~
vinyl LP gatefold cover interior
artwork by John Napier
photo of album cover interior by Styrous®
On October 6, 1982, The musical Cats opened at the Wintergarden Theatre located at 1634 Broadway between 50th and 51st streets in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
In 1997 the show became the longest running show in Broadway history and as of 2019, it remains the fourth-longest-running Broadway show and the sixth-longest-running West End show.
The London production ran for 21 years and 8,949 performances, while the
Broadway production ran for 18 years and 7,485 performances, making Cats
the longest-running musical in both theatre districts for a number of
years. There are many foreign productions which include a 15-year run at
the Operettenhaus in Hamburg
that played over 6,100 performances, as well as an ongoing run in a
purpose-built theatre in Japan that has played over 10,000 performances
since it opened in 1983.
Cats turned out to be an unprecedented commercial success, with a worldwide gross of US$3.5 billion by 2012.
Cats is a sung-through musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. It tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make the "Jellicle choice" by deciding which cat will ascend to the Heaviside layer and come back to a new life.
One of the cats, Grizabella, “the Glamour Cat” who once led a more glamorous life and now that she is older, she
struggles to be accepted back into the tribe of Jellicle cats. The role is played by Elaine Paige, who sings the show-stopper, Memory, written by Cats director Trevor Nunn and lyricist Richard Stilgoe; one of the most beautiful and bittersweet songs ever written (link below).
Memory
Daylight
See the dew on the flower
And a rose that is fading
Roses whither away
Like the sunflower
I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
I am waiting for the day . . .
Midnight
Not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory?
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan
Memory
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
Every streetlamp
Seems to beat a fatalistic warning
Someone mutters
And the streetlamp gutters
And soon it will be morning
Daylight
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I musn't give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin
Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale cold smell of morning
The streetlamp dies, another night is over
Another day is dawning
Touch me
It's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun
If you touch me
You'll understand what happiness is
Look
A new day has begun
See the dew on the flower
And a rose that is fading
Roses whither away
Like the sunflower
I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
I am waiting for the day . . .
Midnight
Not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory?
She is smiling alone
In the lamplight
The withered leaves collect at my feet
And the wind begins to moan
Memory
All alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
Every streetlamp
Seems to beat a fatalistic warning
Someone mutters
And the streetlamp gutters
And soon it will be morning
Daylight
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I musn't give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin
Burnt out ends of smoky days
The stale cold smell of morning
The streetlamp dies, another night is over
Another day is dawning
Touch me
It's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun
If you touch me
You'll understand what happiness is
Look
A new day has begun
Tracklist:
Side 1:
Side 1:
Act One "When Cats Are Maddened By The Midnight Dance"
A1 - Overture - 2:26
A2 - Prologue: Jellicle Songs For Jellicle Cats, written by [Additional Material] – Richard Stilgoe, Trevor Nunn - 5:41
A3 - The Naming Of Cats - 2:19
A4 - The Invitation To The Jellicle Ball/The Old Gumbie Cat - 5:56
A5 - The Rum Tum Tugger - 3:07
A6 - Grizabella - 3:26
A7 - Bustopher Jones - 3:26
A1 - Overture - 2:26
A2 - Prologue: Jellicle Songs For Jellicle Cats, written by [Additional Material] – Richard Stilgoe, Trevor Nunn - 5:41
A3 - The Naming Of Cats - 2:19
A4 - The Invitation To The Jellicle Ball/The Old Gumbie Cat - 5:56
A5 - The Rum Tum Tugger - 3:07
A6 - Grizabella - 3:26
A7 - Bustopher Jones - 3:26
Side 2:
B1 - Mungojerrie And Rumpleteazer - 3:51
B2 - Old Deuteronomy - 4:53
B3 - The Jellicle Ball - 8:42
B4 - Grizabella, The Glamour Cat - 4:24
B5 - Memory, written by [Additional Material] – Trevor Nunn - 5:16
Side 3:
Act Two "Why Will The Summer Day Delay - When Will Time Flow Away"
C1 - The Moments Of Happiness/Memory - 3:12
C2 - Gus: The Theatre Cat - 6:41
C3 - Growltiger's Last Stand Including "The Ballad Of Billy McCaw" - 9:42
C4 - Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat - 4:44
Side 4:
D1 - Macavity - 6:58
D2 - Mr. Mistoffelees - 3:38
D3 - Memory, written by [Additional Material] – Trevor Nunn - 5:16
D4 - The Journey To The Heaviside Layer - 1:55
D5 - The Ad-Dressing Of Cats - 5:18
Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – The Really Useful Company Ltd.
Copyright © – The Really Useful Company Ltd.
Copyright © – Faber Music Ltd.
Lacquer Cut at – Tape One
Pressed By – PRS Ltd.
Credits:
Acoustic Guitar, Guitar [Electric] – John Maskell
Arranged By [Orchestrations] – Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Cullen (4)
Artwork By – John Napier
Baritone Vocals, Clarinet – Barry Graham
Bass, Double Bass – John Mole
Cello – John Franca
Conductor [Deputy] – Tony Stenson
Design [Lighning] – David Hersey
Directed By – Trevor Nunn
Directed By [Associate], Choreography – Gillian Lynne
Drums – Jon Hiseman
Engineer – David Hamilton-Smith
Flute – Barbara Thompson, Barry Graham
Horns [First] – Daniel Edmond
Horns [Second] – Ann Barnard
Keyboards – Peter Lemer, Rod Argent, Tony Stenson
Lacquer Cut By – BilBo (3)
Music Director – Harry Rabinowitz
Music Director [Production] – David Firman
Oboe, English Horn – Stephen Nye
Percussion – Dave Locke
Producer, Written-By [Music] – Andrew Lloyd Webber
Soprano Vocals – Barbara Thompson, Barry Graham
Sounds – Abe Jacob
Tenor Vocals – Barbara Thompson
Trombone, Euphonium – Billy Graham
Trumpet [First, Piccolo] – Ralph Izen
Trumpet [Second], Flugelhorn – Steve Jenner
Notes:
Music By Andrew Lloyd Webber Based On 'Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats' By T. S. Eliot.
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Label, sides A and B): 2478 149
Matrix / Runout (Label, sides C and D): 2478 150
Matrix / Runout (Runout, etched, sides A and D): BILBO ‧ TA1PE 2
Matrix / Runout (Runout, etched, sides B and C): BILBO ‧ TA1PE
Matrix / Runout (Runout, stamped, side A ): 2478149 A // 2 ∇ 1 E TO 12 6
Matrix / Runout (Runout, stamped, side B): 2 478149 B // 4 ∇ (crossed out)1E TO 1 1 3
Matrix / Runout (Runout, stamped, side C): 2478150 A // 2 ∇ E TO 1 2 3
Matrix / Runout (Runout, stamped, side D): 2478150 B // 2 ∇ E TO 1 2 3
Andrew Lloyd Webber – Cats
Label: Polydor – CATX 001
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP
Country: UK
Released: Jun 30, 1981
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Musical
Label: Polydor – CATX 001
Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP
Country: UK
Released: Jun 30, 1981
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Musical
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
Elaine Paige ~ Memory from Cats
Playbill ~ Paige's Memory Lives Again
Polygon ~ What the hell is Cats?
YouTube link:
