Get Onto My Cloud: The Tim Rice Podcast
Get Onto My Cloud has Tim at his chatty witty best, where he talks about his career in theatre and music, his colleagues and friends (plus the odd foe) and sometimes roams off stage to discuss other important matters in his life such as cricket, astronomy, Sunderland FC and boxer dogs.
All Episodes
It's Gonna Work Out Fine. Tina Turner and Paul Jones.
Tim pays tribute to the late Tina Turner who recorded one of the songs from Aida, his musical with Elton John. Plus how Paul and the Manfreds introduced him to the music of Tina (and Ike).
World Tour Reviewed
Tim looks back on his 4-date musicals tour, Circle Of Words, which roamed from Northampton to Newcastle with 2 stops in between.
Circle Of Words World Tour
Tim plugs his forthcoming tour of 4 beautiful UK towns in which he reveals all about his hits (and flops) + @waughzone musicians & singers.
The 78 Revolution
Tim goes back to the 1950s and recalls some of the platters that mattered in his early days, spinning at 78rpm just as the 45 single and 33 album were taking hold. Did they influence his future career? Er - probably.
From Here To Eternity Back In Town
Tim previews the theatrical return to London of the musical he wrote with Stuart Brayson, From Here To Eternity and plays extracts old and new from the score.
Darius and Maynard
Tim remembers the late Darius Campbell Danesh who starred in his musical From Here To Eternity. He also recalls a 1974 album he and Andrew Lloyd Webber produced for the fine singer Maynard Williams.
Joseph at the Edinburgh Festival: Then and Now
Tim returns to the Edinburgh Festival exactly 50 years after Frank Dunlop's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat launched the show there into new territories. Gary Bond, Gordon Waller and Maynard Williams do the musical honours.
Am I Still Working?
Tim apologises for taking time to get round to Podcast 65 but has a reasonable excuse: working on three of his favourite golden oldies.
1955 - Not very big in Japan
It’s 1955. Tim hears American radio for the first time in his life - in Japan - and is immediately captivated by radio, hit records, and the charts. And religion, sort of.
Way way back half a century ago part 3
Tim takes a further look at the original Joseph album that he and Andrew recorded in 1968, criticises his own lyrics (but not too harshly), plays the rarely heard second Pharaoh song and how Children of Israel became Children of Kindness.
Way way back half a century ago part 2
Tim tackles one of the questions he’s most often asked - would you change any of your old lyrics if you could, or if you were writing them now? Well, yes and no.
West End Superstar
Tim recalls, as best he can, the events, the performers, the panics, leading up to the London début of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972, after the show had already played in five foreign countries.
Sodcast
Tim discusses the Society of Distinguished Songwriters, the SODS, having recently celebrated their half-century. Founded by Mitch Murray in 1971, the Sods have had literally hundreds of hits around the world. You may not know all their names but you’ll certainly know their songs.
All At Sea
On a cruise ship for two weeks, Tim recently presented a live concert of some of his most popular numbers of the past half century to a literally captive audience.
Trouble With The Law
Tim recalls his tragic exit from the legal profession and his good fortune in having his brilliant idea for a book on the history of the pop charts rejected. Plus the first ever recording of Any Dream Will Do.
Joseph on Broadway
Having realised just in time that January 2022 marked 40 years since Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat first hit Broadway, Tim pays tribute to the excellent 1982 company, on and off stage, which eventually inspired countless professional productions of the work in North America.
Lost In Translation
Tim discusses foreign language adaptations of his work from many parts of the globe and reveals how some of the backers of Superstar on Broadway benefited from his racing tips.
Grab me a Gondola (and stamps and vinyl)
Tim recalls his enthusiasms from ages 0-10: his parents’ record collection, his stamp collection, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Eagle. Plus how stars of Grab Me A Gondola also starred in Joseph and Chess. And Turkish Delight from Eartha Kitt.
JC Superstar 1970 Deluxe Box Set
Tim celebrates the recent 50th anniversary release of an all-singing all-dancing box set featuring the original 1969/70 Studio recordings of Jesus Christ Superstar, released a mere one year late.
From Russia With Chess
Tim relates the story of the international travels and travails of Chess on stage and in concert in the 38 years since he, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson produced the original recording of the musical drama. He plays three songs performed by the current Moscow Chess cast.
