Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley version
| "The Phantom of the Opera" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley | ||||
| from the album The Phantom of the Opera | ||||
| B-side | "Overture – The Phantom of the Opera" | |||
| Released | 3 January 1986 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:38 | |||
| Label | Polydor Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) Richard Stilgoe (lyrics) Charles Hart (lyrics) Mike Batt (additional lyrics) | |||
| Producer(s) | Mike Batt (producer) Andrew Lloyd Webber (executive producer) | |||
| Sarah Brightman singles chronology | ||||
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| Steve Harley singles chronology | ||||
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On 3 January 1986, the original recording of "The Phantom of the Opera" was released as a single to promote the upcoming musical of the same name.[2] The duet was produced and arranged by Mike Batt and performed by Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley. The song peaked at number 7 in the UK Singles Chart and remained in the charts for ten weeks.[3]
Background
In 1984, Lloyd Webber and producer Cameron Mackintosh began working on the Phantom of the Opera musical, with Sarah Brightman, whom Lloyd Webber married in 1984, set to play the heroine Christine. As development of the musical continued, Lloyd Webber decided that releasing the title track as a pop single would be a good way of promoting the upcoming musical and "test[ing] the water" in terms of public reception. He stressed that he wanted the song to have a rock 'n' roll sound, to which producer Mike Batt added an "electro-pop beat and heavy metal guitars".[4]
Having worked together on the 1983 single "Ballerina (Prima Donna)", Batt recommended Steve Harley to Lloyd Webber for the part of the Phantom on the track.[5][6] Although Harley was currently working on his own solo album, El Gran Senor, for Mickie Most's label Rak,[7] he "jumped at the chance" to record the song.[8] Harley auditioned for the part at Lloyd Webber's home. Speaking to Number One in February 1986, he revealed, "I don't mean to boast but after only singing one verse he told me I'd got the job!"[9][10] He added to the Daily Star at the time, "[Mike Batt] said he was going to tell Andrew that my voice was just right for the song. I thought he was joking. But I really enjoyed working with Andrew. I'd love to play the Phantom when he puts the show on stage."[6]
The song was subsequently recorded as a duet between Brightman and Harley. Speaking of the recording of the song, Harley admitted, "I felt a bit like a fish out of water. Sarah would record her part perfectly then leave, and I'd have to stay until I hit those notes. It really stretched me."[8] In the 2005 documentary Behind the Mask, Harley recalled, "I'd never done a duet. I knew Sarah could sing with an angelic soprano. I was quite happy to give it a crack, as it were."[11] The single was released on 3 January 1986 and reached its peak of number 7 in the UK Singles Chart in early February.
Following the single's success, Harley was the prime candidate for the role of the Phantom in the musical and he ended up auditioning in front of the creative team and was given the role the following day. He then spent five months rehearsing, including working with producer Hal Prince. He also recorded other tracks from the musical including "The Music of the Night" and "All I Ask of You".[11] However, days before the cast were due to be announced to the public, Harley was surprised and disappointed to be told he would be replaced by Michael Crawford.[12] Harley told The Stage in August 1986, "It soon became clear that the way Andrew was writing wasn't as perfect for me as it initially appeared. I realise also that Crawford is going to put bums on seats in a way that I wouldn't be able to do at first in a theatre."[12] In Behind the Mask, Cameron Mackintosh revealed, "[Harley] wasn't that experienced as an actor. It became obvious to me, and then I discussed it with Hal and Andrew, who also came to the same conclusion that this was a lovely impulse but not the right decision for the show."[11]
Harley received £20,000 compensation after he was removed from the musical, but was given no explanation. He later recalled, "What happened is a mystery to me. There was no hint that they were unhappy with me."[11] It has been suggested that, due to suffering from polio as a child, there were doubts as to whether Harley could effectively cope with the part.[13]
Release
The single was released by Polydor Records on 7" and 12" vinyl, as well as on CD in Japan. The single was released in the UK, Ireland, America, Canada, Australia, Japan and across Europe including Germany, France, Portugal and Spain.[14][15] In the UK, a limited edition 7" release was issued in addition to the standard one. This limited edition version featured a luminous disc.[16]
