eddie Cochran) – 3:22
4. "Shakin' All Over" (Johnny Kidd) – 4:15
Side two
5. "My Generation" (Townshend) – 14:27
6. "Magic Bus" (Townshend) – 7:30
extra tracks:
Happy Jack (taken from needledrop of the kids are alright soundtrack)
The Seeker (Taken From needledrop of Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy)