The Phantom of the Opera (song)

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The Phantom of the Opera is an English song from the stage musical of the same name that premiered in 1986 . It was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber , and written by Richard Stilgoe and Charles Hart , with text from Mike Batt .

Before the musical was released, the song was first sung by Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley , and released as a single in advance. The song was successful, reaching number 7 on the UK charts. When the musical premiered, it was sung by Brightman and Michael Crawford , in their respective roles.

background

The song is performed in the 1st act after Liebes Lottchen / Der Spiegel and before Die Musik der Dunkelheit (and repeated in the 2nd act at the end of A musical rehearsal for “Don Juan, the winner” ). Christine is led by the Phantom in a boat to his hiding place under the Opera Garnier . The duet is sung by Christine and the Phantom. At the end of the song, Christine sings her highest note in the performance, an E6. Sarah Brightman sang this song in various performances with other singers ( Antonio Banderas , Chris Thompson , Alessandro Safina , Mario Frangoulis , Colm Wilkinson , Anthony Warlow , John Owen-Jones , Peter Jöback and Erkan Aki ).

Version by Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley

The Phantom of the Opera
Sarah Brightman & Steve Harley
publication 1986
length 4:38
text Richard Stilgoe
music Andrew Lloyd Webber
Producer (s) Mike Batt
Publisher (s) The Really Useful Co. Ltd.

In January 1986, The Phantom of the Opera was released as a single to promote the upcoming musical of the same name. Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley sang in a duet. The song made it into the top ten in the UK, peaked at number 7 and stayed in the charts for ten weeks.

background

In 1984 Lloyd Webber and producer Cameron Mackintosh began working on the musical The Phantom of the Opera . Sarah Brightman, who married Lloyd Webber in 1984, got the role of Christine. As the development of the musical progressed, Lloyd Webber decided to release the theme song as a pop single. He thought this was a good way to make the musical known in advance. It also served him as a kind of test balloon to get initial feedback from a larger audience. He insisted that he wanted the song to have a rock 'n' roll melody to which producer Mike Batt then added electro pop rhythm and heavy metal guitar sound.

Already known to each other through their joint work on the 1983 single Ballerina (Prima Donna) , Batt contacted Steve Harley by phone with the offer to sing the Phantom for the new title and duly proposed Harley to Lloyd Webber. Batt thought Harley's voice was just right for the song. Although he was working on his own solo album El Gran Senor , under a new contract with Mickie Most's label RAK, Harley took the opportunity to record the song on his head.

Harley had to audition for Lloyd Webber to record the song. Speaking to Number One in February 1986, Harley stated, "I don't want to boast, but after singing just one verse, he told me I had the job!" At that time, he also said to the Daily Star , " A friend said he would tell Andrew that my voice was just right for the song. I thought he was joking. But I really enjoyed working with Andrew. I would love to play the Phantom when he puts the show on stage. "

Regarding the recording of the song, Harley said, “I felt a bit like a fish out of the water. Sarah would record her part perfectly and then leave, and I would have to stay until I hit those notes. It really wore me out. "In the 2005 documentary Behind the Mask , Harley recalled," I'd never done a duet. I knew Sarah could sing soprano like an angel. I was pretty happy to hit it, so to speak. "

The single was released in January 1986 and reached number 7 in the UK charts in early February. Despite the success of the single, the masking of the phantom (in the music video) meant that Harley was not immediately recognized in his role. He commented on the Daily Star in February 1986: “It's insane. Here I am back in the charts and not even my loved ones know that it is me. But in a way, I like when my face isn't seen. It's great to have fame and anonymity at the same time. "

As the lead candidate for the role of Phantom in the musical, Harley auditioned for the creative team and was given the role the next day. He then rehearsed for five months and worked with producer Harold Prince , among others . He also recorded other songs from the musical, including The Music of the Night and All I Ask of You . Just days before the cast was announced to the public, Harley was surprised to learn that Michael Crawford would replace him.

In August 1986, Harley told The Stage , “It quickly became apparent that the way Andrew [the musical] wrote wasn't as perfect for me as it initially seemed. I also know Crawford is going to put bum on seats like I wouldn't do in a theater at first. ”For Behind the Mask , Cameron Mackintosh revealed,“ [Harley] wasn't that experienced as an actor. I realized it, and then discussed it with Hal and Andrew, who also came to the same conclusion that this was a nice impulse, but not the right decision for the show. "

Harley later recalled, “What happened is a mystery to me. There was no indication that they were dissatisfied with me or considering anyone behind my back. ”Harley was given £ 20,000 in compensation after he was removed from the musical, but he was not given an explanation. He admitted, however, that he was limping due to a long history of polio , which led to doubts as to whether he would be able to cope with the physical exertion of the piece.

publication

The single was released on 7 "and 12" vinyl by Polydor Records, and even on mini-CD in Japan . The single was released in the UK, Ireland, America, Canada, Australia, Japan and across Europe including Germany, France, Portugal and Spain. In Great Britain, a 7 "version was issued in a limited edition in addition to the standard version. The special thing about the limited edition version was the record that glowed in the dark.

