The first OCR to be released on CD
The first OCR to be released on CD
#0The first OCR to be released on CD
Posted: 5/3/06 at 1:31pm
I have been doing some research and it appears that RCA's cast album of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES was the first Broadway cast album to be released on CD. (Issued November 15, 1983.)
RCA followed this with a single CD of 70 minutes worth of highlights from SWEENEY TODD (Issued June 30, 1984)and the cast recording of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE (Issued October 1, 1984.) [This means that if you wanted to buy somoneone an OCR on Cd for Christmas 1984 you had 3 choices!]
Does anyone know of any cast recordings that were issued on CD prior to November 1983?
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
philcrosby
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/04
#1re: The first OCR to be released on CD
Posted: 5/4/06 at 8:59am
And I bought all three of them!!
I also seem to remember that the OC of OLIVER! and CHARLIE BROWN came out very early.
But I think you are right on LA CAGE, SWEENEY and SUNDAY.
Demetri
Swing Joined: 5/4/06
#2re: The first OCR to be released on CD
Posted: 5/4/06 at 11:23amThe first time I ever saw the CD format was at Aron's Records in West Hollywood in the early eighties. There was this really small display case with five rows of CDs. Most of them were classical but there were a handful of original cast recordings. I recall "The Fantasticks", the "Oklahomna" revival on RCA, "On Your Toes" revival on Polydor and "The King and I" revival on RCA.
#3re: The first OCR to be released on CD
Posted: 5/4/06 at 12:09pm
CHARLIE BROWN was later, around 1987/88 whe Larry Lash was at Polydor and began re-releasing the M-g-M records cast albums they had inherited. (SHE LOVES ME and CARNIVAL and GREASE were all issued on CD then. And of course, he followed up with our beloved WHOOP UP. Then Polydor got rid of him.)
OLIVER! was briefly issued on CD in 1984 (as PCD1 2004) but there were sound quality issues and it was pulled and then re-released in RCA Victor's Showcase series in 1988.
Another early release was 42ND STREET. The catalogue I have lists its release date as May 21, 1984, making it the 2nd CD OCR release. (This one could really use a re-mastering: Even then the general consensus was that the CD transfer did not sound all that great.)
It does seem that LA CAGE was the very first CD cast album.
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
#4re: The first OCR to be released on CD
Posted: 5/4/06 at 12:11pmI have a Show Music from around 1987 and I think you're correct about La Cage. I seem to remember they mentioned that. I'll look it up, though. :)
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