The Return of Aida?
Tim reveals new plans for his musical with Sir Elton, Aida, their quadruple Tony-winning musical on Broadway, with music from Elton and Guiseppe (Verdi). Will it finally come to London? Plus Rice sings Nesmith in tribute to the late Michael, one of Tim's favourite composers, country rockers and Monkees.
The Return of Eternity?
Tim returns to regular podcasting with news of the return of From Here To Eternity, his musical written with Stuart Brayson. Featured: a couple of songs from the show’s West End cast album and a sample of early Brayson. And could/should the show be called The Boys Of 41?
Mantelpiece 2
Tim’s 50th podcast, like his first, draws inspiration from the strange collection of objects and paraphernalia on one of his mantelpieces.
EMI Days
Tim talks about his first proper job in the entertainment business - a management trainee at EMI Records in the Swinging 60s. He produced his first singles (flops) but learned the recording studio ropes, and met an artist with whom he was to have a long and successful musical relationship (and friendship) in later years - Murray Head.
Gee Seven
The planned revivals of Aida and From Here To Eternity are still stymied but Tim has written a new song inspired by the G7 summit in Cornwall in June. Imaginatively entitled Gee Seven it pays tribute to that magic number rather than to the soon-to-be-assembled throng of world leaders, but does contain advice which they will surely appreciate.
Teddy and Carl and the JCS movie.
Tim looks back at the 1973 Norman Jewison film of Jesus Christ Superstar, and in particular at the great contributions from Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson. He has just about got over the rejection of his screenplay and André Previn’s contributions.
PG Wodehouse, Jeeves and Me
For a while Tim thought that the best follow-up to JC Superstar would be a musical based on Jeeves and Bertie Wooster. Turned out not to be a good idea.
Chess On Broadway
Tim recalls the ups and mainly downs of Chess on the great White Way in 1988. He was abandoned in a remote lay-by, Inspiring a film starring Bob Geldof, and lost a packet when the show closed after eight weeks. But a couple of great new songs were added to the already very popular score.
Which comes first, music or words?
Tim wrestles with the eternal songwriter’s dilemma - which comes first, the words of the music? Andrew Lloyd Webber generally liked music first, Elton John always the words first.
The Lost Cricket Musical
Tim reveals all about the last complete musical he wrote with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cricket (Hearts and Wickets), just 30 minutes long, commissioned by HRH Prince Edward for HM The Queen’s 60th birthday in 1986.
Land of Hope and Glory
Tim is inspired by a 1944 theatre poster of a play which is totally forgotten today; however it has a great emotional impact for him, reminding him of the great times and success he and Andrew Lloyd Webber enjoyed with their manager the late David Land.
The Guinness Book Of British Hit Singles
Tim tells the story of the creation of the unofficial Bible of the British charts in their glory years - the series of books he founded with brother Jo, Paul Gambaccini and Mike Read. Tommy Steele, Kate Bush and Billy Fury illustrate his tale.
Evita on Broadway
Tim goes back to the 1979 début of Evita on Broadway, starring the gifted and eccentric Patti LuPone, Mandy Patinkin and Bob Gunton. He also reports on embarrassing meetings with Bonnie and Clyde.
Pity The Singer
Tim goes through the process that eventually led to the creation of Pity The Child, beginning with a Benny instrumental and a Bjorn vocal. The song is perhaps the most challenging in the Chess score, which Murray Head conquered impressively.
Da Doo Ron Ronnie
Tim recalls two meetings with the legendary Ronnie Spector, thirty years apart, on the TV show Ready Steady Go and in the recording studio. He describes his first ever television appearance, lip-syncing to a top ten hit by a Liverpudlian star of the swinging sixties.
How To Write A Hit Musical - the 10 Golden Rules
Tim reveals his infallible 10-point guide to writing a successful musical, researched and acquired after over a half a century of on and off stage bewilderment.
Run for cover
Tim digs up some cover versions of four of his best-known songs performed by boxing legends Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond and Brian Wilson - and music legend Mike Tyson; or possibly the other way round.
