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Phantom of the Opera Strikes Again

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"The Phantom of the Opera" is a song from the 1986 stage musical of the same name. Information technology was equanimous by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics written past Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, and additional lyrics by Mike Batt.[i] The song was originally recorded by Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley, which became a Great britain hitting unmarried in 1986, prior to the musical. In its theatrical debut, it was sung by Brightman and Michael Crawford in their roles as Christine Daaé and the Phantom.

Groundwork [edit]

The song is performed in Human activity I subsequently the song "Affections of Music" (The Mirror) and before "The Music of the Nighttime" (and is reprised in Act Two at the end of the song "Notes/Twisted Every Manner"). Information technology takes place as the Phantom escorts Christine by boat to his lair beneath the Opera Garnier. It is sung every bit a duet past Christine and the Phantom. At the end of the vocal, Christine sings her highest note in the show, an East6. In different shows, Sarah Brightman sings this song in different duets with other performers, Antonio Banderas, Chris Thompson, Alessandro Safina, Mario Frangoulis, Colm Wilkinson, Anthony Warlow, John Owen-Jones, Peter Jöback and Erkan Aki.

Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley version [edit]

"The Phantom of the Opera"
Sarah Brightman Steve Harley The Phantom of the Opera 1986 Single.jpg
Unmarried by Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley
from the album The Phantom of the Opera
B-side "Overture – The Phantom of the Opera"
Released January 1986[two]
Genre
  • Show tune
  • rock
Length iv:38
Label Polydor Records
Songwriter(s) Andrew Lloyd Webber (music)
Richard Stilgoe (lyrics)
Charles Hart (lyrics)
Mike Batt (boosted lyrics)
Producer(s) Mike Batt (producer)
Andrew Lloyd Webber (executive producer)
Sarah Brightman singles chronology
"Pie Jesu"
(1985) 		"The Phantom of the Opera"
(1986) 		"All I Inquire of You lot"
(1986)
Steve Harley singles chronology
"Irresistible"
(1985) 		"The Phantom of the Opera"
(1986) 		"Heartbeat Like Thunder"
(1986)

In January 1986, the original recording of "The Phantom of the Opera" was released every bit a unmarried to promote the upcoming musical of the same proper noun. The duet was performed by Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley. The vocal became a Top 10 hit in the United kingdom, peaking at number vii and remaining in the charts for ten weeks.[three]

Background [edit]

In 1984, Lloyd Webber and producer Cameron Mackintosh began working on the Phantom of the Opera musical. Sarah Brightman, whom Lloyd Webber married in 1984, was prepare to play the heroine Christine. As evolution of the musical connected, Lloyd Webber decided that releasing the title rails as a pop single would be a skillful fashion of promoting the upcoming musical and to "test the water" in terms of public reception. He stressed that he wanted the song to have a rock 'due north' scroll sound, to which producer Mike Batt added an "electro-pop beat and heavy metal guitars".[iv]

Having worked together on the 1983 unmarried "Ballerina (Prima Donna)", Batt phoned Steve Harley with the offering of singing as the Phantom on the track,[5] and duly suggested Harley to Lloyd Webber. Batt believed Harley's voice was simply correct for the song.[6] Although he was currently working on his ain solo album El Gran Senor, under a new contract with Mickie About'south label RAK,[7] Harley "jumped at the take a chance" to record the song.[viii]

Harley had to audition for the recording of the song at Lloyd Webber's home. Speaking to Number Ane in February 1986, Harley revealed: "I don't mean to boast only afterwards but singing one poetry he told me I'd got the task!"[nine] [10] He too commented to the Daily Star at the time: "A friend said he was going to tell Andrew that my vocalism was only right for the song. I idea he was joking. Just I really enjoyed working with Andrew. I'd love to play the Phantom when he puts the evidence on stage."[6]

Speaking of the recording of the vocal, Harley said: "I felt a bit like a fish out of water. Sarah would record her office perfectly and then leave, and I'd accept to stay until I hit those notes. It really stretched me."[viii] In the 2005 Behind the Mask documentary, Harley recalled: "I'd never done a duet. I knew Sarah could sing with an celestial soprano. I was quite happy to give it a crack, as it were."[11]

The single was released in Jan 1986, and reached number vii in the Uk in early February. Despite the success of the single, the masked nature of the Phantom character (particularly in the music video) meant that Harley did not gain instant recognition for his role. He commented to the Daily Star in February 1986: "It's crazy. Here I am dorsum in the charts and non even my nearest and dearest know information technology'due south me. But, in a way, I like my face non being seen. It'southward great to have fame and anonymity at the same time."[6]

Beingness the prime candidate for the role of the Phantom in the musical, Harley ended upward auditioning in front of the creative team and was given the office the post-obit 24-hour interval. He then spent five months rehearsing, including working with producer Hal Prince. He likewise recorded other tracks from the musical including "The Music of the Night" and "All I Ask of You".[11] However, days before the cast was announced to the public, Harley was surprised to be told he would be replaced by Michael Crawford.[12]

