Jesus Christ Superstar (Original Australian Cast Recording)
Encyclopedia
Jesus Christ Superstar or Jesus Christ Superstar – Original Australian Cast Recording is a soundtrack album released in late 1972 on MCA Records
. Jesus Christ Superstar
is a rock opera
created by Tim Rice
and Andrew Lloyd Webber
in 1970. The earliest Australian version was staged from May 1972 to February 1974. This album features Trevor White (as Jesus
), Jon English
(as Judas
) and Michele Fawdon
(as Mary Magdalene
). Together with other cast members they performed vocals for a studio recording. It was produced by Patrick Flynn
, the show's musical director and a conductor for Opera Australia
. The album peaked at No. 17 on the Go-Set
Albums Chart in June 1973, while it reached No. 13 on the Kent Music Report
and remained on its charts for 54 weeks. It appeared in the top 100 on the 1974 End of Year Albums Chart. In May 1973, the album was awarded a gold record
for sales worth $50,000.
This stage production and resultant album featured a number of notable Australian musicians. Jon English became a popular entertainer both as an actor and singer. Fellow cast members, Mike Wade on guitar and Greg Henson on drums, were part of English's backing band. Stevie Wright (as Simon Zealotes) was a former member of The Easybeats
and he formed a band, Black Tank, with fellow cast members Rory O'Donoghue (as Peter
) on guitar and vocals and Ken Firth on bass guitar. Wright then pursued a successful solo career. O'Donoghe was also a TV personality (Thin Arthur) on Australian TV series, The Aunty Jack Show
, and its spin-off, Wollongong the Brave
. Firth and other musicians for the stage version, Phil Eizenberg on guitar and William "Billy" Miller on vocals, formed The Ferrets
in 1975. Also on the soundtrack album were Levi Smith's Clefs
' members Michael Carlos and Henson. Carlos, on organ and piano, was also the musical director of the backing band, The Superstars, for the stage show and album, alongside Henson, Wade (ex-Climax), Jamie McKinley on piano and Bruce Worral on bass guitar (ex-Sherbet
). John Young (later styled as John Paul Young
) who had the role of Annas
became a successful solo artist and toured with various fellow cast members as his backing band, The Allstars.
, Sydney (1972–1973) followed by a season at the Palais Theatre, Melbourne and a tour of other cities and towns.
.
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
. Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started off as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971...
is a rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
created by Tim Rice
Tim Rice
Sir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
and Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
in 1970. The earliest Australian version was staged from May 1972 to February 1974. This album features Trevor White (as Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
), Jon English
Jon English
Jonathan James "Jon" English is an Australian rock singer, musician, actor and writer. English emigrated to Australia with his parents in 1961...
(as Judas
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
) and Michele Fawdon
Michele Fawdon
Michele Fawdon was a British-born Australian actress. In 1979 she won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Cathy's Child....
(as Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
). Together with other cast members they performed vocals for a studio recording. It was produced by Patrick Flynn
Patrick Flynn (composer)
Patrick Flynn was a composer and conductor who was active in the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia....
, the show's musical director and a conductor for Opera Australia
Opera Australia
Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House runs for approximately eight months of the year, with the remainder of its time spent in the The Arts Centre in Melbourne...
. The album peaked at No. 17 on the Go-Set
Go-Set
Go-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble...
Albums Chart in June 1973, while it reached No. 13 on the Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
and remained on its charts for 54 weeks. It appeared in the top 100 on the 1974 End of Year Albums Chart. In May 1973, the album was awarded a gold record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
for sales worth $50,000.
This stage production and resultant album featured a number of notable Australian musicians. Jon English became a popular entertainer both as an actor and singer. Fellow cast members, Mike Wade on guitar and Greg Henson on drums, were part of English's backing band. Stevie Wright (as Simon Zealotes) was a former member of The Easybeats
The Easybeats
The Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
and he formed a band, Black Tank, with fellow cast members Rory O'Donoghue (as Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
) on guitar and vocals and Ken Firth on bass guitar. Wright then pursued a successful solo career. O'Donoghe was also a TV personality (Thin Arthur) on Australian TV series, The Aunty Jack Show
The Aunty Jack Show
The Aunty Jack Show was a Logie Award–winning Australian television comedy series that ran from 1972 to 1973. Produced by and broadcast on ABC-TV, the series attained an instant cult status that persists to the present day....
