War of the Worlds
Full Album
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds is a double concept album composed and produced by Jeff Wayne, released on 9 June 1978 by CBS Records. Based on H. G. Wells's 1898 science-fiction novel The War of the Worlds, it tells the story of a Martian invasion of Victorian England through a mixture of progressive rock, orchestral music, electronic sounds and dramatic spoken narration. Running for around 95 minutes across two discs, it became one of Britain's most successful and enduring concept albums, with worldwide sales commonly reported at more than 15 million copies.
The album's success extended far beyond the original recording. Over the following decades it inspired new editions, re-recordings, video games, concert films, arena tours, a West End stage production and an immersive experience. What began as an ambitious musical adaptation became a lasting part of British popular culture.
Jeff Wayne was born in New York and spent part of his childhood in California. He initially considered studying journalism before turning to music, taking up jazz piano at the Juilliard School. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1966, where he became involved in the London music scene. His father, actor and producer Jerry Wayne, had staged the West End musical Two Cities, an adaptation of Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities, for which Jeff composed the score. The production starred Edward Woodward, who won the Evening Standard Award for Best Male Performance in a Musical.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Wayne worked as a composer, arranger and producer. He wrote advertising jingles for British television, including campaigns for Gordon's Gin, Abbey National and British Airways, and composed themes for television programmes such as ITV's World of Sport. He also became involved in record production, most notably producing David Essex's breakthrough album Rock On and working with him on subsequent recordings and the film Stardust. Wayne also composed the score for the 1977 thriller Golden Rendezvous, starring Richard Harris.
By the middle of the decade, Wayne was looking for a larger project that would allow him to concentrate on composition. His father suggested H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds, lending him a copy of the novel. The idea took hold, setting Wayne on the path towards one of the most ambitious musical projects of the 1970s.
Wayne secured the musical adaptation rights from the H. G. Wells estate in 1975. The project then took around three years to develop. Wayne and his wife, Doreen, wrote the spoken dialogue and script, drawing on the original novel to keep the album's narrative close to Wells's story. Most of the song lyrics were written by Gary Osborne, with Paul Vigrass making an early contribution to the melody that would eventually become "Forever Autumn".
The production was ambitious for its time, and the original budget of around £35,000 grew considerably as the project developed. Wayne wanted to create something more than a collection of songs: a continuous musical drama in which narration, characters, orchestration and rock music would work together to tell the story.
Recording began in May 1976 and continued into the summer of 1977, primarily at Advision Studios in London. The string arrangements were recorded at Abbey Road Studios, while Richard Burton's narration was recorded separately at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco.
The finished album was assembled using an ambitious 48-track recording process, combining rock musicians, a specially formed string orchestra, synthesizers and spoken narration. Keyboard player and synthesizer specialist Ken Freeman played an important part in creating the album's distinctive electronic sounds, alongside the musicians who became known as the Black Smoke Band.
The completed album was presented to press and industry guests at the London Planetarium on 1 June 1978, an appropriate setting for a story about an invasion from Mars. It went on general release on 9 June 1978.
The album is divided into two books, following the structure of Wells's original novel:
A prologue introduces the story through the Journalist's narration, describing how humanity has remained unaware of the possibility of life on Mars. Throughout the album, recurring musical themes are associated with particular characters and events, helping to connect the songs and narration into one continuous drama. Wayne's approach gives the work something of the scale and atmosphere of a film score, while retaining the sound of a rock album.
The album's songs and spoken passages follow the events of the novel, taking the listener through the invasion and its aftermath.
The Journalist sets the scene, describing how astronomers have observed strange flashes on Mars, while the wider public pays little attention. The track introduces the album's main musical theme and the ominous "Ulla" sound associated with the Martians.
A Martian cylinder lands near the Journalist's home. Curious crowds gather around it, but when the cylinder opens, the visitors reveal their intentions by unleashing the deadly Heat-Ray.
The Journalist meets a soldier known as the Artilleryman and witnesses the terrifying Martian fighting machines as they advance across the countryside, overwhelming the British forces.
As the invasion spreads, the Journalist is separated from his fiancée, Carrie, whom he has sent to safety in America. Sung by Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues, "Forever Autumn" became the album's signature ballad and biggest hit single.
Refugees attempt to escape by sea as the Martian machines approach the coast. The Royal Navy ironclad HMS Thunder Child attacks the invaders and destroys several fighting machines, sacrificing itself to give the evacuation ships a chance to escape.
As the invasion continues, strange red vegetation spreads across the countryside. The Journalist wanders through a devastated England, encountering the physical and emotional destruction left by the Martians.
The Journalist takes shelter with Parson Nathaniel and his wife Beth. Nathaniel sees the invasion as an apocalyptic punishment, while Beth tries to persuade him to face reality. Their increasingly desperate disagreement ends in violence.
The Journalist meets the Artilleryman again, now living among the ruins. The soldier describes his grand plan to establish an underground human civilisation and eventually reclaim the surface, but the Journalist recognises how unrealistic the scheme has become.