Harley told The Stage in August 1986: "It soon became articulate that the way Andrew was writing [the musical] wasn't equally perfect for me equally it initially appeared. I realise too that Crawford is going to put bums on seats in a style that I wouldn't be able to do at first in a theatre."[12] For Behind the Mask, Cameron Mackintosh revealed: "[Harley] wasn't that experienced every bit an actor. It became obvious to me, then I discussed information technology with Hal and Andrew, who also came to the aforementioned conclusion that this was a lovely impulse but not the right conclusion for the bear witness."[11]

Harley later recalled: "What happened is a mystery to me. There was no hint that they were unhappy with me, or that they were seeing anyone behind my dorsum." Harley received £20,000 compensation after he was removed from the musical, only was given no explanation.[11] It has been suggested that due to suffering from polio as a child, there were doubts every bit to whether Harley could effectively cope with the part.[13]

Release [edit]

The unmarried was released by Polydor Records on 7" and 12" vinyl, as well as on CD in Japan. The single was released in the Uk, Republic of ireland, America, Canada, Commonwealth of australia, Japan and across Europe including Frg, France, Portugal and Spain.[14] [15] In the UK, a limited edition 7" release was issued in addition to the standard 1. This limited edition version featured a luminous disc.[16]

The B-Side "Overture – The Phantom of the Opera" is a two-minute instrumental version of the A-Side. It was written and produced past Andrew Lloyd Webber.[17] On the American 7" vinyl release, the B-Side was re-titled "The Phantom of the Opera (Instrumental)". The graphic artwork and sleeve design for all versions of the single was created past Dewynters Ltd, London.[eighteen]

On the dorsum sleeve of the release, a brusque passage reads:

"Ladies and Gentlemen, On this recording I have required that Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley perform the theme from the forthcoming musical, which I have instructed Andrew Lloyd Webber to write around my legend 'The Phantom of the Opera.' Your Obedient Servant, The Phantom".[ii]

The 12" version of the unmarried features a vii-minute extended remix of the song, as well as the standard version.[19] [20] Following the original mini CD release of the single in Japan, it was re-issued there again in 1992 on the same format.[21] [22]

Brightman and Harley's version of the vocal would later appear on the 1994 compilation The Very All-time of Andrew Lloyd Webber,[23] likewise as on another Lloyd Webber compilation, titled Gold – The Definitive Hit Singles Collection, released in 2001.[24]

Music video [edit]

Directed by Ken Russell, the music video for the unmarried also acted as promotion for the upcoming musical.[13] After the chart success of the single, Lloyd Webber wanted to further promote the musical, and the resultant video took a week to shoot.[25] In his book Phallic Frenzy: Ken Russell and His Films, author Joseph Lanza felt the video "packs in the gist of the musical's message and story in but over 4 minutes."[4] In his interview with Number One, Harley spoke of Russell, describing him equally "terribly friendly, though I must admit his work does give the impression that he lives on another planet!"[ix]

The video starts with Brightman as Christine running to her dressing room. On her fashion there, Raoul gives her a royal blossom bouquet, which she takes with her. In her dressing room, she finds a souvenir box from the Phantom (portrayed by Harley). She opens information technology and puts the veil inside on her caput. Then, she enters the mirror, arriving in the Phantom's lair, with the Phantom continuing across the other side of a lake. Christine crosses the lake on a gunkhole that moves by itself. The endmost segment features Christine performing on phase in front of an audition including Raoul. The Phantom, secretly spectating, cuts a rope backstage which causes the chandelier to crash on height of Raoul. The video ends with Christine screaming before blood cerise drips over and envelops the screen.

In the Backside the Mask documentary, Richard Stilgoe described the video as "wonderful, as over-the-top as you can get". Cameron Mackinstosh said: "Ken Russell came up with the most vivid, outrageous video. It'due south fantastic fun, and completely over-the-pinnacle, which of class Andrew and I loved."[11] Harley told the Sandwell Evening Mail in 1986: "Information technology took us four days and nights to shoot the video, and every minute of it was torment. It was hellishly uncomfortable. I had ruby-red hot lights under my anxiety and my mask kept slipping off. It was like walking blindly over a bed of coals."[26]

Rails listing [edit]

seven" Unmarried
  1. "The Phantom of the Opera" – 4:40
  2. "Overture – The Phantom of the Opera" – 2:10
7" Single (US release)
  1. "The Phantom of the Opera" – 4:40
  2. "The Phantom of the Opera (Instrumental)" – 2:10
12" Single
  1. "The Phantom of the Opera (Extended Version)" – 7:09
  2. "The Phantom of the Opera" – 4:xl
  3. "Overture – The Phantom of the Opera" – 2:10
12" Single (Canadian promo)
  1. "The Phantom of the Opera (Edited Version)" – 3:44
  2. "The Phantom of the Opera" – iv:39
CD Single (Japanese release)
  1. "The Phantom of the Opera" – iv:44
  2. "Overture – The Phantom of the Opera" – 2:13

