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Judas, Jesus, and Mary

Australian site Urban Cinefile has a longish backstory for the creation of Jesus Christ Superstar, as told by Andrew Lloyd Webber himself:

Work started on the album of JCS in early 1970. Murray Head would be our Judas but who would play Jesus and Mary? Tim and I were total unknowns so we couldn’t do more than punt for names. Tim was better connected than me via his days at EMI, but a chance encounter with Jon Lord of Deep Purple at the first performance of Jon’s rock symphony Fusion, led me to meet the band’s new lead singer Ian Gillan, one of the greatest true rock tenors in musical history.

There’s not much else Purple related in the story, but if you’re a fan of JCSS, it’s an engaging read, well worth a visit.

Thanks to Gary Poronovich for the info.



8 Comments to “Judas, Jesus, and Mary”:

  1. 1
    kazz says:

    Now it’s time this Fusion symphony to be unearthed. LOL

  2. 2
    Blackwood Richmore says:

    E by gum!.B-)

  3. 3
    Kenn says:

    One of Gillan’s best outstanding vocal performances,

  4. 4
    Jeff Summers says:

    A fantastic and revolutionary piece. Did Lloyd Webber ever better it? I don’t think so and Ian Gillan is absolutely at his very best here ??

  5. 5
    RB says:

    THE best piece of musical theatre ever! Gillan sounds so good, and the tone he employs on his screams have never been bettered. Big Ian, Murray Head and the rest of the cast make this THE definitive Jesus Christ Superstar.

  6. 6
    Ger Nederland says:

    Ian Gillan is Jesus ! ??

  7. 7
    Tracy(Zero the Hero)Heyder says:

    @6… Ger Nederland….

    HARDLY. He claims Man made GOD in his most resent interviews.

    He is sadly further from JESUS than almost anybody I can think of with that remark. Hope he figures out the TRUTH soon. He ain’t got many years left and if he stays with that same notion until he kicks the bucket, then he will have his wish from his old Gillan Band song… “No Laughing in Heaven” come true. He will live his eternal life Laughing in Hell….. Somehow I don’t believe there is too much laughing there….. there are only 2 choices. Heaven and Hell.

    Ch-BeerZ

  8. 8
    Blackwood Richmore says:

    @7 Tracy, ‘to many rules & regulations, stupid laws designed by fools behind closed doors…. & another thing I won’t discuss is religion, it always causes a fight man, vavoom!’.

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