Andrew Lloyd Webber Unmasked: The Platinum Collection, March 16th, 2018

Last year, Lloyd Webber became the only person to equal the record set in 1953 by Rodgers & Hammerstein with four shows running concurrently on Broadway (Sunset Boulevard, Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and School of Rock). Two of his shows are currently running in both Broadway and the West End: School Of Rock and The Phantom of the Opera, and his musicals have grossed more than $13.6 billion and have been watched by 302 million people across 44 countries. He has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.

In celebration of his 70th birthday this March, ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER UNMASKED: THE PLATINUM COLLECTION will be available March 16th through UMe / Polydor.

The collection is personally curated and overseen by Lloyd Webber to include classics from his earliest work starting with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat through his most recent School of Rock.

Of the new album, Lloyd Webber says:

"I owe everyone involved in putting this compilation together a huge thank you.  A vast amount of thought has evidently gone into selecting tracks from my almost fifty year old career.  This compilation brings back a heap of memories - it has made this ancient composer very happy.  I particularly love the new tracks and of course I love the orchestral suites.   There's nothing a composer likes more than hearing their melodies played by a cracking orchestra."

Newly recorded songs from superstar artists Lana Del Rey ("You Must Love Me", Evita), Nicole Scherzinger ("Memory", Cats) and Gregory Porter ("Light at the End of the Tunnel", Starlight Express) and add to the collection of his cherished works from the past five decades.

Of Lloyd Webber, Lana Del Rey says, "Andrew Lloyd Webber has been one of my primary inspirations in music, so to do a cover of one of his songs is a dream."

Gregory Porter also expresses his admiration, "Andrew is an icon of not only musical theatre, but he's an icon of music, our culture, and of our human experience."

The Cats classic "Memory" by Nicole Scherzinger is available now as an instant grat track. Of being on the album, Scherzinger says, "Andrew's music absolutely influenced me as an artist... It's hard for me to fathom that I'm a part of one of Andrew's career defining albums. That is in itself career defining for me. It's a dream, and a lifelong accomplishment."

The set also contains recordings by world-class performers such as Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman, Michael Ball, and released for the first time, Beyoncé singing "Learn To Be Lonely" from the 2005 Academy Awards with Lloyd Webber accompanying on piano.

UNMASKED: THE PLATINUM COLLECTION is available as 2 CD and 4 CD editions. The 4-disc version contains an exclusive 40-page book with a personally penned introduction from Lloyd Webber and in-depth notes on each track, written by respected theatre critic and Lloyd Webber biographer Michael Coveney, together with tributes from Barbra Streisand and Glenn Close among others.

The fourth disc encompasses a mix of overtures and showstoppers from Lloyd Webber's key works, as well as newly created orchestral suites. The five new orchestral suites have been specially prepared from existing recordings, emphasizing the grand orchestral aspects of his work. All CDs were mastered at Abbey Road Studios.

Lloyd Webber's productions have sold more than 330 million tickets worldwide. The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running show on Broadway and second longest-running show in West End history. Cats and The Phantom of the Opera are two of Broadway's four highest grossing shows. The Phantom of the Opera original cast album is the No. 1 Broadway album of all time in the U.S. and the #175 biggest seller among ALL albums of the SoundScan era in the U.S.  In addition to his worldwide sales and audiences, Lloyd Webber has been recognised by critics and peers with numerous accolades and awards including seven Oliviers, seven Tonys, three Grammys, one Golden Globe and an Oscar.

Also in celebration of his 70th birthday, Lloyd Webber's new autobiography UNMASKED, will be released by HarperCollins on March 6^th in the U.S. and on March 8^th in the U.K.  Written entirely in his own words, Lloyd Webber recounts his fascinating life and remarkable career. A natural storyteller, with his signature humour and self-deprecating tone, Lloyd Webber shares the details of his early personal and professional years, including his early artistic influences. He takes stock of his achievements, the twists of fate and circumstance, which brought him both success and disappointment, and the passions that inspire and sustain him.

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER 'UNMASKED: THE PLATINUM COLLECTION' TRACKLISTING
CD ONE
01 SUPERSTAR • MURRAY HEAD & THE TRINIDAD SINGERS
02 THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA • SARAH BRIGHTMAN & MICHAEL CRAWFORD
03 OH WHAT A CIRCUS • ANTONIO BANDERAS & MADONNA 
04 LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING • MICHAEL BALL
05 STICK IT TO THE MAN • ALEX BRIGHTMAN & THE BROADWAY CAST OF SCHOOL OF ROCK
06 MEMORY • NICOLE SCHERZINGER
07 NO MATTER WHAT • BOYZONE 
08 WITH ONE LOOK • BARBRA STREISAND
09 BUENOS AIRES • GLEE CAST 
10 DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA • JULIE COVINGTON
11 TAKE THAT LOOK OFF YOUR FACE • MARTI WEBB 
12 I'M HOPELESS WHEN IT COMES TO YOU • JOANNA RIDING
13 LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL • GREGORY PORTER 
14 THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT • MICHAEL CRAWFORD
15 GETHSEMANE ( I ONLY WANT TO SAY) • IAN GILLAN 
16 ANY DREAM WILL DO • DONNY OSMOND
17 AMIGOS PARA SIEMPRE • SARAH BRIGHTMAN & JOSÉ CARRERAS 
18 I DON'T KNOW HOW TO LOVE HIM • YVONNE ELLIMAN 