Charts [edit]

Chart (1986) Peak
position
European Hot 100 Singles[27] 39
Irish Singles Chart[28] eleven
Britain Singles Chart (Official Charts Company)[3] seven

Plagiarism allegations [edit]

In 1990, songwriter Ray Repp sued Lloyd Webber, saying he had plagiarised the "Phantom of the Opera" melody from his 1978 song "Till You".[29] Lloyd Webber denied this, proverb he had taken parts from his own earlier work, "Close Every Door", and that both songs included elements of compositions by Bach, Grieg and Holst. The approximate ruled in Lloyd Webber's favour in 1994.[29]

In 1992, sometime Pink Floyd songwriter Roger Waters asserted that Lloyd Webber had plagiarised "The Phantom of the Opera" from a sequence of the Pink Floyd track "Echoes":

Yes, the outset of that bloody Phantom song is from "Echoes" ...I couldn't believe it when I heard it. It's the same time signature – it's 12/8 – and it's the aforementioned structure and it's the same notes and it's the same everything. It probably is actionable. It really is! But I think that life'south too long to bother with suing Andrew fucking Lloyd Webber.[thirty]

References [edit]

  1. ^ "Songs from the Phantom of the Opera – Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved ten November 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Sarah Brightman And Steve Harley – The Phantom Of The Opera / Overture The Phantom Of The Opera – Polydor – UK – POSP 800". 45cat. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Sarah Brightman & Steve Harley – full Official Chart History". Officialcharts.com. 20 May 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  4. ^ a b Lanza, Joseph (August 2007). Phallic Frenzy: Ken Russell and His Films – Joseph Lanza – Google Books. ISBN9781569764824 . Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  5. ^ "Phantom frolic". New Musical Limited. 8 Feb 1986.
  6. ^ a b c Sky, Rick (3 Feb 1986). "Unmasked - the phantom rebel". Daily Star.
  7. ^ "The Phantom Strikes Again – Bill Hagerty". Harleyfanzone.com. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  8. ^ a b "The Phantom of the Opera – Commodity With Lyrics". Harleyfanzone.com. Archived from the original on i July 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  9. ^ a b "Kniestedt.com/theatre". Kniestedt.com. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  10. ^ Steve Harley : Who Was That Masked Man Article & Picture(s): Amazon.co.uk: NewspaperClipping: Books. Amazon.co.united kingdom. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  11. ^ a b c d east Behind the Mask: The Story of 'The Phantom of the Opera' – Steve Harley Interview – 2005 Documentary
  12. ^ a b Thomas, Angela (14 August 1986). "Steve Harley lays the ghost of the Phantom". The Stage.
  13. ^ a b "Insubordinate Thespian – Readers Letter Reply, Mojo '09". Harleyfanzone.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  14. ^ "Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley – The Phantom Of The Opera at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  15. ^ "Sarah Brightman And Steve Harley Discography – All Countries". 45cat. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  16. ^ "Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley, Andrew Lloyd Webber – The Phantom Of The Opera (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  17. ^ "Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley – The Phantom Of The Opera (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Sarah Brightman & Steve Harley, Andrew Lloyd Webber – The Phantom Of The Opera (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  19. ^ "Sarah Brightman / Steve Harley – The Phantom Of The Opera (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  20. ^ "Steve Harley With Sarah Brightman – The Phantom Of The Opera (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  21. ^ "Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley – The Phantom Of The Opera (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  22. ^ "Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley – The Phantom Of The Opera (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  23. ^ "Various, Andrew Lloyd Webber – The Very Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber (CD) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  24. ^ "Andrew Lloyd Webber – Gold – The Definitive Hit Singles Collection at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  25. ^ "The Phantom of the Opera". eighteen March 2004. Archived from the original on 18 March 2004. Retrieved 26 May 2016. {{cite spider web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  26. ^ Cole, Paul (v February 1986). "The taming of Cockney rebel Steve". Sandwell Evening Mail.
  27. ^ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. half-dozen. 15 November 1986. p. 12. Retrieved 25 May 2020 – via American Radio History.
  28. ^ Jaclyn Ward. "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on three June 2009. Retrieved 2016-05-26 .
  29. ^ a b Smith, Dinitia (five December 1996). "Who Copied Whom? Ruling Implies Neither". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  30. ^ "Who the hell does Roger Waters think he is?". Q. Nov 1992. Archived from the original on 22 October 2015. Retrieved 2009-11-20 .

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_of_the_Opera_(song)

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