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Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
Studio album by Jeff Wayne
Released	June 9, 1978 [1]
Recorded	May 1976–July 1977
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	94:54
Label	Columbia Records
Producer	Jeff Wayne
Professional reviews
Allmusic link
Jeff Wayne chronology
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds (1978) Jeff Wayne's Musical Version Of Spartacus (1992)

Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds is a 1978 concept album by Jeff Wayne and others, retelling the story of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. Its format is progressive rock using narration and leitmotifs to carry the story along in between rhyming melodic lyrics that express the feelings of various characters.

About the album

The War of the Worlds stars Richard Burton as the narrator-protagonist, Justin Hayward (of The Moody Blues), Phil Lynott (The Parson), Julie Covington, David Essex (The Artilleryman) and Chris Thompson.

"Forever Autumn", "The Eve of the War", "Thunder Child", and "The Spirit of Man" are the most recognised individual songs on the album. "Forever Autumn" was a UK Top 5 single, sung by Justin Hayward. The album itself spent 290 weeks in the UK album charts. It was in the top 10 in 22 countries and reached #1 in 11 countries.

Most of the lyrics on the album were written by former Elton John lyricist Gary Osborne.

The album was one of the first recorded on 48 tracks, using two synchronised 24 track Studer 80s at Advision Studios in London. It was engineered by Geoff Young, who was instrumental in bringing the recordings together with only a 16 track desk. His skill in this regard was later recognised by George Michael, who worked with him to record "Last Christmas" and "Careless Whisper" using the same studio and equipment.

The repetition of "Ulla!", the cry made by the Martians, and certain musical refrains throughout the musical act as leitmotifs.

The official album comes with several paintings by Peter Goodfellow, Geoff Taylor and Michael Trim that help to illustrate the story from beginning to end.

Other versions of the album

To promote the 1978 release, an abridged album containing "Radio edits" was distributed to radio stations. Special intros and endings had to be added to certain tracks because they simply weren't written with radio in mind. The "air play" album turned out so well that in 1981 CBS decided to release it commercially under the unwieldy title Highlights from Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds.

Two Spanish versions of the album were released in 1978, one featuring Anthony Quinn in the role of the journalist. A German version was released in 1980 with Curd Jürgens taking the part of the journalist.

A 1989 version of "The Eve of the War" remixed by Ben Liebrand reached number 3 in the UK singles chart. A 1995 special edition of the album featured additional remixes of some tracks and additional conceptual art. Australian progressive metal band Alchemist released a version of "Eve of the War" on a 1998 EP.

In 2000, a collection of remixes of tracks from the original album — including several used in the 1998 computer game — were released on a double CD titled The War of the Worlds: ULLAdubULLA The Remix Album. While most of the contributors are relatively unknown, the album includes two versions of a remix of "Dead London" by Apollo Four Forty.

On 23 June 2005 the original album was re-released in two forms: one in a remastered 2-disc Hybrid Multichannel Super Audio CD set; another in a 7-disc "Collector's Edition" featuring many bonuses such as various remixes, outtakes, and the actors reading from the unabridged script as well as the seventh disc being a DVD showing the making of the album, produced by Phoenix Film & Television Productions.

Whilst the original ULLAdubULLA album had a very limited run and has since gone out of print, following the huge success of the 2005 re-release of the original album, ULLAdubULLA II was released on 17 April 2006. This single CD release was largely made of tracks from the original remix album, with some additional new remixes by Tom Middleton and DJ Keltech, and hip-hop versions of two tracks by DJ Zube. Middleton's remixes of "The Eve of the War" were also released on CD and vinyl.

Beyond the album

Video game

In 1984 CRL Group PLC released Jeff Wayne's Video Game Version of The War of the Worlds for the Sinclair ZX Spectrum home computer. It was also released in Germany as Jeff Wayne's Video Version von Der Krieg der Welten.