, and its spin-off, Wollongong the Brave
Wollongong the Brave
Aunty Jack's Wollongong the Brave is a collection of four comedy specials derived from the Australian television series, The Aunty Jack Show. The fourth and final episode was the precursor to The Norman Gunston Show. The episodes were filmed in 1974 and were aired during 1975...
. Firth and other musicians for the stage version, Phil Eizenberg on guitar and William "Billy" Miller on vocals, formed The Ferrets
The Ferrets (band)
The Ferrets were an Australian pop / rock band from Melbourne and Sydney, which formed in 1975 and disbanded in 1979. Their second single, "Don’t Fall in Love", was released in 1977 and peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart...
in 1975. Also on the soundtrack album were Levi Smith's Clefs
The Clefs
The Clefs was an Australian pop-rock group that formed in Adelaide in the early 1960s. Under the leadership of keyboardist Tweed Harris the band performed as The Clefs from 1963 to 1967. Vocalist Barrie "The Bear" McAskill took over the group from Harris in 1967 and renamed it Levi Smith's Clefs...
' members Michael Carlos and Henson. Carlos, on organ and piano, was also the musical director of the backing band, The Superstars, for the stage show and album, alongside Henson, Wade (ex-Climax), Jamie McKinley on piano and Bruce Worral on bass guitar (ex-Sherbet
Sherbet (band)
Sherbet was one of the most prominent and successful Australian rock bands of the 1970s. Their biggest singles were "Summer Love" and "Howzat" , both reaching number one in Australia. "Howzat" was also a top 5 hit in the UK. Though the band's success in the U.S...
). John Young (later styled as John Paul Young
John Paul Young
John Paul Young is an Australian pop singer who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
) who had the role of Annas
Annas
Annas [also Ananus or Ananias], son of Seth , was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High Priest of the newly formed Roman province of Iudaea in 6 AD; just after the Romans had deposed Archelaus, Ethnarch of Judaea, thereby putting Judaea directly under Roman rule.Annas officially...
became a successful solo artist and toured with various fellow cast members as his backing band, The Allstars.
Venue
Capitol TheatreCapitol Theatre, Sydney
The Capitol Theatre is a historic theatre building located at 13 Campbell Street, Haymarket, Sydney, Australia.-History:The Capitol Theatre is at the former site of the Belmore Markets. The latter were built in 1891 by George McRae, City Architect, and the structural engineer Norman Selfe, but were...
, Sydney (1972–1973) followed by a season at the Palais Theatre, Melbourne and a tour of other cities and towns.
Production team
Production credits:- MusicMusicMusic is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
by Andrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of... - BookBookA book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
and lyricsLyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
by Tim RiceTim RiceSir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus... - ProducerTheatrical producerA theatrical producer is the person ultimately responsible for overseeing all aspects of mounting a theatre production. The independent producer will usually be the originator and finder of the script and starts the whole process...
: Harry M. MillerHarry M. Miller-Early career:Born in New Zealand, Miller grew up in Grey Lynn, Auckland, and moved to Australia in 1963, where he established a company called Pan Pacific Productions with Keith and Dennis Wong, owners of the noted Sydney nightclub "Chequers"... - Director: Jim SharmanJim SharmanJames "Jim" Sharman , the son of boxing tent entrepreneur Jimmy Sharman, is a director and writer for film and stage with over 70 productions to his credit...
- Executive ProducerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
: Frederick J. Gibson - Associate Exec. Producer: Garry Van Egmond
- Stage Director: Sandra McKenzie
- Stage Manager: Ken GregoryKen GregoryKen Gregory is a Canadian artist, who works with DIY interface design, hardware hacking, audio, video, and computer programming. He is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba....
