See the saga through
A 50th anniversary edition of Jesus Christ Superstar is due to be released on September 17, 2021. Yep, that’s the original London cast with Big Ian. (Hmm, that’d be 51st anniversary then, right?) It will come as a 3CD box set with 100-page hardcover book, the fairly standard 2LP and 2CD editions, and a 2LP deluxe edition with replica of the original 1970 vinyl.
All 4 variants will feature remasters done by Miles Showell and Nick Davis at Abbey Road. The book contains new interviews with parties involved — including IG, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, Murray Head, and Yvonne Elliman — and has been edited together by music writer Lois Wilson.
Track list of CD3 (CD1 and CD2 as in the original):
- Blood Money (guide vocal)*
- Herod’s Song (guide vocal)*
- I Don’t Know How To Love Him (Tim Rice commentary)*
- This Jesus Must Die (scat vocal 1)*
- This Jesus Must Die (scat vocal 2)* — unreleased instrumental*
- I Don’t Know How To Love Him (single edit)
- 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)
- 1970 open-end Interview with the creators Of Jesus Christ Superstar Part Two (includes Gethsemane, Herod’s Song and Superstar)
Another source gives diferent contents of CD3 (quite possibly an alltogether different version of the reissiue):
- Ascending Chords
- Damned For All Time / Blood Money – Guide Vocal
- King Herod’s Song (Try It And See) – Guide Vocal
- I Don’t Know How To Love Him – Tim Rice And Murray Head Vocals
- I Don’t Know How To Love Him – Murray Head Vocals
- This Jesus Must Die – Scat Vocals 1
- What A Party
- This Jesus Must Die – Scat Vocals 2
- Heaven On Their Minds – Instrumental
- I Don’t Know How To Love Him
- (Too Much) Heaven On Their Minds – German Single
- Strange Thing (Mystifying)
- John Nineteen Forty-One – Remastered 2021
Thanks to ALW’s newsletter for the heads up (see there for preorder links), and to Super Deluxe Edition for additional info.
I remember this album being in my older cousins record collection back in the early 70’s. The same record collection that ‘corrupted’ a young innocent me with In Rock, Master of Reality & other ‘evil’ hard rock albums. It didn’t get much attention for obvious reasons, probably only there because of Ian Gillan no doubt. It was also probably the first time I heard that awful ‘superstar’ word. And now everything is super, a terrible word when associated with so called greatness etc! Still, it was David Essex that had a hit around this time with Movie Star wasn’t it? Or was that ‘I’m gonna make you a Star, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah,yeah,yeah’! Something like that. Happy days. Cheers.
August 13th, 2021 at 22:47Sorry, the song ‘Movie Star’ was by Harpo, a Swedish pop singer & the same year as David Essex.
August 13th, 2021 at 23:56Nostalgia eh? Talking about Essex, just looked at some highlights of that movie he was in back then, Keith Moon a cameo in that also, Stardust. Tommy the movie was the same era, those were the days! Cheers
Are you thinking of David Essex Rock On? Good track.
August 16th, 2021 at 02:04@ 3- yes indeed, Rock On is a good song. He is a fine vocalist Essex & knows how to write a decent tune or two. Cheers.
August 16th, 2021 at 09:08Thank God that Ian Gillan stuck with DP instead taking the stage touring with JCSS. Any the money offer to him was laughable compared to what he was earning with DP at the time so it was no brainer.
August 16th, 2021 at 19:06Peace
If anyone is interetested, Big Ian singing HIS monumental ” Gethsemane ( I only want to say)” The vocal track seems to mismatch half way through – Taken from Ian Gillan Official Site(facebook). Truly an unique and rare video, i’ve never seen it before. – the you tube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOjyGy1NR4Y
August 17th, 2021 at 11:30I’m an agnostic today and was one back then. That said, both musically and lyrically, JC Superstar did a fine job telling the story (Lloyd-Webber thinks today that Tim Rice’s lyrics far outshone his music, but I like the rawness of it). And of course Ian’s original, undoctored and innocent, but credible performance creams Ted Neeley’s overwrought soundtrack version into the shore sands of Galilee, but everyone here knew that already!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4gO_XZxCyo
August 17th, 2021 at 22:34This is a remastered and resynced version of the Gethsemane video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_DQpclpYjo&list=PLl4_jQR5igv3qv0V7Izu1sITmWrKHwk0h&index=11
August 18th, 2021 at 10:57Happy Birthday Mr. Gillian 😁🍻🥃🍺🍷🎂. 76 years young.
August 19th, 2021 at 12:16