Computer game

A 1998 computer game version, Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds, was created by Rage Software. Jeff Wayne produced the musical arrangements for the game, consisting of 45 minutes of material re-scored and remixed in a newer electronica style with techno beats. The game's artwork was based on the illustrations found throughout the original album booklet, and some of Burton's dialogue as the journalist is used in the opening scenes. A version of the game was also released for the Sony Playstation, although this was a more "arcade" style game.

Animated version

In late 2004 the ULLAdubULLA II production had been commissioned for an animated CGI film version set for a 2007 release, although as of 2008, the film is still in its production stages. Test footage of some of the Martian machines has been released to War of the Worlds online.^[2]

Tour

A live tour, based on the album, took place in the UK and Ireland in April 2006. A 'virtual' Richard Burton (a projected image of a picture of a young Richard Burton with a super-imposed actor's mouth and jaw lip synched to the original Burton recordings) performed as The Journalist. Justin Hayward reprised his original role as The Sung Thoughts of The Journalist and Chris Thompson returned as The Voice Of Humanity. Also from the original recording were Chris Spedding playing lead guitar and Herbie Flowers playing bass guitar. Other guest artists who appeared were Alexis James as The Artilleryman, Russell Watson as Parson Nathaniel and Tara Blaise as Beth. Daniel Boys (known from BBC's Any Dream Will Do) was understudy for all the roles sung by male artists. A model Fighting Machine featured on stage. Also presented was a short animated 'prequel' to the story in the style of the upcoming feature-length film detailing the Martians' ecological destruction of their own world (which was originally made for the 1998 computer game Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds) and their preparations to invade Earth, and including a short remix of "The Red Weed". The show was produced by Damian Collier and Jeff Wayne, who also conducted the 48-piece ULLAdubULLA Strings and 10-piece Black Smoke Band.

The live show toured Australia and New Zealand in 2007, with dates in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Auckland. The Australian tour featured "Australian Idol" runner-up Shannon Noll as Parson Nathaniel, actress Rachael Beck as Beth and Michael Falzon as the Artilleryman, alongside Justin Hayward and Chris Thompson from the original cast.^[3] A further UK live tour took place in December 2007 with Justin Hayward, Chris Thompson, Alexis James, John Payne as Parson, and Sinéad Quinn as Beth.

2008 marked the 30th anniversary of the original album release and a number of events took place, including a "30th Anniversary" tour which started on 7 June 2009 in Dublin. The 30th anniversary saw Justin Hayward, Alexis James and Chris Thompson reprise their respective roles, with Shannon Noll taking the role of Parson Nathaniel and Jennifer Ellison as Beth. However, when Noll had to leave the show halfway through its 2009 tour, the role of Parson Nathaniel went to Damien Edwards, who completed the run. Jeff Wayne says that he and the show's producer, Damian Collier, will be attempting to "make it the most exciting production yet".^[4]. Richard Burton's head has also changed. It now looks more realistic, because the whole face is now animated (an actor was found with a similar facial structure, and all of Burton's narrative parts were mimed, and his face was super-imposed onto the face of the actor. In November 2009 Wayne announced on his website dates for another tour in the UK, Ireland, Germany, and Holland, and for the first time, Belgium, in late 2010 - early 2011.

DVD

A two disc DVD special edition of the 2006 Wembley Arena, London show was released 6 November 2006 by Universal. Disc 1 contains the live show and Disc 2 contains extras and a documentary of the making of the live show. It is titled Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of The Worlds - Live on Stage.

Track listing

All dialogue written by Doreen and Jerry Wayne, based upon H.G. Wells's original text. Music and lyrics by Jeff Wayne except as noted.