- Scenic DesignScenic designScenic design is the creation of theatrical, as well as film or television scenery. Scenic designers have traditionally come from a variety of artistic backgrounds, but nowadays, generally speaking, they are trained professionals, often with M.F.A...
: Brian ThomsonBrian ThomsonBrian Thomson is an Australian theatre, opera and film designer. He has been active in Australian stage design for over three decades.Thomson began a long and successful collaboration with director Jim Sharman after they met at Heavenburgers on Sydney's Oxford Street in 1969; they worked together... - Musical Director: Patrick FlynnPatrick Flynn (composer)Patrick Flynn was a composer and conductor who was active in the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia....
- Associate Musical Director and Principal Conductor: Michael Carlos
- Costume DesignCostume designCostume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...
: Rex Cramphorne - SoundSoundSound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
: John Morrison - Dance Director: Keith BainKeith BainKeith Bain is a Canadian politician. He currently represents the electoral district of Victoria-The Lakes in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. He is a member of the Progressive Conservatives.-External links:* *...
Principal cast
Cast credits:- Trevor White (JesusJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
) - Jon EnglishJon EnglishJonathan James "Jon" English is an Australian rock singer, musician, actor and writer. English emigrated to Australia with his parents in 1961...
(JudasJudas IscariotJudas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
) - Michele FawdonMichele FawdonMichele Fawdon was a British-born Australian actress. In 1979 she won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Cathy's Child....
(Mary MagdaleneMary MagdaleneMary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
) 1972–73 - Marcia HinesMarcia HinesMarcia Elaine Hines, AM is a vocalist, actress and TV personality who achieved success in her adopted homeland of Australia. Hines made her debut, at the age of sixteen, in the Australian version of the stage musical Hair and followed with the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar...
(Mary Magdalene) 1973–74 - Arthur DignamArthur DignamArthur Dignam is an Australian character actor.Dignam was born on Lord Howe Island. He attended Newington College in Sydney as a boarder 1955–1956....
(Pontius PilatePontius PilatePontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
) 1972–73 - Robin RamsayRobin Ramsay (actor)Robin Ramsay is an Australian actor of television, film and stage.Ramsay is the grandson of Kiwi shoe polishfounder William Ramsay and father of Robina Ramsay, an internationally ranked dressage rider, and Dr Tamasin Ramsay....
(Pontius Pilate) - Joseph Dicker (King HerodHerod AntipasHerod Antipater , known by the nickname Antipas, was a 1st-century AD ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch...
) Sydney 1972 - Reg LivermoreReg LivermoreReginald Dawson Livermore AO is an Australian actor, singer, theatrical performer and television presenter.-Childhood:From a young age, Livermore demonstrated an interest in the performing arts...
(King Herod) Sydney 1973 - Jon Finlayson (King Herod) Sydney 1973
- Doug ParkinsonDoug ParkinsonDouglas "Doug" Parkinson is an Australian singer who first came to fame with his band, Doug Parkinson In Focus, in 1969. He has had numerous hits on the Australian Top 40 charts.-Career:...
(King Herod) 1973–74 - Stevie Wright (Simon Zealotes)
- Peter North (CaiaphasCaiaphasJoseph, son of Caiaphas, Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא or Yosef Bar Kayafa, commonly known simply as Caiaphas in the New Testament, was the Roman-appointed Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus...
) - John YoungJohn Paul YoungJohn Paul Young is an Australian pop singer who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
(AnnasAnnasAnnas [also Ananus or Ananias], son of Seth , was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High Priest of the newly formed Roman province of Iudaea in 6 AD; just after the Romans had deposed Archelaus, Ethnarch of Judaea, thereby putting Judaea directly under Roman rule.Annas officially...
) - Brian Withers (Priest 1)
- Tom DysartTommy DysartTommy Dysart is a Scottish-born actor, currently resident in Australia. Dysart has been a regular fixture on Australian television for several decades, frequently appearing in guest-starring roles in drama series and comedies, and in character roles in films and miniseries.High-profile early roles...