CD TWO
01 AS IF WE NEVER SAID GOODBYE • GLENN CLOSE 
02 THEME AND VARIATIONS 1-4 • ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
03 UNEXPECTED SONG • SARAH BRIGHTMAN 
04 YOU MUST LOVE ME • LANA DEL REY
05 EVERYTHING'S ALRIGHT • YVONNE ELLIMAN, IAN GILLAN & MURRAY HEAD
06 THE VAULTS OF HEAVEN • TOM JONES & THE SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS
07 ANOTHER SUITCASE IN ANOTHER HALL • MADONNA 
08 YOU'RE IN THE BAND • BROADWAY CAST OF SCHOOL OF ROCK
09 IT'S EASY FOR YOU • ELVIS PRESLEY
10 COLD • THE EVERLY BROTHERS
11 COME BACK WITH THE SAME LOOK • DENISE VAN OUTEN
12 I AM THE STARLIGHT • MICA PARIS & GEORGE URE
13 MR. MISTOFFELEES • PAUL NICHOLAS 
14 TELL ME ON A SUNDAY • MICHAEL CRAWFORD
15 THINK OF ME • EMMY ROSSUM & PATRICK WILSON 
16 RAINBOW HIGH • ELAINE PAIGE
17 ALL I ASK OF YOU • CLIFF RICHARD & SARAH BRIGHTMAN
18 WISHING YOU WERE SOMEHOW HERE AGAIN (LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL) • SIERRA BOGGESS
BONUS TRACK LEARN TO BE LONELY (LIVE AT THE OSCARS) • BEYONCÉ & ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

CD THREE
01 JACOB & SONS/COAT OF MANY COLOURS • JANET METZ, DONNY OSMOND, MICHAEL FLETCHER & THE CANADIAN CAST 
02 CLOSE EVERY DOOR • DONNY OSMOND 
03 HEAVEN ON THEIR MINDS (LIVE - ARENA TOUR) • TIM MINCHIN
04 KING HEROD'S SONG • ALICE COOPER 
05 SKIMBLESHANKS • KEN WELLS & THE ORIGINAL LONDON CAST OF CATS 
06 MACAVITY: THE MYSTERY CAT • WENDY EDMEAD & DONNA KING
07 YOU'VE NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD • STEPHEN WARD ORIGINAL LONDON CAST
08 I'D BE SURPRISINGLY GOOD FOR YOU • ELENA ROGER & PHILIP QUAST 
09 EVERMORE WITHOUT YOU • MARTIN CREWES 
10 I BELIEVE MY HEART • DUNCAN JAMES & KEEDIE
11 IF ONLY YOU WOULD LISTEN • THE BROADWAY CAST OF SCHOOL OF ROCK
12 SING • MILITARY WIVES
13 HOSANNA • JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR LONDON CAST
14 HOSANNA • PLÁCIDO DOMINGO, SARAH BRIGHTMAN & THE CHOIR OF WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL
15 PIE JESU • SARAH BRIGHTMAN & PAUL MILES-KINGSTON
16 BY JEEVES • STEVEN PACEY, SIMON DAY & NICHOLAS HAVERSON 
17 WHERE DID THE ROCK GO? • FLORENCE ANDREWS 

CD FOUR
01 PHANTOM PHANTASY • ORIGINAL LONDON ORCHESTRA 
02 MASQUERADE • ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE CAST
03 'TIL I HEAR YOU SING • RAMIN KARIMLOO 
04 LOVE NEVER DIES ORCHESTRAL SUITE • ORIGINAL LONDON ORCHESTRA 
05 LOVE NEVER DIES • SIERRA BOGGESS
06 THE BEAUTY UNDERNEATH • BEN LEWIS & CASEY LYONS
07 VARIATIONS ON VARIATIONS • ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
08 JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR OVERTURE • ORIGINAL JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR ORCHESTRA
09 OVERTURE AND THE BEAUTIFUL GAME • ORIGINAL CAST AND ORCHESTRA FROM THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
10 IF THIS IS WHAT WE'RE FIGHTING FOR • JOSIE WALKER  
11 CATS OVERTURE • THE ORIGINAL LONDON ORCHESTRA 
12 THE JELLICLE BALL • CATS MOTION PICTURE ORCHESTRA 
13 SUNSET SUITE • ORIGINAL BROADWAY ORCHESTRA 
14 SUNSET BOULEVARD • KEVIN ANDERSON 
15 ASPECTS OF ASPECTS • ORCHESTER DER VEREINIGTEN BUEHNEN WIEN 
16 SEEING IS BELIEVING • MICHAEL BALL & SARAH BRIGHTMAN 
17 ANYTHING BUT LONELY • SARAH BRIGHTMAN 

SOURCE UMe