The song Overture - The Phantom of the Opera on the B-side is a two-minute instrumental version of the A-side. It was written and produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber. On the American 7 "single, the song was titled The Phantom of the Opera (instrumental) on the B-side . The graphic and cover design for all single versions is provided by Dewynters Ltd. in London.

On the back of the record cover was a slip of paper, dated January 2, 1986, which read in a short paragraph:

“[…] 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. "

“[…] On this recording, I asked Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley to sing the theme song of the upcoming musical I directed Andrew Lloyd Webber to write about my legend, 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Your obedient servant the phantom. "

The 12 "version of the single contains the standard version and a remix of the song extended by seven minutes. The original mini-CD release of the single in Japan was reissued in 1992 in the same format.

Brightman and Harley's version of the song later appeared on the 1994 compilation The Very Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber , and in 2001 on Lloyd Webber's compilation Gold - The Definitive Hit Singles Collection .

Music video

On a poster you can read the announcement of the royal gala at a grand opera , at which Christine Daaé appears in the play " Cleopatra ". In the middle of the poster, the Opéra Garnier is shown, the place where the next event took place.

Christine rushes to the opera and makes her way through opera visitors who are already waiting on site. In the corridor she briefly greets two colleagues with a nod of the head, who can later be seen as extras in the “Cleopatra” performance. Before she quickly disappears into the changing room, she receives a small bouquet of flowers with a kiss on the hand from her gallant admirer Raoul .

There is a present from the Phantom on the dressing table. She opens the packaging and puts on the veil inside. When she looks at herself in the make-up mirror, the light suddenly flickers. As if to a sign, she then turns to a wall mirror, which is becoming increasingly transparent, revealing a passage behind it. Then she goes through the translucent mirror and goes down the steps of a staircase.

When she reaches the vaulted cellar where the phantom lives, there is a boat at the foot of the stairs. She enters this, whereupon it starts to move by itself. The boat glides through the vault in a sea of ​​fog. On the other side, the phantom is already waiting on a platform in front of a staircase. He takes Christine under his wing, and in the next shot, under the influence of the phantom, she has already become the title character "Cleopatra" to be embodied by her .

Raoul attentively observes their performance with his opera glasses, and sends his beloved an air kiss. But the phantom also secretly follows the performance, notices the rival and backstage cuts a rope with which a large chandelier is attached. On stage, Christine notices how the chandelier sways threateningly, the shock is written on her face. Raoul, seated in the audience, sees the chandelier falling from above and reflexively throws up his arm for protection. The video ends with Christine's intonation turning into a high-pitched scream before the screen turns blood red.

background

It was directed by Ken Russell, and the music video for the single was advertising for the musical, which was released later that year. After the chart hit the single, Lloyd Webber wanted to promote the musical even further, and it took a week to film the resulting video. In his book Phallic Frenzy: Ken Russell and His Films , Joseph Lanza found the music video "gets the heart of the message and story of the musical in just over four minutes." In his interview for Number One , Harley said of Russell, and described him as "terribly friendly, although I have to admit that his work gives the impression that he lives on another planet!"

In the documentary Behind the Mask , Richard Stilgoe described the music video as "wonderful, as exaggerated as possible". Cameron Mackinstosh said, “Ken Russell made the most brilliant, outrageous video. It's fantastic fun and totally over the top, which Andrew and I loved of course. "Harley told the Sandwell Evening Mail in 1986, " It took us four days and nights to make the video and every minute of it was torture. It was awkward as hell. I had red-hot lights under my feet and my mask kept slipping off. It was like walking blindly over a bed of coal. "

Playlists

7 "single
  1. "The Phantom of the Opera" - 4:40
  2. "Overture - The Phantom of the Opera" - 2:10
US 7 "single
  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" - 4:40
  3. "Overture - The Phantom of the Opera" - 2:10
12 "single (promo release in Canada)
  1. "The Phantom of the Opera (Edited Version)" - 3:44
  2. "The Phantom of the Opera" - 4:39
Mini-CD single (released in Japan)
  1. "The Phantom of the Opera" - 4:44
  2. "Overture - The Phantom of the Opera" - 2:13

