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/ News

Within My World: Dave Clark's "Time" Reissued, Features Freddie Mercury, Dionne Warwick, Julian Lennon, Cliff Richard, More

May 14, 2012 By Joe Marchese 8 Comments

Today, London’s Dominion Theatre is home to We Will Rock You, a tongue-in-cheek “jukebox musical” featuring the music of Queen.  That show is currently celebrating its 10th year at the Dominion, but even before the “Bohemian Rhapsody” chaps came to town, the Dominion was no stranger to mega-musicals from rock stars.  In 1986, Dave Clark of the Dave Clark Five put his name above the title of a lavish spectacle called Time.  Clark collaborated on the musical’s book and lyrics with David Soames; the music was provided by Jeff Daniels (not the actor of the same name).  Clark was also credited with “creating and devising” the elaborate stage production.  The April 1986 debut of the musical starred Cliff Richard as The Rock Star, and Sir Laurence Olivier, the latter appearing as a pre-filmed holographic giant head (!) named Akash.  Arlene Phillips (Starlight Express) contributed choreography along with director Larry Fuller (Evita, Merrily We Roll Along), and John Napier (Sunset Boulevard, Les Miserables) designed the massive production.

Time never received an original London Cast Recording, however, with Clark opting instead to release the show’s score as a star-filled, two-LP concept album prior to the London opening.  Cliff Richard, of course, was enlisted to perform on the album, along with a “Who’s Who” of pop, rock and soul including Freddie Mercury, Stevie Wonder, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson, Leo Sayer, Julian Lennon and the recently-reunited team of Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach.  Olivier appeared on the Time album, as well.  Close your eyes and picture the great actor intoning dialogue such as this:

Stand before me on the Sign of Infinity, all you of the Earth. With the granting of "The Law of Probenation" comes the application of change. I will give you the key. And with this knowledge, please realize, comes the responsibility of sharing it. I will show you the way: (It's very simple). Throughout the Universe there is order: in the movement of the plane, in nature, and in the functioning of the human mind. A mind at is in its natural state of order is in harmony with the Universe, and such a mind is timeless. Your life is an expression of your mind. You are a creator of your own Universe, for as a human being you are "free to will" whatever state of being you desire through the use of your thoughts and words.  There is great Power there.  It can be a blessing or a curse…

Dave Clark has apparently never been comfortable with the compact disc, having refused nearly every offer to bring his storied DC5 catalogue to the format over the years.  A mere handful of official releases have materialized including Hollywood Records’ 1993 double-CD anthology The History of the Dave Clark Five, EMI U.K.’s shorter counterpart Glad All Over Again, and Universal’s 2010 The Hits.  He’s been more forthcoming with releases on iTunes, and now, the starry studio cast recording of Time is once more available.  For its belated 25th anniversary, Time has joined the DC5 catalogue as available from that digital music provider.

There’s more in Time after the jump!

Dave Clark’s newly-launched official website for Time describes the musical’s plot as follows: “The album opens at a rock concert somewhere on Earth, where the 'Rock Star' - the biggest star on the planet - is performing. During his performance of 'TIME', the song is dramatically and mysteriously 'interrupted' and the 'Rock Star' is transported to The High Court Of The Universe to answer the charge that Earth has become a threat to Universal Peace and as such cannot be allowed to continue its existence. As with the stage musical, the album takes the form of a trial set in space with the 'Rock Star' forced to defend the Earth.”

Though Cliff Richard played The Rock Star onstage (he would be succeeded in the show by David Cassidy!), the character’s songs were split on the recording between Richard, Queen’s Freddie Mercury, Julian Lennon, Leo Sayer and Ashford and Simpson.  The album’s star power clearly worked, with Time: The Album selling over 12 million copies worldwide according to Clark.  Richard took two of his songs to the British chart, “She’s So Beautiful” (No. 17) and “It’s In Every One of Us” (No. 45).  Mercury, too, made the chart with the musical’s title song (No. 32) and Julian Lennon hit No. 40 with “Because.”  Yes, this latter song was a reprise of the Dave Clark Five’s 1964 hit, and Julian’s vocal similarity to his famous father lends a decidedly Beatle-esque air to the British Invasion tune.  “Because,” however, didn’t make the West End stage, and songs were cut, added and reshuffled between the concept album and the actual production.  Olivier’s spoken-word “Theme from Time” even made the charts in some territories where it was released as a single!