Jesus Christ Superstar - Friend Of Dorothy
Tim describes the recent NBC TV concert presentation of Jesus Christ Superstar that starred John Legend, Sara Bareilles, Alice Cooper and Brandon Victor Dixon. He looks back at Dorothy L.
Chess #5
For the 5th time, in response to staggering public demand, Tim dips into his vast library of Chess out-takes, in-takes and mis-takes that were laid down in the 83/84 recordings of the original album. Bjorn as Arbiter and is also a one-man chorus to Murray on Bangkok.
It’s Only Words
Tim reveals some of his childhood lyric-writing influences which include Salad Days and My Fair Lady, Flanders and Swann and several great rock n roll lyricists including Jerry Lieber, Felice & Boudleaux Bryant, Jerry Lieber & Eddie Cochran.
Alan Menken Superstar
Tim is amazed to realise that he has written around 50 songs with the great American composer Alan Menken, 8-time Oscar winner and fellow EGOT. So Podcast 32 features five of their joint compositions, including a song that never made it into Aladdin and a couple of items from King David.
Wizard of Oz/Down On the Farm
Tim recalls Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 2011 stage production of The Wizard Of Oz at the London Palladium for which he and ALW added 4 songs to the immortal Harburg/Arlen score.
Me and Peggy Sue
Long-time Buddy Holly fan, Tim wrote the third part of a Peggy Sue trilogy with Bobby Vee, fellow Holly aficionado and major recording star in his own right, entitled Whatever Happened To Peggy Sue? The next part of the story begun by Peggy Sue and Peggy Sue Got Married.
Chess and The Queen’s Gambit
The huge success of the excellent Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit has shown that a story based in the world of chess can be entertaining even to non-players. Tim hopes that the musical Chess also demonstrated that back in 1984 and continues to do so.
Scorpio Rising
Apparently Madonna (Leo) won’t work with Scorpios so Tim now knows why she hasn’t been in touch for 24 years. Despite this rebuff he plays her delicate Evita interpretation of Another Suitcase.
Way way back half a century ago
Tim returns to his very early days as a songwriter, playing some fairly obscure stuff written with Andrew Lloyd Webber half a century ago. Singers include Elvis Presley (obviously not an obscure performer), the fine actress Sandra Bernhard and Tim Rice (yes, the same).
Chess: more early moves
Tim unearths more demos and early (some very early) versions of songs from the Chess score, including Heaven Help My Heart, Where I Want To Be and Embassy Lament.
One-Offs
Tim recalls songs written with composer maestros Graham Gouldman, Vangelis, Richard Kerr and Florrie Palmer. None stormed the charts and weren't even expected to, but they remain among his favourite stand alone compositions.
JCS 50 years on
Exactly 50 years to the month after the original studio album of Jesus Christ Superstar was issued, Tim recalls many of the musicians, singers and studio team that helped to create the recording that launched his career and that of Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Oscartime
In the 1990s Tim was lucky enough to win three Best Song Oscars, each with a different composer. He explains how this curious state of affairs came to happen and plays the three winning numbers. He also confesses that he was once nominated for a Golden Raspberry in the worst film song category.
Chess 2: Four nights in Moscow
Tim recalls the early days of writing and recording Chess with Bjorn and Benny in 1983/4. A fascinating trip to Moscow with the Cold War still dominating international politics. He plays instrumental demos of some of the first tunes considered for the show, including one dedicated to Russia’s superstar Alla Pugachyova.
Beauty Tips
A new UK tour of Beauty and the Beast has been announced for May 2021, pandemic permitting. The original production was one of Broadway’s top ten long-runners of all time when it closed in 2007 and this new tour will be in the hands of the original creative team, led by director Rob Roth for Disney Theatricals.
Freddie
It’s not widely known that Tim wrote lyrics for two of Freddie Mercury’s songs on the Barcelona album he recorded with the great operatic soprano Montserrat Caballe. In Get Onto My Cloud episode 20 he plays both the tracks and assesses the theatrical aspect of Freddie’s huge talent.
The beginnings of Chess
No show has caused Tim as much heartbreak and enjoyment as Chess, the musical he wrote with Abba genii Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson. In the first of what may well be many Chess podcasts, he explains the genesis of the whole project which sprang into life at a dinner in Stockholm in December 1981.
From Here To Eternity
Tim recalls the great things and the disappointments of his most recent new West End musical, From Here To Eternity, music by Stuart Brayson, and plays four songs from the score, one of his favourites, and vows it will return!
Murray, Perry, Rita and Bing
Tim returns to some of the songs he co-wrote for the cinema, before he joined the Disney animation circus in the 1990s. Songs with music by John Barry, Marvin Hamlisch and Andrew Lloyd Webber - sung by A-listers Rita Coolidge, Bing Crosby and Perry Como.
Lion King Two
Tim looks back at the two Lion King movies, the 1994 original and the 2019 remake. He plays the two new songs he and Elton wrote for the second movie, only one of which was used, and then only over the end credits.
Blondel
After 3 probing gripping podcasts about Evita’s early days (podcasts 12-14), Tim reveals all (or most, anyway) about his first theatrical misfire - Blondel, a show written with the late Stephen Oliver, which ran for a year in London 1983.
The Prince of Musicals
Tim recalls the great success of the Evita studio album in the UK and its total lack of same in the United States. So it seemed unlikely that the Broadway legend Hal Prince would respond to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s invitation to direct Evita in the West End - but he did, after just one hearing of the studio recording, albeit he had some criticisms and reservations.
The original Evita album (part 2)
Get Onto My Cloud Podcast 13 continues the story of the first ever revelation of Evita - as a record, not as a show, back in 1976. The album featured Julie Covington as Eva Peron, Paul Jones as Juan Peron and Colm Wilkinson as Che.
The original Evita album (part 1)
How to follow Jesus Christ Superstar? After failing to make headway working on a musical with Andrew Lloyd Webber based on PG Wodehouse’s immortal Jeeves and Bertie Wooster, Tim came up with the insane idea of a musical about the wife of an Argentine dictator.
Superstar Rocks Broadway (sort of)
Tim recalls the first time a work by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice made it to Broadway. The show was Jesus Christ Superstar, the year 1971, and it was not always plain sailing, despite the huge success of the 1970 studio album recording.
Cliff and Heathcliff
In the early 1990s Cliff Richard invited Tim to write the lyrics for all the songs in his proposed musical Heathcliff. John Farrar was to compose the music. The resulting show failed to excite many of the critics, positively anyway, but the public thought otherwise and the show was a big hit.
Aida - part two
In response to staggering, well encouraging, interest in Get Onto My Cloud episode eight, about Tim's musical with Sir Elton John, Aida, episode nine features three more songs from the show sung by the Broadway stars Heather Headley, Adam Pascal and Sherie Rene Scott, and some more background about the show's creation - including the composer and and lyricist’s failure to turn up and collect their Tonys.
Aida - part one
In 1996 Tim and Elton, following their success with The Lion King movie, embarked upon the creation of an original Broadway show entitled Aida, which Verdi had had a go at 125 years earlier.
Jesus Christ Superstar - the early days
50 years ago the unknown pairing of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice recorded the first ever version of their rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. They had wanted to introduce the work on stage but no theatrical producers wanted to know.
Starmania
In 1989 Tim was invited to translate the most successful French musical ever to have played in France. No – not Les Miserables. Unfortunately.
Beauty and Aladdin
The great composer Alan Menken has won more Oscars (8) than anyone else alive today. Tim has worked with him on several projects, including Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast.
Coat of not Very Many Colours
Tim recounts writing of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and the first ever public performance of the then 20-minute work at Colet Court School in March 1968.
Elton and Eldorado
Tim, having come to the realisation that he has written more than 40 songs with Sir Elton John, plays three of their lesser-known collaborations and chats about the animated movie The Road To El Dorado, for which they wrote the score, including an Elton duet featuring Randy Newman.
The Likes Of Us
In the second episode of his new podcast Get Onto My Cloud, Tim tells the story of his first meeting with Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1965 and how they immediately set about writing a musical based on the life of Dr. Thomas Barnardo entitled The likes Of Us.
Mantelpiece
Tim investigates his mantlepiece during a lockdown spring clean. Long-forgotten items relating to Joseph, Evita, INXS and Don Bradman surface. He plays one of his favourite Alan Menken collaborations and the 1965 single that started it all.
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