Jesus Christ Superstar (1970)- 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (3 CD,2021/FLAC)


 Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s 1970 concept album Jesus Christ Superstar is being reissued for its 50th anniversary.

The record was a effectively a stepping stone to the full musical theatre production since Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber (unknowns at the time), were initially unable to find a producer to back their idea. MCA Records were willing to put out the album which used a full orchestra and included the talents of Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan, Murray Head, and Yvonne Elliman. 

Lloyd Webber remembers the challenges well: “A musical about Jesus Christ! Back in 1969 the mere thought had theatre producers falling about with laughter. But somehow Tim Rice and I persuaded MCA to record a single. It came at a time when fusion was all the rage. The Rolling Stones had recorded with the London Bach Choir. Deep Purple’s Jon Lord composed a symphony for rock band and orchestra. So I was like a kid in a sweet shop when I was able to combine a rock band, a symphony orchestra and a gospel choir in what was the first track to be recorded, simply titled ‘Superstar’.“

The enormous success of the album at the time (it topped the American charts) led to Broadway and West End stage productions in 1971 and 1972 respectively.

The album is being reissued as a 3CD deluxe package in a 10-inch box. This offers the original album remastered (by Miles Showell and Nick Davis at Abbey Road) and a bonus CD of previously unreleased guide vocals and demos from the project, plus B-sides and rarities.

 
 

    CD 1
  1.         Overture
  2.         Heaven On Their Minds
  3.         What’s The Buzz – Strange Thing, Mystifying
  4.         Everything’s Alright
  5.         This Jesus Must Die
  6.         Hosanna
  7.         Simon Zealotes – Poor Jerusalem
  8.         Pilate’s Dream
  9.         The Temple
  10.         Everything’s Alright
  11.         I Don’t Know How To Love Him
  12.         Damned For All Time – Blood Money
    CD 2
  1.         The Last Supper
  2.         Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say)
  3.         The Arrest
  4.         Peter’s Denial
  5.         Pilate And Christ
  6.         King Herod’s Song
  7.         Judas’ Death
  8.         Trial Before Pilate (Including the 39 Lashes)
  9.         Superstar
  10.         Crucifixion
  11.         John Nineteen: Forty-one
    CD 3
  1.         Ascending Chords*
  2.         Blood Money (guide vocal)*
  3.         Herod’s Song (guide vocal)*
  4.         I Don’t Know How To Love Him (Tim Rice and Murray Head vocal)*
  5.         I Don’t Know How To Love Him (Murray Head vocal)*
  6.         This Jesus Must Die (scat vocal 1)*
  7.         What A Party
  8.         This Jesus Must Die (scat vocal 2)*
  9.         Heaven On Their Minds (instrumental)
  10.         I Don’t Know How To Love Him (single edit)
  11.         Too Much (Heaven On Their Minds) German Single , MCS 3468)
  12.         Strange Thing (Mystifying) German Single, MCS 2468)
  13.         1970 open-end Interview with the creators Of Jesus Christ Superstar Part One (includes Superstar, Heaven On Their Minds, I Don’t Know How To Love Him)
  14.         1970 open-end Interview with the creators Of Jesus Christ Superstar Part Two (includes Gethsemane, Herod’s Song and Superstar) .
  15.         John Nineteen: Forty-One  (B-side of MKS 5019)

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