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Press Information: 12th April 2005
THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTOR'S EDITION & 5.1 SURROUND SOUND HYBRID SUPER-AUDIO CD REMIX OF CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED CLASSIC ALBUM 'JEFF WAYNE'S MUSICAL VERSION OF THE WAR OF THE WORLDS' RELEASED ON 13TH JUNE
SonyBMG are set to re-release the award-winning Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds on 13th June 2005. The highly anticipated classic album will now be available in two formats, the original double album and a definitive 7-disc collector's edition package which are both re-issued on double hybrid SA-CD with 5.1 surround sound and stereo re-mastered mixes
Since it's original release in June of 1978,'Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War Of The Worlds' has grown into a true classic; garnering a new generation of devoted followers whilst still inspiring the faithful listeners from the past decades. Inspired by the HG Wells novel, the album features a compelling blend of prog rock and classical and literary influences, coupled with a spell-binding narration from Richard Burton and outstanding performances by some of the biggest artists of the 70s, including David Essex, Justin Hayward, Phil Lynott and Julie Covington.
The album has enjoyed huge success and critical acclaim across the globe with over 12.5 million records sold and numerous accolades acquired The War Of The Worlds initially spent over 260 consecutive weeks in the UK albums charts alone and has reappeared consistently through the years.
In June, for the first time, die-hard fans will be able to get their hands on the comprehensive collector's package a 7 disc definitive version of The War Of The Worlds!
The first two discs presented as hybrid Super Audio CDs contain a 5.1 multi-channel surround sound mix and a stereo remix of the original double album.
For the 5.1 remix the original album was painstakingly re-built from the 70 plus multi-track tapes, sound by sound, track by track, entirely remixed and brought into the digital domain delivering the most superior sound technology can provide. To hear the album in full surround sound is truly a mind-blowing experience.
Disc 3 is devoted to the best club remixes of this album from 1979-2005.
Discs 4-6 include never-before-heard rarities, out-takes and unreleased tracks from the original recording sessions including on disc 6 the entire, unabridged Richard Burton performance of which only 40% made it's way into the original album.
Finally, disc 7, a DVD, features a brand new 75 minute 'Making Of' documentary of this innovative album, which includes rare video footage and also a sneak peak into Jeff Wayne's upcoming animated CGI version of this harrowing tale.
And who could forget those beautiful yet disturbing paintings from the original album? A 12x12 80 page bound booklet will also be included containing the original images and biographies and other additional information on the history of the classic novel and album. All of this compiled in beautiful and imposing packaging; The Collector's deluxe package is something to treasure and display for future generations of fans to discover and fall in love with.
In addition to the Collector's Edition, the original double album will also be re-issued on double hybrid SA-CD in June with the new stereo and 5.1 surround sound remastered audio from the Collector's Edition and expanded album artwork.
Stuart Rubin, Senior Vice President of the International Catalogue Marketing Group at SonyBMG, shares his experiences.
"To hear Jeff Wayne recently presenting the updated version and outlining his expanded vision made me very proud to be reconnected personally with this amazing project."
Jeff Wayne, commenting on remixing the album in 5.1 surround sound added:
"Mixing my musical version of The War of The Worlds in the new SA-CD format was something else entirely, and has proven to be one of the true highlights of my career as a composer, arranger, conductor and producer.
The end result, in my opinion, is nothing short of spectacular. The listener IS in the recording with a Martian invasion in Victorian England happening all around you. The power and the glory of SA-CD as a music delivery platform is no doubt here to stay, and deservedly so."
'Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of the War of the Worlds' is released in double album version as well as the Collector's edition from Sony BMG on 13th June 2005.
COLLECTOR'S EDITION
Catalogue Number: CECD96000
- 7 Disc Collector's Edition Box set - The definitive version of The War Of The World's
- 2 Hybrid SA-CD - The original double album remixed in stereo and multi-channel 5.1 surround sound from the original 48 track master tapes by Jeff Wayne.
- 4 CDs of remixes, rarities, never before heard material, outtakes, foreign language versions and more including 37 minutes of never before heard Richard Burton narrative.
- DVD documentary 'The Making Of The War Of The Worlds' and 'deconstructing'' the album feature.
- Packaged in deluxe 12x12 hardback presentation book with 76 page full colour perfect bound book featuring the history of this phenomenal musical version, HG Wells' history and biog, details on rarities and TWOTW merchandise and much more...
REMASTERED DOUBLE ALBUM
Cat Number: DPCD96000
- Original double album re-packaged into deluxe 6 panel digi-pak.
- 2 disc hybrid SA-CD featuring new mixed stereo and multi-channel audio from the Collector's Edition.
- Expanded 48 page full colour booklet with new artwork, sleeve notes and content
For further information contact:
Maria Barham/ Briana Dougherty @ LD Communications
T: 0207 439 7222 E:
Maria.Barham@ldpublicity.com /
Briana.Dougherty@ldpublicity.com
FURTHER NOTES ON JEFF WAYNE'S 'MUSICAL VERSION OF THE WAR OF THE WORLDS'
Combining the stylized tradition of old radio dramas with the sophistication of modern studio composition, 'Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of War of the Worlds' was a completely innovative work when it was first heard. Reared in the New York musical community, Wayne fashioned his talent and experience in record composition and production in the late 60s and early 70s. He produced the David Essex album 'Rock On', which reached number one in the UK as well as Grammy nomination in the US.