Charts

Charts (1986) Top
position
EuropeEurope Europe 39
IrelandIreland Ireland 11
United KingdomUnited Kingdom United Kingdom 7th

Allegations of plagiarism

In 1990 Lloyd Webber was sued by songwriter Ray Repp . Webber plagiarized the melody of The Phantom of the Opera from his 1978 song Till You . Webber denied this allegation, stating that he had used parts of his own earlier work Close Every Door , and that both songs contained elements of compositions by Bach , Grieg and Holst . A court ruled Webber in 1994.

In 1992 Roger Waters , formerly a songwriter for Pink Floyd , claimed that Lloyd Webber had plagiarized a sequence from the Pink Floyd composition Echoes for The Phantom of the Opera .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Songs from the Phantom of the Opera - Various Artists | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic . allmusic.com. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  2. ^ Sarah Brightman & Steve Harley - full Official Chart History . Officialcharts.com. May 20, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  3. ↑ a b Phallic Frenzy: Ken Russell and His Films - Joseph Lanza - Google Books . Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  4. ↑ Phantom frolic . In: New Musical Express , February 8, 1986. 
  5. ↑ a b Rick Sky: Unmasked - the phantom rebel . In: Daily Star , February 3, 1986. 
  6. ^ The Phantom Strikes Again - Bill Hagerty . Harleyfanzone.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  7. ↑ a b The Phantom of the Opera - Article With Lyrics . Harleyfanzone.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. Retrieved on May 26, 2016.
  8. ↑ a b Kniestedt.com/theatre . Kniestedt.com. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  9. ↑ Steve Harley: Who Was That Masked Man Article & Picture (s): Amazon.co.uk: NewspaperClipping: Books . Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  10. ↑ a b c d e Behind the Mask: The Story of 'The Phantom of the Opera' - Steve Harley Interview - 2005 Documentary
  11. ↑ Angela Thomas: Steve Harley lays the ghost of the Phantom . In: The Stage , August 14, 1986. 
  12. ↑ Angela Thomas: Steve Harley lays the ghost of the Phantom . In: The Stage , August 14, 1986. 
  13. ↑ Steve Harley: The return of the likely lad . Independent.co.uk. November 8, 2005. Accessed July 16, 2020.
  14. ^ Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley - The Phantom Of The Opera at Discogs . Discogs.com. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  15. ^ Sarah Brightman And Steve Harley Discography - All Countries . 45cat. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  16. ^ Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley, Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Phantom Of The Opera (Vinyl) at Discogs . Discogs.com. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  17. ^ Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley - The Phantom Of The Opera (Vinyl) at Discogs . Discogs.com. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  18. ^ Sarah Brightman & Steve Harley, Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Phantom Of The Opera (Vinyl) at Discogs . Discogs.com. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  19. ^ Sarah Brightman And Steve Harley - The Phantom Of The Opera / Overture The Phantom Of The Opera - Polydor - UK - POSP 800 . 45cat. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  20. ^ Sarah Brightman / Steve Harley - The Phantom Of The Opera (Vinyl) at Discogs . Discogs.com. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  21. ↑ Steve Harley With Sarah Brightman - The Phantom Of The Opera (Vinyl) at Discogs . Discogs.com. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  22. ^ Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley - The Phantom Of The Opera (CD) at Discogs . Discogs.com. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  23. ^ Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley - The Phantom Of The Opera (CD) at Discogs . Discogs.com. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  24. Jump up ↑ Various, Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Very Best Of Andrew Lloyd Webber (CD) at Discogs . Discogs.com. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  25. ↑ Andrew Lloyd Webber - Gold - The Definitive Hit Singles Collection at Discogs . Discogs.com. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  26. ^ The Phantom of the Opera . Web.archive.org. March 18, 2004. Archived from the original on March 18, 2004. Retrieved on May 26, 2016.
  27. ↑ Paul Cole: The taming of Cockney Rebel Steve . In: Sandwell Evening Mail , February 5, 1986. 
  28. ↑ Sources for chart placements: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles / IRL / UK , accessed on May 25, 2020.
  29. ↑ a b Dinitia Smith: Who Copied Whom? Ruling Implies Neither . In: The New York Times , December 5, 1996. Retrieved July 13, 2019. 
  30. ↑ Who the hell does Roger Waters think he is? . In: Q . November 1992. Archived from the original on October 22, 2015. Retrieved on November 20, 2009.