Cast albums that were recorded but never released

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 12:46pm

With the chance that the just-recorded LESTAT will not be released, I got to thinking about other cast recordings that have never seen the light of day.

BONANZA BOUND - recorded by RCA Victor while playing a pre-Broadway tour in 1947. The show folded on the road and RCA never released the records. Many years later, Box Office Records (a bootleg label) issued the sides on Lp.

BITTER SWEET - as part of a series of studio cast recordings onf previously un-recorded scores in the early 1950s, Goddard Lieberson at Columbia Records produced an album of this Noel Coward score. Coward was reportedly unhappy with the result and the album has never been released.

ROSE MARIE - In the early 1980s Smithsonian issued a complete recording of Victor Herbert's NAUGHTY MARIETTA using the original score and orchestrations. As a follow-up they recorded anotrher old operetta, Friml's ROSE MARIE. The recording was completed before a chnage in management resulted in cancellation of the whole project and the album was never issued.

CAPEMAN - Paul Simon was unhappy when the Broadway community did not recieve his show enthusiastically, and has refused to allow teh cast album to be released. Copies were sent to Tony voters (many of whom promptly sold them on E-bay for great profit.)

ROMANCIN' THE ONE I LOVE - this musical comedy based on TAMING OF THE SHREW (updated to the late 1930s) has had a few regional stagings (including Toronto in 2000.) A studio cat album was made by the authors and is sometimes sold at performances, but has never been commercially issued. (The show is now offered under the title CRAZY LOVE.)

Anyone know of others?

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 12:48pm

THE HUMAN COMEDY

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 12:51pm

THE HUMAN COMEDY was issued by Original cast records as a 2 CD set (available for $24.95)....

http://originalcastrecords.com/shows.htm

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 12:53pm

The Human Comedy was released, and is available on CD from Original Cast Records.

Ain't Broadway Grand was recorded and sold in the theatre, but never actually released. (According to Debbie Gravitte, it was an illegal recording that the cast was not paid for or something like that).

It is also rumored that the original Broadway cast of Shelter made a recording which is in the can somewhere. (There is a recording of Shelter, but it's not the OBC).

Updated On: 5/25/06 at 12:53 PM

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 12:57pm

True, but I'm pretty sure THE HUMAN COMEDY sat on the shelf for years after it was recorded. I don't remember it every being released on LP which was certainly the format it would have appeared on originally...

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 12:57pm

Was AIN'T BROADWAY GRAND sold at the theatre on CD? I have a cassette of it, and a catalogue number for a proposed release on the now defunct Bay Cities label (BCD 3037) but was told that since the cast was never paid for the sessions the recording could not be released. Still it is another one to add the the list. Thanks!

[riv]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 12:59pm

Was Gene Kelly's Clownaround ever officially released?

[sanda]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:00pm

I am still disappointted that there isn't a recording of "James Joyce's the Dead". Come on, I love the music so much.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:00pm

I'm not sure that that's true about Capeman. I bought my CD shrink-wrapped in a record store.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:01pm

If HUMAN COMEDY was ever on Lp it was a private release. I have never seen an Lp edition, just the CD set.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:03pm

There is a Paul Simon CD "Songs from the CAPEMAN" but that's not tha cast album.

It's possible you got one of the pressings done for Tony voters but those would not have been sealed. (Does the CD have a label/catalogue number?)

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:04pm

I also seem to remember that the NYTW production of BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY was recorded and never released. Can anyone confirm?

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:07pm

Regarding Cryer and Ford's SHELTER, castalbums.org has it listed under Sony/BMG as "recorded but never released" in the "Not on CD" section. There used to be a paragraph explaining it, but I can't find it on the site anymore.
Updated On: 5/25/06 at 01:07 PM

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:07pm

There are actually 2 Capeman cds that were released. One is a concept recording the other is Paul Simon singing songs from the Capeman. Neither are full recordings.

[BrianWilsonFan]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:11pm

Seriously? There's doubt the Lestat recording will get released?
Is this from an official source?

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:12pm

CLOWNAROUND (RCA Victor LSP 4741)was pressed and sold at venues where the show played, but when the show closed on the road the remaining Lp's were destroyed. So it commands a very high price when a copy surfaces. ($200 or more.) This is one that I have never encountered in all my yeasr of collecting. I am curius...but not $200 worth!

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:14pm

I HEART you Sanda!


I feel the same way...JJ's The Dead had some beautiful music and I'm sick that it isn't recorded.

My friend and I break out into "Naughty Girls" on many an occassion!

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:19pm

Didn't a recording of a west coast production of THE DEAD just come out recently? I think there was a catch though that you had to make a minimum donation to the theatre company that produced it it get the CD. Anynone have more concrete info on this?

Updated On: 5/25/06 at 01:19 PM

[sanda]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:22pm

Yeah, a minimum donation, for $100 and you get a recording with some unknown cast for only several songs. That is a bargain.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:24pm

Thanks, Sandra! Do you have a weblink where we can see about ordering it?

[sanda]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 1:26pm

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?boardname=bway&thread=880013#1701004

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 2:20pm

Ya know I'm still waiting for the FULL recording of Anyone Can Whistle that was recorded and never released. Was that Jay Records who recorded that? IF so I understand the delay, but I don't think it'll ever resurface.

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 2:38pm

FrontRow, I have a version of ROMANCIN' THE ONE I LOVE but it's titled SHREW: THE HOLIDAY MUSICAL!

Either way, I love it. I also, love John R. Briggs' other musicals. Dracula: the rock opera, and Illyria (a musical version of Twelfth night)

If anyone is interested... you can buy ROMANCIN' several places, in fact Footlight has it.

Here's the link

[gcal]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 3:12pm

the broadway production of FALSETTOS was recorded, but never released.

[WChafin]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 3:26pm

Actually, the Broadway Cast of FALSETTOS never went into the studio to record a CD.

LA Theare Works recorded a live version with the 3 male leads in 2003, which has remained unreleased and only available on their web radio.