His reputation as a unique talent with precise musical sensibilities earned him the loyalty of the rock community and its most technically skilled players, including Chris Spedding, Herbie Flowers, RAY COOPER, BARRY MORGAN AND Jo Partridge. As a result, when Wayne announced his plans to reinvent H.G Well's TWOTW as a musical drama, it was an easy task to recruit the cream of the acting and music talent at the time. The Moody Blue's Justin Hayward, Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott, David Essex, Julie Covington as well as Chris Thompson from Manfred Mann's Earth Band all contributed their immense vocal abilities to the work. As the role of The Journalist, one of Britain's greatest acting talents was fortunately enlisted for the role. With his distinctively rich tones, Richard Burton brings the story to life with his gripping and very enticing delivery. The result is a gloriously lurid, multi-facetted composition, which unites progressive rock, classical, narrative, and innovative electronic technology to bring this frightening story to life.
The rest is music history. It went on to sell tens of millions worldwide, eventually being dubbed the best-selling UK 'Soundtrack' in 15 years. International hits like 'The Eve of War' and 'Forever Autumn' are instantly recognizable with the latter, sung by Justin Haywood, getting major airplay and becoming a club favorite on both sides of the pond. Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds' won various awards including two Ivor Novellos for songwriting as well as the 1980 USA Best Recording in Science Fiction and Fantasy, judged by none other than Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock and George Lucas. Various foreign language versions have topped the charts throughout the world and generated even more interest in TWOTW.
Jeff Wayne, recently commenting on his experience remixing his entire musical version of The War of The Worlds in stereo and a brand new mix for the SA-CD 5.1 format:
'Having returned to my old Martian friend after almost 27 years, where the original multi track tapes (77 in all) required for reasons of protecting them - first to be baked, then transferred onto hard discs, and finally into the digital domain, before any creative work could start.
Once achieved, the original recordings were rebuilt - sound by sound, track by track and put into synchronization as a digital equivalent to the original analogue 48-track production from the mid-1970's. This part spanned just over three months alone and proved to be an achievement in itself, something a number of top London studios thought was impossible.
The next phase was to select and edit CD 3, The Remixes 1979-2005 a collection of remixes that have either been hits through the years, or just simply musically rewarding to listen to, all influenced by the 'groove of the day'.
Then 3 separate CDs worth of rarities and out-takes were assembled, taken either from the digital material sourced from the 77 multi track tapes, or from the 345 stereo tapes of rough mixes that had been saved and archived from every original session.
Next we chose to remix the stereo version. There is no doubt that remixing TWOTW in stereo proved a very rewarding experience. The extra punch and clarity due to the improved band widths and technology generally, gave a qualitative difference to the previous stereo version of TWOTW.
But, mixing my musical version of The War of The Worlds in the new SA-CD format was something else entirely, and has proven to be one of the true highlights of my career as a composer, arranger, conductor and producer.
The end result, in my opinion, is nothing short of spectacular, the listener IS in the recording with a Martian invasion in Victorian England happening all around you. The power and the glory of SA-CD as a music delivery platform is no doubt here to stay, and deservedly so'.
FURTHER NOTES ON SUPER AUDIO CD (SA-CD)
What is Super Audio CD
A Super Audio CD (SA-CD) looks and operates just like a normal CD. Put the disc into any player with SA-CD functionality, select the track number on the player or remote control and press play. But that is where the similarity ends. Super Audio CD opens up an entirely new and unique listening experience, as if you have been transported into the middle of the musical performance, in the recording studio or concert hall.
This huge advance in listening capabilities is enabled by new and radically different recording techniques used for Super Audio CD.
What is the technology behind SA-CD?
The sound of SACD comes directly from Direct Stream Digital (DSD) recording technology. DSD's simplified mechanism for recording and playback results in a frequency response of over 100kHz and a dynamic range over 120dB across the audible frequency range. DSD increases the resolution of music by more closely following the original wave form of the music, which results in music reproduction that is remarkably pure and faithful to the original. For additional information concerning the technology behind SACD, visit Sony Electronics SACD.
What are the benefits of SA-CD?
In addition to exceptional sound quality through the DSD system, the SA-CD format can accommodate more than four times the information of the current CD format. With this extra capacity, a standard Super Audio CD will provide space for 2-channel stereo data, as well as an area for up to 6-track multi-channel data, storage capacity for text and images, disc variations, copyright protection and much more.
What is SA-CD Multi-channel?
SA-CD multi-channel sound can contain as many as six separate channels, each captured on disc at the full DSD bit rate with the full DSD sound quality. Some producers will use the added channels to faithfully reproduce the precise acoustic signature of the performance space. Others will realize new creative possibilities, immersing the listener in a 360 degree field of sound. Multi-channel SA-CD takes its place beside stereo SA-CD as another compelling way to enjoy music.
What is a Hybrid Super Audio CD (Hybrid SACD)?
A Hybrid SA-CD contains two separate layers. One layer carries the normal CD information and the other layer contains the high density SA-CD information - a multichannel mix and/or stereo mix.
Can I play a Hybrid Super Audio CD on my current CD player?
Yes. A Hybrid SA-CD can be played on any CD compatible player. However, if played on a standard CD player, only the CD layer will play. The SA-CD layer can only be played on a SACD player.
Super Audio CD Market Update
- Sony is expanding the range of SACD players in the new line up introduced as per spring this year.
- Lower end, mid price and hi-end home cinema systems include SACD. Component systems (hifi as as well as DVD-V combi) are continued to be released in new models as well. We have confirmation that 2005, 2006
- Sony home entertainment products will continue to have SACD.
- Other manufacturers: in Europe mainstream market by Philips (home cinema and DVD-V combi) and Pioneer. Besides that, almost all hi-end manufacturers such as Linn have SACD. - Total number of manufacturers active world wide is over 20.
- Population of SACD players around the world today well over 10 million and growing.
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