LP

Side A

1. "The Eve of the War" – 9:06
2. "Horsell Common and the Heat Ray" – 11:36

Side B

1. "The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine" – 10:36
2. "Forever Autumn" – 7:43 (Wayne, Vigrass, Osborne)
3. "Thunder Child" – 6:10 (Wayne, Osborne)

Side C

1. "The Red Weed (Part 1)" – 5:55
2. "Parson Nathaniel" – 1:55
3. "The Spirit of Man" – 9:46 (Wayne, Osborne)
4. "The Red Weed (Part 2)" – 6:51

Side D

1. "Brave New World" – 12:13 (Wayne, Osborne)
2. "Dead London" – 8:37
3. "Epilogue (Part 1)" – 2:42
4. "Epilogue (Part 2) (NASA)" – 2:02

Compact disc

Same as LP, reorganised as a double CD. Original CD release date 1985:

Disc one

1. "The Eve of the War" – 9:07 (Wayne)
2. "Horsell Common and the Heat Ray" – 11:35 (Wayne)
3. "The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine" – 10:27 (Wayne)
4. "Forever Autumn" – 7:55 (Wayne, Vigrass, Osborne)
5. "Thunder Child" – 6:03 (Wayne, Osborne)

Some pressings misprint the first track as "The Eye of the War"

Disc two

1. "The Red Weed (Part 1)" – 5:51
2. "The Spirit of Man" – 11:45 (Wayne, Osborne) [the LP's tracks "Parson Nathaniel" and "The Spirit of Man" indexed as one track]
3. "The Red Weed (Part 2)" – 6:19
4. "Brave New World" – 12:36 (Wayne, Osborne)
5. "Dead London" – 8:36
6. "Epilogue (Part 1)" – 2:42
7. "Epilogue (Part 2) (NASA)" – 2:01
8. The Spirit of Man (Dubulladub)
9. Forever Autumn - Remix'96
10. Forever Autumn (Dark Autumn Dub)
11. The Eve of The War (pi-r2h Mix)

Tracks 8 - 11 are only on the 1995 and 1998 re-release. The 1998 version was to commemorate 20 years since the original.

Seven disc box set

Disc one

1. "The Eve of the War"
2. "Horsell Common and the Heat Ray"
3. "The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine"
4. "Forever Autumn"
5. "Thunder Child"

Disc two

1. "The Red Weed (Part 1)"
2. "The Spirit of Man"
3. "The Red Weed (Part 2)"
4. "Brave New World"
5. "Dead London"
6. "Epilogue (Part 1)"
7. "Epilogue (Part 2) (NASA)"

Disc three

1. "UlladubUlla" - Papa Ootzie Remix
2. "The Eve of the War" - Hybrid’s Fire in the Sky Mix
3. "Forever Autumn" - N-Trance Remix
4. "Horsell Common and the Heat Ray" - Max Mondo Remix
5. "The Spirit of Man" - Spirit Of Dub—Tom Frederikse/Gaëtan Schurrer Remix
6. "The Eve of the War" - Hani Remix
7. "The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine" - Max Mondo Remix
8. "Brave New World" - Todd Terry Remix
9. "Forever Autumn" - Dark Autumn Dub Tom Frederikse/Gaëtan Schurrer Remix
10. "The Red Weed" - Mister Joyboy Remix
11. "The Spirit of Destiny (The Parson Versus Palene)" - Cassidy/Langan/Wayne Remix
12. "The Eve of the War" - 1980 Disco Steve Thompson Remix
13. "The Spirit of Man" - Max Mondo Remix
14. "The Eve of the War" - Ben Liebrand Remix
15. "Brave New World" - Dario G Remix
16. "Dead London" - Mister Joyboy Remix
17. "The Eve of the War Versus Animal and Man" - Forrest/Schurrer/Wayne Remix

