Man of LaMancha Recording 1960's

[VanLeighton]

Posted: 12/17/11 at 11:44am

A family friend saw Broadway production of The Man of La Mancha (Richar Kiley) in 1969 or 70. While there, he bought a 2-record set of the entire play, including all dialogue. Does anyone out there have that recording that they would be willing to convert to digital?
Thanks!

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 12/17/11 at 11:48am

If you find out, let me know as well — that thing had great sound.

[Jon]

Posted: 12/17/11 at 2:18pm

The 2-record set with MOST of the dialogue is the London Cast recording with Keith Michell and Joan Diener.

It eliminates a couple of sequences, including the entire scene with the Moorish dancers stealing the armor and horses.

[VanLeighton]

Posted: 12/17/11 at 11:51pm

The 2-record set was sold at the theater, and was the Richard Kiley performance. It was not the London performance.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 12/18/11 at 12:39am

Act fast:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Man-Mancha-Complete-Musical-Keith-Mitchell-Joan-Diener-DXSA-7203-/140641685060?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item20bee5ce44#ht_1233wt_778

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 12/18/11 at 12:42am

Or here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MAN-MANCHA-Original-London-Cast-VG-lamancha-Keith-Michell-Joan-Diener-/120821648401?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item1c21880c11#ht_561wt_778

[VanLeighton]

Posted: 12/18/11 at 12:51am

Unfortunately, this isn't the version I'm referring to. Richard Kiley was in the version I'm referring to. I have a digital conversion of a much-degraded reel-to-reel copy of the original vinyl (the reel-to-reel copy is just over 40 years old now). I listened to the Original Cast Recording that's easy to find, but it's not the same, and doesn't include all the dialogue. My version is the complete play, including all dialogue.

[jayinchelsea]

Posted: 12/18/11 at 12:52am

Sorry VanLLeighton, the only two-record set in English is the London set with Keith Michell. They never made a full recording with Richard Kiley, just the one-disc song score. Perhaps there was a more complete recording with Jacques Brel. In any event, they all feature Joan Diener as Aldonza.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 12/18/11 at 1:19am

Jayinchelsea is correct. The only two record set available in that time frame was the London cast. It was the only mostly complete recording until the bbc recorded the show with the covent garden cast.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 12/18/11 at 8:03am

The London cast, as released in the UK, was a boxed set of two LPs with a large picture book included, rather than a cardboard-open-book-two-LP style release.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 12/18/11 at 9:06am

The Spanish recording, which is also complete, is fascinating because it's not so much a translation as a very political adaptation. No idea how they managed to get that one run past the licensers.

[VanLeighton]

Posted: 12/18/11 at 10:09am

I'd be glad to send the first 2/3 of the play to a few of you via YouSendIt (it's a 144Meg file in mp3 format). I would like to hear from you if Richard Kiley is playing the lead..... please don't ask for a copy if you're not very familiar with his voice.

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 12/18/11 at 11:02am

What about the packaging on your friend's recording? Surely there was some sort of packaging and it indicated who the performers were?

That said, yes, there is only one two-disc commercial recording of Man of La Mancha and that's with Keith Michell. I have a copy and have loved it for many, many years.

Richard Kiley and Keith Michell have very distinctive, but very different voices. Michell's voice ranges higher than Kiley's and has a more tenor-like sound, whereas Kiley's is deeper, it's more pure baritone. I am quite familiar with both voices and I can probably tell you who is singing in about ten seconds (as long as they're the right ten seconds. )

[VanLeighton]

Posted: 12/18/11 at 11:24am

If you'll send an email to [e-mail], I can send you the mp3 file (first 2/3 of the play) for your review.

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 12/18/11 at 9:31pm

I got the file from Van, and to satisfy everyone's curiosity, it is, indeed, the London recording with Keith Michell.

I wish I had a working turntable, then I could rip my copy to the computer. But it sort of died a few years ago and I don't have enough LPs left that I play with any regularity to make it worth replacing.

Anybody know what I could get for a semi-working Dual 1245 turntable?

[Scripps2]

Posted: 12/19/11 at 2:58am

"I got the file from Van, and to satisfy everyone's curiosity, it is, indeed, the London recording with Keith Michell."

Then Van's posts, such as

"The 2-record set was sold at the theater, and was the Richard Kiley performance. It was not the London performance."

"Richard Kiley was in the version I'm referring to."

and

"I would like to hear from you if Richard Kiley is playing the lead..... please don't ask for a copy if you're not very familiar with his voice."

represent an unimpressive level of ignorance and self-righteousness.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 12/19/11 at 2:37pm

Possibly adding to your friend's confusion, Keith Michell played the show on Broadway from Dec 22, 1969 until he was succeeded by Somegoro Ichikawa on March 2, 1970. (Kiley was replaced by Jose Ferrer on May 28, 1966. Kiley did star in a Broadway remount in 1977.)

If your friend saw the show in late 1969 or early 1970 they likely saw Keith Michell and possibly bought the 2 LP London cast set at the theatre because it featured the leading man he had seen.

Despite all the abridgements, I like the London cast album for its vivid theatricality. Also on the Broadway album some lyrics were toned down (notably the last lines of "Aldonza.")