Jeff Wayne ‎– Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of The Worlds (1978)

The War of The Worlds is a musical adaptation of the 1897 science fiction novel by H.G. Wells, conducted by Jeff Wayne with narration by actor Richard Burton. The album was released as a two-LP set in 1978 on CBS, complete with elaborate gatefold and sleeve illustrations depicting key elements of the storyline.

Select numbers feature the vocal talents of Chris Thompson, David Essex, Julie Covington, Justin Hayward, and Phil Lynott. The Hayward ballad “Forever Autumn” — recorded concurrently with the Moody frontman’s involvement in Mandalaband‘s similarly thematic/epic The Eye of Wendor: Prophecies — was a charting single in numerous territories.

Tracklist:
The Coming of the Martians
A1. “The Eve of the War” (9:06)
A2. “Horsell Common and the Heat Ray” (11:36)
B1. “The Artilleryman and the Fighting Machine” (10:36)
B2. “Forever Autumn” (7:43)
B3. “Thunder Child” (6:10)
The Earth Under the Martians
C1. “The Red Weed (Part 1)” (5:55)
C2. “Parson Nathaniel” (1:55)
C3. “The Spirit of Man” (9:46)
C4. “The Red Weed (Part 2)” (6:51)
D1. “Brave New World” (12:13)
D2. “Dead London” (8:37)
D3. “Epilogue (Part 1)” (2:42)
D4. “Epilogue (Part 2) (NASA)” (2:02)

Credits:
Composed By, Orchestrated By, Conductor, Producer, Keyboards – Jeff Wayne
Bass – Herbie Flowers
Drums – Barry Morgan
Featuring – Chris Thompson, David Essex (B1, C4, D1), Julie Covington (C3), Justin Hayward (A1, B2), Phil Lynott (C3, C4)
Guitar – Chris Spedding
Guitar, Performer [The Heat Ray], Featuring – Jo Partridge
Keyboards, Synthesizer [Synthesisers] – Ken ‘Prof’ Freeman
Narrator [Journalist], Featuring – Richard Burton
Percussion – Barry Da Souza, Ray Cooper, Roy Jones
Zither, Tar (Drum) [Lute], Santoor [Santur] – George Fenton

Recorded by – Geoff Young
Assisted by – Laurence Diana
Lyrics By, Written-By – Gary Osborne
Mastered By – Bill Foster
Dramatized by – Doreen Wayne
Painting – Geoff Taylor, Michael Trim, Peter Goodfellow
Dramatic And Narrative Sections Directed by – Charles Dubin
Executive Producer, Directed By Dramatic And Narrative Sections Directed by – Jerry Wayne