Disc four

1. Four Narrators (Opening Passage)
2. Eve of the War [Original Unused Intro]
3. Eve of the War [Early Band Take]
4. Eve of the War [Stripped Down Mix]
5. Eve of the War
6. 'That' Laugh
7. Out-Takes (From Horsell Common and the Heat Ray)
8. Out-Takes (From Horsell Common and the Heat Ray) (Continued)
9. Out-Takes (From Horsell Common and the Heat Ray)
10. Horsell Common and the Heat Ray [Early Version]
11. Out-Takes (From Horsell Common and the Heat Ray)
12. Heat Ray Versus the Jangle Piano (Martian Versus Man)
13. Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine [Early Band Take, Featuring Original Script]
14. Richard Burton Out-Take
15. Lego Toys [Original 1969 TV Commercial]
16. Forever Autumn [Original 1972 Version]
17. Bar Count-Under Attack (From Forever Autumn)
18. Forever Autumn [Early Version]
19. Bar Count Continues (From Forever Autumn)
20. Paperboys [Original Unused Out-Take]
21. Paperboys [Original Unused Out-Take]
22. Paperboy Shouts and Panicking Crowd [Original Unused Out-Takes from Forever Autumn]
23. Paperboy Shouts and Panicking Crowd [Original Unused Out-Takes from Forever Autumn]
24. "Ugly Brutes! " and "See Them?" [Original Unused Out-Takes from Forever Autumn]
25. Forever Autumn [Early Version]
26. Thunder Child [Early Version]
27. Thunder Child [Later Version]
28. Four Narrators (The Earth Belonged to the Martians)
29. Four Narrators (The Red Weed)
30. Red Weed [Early Version]
31. Unused Out-Take (From the Red Weed)
32. Red Weed [Original Unused Part]
33. Red Weed [Original Unused Part]
34. Jeff's "Worth a Listen" Red Weed Alternative
35. Original 75" Radio Commercial

Disc five

1. Parson Nathaniel [2005 Revisited Version]
2. Spirit of Man [Early Version With Unused Acting Parts]
3. Spirit of Man [Early Version Guide Vocals]
4. Spirit of Man [Jerry, Doreen & Phil Acting Out-Takes]
5. Spirit of Man [Alternative Version]
6. "Are You Ready Jeff?" [Acting Out-Take from the Spirit of Man]
7. "Are You Ready Jeff?" [Acting Out-Take from the Spirit of Man]
8. Spirit of Man
9. Spirit of Man [Out-Take, Including Original Unused Script]
10. Spirit of Man [Out-Take, Including Original Unused Script]
11. Spirit of Man [Out-Takes, Including Original Unused Script]
12. Spirit of Man [Beth & Parson Out-Takes, Including Original Unused Scrip
13. Spirit of Man [Out-Takes, Including Original Unused Script]
14. Spirit of 'Mayan' [Parson Out-Takes]
15. Spirit of Man (Beth Is Killed)
16. Spirit of Man [Beth Is Killed - Original Out-Take]
17. Spirit of Man [Guitar Solo]
18. 'Outcries' (From the Spirit of Man)
19. Spirited Man [Strings and Acoustic Guitar Alternative]
20. Spirit of Man [Beth Out-Takes]
21. Spirit of Man [Beth Out-Takes]
22. Spirit of Man [Beth Out-Takes]
23. Spirit of Man [Beth Out-Takes]
24. Spirit of Man [Beth Out-Takes]
25. Spirit of Man [Beth Out-Takes]
26. Spirit of Guitars (Guitars and Strings from the Spirit of Man)
27. Tea for Two: Jerry & Phil's Late Night Cabaret
28. Parson Nathaniel Scream Out-Takes (From the Spirit of Man)
29. Parson Nathaniel Scream Out-Takes (From the Spirit of Man)
30. Original Parson Scream Out-Takes
31. Original Spanish Parson Scream Out-Takes
32. German Journalist and Parson Out-Takes
33. Spanish Journalist and Parson Scream Out-Take
34. "And There Was Nothing I Could Do to Prevent It" [Out-Takes and Master]
35. Parson Nathaniel [Original Unused Song]
36. "Less Piano and More Air, Please! "
37. Artilleryman Returns [With Unused Parts]
38. Artilleryman's Out-Takes (From Brave New World)
39. Artilleryman's Out-Takes (From Brave New World) (Continued)
40. Artilleryman's Out-Takes (From Brave New World)
41. Brave New World [Early Piano Demo]
42. Brave New World [Early Band Take]
43. Artilleryman's "I've Got a Plan! " Out-Takes (From Brave New World)
44. Brave New World [Acoustic Alternative]
45. Brave New World [Alternative Version]
46. Spanish Artilleryman's Plan (From Brave New World)
47. Acting Out-Takes (From Brave New World)
48. Acting Out-Takes (From Brave New World)
49. Acting Out-Takes (From Brave New World)
50. Acting Out-Takes (From Brave New World)
51. Acting Out-Takes (From Brave New World)
52. Original 40" Radio Commercial
53. Regressing Bar Count