(Priest 2) 1972 - Peter NoblePeter NoblePeter Noble is a retired football forward.Noble began his career with Consett where he combined a career in painting and decorating with football...
(Priest 2) - Michael CatonMichael CatonMichael Caton is an Australian television, film and stage actor, and television host, best known for playing Uncle Harry in the Australian television series, The Sullivans, playing Darryl Kerrigan from 1997's low budget hit film The Castle and playing in the popular Packed to the Rafters. He is...
(Priest 3) 1972 - Bill Binks (Priest 3)
- Rory O'Donoghue (PeterSaint PeterSaint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
) 1972 - Wayne Matthews (Peter)
- Frank HowsonFrank HowsonFrank Howson has had a career in entertainment. He directed Flynn on the early life of Errol Flynn and Hunting...
, Bill Paton (Stage Attendants)
Supporting cast and chorus
Supporting cast and chorus credits:- Pete Bergen
- Creenagh Bradstock
- Stephen Campbell
- Michael CatonMichael CatonMichael Caton is an Australian television, film and stage actor, and television host, best known for playing Uncle Harry in the Australian television series, The Sullivans, playing Darryl Kerrigan from 1997's low budget hit film The Castle and playing in the popular Packed to the Rafters. He is...
- Hele Cornish
- Jennie Cullen
- Denni
- Joe Dicker
- Beverly Evans
- Margaret Figucio
- Robyn Fisher
- Geoff Gilmour
- Margaret Goldie
- Nick HillNick HillNick Hill is an Arena football Quarterback for the Tampa Bay Storm of the Arena Football League. He has also played in af2 for the Rio Grande Valley Dorados. He was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008...
- Phill Hobbins
- Gary HoffmanGary HoffmanGary Hoffman is a former tackle in the National Football League.-Biography:Hoffman was born Gary Edward Hoffman on September 28, 1961 in Sacramento, California.-Career:...
- Shauna Jensen
- Paul Johnston
- Merryn Joseph
- George Kent
- Peter KirbyPeter KirbyPeter Kirby was a Canadian bobsledder who competed in the mid-1960s. He won a gold medal in the four-man event at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck. He was born in Montreal, Quebec....
- Nick Lush
- Peter Maloney
- Natalie Mosco
- Sharon Murphy
- Bjarne Ohlin
- Sue Robinson
- Shayna Stewart
- Bonnie Truex
- Kim Whitehead
Musicians
- Mike Wade – guitar, band leader
- Ken Firth – bass guitar
- Jamie McKinley – piano, acoustic guitar
- Greg Henson – drums
- Michael Carlos – organ, Moog synthesiser
- Mike Reed – guitar
Track listing
Singers
- Jon EnglishJon EnglishJonathan James "Jon" English is an Australian rock singer, musician, actor and writer. English emigrated to Australia with his parents in 1961...
- Rory O'Donoghue
- Trevor White
- Michele FawdonMichele FawdonMichele Fawdon was a British-born Australian actress. In 1979 she won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Cathy's Child....
- Peter North
- Robin RamsayRobin Ramsay (actor)Robin Ramsay is an Australian actor of television, film and stage.Ramsay is the grandson of Kiwi shoe polishfounder William Ramsay and father of Robina Ramsay, an internationally ranked dressage rider, and Dr Tamasin Ramsay....
- Stevie Wright
- John YoungJohn Paul YoungJohn Paul Young is an Australian pop singer who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
- Original support cast and chorus
1992 Release
The album was also awarded 'Highest Selling Album' at the 1993 ARIA AwardsARIA Music Awards of 1993
The Seventh Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 14 April 1993 at the Entertainment Centre in Sydney. Host, Richard Wilkins, was assisted by presenters, James Reyne, Elle Macpherson, Billy Birmingham, Tim Finn, Neil Finn and Daryl Somers to distribute 24 awards...
.