JCS Brown Album

[Dubliner]

Hi, is what Americans refer to as The Brown Album the same original recording we know in Europe with this artwork?


JCS Original Concept Album

[jimmycurry01]

Yes, and ours is now white, but it still gets called The Brown Album.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

And here's a little story no one really needed to hear on why the cover artwork was changed in the U.S., excerpted from Ellis Nassour's Rock Opera: The Creation of Jesus Christ Superstar From Record Album to Broadway Show and Motion Picture:

"Decca's Levy [creative director Bill Levy, who oversaw the design of album packaging--ed.] did not copy the English album's cover, which had the blessings of Rice and Webber. There were so many delays in getting camera-ready artwork to the States to meet production schedules that Levy had to go ahead with an alternate design. When New York did get wind of the English package, they were glad they had gone ahead with their own.

The English album, except for one saving grace that was, regrettably, omitted from the American package, could at best be described as ugly, awkward, and impractical. The cover was made up of a yellow ball (the sun or center of the universe) with red and white tints. At the top of the ball the title was printed in a biblical script. On the back were four pointed flaps that opened into a silver star and revealed a back panel of sixteen colorful paintings of Christ from art books and four by London schoolchildren. This panel was not used here. On either side there was an opening for the two records. The full libretto was also inside.

Levy decided the design was too garish for the American market. He stressed that the cover should reflect the contents of the opera so that people would want to buy it and stations would want to play it.

"I thought the best approach would be a dignified one," Levy said. "I wanted to avoid people screaming, 'It wasn't bad enough that they used the name Jesus Christ! Look at how they packaged it!' My philosophy throughout was 'Well, if it's an opera, treat it like one.' Looking back, I really think we did the right thing."

Another reason behind the change was the factory production of the English package would be costly and slow. Levy contracted an artist to design a logo incorporating angels that could be used both on the jacket and on the record itself as a special label (Decca's first such departure from its regular one). Ernie Cefalu created the now famous angels-in-prayer and the drawings for the libretto. Instead of having the title in script, as on the English package, it was to be plain, white block letters on brown paper stock with the angels in gold.

In an effort to keep the set dignified, Levy wanted a box for the records – it would even look like an opera. This was a good idea until the box manufacturer could not keep up with the MCA factory where the records were pressed. Decca was selling records faster than the box-makers could get the packages off the assembly line. Levy then came up with an alternative two-record set. Eventually England and all MCA licensees adopted the American edition."

[Dubliner]

I came across an amazing article by Ernie Cefalu about how he created the iconic angel logo for the pitch to Decca . If I can find it again I'll post the link.

[thommg]

The brown album was not available on cd initially so I bought an import with the original design on it. I had no idea why they had changed the brown cover with the angels to the yellow design. It looked very cheap where the brown album cover looked classy. Still the same music inside, though.

[CATSNYrevival]

They are re-releasing the original concept album at the end of July in the US and in the UK. Originally the displayed cover art was the American "brown album" cover, but now Amazon has the art work for the upcoming UK arena tour, so it looks like they're going to use that instead.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

^ More Joseph or even Pride parade than JCS, I must say. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing.

[CATSNYrevival]

^I'm not a huge fan of the arena tour artwork. It looks like someone thought about it for five minutes and then spent another five minutes making it. It doesn't really fit the show, but it is perfectly tacky enough to advertise the equally tacky television talent search and tour.

[Dubliner]

I found it - really great story about the creation of one of the truly great show logos.



Creating the JCS Angels

[The Scorpion]

^I'm not a huge fan of the arena tour artwork. It looks like someone thought about it for five minutes and then spent another five minutes making it. It doesn't really fit the show, but it is perfectly tacky enough to advertise the equally tacky television talent search and tour.

Agreed. I was looking forward to buying the remastered album, but I hate that logo and the idea of the TV series and am not sure I really want it now. Unless I download it and then use the original cover on my iTunes...

Thanks Dubliner for that link!