Cats: Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording
A cast recording by the original Broadway cast of the musical Cats was released on January 26, 1983, by Geffen Records. The recording won Best Cast Show Album at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards.
| Cats | |
|---|---|
| Cast recording by the original Broadway cast | |
| Released | January 26, 1983 |
| Recorded | October 1982 |
| Genre | Show tunes |
| Length | 1:41:07[1] |
| Label | Geffen Records[2] |
| Producer | Andrew Lloyd Webber |
Development and release Edit
The original Broadway cast of Cats, including the understudies, recorded the album in October 1982. Andrew Lloyd Webber flew in from London to oversee the recording, which was estimated to cost as much as $400,000.[3]
The recording was released on January 26, 1983,[4] in two versions: a two-record/disc/cassette complete set, and a one-record/disc/cassette highlights version.[5][6]
Track listing Edit
All tracks written by T. S. Eliot and Andrew Lloyd Webber, with any additional writers noted.[1]
The third track on disc two is incorrectly listed as containing "The Ballad of Billy McCaw," a duet based on an unpublished poem by Eliot that was used in the original London production. It actually contains a parody of Italian opera titled "In Una Tepida Notte," which replaced "Ballad" in the original Broadway run and was incorporated into all other US and UK productions of Cats until the removal of "Growltiger's Last Stand" in 2016.
"The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles," a song describing a fight between two tribes of dogs, is not included in this recording. It originally appeared between "Old Deuteronomy" and "The Jellicle Ball" in Act One, then was moved to Act Two to replace "Growltiger's Last Stand" after the latter song was cut.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Overture" | 2:52 | |
| 2. | "Prologue: Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats" | 5:17 | |
| 3. | "The Naming of Cats" | 3:02 | |
| 4. | "The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball" | 2:10 | |
| 5. | "The Old Gumbie Cat" | 3:49 | |
| 6. | "The Rum Tum Tugger" | 3:42 | |
| 7. | "Grizabella, The Glamour Cat" | 3:06 | |
| 8. | "Bustopher Jones" | 3:08 | |
| 9. | "Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer" | 4:28 | |
| 10. | "Old Deuteronomy" | 4:03 | |
| 11. | "The Jellicle Ball" | 9:34 | |
| 12. | "Grizabella, The Glamour Cat/Memory" | Nunn | 4:22 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Moments of Happiness" | 3:14 | |
| 2. | "Gus: The Theatre Cat" | 6:32 | |
| 3. | "Growltiger's Last Stand/The Ballad of Billy McCaw" | 11:41 | |
| 4. | "Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat" | 4:52 | |
| 5. | "Macavity: The Mystery Cat" | 8:23 | |
| 6. | "Mr. Mistoffelees" | 4:25 | |
| 7. | "Memory" | Nunn | 5:21 |
| 8. | "The Journey to the Heaviside Layer" | 2:44 | |
| 9. | "The Ad-Dressing of Cats" | 4:22 |
Reception Edit
Critical reception Edit
Matthew Murray gave the recording four out of five stars, praising the orchestration and the cast's performance, particularly Betty Buckley's rendition of "Memory". However, he was wary of "the unconvincing Brit[ish] accents and American vocal mannerisms."[7] The recording also received favorable reviews from the Star Tribune[6] and the Times Colonist.[8]
Commercial performance Edit
The album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on December 5, 1988.[4][2] According to Playbill, it has sold over 2 million copies[9] and is the 16th-best-selling cast recording in the United States of all time.[4]
Accolades Edit
The recording won Best Cast Show Album at the 26th Annual Grammy Awards.[10]
Weekly charts Edit
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [11] | 5 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[12] | 17 |
| US Billboard 200[13] | 131 |
References Edit
- ^ a b c "Cats (Complete Original Broadway Cast Recording)". AllMusic. from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ a b "Cats (Original Cast)". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- ^ Nelsen, Don (24 October 1982). "'Cats' on wax: Will it break any records?". New York Daily News. p. 260 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Culwell-Block, Logan. "The Definitive List of the 42 Best-Selling Cast Recordings of All Time". Playbill. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- ^ "The sound of Cats is unforgettable (ad)". The Boston Globe. 12 May 1983. p. 102 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Anthony, Michael (13 February 1983). "Records: Cat-chy music creeps along". Star Tribune. p. 87 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Murray, Matthew. "Cats: Original Broadway Cast, 1983 (Geffen)". Cast Album Reviews. from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- ^ Hogbin, John (9 April 1983). "Cats". Times Colonist. p. 32 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Nassour, Ellis (17 June 1997). "Cats Trivia Encyclopedia". Playbill. from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
- ^ "Winners: 26th Annual GRAMMY Awards (1983)". The Recording Academy. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
- ^ "austriancharts.at – Suche nach: cats" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ "charts.nz – Search for: cats". New Zealand charts portal. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
- ^ "Original Broadway Cast Recording: Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.