Disc six

1. Dead London [Early Version, Featuring Original Piano Demo]
2. Dead London [Early Band Run-Through]
3. Murderous Out-Takes (From Dead London)
4. Murderous Out-Takes (From Dead London)
5. Bar Count (From Dead London)
6. Breathless Out-Take (From Dead London)
7. Epilogue I [Early Band Take]
8. Four Narrators (Epilogue)
9. Unused Alternative NASA Epilogue Out-Take
10. Unused Alternative NASA Epilogue Out-Take
11. Unused Alternative NASA Epilogue Out-Take
12. NASA Epilogue Spanish Version
13. Spanish Narrator Out-Take
14. Spanish Narrator Out-Take
15. Spanish Narrator Out-Take
16. Spanish Narrator Out-Take
17. (through 31.) Original Narration and Acting Parts [Unabridged]

Disc seven (DVD)

• The Making of Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of War of the Worlds

iTunes / SACD version

When bought through iTunes or on the 2005 SACD version, the track layout is slightly different:

Disc 1

1. The Eve of the War - 9:09
2. Horsell Common and the Heat Ray - 11:35
3. The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine - 10:36
4. Forever Autumn - 7:41
5. Thunder Child - 6:16

Disc 2

1. The Red Weed (Part 1) - 5:55
2. The Spirit of Man - 11:37 (tracks Parson Nathaniel and The Spirit of Man are combined)
3. The Red Weed (Part 2) - 5:24
4. The Artilleryman Returns - 1:27 (on physical CD, this is a part of The Red Weed (Part 2))
5. Brave New World - 12:14
6. Dead London - 8:35
7. Epilogue (Part 1) - 2:30
8. Epilogue (Part 2) (NASA) - 1:30

Chart positions

Additional artists

• Richard Burton – spoken words (The Journalist)
• David Essex – spoken words and vocals (The Artilleryman)
• Phil Lynott – spoken words and vocals (Parson Nathaniel)
• Julie Covington – spoken words and vocals (Beth)
• Justin Hayward – vocals (The Sung Thoughts of The Journalist "Forever Autumn")
• Chris Thompson – vocals (The Voice of Humanity "Thunder Child")
• Jerry Wayne – spoken words ("Epilogue, Part 2")
• Ken "Prof" Freeman – keyboards
• Chris Spedding – guitars
• Jo Partridge – guitars (mainly The Heat Ray), mandolin
• George Fenton – santur, zither, tar
• Herbie Flowers – bass guitar
• Barry Morgan – drums
• Barry da Souza, Roy Jones, Ray Cooper – percussion
• Paul Vigrass, Gary Osborne, Billy Lawrie – backing vocals

See also

• Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds computer game

References

• Flynn, John L. (2005). "Chapter 6:The Jeff Wayne album". War of the worlds: from Wells to Spielberg. Galactic Books. pp. 75-84. ISBN 0976940000. 

External links

• Official site
• Mike Trim Art
• Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds review (album and DVD) at War Of The Worlds Invasion website
• Electric Sky - 'Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of The Worlds Live - A Journal'