The B-Side "Overture – The Phantom of the Opera" is a two-minute instrumental version of the A-Side. It was written and produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber.[17] On the American 7" vinyl release, the B-Side was re-titled "The Phantom of the Opera (Instrumental)". The graphic artwork and sleeve design for all versions of the single was created by Dewynters Ltd, London.[18]
On the back sleeve of the release, a short passage reads:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, On this recording I have required that Sarah Brightman and Steve Harley perform the theme from the forthcoming musical, which I have instructed Andrew Lloyd Webber to write around my legend 'The Phantom of the Opera.' Your Obedient Servant, The Phantom".[19]
The 12" version of the single features a seven-minute extended remix of the song, as well as the standard version.[20][21] Following the original mini CD release of the single in Japan, it was re-issued there again in 1992 on the same format.[22][23]
Brightman and Harley's version of the song would later appear on the 1994 compilation The Very Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber,[24] as well as on another Lloyd Webber compilation, titled Gold – The Definitive Hit Singles Collection, released in 2001.[25]
Music video
Directed by Ken Russell, the music video for the single also acted as promotion for the upcoming musical.[13] After the chart success of the single, Lloyd Webber wanted to further promote the musical, and the resultant video took a week to shoot.[26] In his book Phallic Frenzy: Ken Russell and His Films, author Joseph Lanza felt the video "packs in the gist of the musical's message and story in just over four minutes."[4] In his interview with Number One, Harley spoke of Russell, describing him as "terribly friendly, though I must admit his work does give the impression that he lives on another planet!"[9]
The video starts with Brightman as Christine running to her dressing room. On her way there, Raoul gives her a purple flower bouquet, which she takes with her. In her dressing room, she finds a gift box from the Phantom (portrayed by Harley). She opens it and puts the veil inside on her head. Then, she enters the mirror, arriving in the Phantom's lair, with the Phantom standing across the other side of a lake. Christine crosses the lake on a boat that moves by itself. The closing segment features Christine performing on stage in front of an audience including Raoul. The Phantom, secretly spectating, cuts a rope backstage which causes the chandelier to crash on top of Raoul. The video ends with Christine screaming before blood red drips over and envelops the screen.
In the Behind the Mask documentary, Richard Stilgoe described the video as "wonderful, as over-the-top as you can get". Cameron Mackinstosh said: "Ken Russell came up with the most brilliant, outrageous video. It's fantastic fun, and completely over-the-top, which of course Andrew and I loved."[11] Harley told the Sandwell Evening Mail in 1986: "It took us four days and nights to shoot the video, and every minute of it was torment. It was hellishly uncomfortable. I had red hot lights under my feet and my mask kept slipping off. It was like walking blindly over a bed of coals."[27]
Critical reception
Upon its release, Malcolm Dome of Kerrang! called the track "strong Andrew Lloyd Webber stuff (orchestrally-orientated rock/pop)" and "interesting, even if the rock element isn't played up as much as I'd have liked". He added, "It's great to see Steve Harley back in action."[28] Karen Swayne of Number One was negative in her review, stating that Brightman and Harley, now "older and wiser", had "taken to more boring adult pursuits" by singing on the track, with the results being "unlistenable".[29] Tamsin Fontes of the Mid Sussex Times remarked that "La Brightman warbles shrilly like a demented canary and ageing Cockney Rebel, Steve Harley, finds a new vocation as the lovesick phantom".[30] The Middleton Guardian described the song as "opera meets rock" and "directionless hotch-potch with practically no pop appeal".[31] In the US, Bob Sawyer of The Valley Advocate gave the single four out of five stars. He noted Brightman's "wonderful set of pipes" and added that although Harley was "not as operatic" as Brightman, "his voice does blend nicely with hers".[32]
Track listing
7-inch single
- "The Phantom of the Opera" – 4:40
- "Overture – The Phantom of the Opera" – 2:10
7-inch Single (US release)
- "The Phantom of the Opera" – 4:40
- "The Phantom of the Opera" (Instrumental) – 2:10
12-inch single
- "The Phantom of the Opera" (Extended Version) – 7:09
- "The Phantom of the Opera" – 4:40
- "Overture – The Phantom of the Opera" – 2:10
12-inch single (Canadian promo)
- "The Phantom of the Opera" (Edited Version) – 3:44
- "The Phantom of the Opera" – 4:39
CD single (Japanese release)
- "The Phantom of the Opera" – 4:44
- "Overture – The Phantom of the Opera" – 2:13
Charts
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| European Hot 100 Singles[33] | 39 |
| Irish Singles Chart[34] | 11 |
| UK Singles Chart (Official Charts Company)[3] | 7 |
