It was important for Wayne that the different voices on the album sounded "convincing and believable". [7] Having become a good friend of Wayne's, David Essex is the voice of the artilleryman. He had previously starred in a production of the musical Godspell, which also featured Julie Covington, who subsequently met Wayne and agreed to voice Beth. Although Wayne had not previously met the other voice actors: Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott as Parson Nathaniel, Moody Blues vocalist Justin Hayward singing the Journalist's thoughts, and Manfred Mann's Earth Band guitarist and vocalist Chris Thompson as the Voice of Humanity, he was "thrilled" that they took part "because they each brought their own sort of magic, their style and performance and singing." Wayne had to convince the guest artists that they were the right performers for their role, and got them keen to carry out their parts. [4] Wayne thought Hayward was the right singer for "Forever Autumn" and sent him a demo with the invitation to participate, but Hayward was unconvinced. He changed his mind when a "young lad" and employee of The Moody Blues' record shop in Cobham, heard the demo and told Hayward it was an ideal song for him. [13] Lynott was on a Canadian tour with Thin Lizzy when it was time to record his parts, so Wayne organised for his vocals recorded there. [14] When in line with the preferences you have shared with us, provide you with information or advertising relating to our products or services. The album originated when Wayne was touring with singer-songwriter David Essex, for whom he also worked as his producer and musical director. Wayne felt the composing side of his career "had diminished" by this time, and started looking for a story "to get passionate about" and interpret musically, to which his father Jerry suggested the science-fiction novel The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. [3] [4] The story instantly caught Wayne's imagination, and he finished the book in a single read. [5] He later said that a musical adaptation of other books were possible, and recalled being impressed by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham, and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. [4] However, Wayne went on to read Wells's book "three or four times" and saw the 1953 film adaption, and decided it was the most suitable for a musical adaptation. [6] [7] a b c d Burrows, Alex (26 September 2020). "The story behind Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds". Loudersound . Retrieved 16 February 2022.

The Music Australia Loved". Sydney Morning Herald. 1 January 2013. Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. {{ cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown ( link) British album certifications – Jeff Wayne – War of the Worlds". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 16 November 2019.

Companies, etc.

a b Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDFed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p.298. The character of the curate, who is not given a name in the novel, is changed to Parson Nathaniel, who is introduced in the second act instead of prior to the Thunder Child sequence. In September 1978, Wayne had entered negotiations with Paramount Pictures over the film rights and with two concert producers, one of which being Showco, to present a live stage version of the album. The idea came to nothing, and it took Wayne until 2006 to stage a concert tour of the album. [11] Dates Musical Version Of "The War Of The Worlds" ". RMNZ . Retrieved 25 October 2023. {{ cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= ( help) Musical Version Of "The War Of The Worlds" ". Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved 25 October 2023. {{ cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= ( help)

In the first epilogue, the Journalist reports that the Martians were defeated by Earth's bacteria—to which they had no resistance—and that, as humanity recovered from the invasion, he was reunited with Carrie. But, he says, the question remains: is Earth now safe, or are the Martians learning from their failures and preparing for a second invasion? Miller, Thomas Kent. Mars in the Movies: A History. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2016. ISBN 978-0-7864-9914-4. Award of the Worlds" (PDF). Music Week. 21 April 1979. p.6 . Retrieved 17 February 2022– via World Radio History. An authentic first edition...never before released! Complete, not a dramatic word cut! Script by Howard Koch from the famous H.G. Wells novel...featuring the most famous performance from The Mercury Theatre On The Air!

Barcode and Other Identifiers

The album spawned two singles. On 2 June 1978, an edited version of "Forever Autumn" was released which went to No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. [10] This was followed by "The Eve of the War", released in September 1978. [3] Some of the North American and European pressings featured new lead vocals from Thompson. In 1979, a seven-minute disco remix of "The Eve of the War" was released. [10] ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2005 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved 16 November 2019. International - Platinum Worlds" (PDF). Billboard. 4 November 1978. p.100 . Retrieved 8 October 2020– via World Radio History.

Album of the week - Various Artists: The War of the Worlds" (PDF). Music Week. 3 June 1978. p.46 . Retrieved 17 February 2022– via World Radio History.

Tracklist

The Journalist's account begins later that year, with the sighting of several bursts of green gas which, for ten consecutive nights, erupt from the surface of Mars and appear to approach Earth. Ogilvy, an astronomer convinced that no life could exist on Mars, assures the Journalist there is no danger. Eventually, something crashes onto Horsell Common, and in the resulting crater Ogilvy discovers a glowing cylinder, the top of which begins to unscrew. When this lid falls off, a Martian creature emerges. By now a crowd has gathered on the common, and when a group of inquisitive men approaches the cylinder they are incinerated by the Heat-Ray—an advanced Martian weapon. The Journalist flees with the crowd. Later, hammering sounds are heard from the pit. A company of soldiers is deployed at the common, and that evening an injured and exhausted Artilleryman wanders into the Journalist's house and tells him his comrades have been killed by fighting machines—tripod vehicles built and controlled by Martians, each armed with its own Heat-Ray. They set off for London—the Journalist to ensure his lover Carrie is safe, the Artilleryman to report to headquarters—but are soon caught in a crossfire between soldiers and Martians and are separated. Three days later the Journalist arrives at Carrie's house but finds it empty. He resolves to escape London by boat and later catches sight of Carrie aboard a steamer, but the gangplank is raised before he can join her. Fighting machines then approach, threatening the steamer, but they are engaged by the Royal Navy battleship Thunder Child and two are destroyed. The steamer escapes, but Thunder Child is destroyed and her crew are lost by the Martian heat-rays, leaving England defenceless against the invasion. Parts of these recordings may contain some scratches or surface noise. This is not a defect of the recording, but the condition in which this transcription survived. The original discs were stored, borrowed, shuttled around or discarded. Only because of a variety of misplacement's, fortunate accidents and persistent collectors do these discs survive, and those that have done so can differ greatly as to quality and condition. Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Diverse; 'War of the Worlds ')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie . Retrieved 16 November 2019.

In late 2004 the ULLAdubULLA II production had been commissioned for an animated CGI film version. Test footage of some Martian machines was released, but the film itself never materialised. [29] DVD [ edit ] A 1989 version of "The Eve of the War" remixed by Ben Liebrand reached number 3 in the UK singles chart.

Statistics

Musical Version Of "The War Of The Worlds" ". ARIA . Retrieved 25 October 2023. {{ cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= ( help) Shea, Christopher D. (20 March 2016). " 'War of the Worlds' Shape-Shifts Onto the London Stage". The New York Times . Retrieved 21 March 2016.