‘The Wiz’ Broadway Soundtrack To Be Reissued On Vinyl
The original Broadway cast recording of the groundbreaking musical The Wiz is to be reissued on vinyl on 7 February.
pre-order ‘The Wiz’ Broadway cast recording vinyl reissue here
The soundtrack, originally released in 1975, features the original cast of the Tony Award-winning musical and was produced by Jerry Wexler.
The album’s energetic and innovative sound helped redefine the musical genre, setting a new standard for African-American theatrical productions. Its success led to a groundbreaking film adaptation and remains a cornerstone of musical theatre history.
The Wiz‘s music and lyrics are by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L Frank Baum’s children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) in the context of contemporary African-American culture. It opened on 21 October 1974 at the Morris A Mechanic Theatre in Baltimore, and moved to Broadway’s Majestic Theatre with a new cast on 5 January 1975.
The 1975 Broadway production won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It was an early example of Broadway’s mainstream acceptance of works with an all-Black cast. It has had revivals in New York, London, San Diego, and the Netherlands, and a limited-run revival was presented by Encores! at New York City Center in June 2009.
A big-budget film adaptation of the same name was released in 1978, starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson with Ted Ross and Mabel King reprising their roles from the Broadway show. A live television production of the stage version, The Wiz Live!, was broadcast on NBC on 3 December 2015, with an encore presentation on 19 December of the same year.
The Wiz Broadway Soundtrack tracklisting:
1. Prologue 0:20
2. The Feeling We Once Had 3:36
3. Tornado 3:25
4. He’s A Wizard 3:19
5. Soon As I Get Home 3:25
6. I Was Born On The Day Before Yesterday 3:20
7. Ease On Down The Road 2:26
8. Slide Some Oil To Me 2:21
9. I’m A Mean Ole Lion 1:41
10. Be A Lion 4:03
11. So You Wanted To See The Wizard 1:53
12. What Would I Do If I Could Feel 2:53
13. Don’t Nobody Bring Me No Bad News 2:30
14. Everybody Rejoice 2:48
15. Y’All Got It! 2:14
16. If You Believe 2:17
16. Home (Finale) 3:31
pre-order ‘The Wiz’ Broadway cast recording vinyl reissue here