Jesus Christ Superstar 1970

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Have a safe and Happy New Year.

This version of JCS is badass.

The 1970 album with Ian Gillan and Murray Head and the funky
band behind them holds a special place in my memories.

Jesus Christ Superstar 1970

 

Murray Head "Jesus Christ Superstar" - YouTube


This is the promo released for the single.
Mega Groovy

 

Thanks for starting this thread. The other existing one is too confusing with its non-specific discussion of all versions of the album. This is the album I know and grew up with, and was the very first.

I was a kid when I first heard it, and was somehow stuck on side four. Not long after that I discovered the rest of it, and love the whole thing. The whole album is brilliant, and was remarkably assembled in a something like a couple of weeks of recording and mixing. That overture, and how it leads into "Heaven On Their Minds" is creative genius.

 

I do find the latter half of the record a bit spotty (if you could remove Gethsemane & listen to it in isolation, I could almost dump the rest of Sides 3 & 4), but Side 1 in its entirety is almost perfect.

 

In the early 70s there was a touring company. The extent of the tour and city stops... I have no idea.
I saw the show on a stage in a small outdoor stadium in Toronto ON.

 

I bought this the week it came out. The brown box intrigued me. I loved it and it taught me a fable I didn’t know about since I’m Jewish.

I pull it out every Christmas which amuses some of my friends because it’s about Easter.

 

I don't think it matters whether you're Jewish or not. Some of the events very well could have happened, but not necessarily for the reasons outlined in the script.

 

Yes. I just didn't know the story of the last weeks of his life when I was 15.

 

Yeah. let's leave it there because we are getting into unauthorized territory. I don't want to get into various beliefs and faiths. Whatever the case, it is a cool little story set to some pretty cool songs and music.

 

Absolutely. I was just referring to the historical timeline of things and the players involved.

The original Decca album is great. The band is just rockin funky enough and the vocalists kick ass It bests all other versions for me.

 

Ian Gillan was the perfect choice to play Jesus. Those screams are otherworldly! Murray Head was also perfect for playing Judas.

Mike d'Abo got a lot of praise for his little "King Herod's Song".

 

The album is great!!!
The Original Movie Soundtrack sucks!!!

 

I love and know this album so much that I could never get into the movie soundtrack. I play the "brown album" every Easter. I saw the original London production in the 1970s and it also blew me away.

 

This belongs here too...

 

I heard the soundtrack first. I like both and think they’re both great!

 

When I first got the original album, I always wondered why, if this was supposed to be a unified work, why "King Herod's Song" had a different publisher than the rest.

I can't remember when I finally found out that "King Herod's Song" began life as a song called "Try It and See," which is why some versions of JCS use that as a subtitle. Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, it was recorded by Rita Pavone and issued as the B-side of the 45 " 'Til Tomorrow" in 1969 (Polydor 15011 U.S., Polydor 59 358 Germany, Polydor 56545 UK). Norrie Paramor produced Pavone's recording, and his company ended up with the publishing.

 

Hey that's pretty good. An interesting discovery. They could have blended in some of her vocals into the rock opera version.

 

Climbing around on a broken down church. I suppose that's the message of the promo? Very interesting. Thanks.

 

Wow, I had no idea.

 

Sort of similar to Pete Townsend reworking some earlier work for Tommy. Plus the Sonny Boy Williamson sing added in.

 

I don't know the Soundtrack well, so there may well be some weaker bits, but I will say that Ted Neeley delivers an excellent (but very different) vocal interpretation of the Jesus part - his Gethsemane is every inch the equal of Gillan's, IMHO.

 

I’d love another crack at a film version. I really hated the Norman Jewison version visually. It deserves better.

It would be a good time since musicals are all the rage again.

 

The brown box never intrigued me...

 

Recommended CD version: Various - Jesus Christ Superstar - A Rock Opera

 

Ha!

I still need that UK version. GREAT record - badass, pretentious (a bit), controversial, and rockin' all at the same time. I'm sure most people are aware of the vocalists' stellar performances throughout the album, but let's hear it for the musical contributions from The Grease Band (Joe Cocker's band before Mad Dogs...).

In particular, the amazing bass playing of Alan Spenner! Wow. That guy could play his a$$ off.