Sweeney Todd track/music links

[amanuensis1]

Here's a couple of links I was delighted to find:

The track listings for the complete album of the Sweeney Todd soundtrack.

Without spoiling it for those who don't want to click, I read that list and I'm relieved, yeah. And here's something else:

Helena Bonham Carter singing "Wait"

Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter singing "My Friends"

(The links are streaming audio of the full songs, not just clips as they are on the Amazon site.) And again, I'm relieved. Carter's no stage belter, and she hardly displays any vibrato, but you hear the intimacy in her performance and her tone is true--I won't prefer her recordings to Angela Lansbury's any time soon, but I think it'll work for the film, I really do. Depp, on the other hand, sounds marvelous. His vocal phrases in "My Friends" gave me shivers, and he's got a gorgeous subtle tremolo that he pulls out at just the right moments. I am so looking forward to this!

Sweeney Todd's been my favorite musical since I was a teen. I tell everyone I only designate musicals as favorites if there's at least two deaths plus an onstage rape, which means the only other musical on my list is Man of La Mancha.

Comments

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Oh, dear, oh, dear, my problem is I hated the concept recording of Jekyll and Hyde. 90% of it was whitebread pop love song--I think there might have been one or two bits of songs in a minor key and that was ALL; I was so disappointed in it.

Ooooh, what version of Dracula is THAT, then? I'm already in love with the Stratford Festival of Canada's 1999 production of Dracula: A Chamber Musical, because Juan Chioran was the sexiest thing imaginable in that. Eroticism from beginning to end in that one!

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

It depends which concept recording you got ;) There was an Australian one which was lovely, and a mainstream US one, plus a gazillion other versions, but the latest incarnation is absolutely horrific (featuring rock guitar riffs on everything and then some)

The originally titled "Dracula: The Musical". Alas, the show is pretty much rubbish (another of Wildhorn's productions) and I think it flopped so hard on Broadway the cast recording was never... er... 'officially' released, but I have a DVD of the German cast with some very pretty men, and got my grubby paws on the somehow accidentally leaked English recording. Really, Wildhorn does occasional good single songs, but the rest I can take or leave, because he is inclined to sap.

The Jekyll/Hyde parts that I love (aka the bits I remember best) are the Hyde numbers like "World has Gone Insane" and the "Bring on the Men" which was deleted from the song list. Like "Lovely Ladies" in Les Mis, but even more lewd puns :D

[ginger]

(here from metaquotes, must share in the J/H love)

Most memorable song performance I ever saw was Bob...Cuccioli, I think? singing "Confrontation" in duet with himself. Knocked me right over. The version I saw on stage actually had "Bring On The Men" as well :)

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to remember if those numbers were in the original concept album. It's been so long!

[ginger]

*shifty eyes* I totally don't know anyone with MP3s of them and a Gmail account with a large sending capacity. Cough. Cough.

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

*cough* I don't know anyone whose email address is amanuensis1 AT earthlink DOT net. *cough*

[drgaellon]

They are. "Bring On The Men" (one of the few moments of musical levity in the show) was cut after it opened on Broadway. A serious error in judgment, IMO. I'll never forget the night one of the boys at the piano bar sang his version of "Bring On The Men" - without changing the pronouns, of course; it was a gay bar, after all.

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I'm desperate to see it live. I missed it last time it lurked around Edinburgh which sucks :S (Although I do have a video of the dress rehearsal of the official DVD (ie. the one with Rob Evans instead of The Hoff), which is shiny :))

[gruyere.livejournal.com]

The lack of release on the Dracula CD may also have some connection to James Barbour's recent legal problems.

[drgaellon]

Was that the

Dracula

version that starred Tom Hewitt of

Rocky Horror Show

revival fame?

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid I'm not sure of names on Broadway. I'm more familiar with the European versions.

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Aha! Found a clip of Dracula. Oh the whole, the show sucks, but the actor playing Jonathan is just so good at being mauled (he's also been mauled in Elisabeth) and the guy who plays Dracula plays him like a rock star :D

(Oh, also, the chaps who wrote Elisabeth did a musical version of Hitchcock's version of Rebecca and there's an English demo :) Mrs Danvers is fantastic and the score is amazing. They're writing the style Wildhorn wishes he could write)

The icon is also from the Elisabeth. yay for boy kissing :D

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Okay, it is VERY WARM IN HERE. Omigod, such lovely molestation in all those clips!

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

That particular Dracula has since gone on to play Valjean on Broadway :D And apparently, understudied Lestat in Elton John's musical of awfulness ;)

[gruyere.livejournal.com]

How much of Rebecca exists in English, aside from the Gloria Gaynor single? I frickin' love the score and have been very slowly attempting my own translation, given that Kunze, as brilliant as he is at translating, is a terrible, terrible lyricist when he writes in English.

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, it's the full highlights with Uwe Kroeger as Maxim, Pia Douwes as Mrs Danvers and I can't remember who they have playing Ich. Maile Boerdam possibly, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

[gruyere.livejournal.com]

I did not know about this. Awesome.

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I think there are 20 tracks on it, possibly. Either way, it's got Mrs Dancers' big numbers and Pia frigging rocks :D

[gruyere.livejournal.com]

I am want like proverbial whoa.

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

I can see about getting it uploaded *looks shifty* After all, it was never officially released...

[gruyere.livejournal.com]

Perhaps this conversation should continue elsewhere...

[fyrie.livejournal.com]

Sent you a message :)