The Journalist leaves the Artilleryman and continues towards London, reflecting on the destruction around him and wondering what kind of world might emerge if humanity survives.
The Journalist reaches an eerily silent London. He discovers that the Martians have begun to die, overcome by Earth's bacteria, to which they have no natural immunity. The invasion has ended, but not through any victory achieved by humanity.
The story closes with the Journalist reunited with Carrie. The album returns to its opening musical themes, leaving the listener with a reflection on humanity's narrow escape and uncertain future.
Most of the album was composed by Wayne, with lyrics by Gary Osborne. "Forever Autumn" has a shared writing credit with Paul Vigrass, based on a melody the two had worked on before it was adapted for the album.
The original recording brought together an unusual cast of actors and musicians from theatre, rock and pop:
The musicians behind the cast included bassist Herbie Flowers, guitarist Chris Spedding and keyboard player Ken Freeman. They became known as the Black Smoke Band, while the specially assembled string orchestra was named the ULLAdubULLA Strings, after the Martians' distinctive cry.
Wayne originally approached Roger Daltrey of The Who to play Parson Nathaniel, but Daltrey declined the role. It eventually went to Phil Lynott, whose performance became one of the album's most memorable contributions.
The album received strong reviews on release, with critics praising its scale, musicianship and unusual approach to storytelling. Its commercial success was equally impressive. It remained on the UK album chart for around six years, sold more than 2.5 million copies in the UK and achieved worldwide sales commonly estimated at around 15 million.
"Forever Autumn" was released as a single on 2 June 1978, shortly before the album, and reached the UK Top Five. Other singles followed, including "The Eve of the War", "Brave New World" and "Thunder Child". In 1989, a remix of "The Eve of the War" by Ben Liebrand returned the music to the charts, reaching number three in the UK.
The album also received industry recognition, including two Ivor Novello Awards. In 1979 it received an award for Best Recording in Science Fiction and Fantasy from a judging panel that included Alfred Hitchcock, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.
| Milestone | Detail |
|---|---|
| UK album chart run | Approximately six years following release |
| UK sales | More than 2.5 million copies |
| Worldwide sales | Commonly cited at approximately 15 million copies |
| "Forever Autumn" | UK Top Five, 1978 |
| "The Eve of the War" remix | No. 3, UK Singles Chart, 1989 |
| Awards | Two Ivor Novello Awards; 1979 science fiction and fantasy recording award |
A shortened radio edit of the album was originally prepared for promotional use by radio stations. It featured specially edited introductions and endings, making the songs easier to broadcast without the full spoken passages. The edit proved popular enough to receive a commercial release in 1981 as Highlights from Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds.
The single-disc compilation reordered and shortened sections of the original album, putting the songs more prominently to the fore, although some of the story's continuity was inevitably lost. It has since appeared in several reissues, some with additional remixes, including Ben Liebrand's 1989 version of "The Eve of the War".
The album's success led to several foreign-language versions:
In 2012, Wayne released a substantially re-recorded version of the album titled Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds – The New Generation. The new recording featured a different cast, including Liam Neeson as the Journalist. Released by Sony Music in November 2012, it reached number 13 on the UK album chart.
The New Generation was accompanied by a new arena tour, bringing the story to the stage with updated visuals and performers. The production also provided the basis for a later stage adaptation.
Wayne had considered bringing the album to the stage as early as 1978, but a full touring production did not arrive until 2006. Since then, the work has been presented in several different live formats, from large arena spectacles to more traditional theatre productions.
Musicians Herbie Flowers and Chris Spedding, both involved in the original 1978 recording, returned as members of the Black Smoke Band for several later productions, providing a direct link between the original album and its live performances.
The album has been remastered and repackaged several times over the years, reflecting changes in audio technology and the continuing interest of its audience. Releases have included a 25th-anniversary edition remixed into 5.1 surround sound, Super Bit Mapping remasters, hybrid SACD collector's editions with expanded booklets and new artwork, and a substantial deluxe box set featuring archival material, a hardback book and Blu-ray discs.
More than four decades after its release, Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds remains a familiar part of British popular culture. Its most recognisable musical passages, including "The Eve of the War" and "Forever Autumn", have continued to find audiences well beyond the original album's fan base. The distinctive "Ulla" motif and the imagery of the Martian fighting machines have become closely associated with Wayne's interpretation of Wells's story.
The music has also found a life beyond the original recording. Tracks have been sampled, remixed and reworked by artists from electronic music and drum and bass, including interpretations of "Thunder Child" by Logistics and other artists such as On Remand and Pendulum.
Its continued revival through re-recordings, live tours, a West End production, video games and immersive attractions is unusual for a concept album released in the late 1970s. Jeff Wayne's ambitious adaptation has become much more than a musical retelling of H. G. Wells's novel: it is a work that has continued to evolve, introducing new generations to one of science fiction's most famous stories.
ARTICLE CATEGORY
Music