Murray Head was no stranger to concept album territory, having performed on the original recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar; his rendition of the rock opera’s title song made the U.S. pop Top 20.  Head performed “We’re the UFO” on Time.  Dionne Warwick handled two songs, “What on Earth” and “Within My World.”  For the latter, she was joined by Burt Bacharach, who arranged and conducted the track.  Freddie Mercury and Cliff Richard each performed on three tracks, and Ashford and Simpson and Leo Sayer each sang two.  Julian Lennon offered “Time Will Teach Us All” with Stevie Wonder and “If You Only Knew” in addition to “Because.”  Richard’s “It’s In Every One of Us” was one of the additional songs written for Time by composer/lyricist David Pomeranz (Barry Manilow’s “Tryin’ to Get the Feeling,” “The Old Songs”).

Dave Clark has remastered the album for iTunes, and created one 20-page digital booklet available with the purchase of either Act I or Act II.  (Each act is sold separately.)  Though we have not yet verified this, the Wikipedia entry for Time indicates that the iTunes reissue “contains new edits and several alternate mixes” not on the original vinyl release.  Time never made it to the Broadway stage, but its galactic pop/rock can be yours to hear now, exclusively on iTunes.

Studio Cast Recording, Dave Clark’s Time: The Album (EMI  AMPM-1/EQ 5003, 1985 – reissued 2012)

Act One

  1. Born to Rock 'n' Roll" (4:05) - Cliff Richard
  2. "Time Talkin'" (4:55) - Ashford & Simpson
  3. "Time" (2:57) - Freddie Mercury
  4. "Music of the Spheres/Law of the Universe" (5:47) - Chris Thompson/Miriam Stockley/Michael Mullins
  5. "The Time Lord theme" (4:08) - John Christie
  6. "The Charge" (1:59) - John Christie
  7. "One Human Family" (3:28) - Leo Sayer
  8. “What On Earth" (4:09) - Dionne Warwick
  9. "I Know I Know" (2:59) - Leo Sayer
  10. "Your Brother in Soul" (3:54) - Jimmy Helms
  11. "Case for the Prosecution" (4:21) - John Christie
  12. "Starmaker" (4:14) - Ashford & Simpson
  13. "Time Will Teach Us All" (4:36) - Julian Lennon and Stevie Wonder
  14. "I Object (Lord Melchisedic - The Time Lord)" (0:49) - John Christie
  15. "In My Defence" (4:16) - Freddie Mercury

Act Two

  1. "Within My World" (5:00) - Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach
  2. "Because" (3:55) - Julian Lennon
  3. "Move the Judge" (4:48) - Jimmy Helms
  4. "She's So Beautiful" (3:56) - Cliff Richard
  5. "Beauty, Truth, Love, Freedom, Peace" (2:45) - Laurence Olivier
  6. "If You Only Knew" (5:47) - Julian Lennon
  7. "We're the UFO" (3:41) - Murray Head
  8. "The Theme from Time" (4:03) - Laurence Olivier
  9. “Harmony" (3:43) - John Christie
  10. "The Return (Instrumental)" (2:08) - Dave Clark, John Christie
  11. "Time (Reprise) - The Rock Star" (1:02) - Freddie Mercury
  12. "It's in Every One of Us" (4:45) - Cliff Richard

Categories: News Genre: Cast Recordings Tags: Burt Bacharach, Leo Sayer, Stevie Wonder

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

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Comments

  1. Shaun says

    May 15, 2012 at 8:07 pm

    "The album’s star power clearly worked, with Time: The Album selling over 12 million copies worldwide according to Clark."

    Making this the biggest selling album I've NEVER heard of? Seriously... I'd never heard of this before.

    Reply
  2. Chet says

    October 4, 2013 at 4:25 pm

    This is the first I've heard of this album. I ran across it due to a search on Dionne Warwick.

    Reply
  3. Colin Mackay says

    April 30, 2016 at 5:23 pm

    Is this double lp available on cd, if so where can I get a copy? Seen some of the music on the tribute to " THE DAVE CLARK5 " and would like to hear all of the music from the show.

    Reply
    • Joe Marchese says

      May 2, 2016 at 1:52 pm

      Unfortunately, TIME hasn't been made available on CD - only as a digital download.

      Reply
  4. Leoh says

    August 26, 2016 at 5:18 am

    is there any possible way i can get the musical on DVD for my terminally Ill grandad to watch for one last time?

    Reply
  5. Denny Morgan says

    February 12, 2017 at 3:50 am

    The album for Act 1 is NOT on iTunes--only Act 2. Any knowledge of what's going on?

    Reply
  6. Daren says

    June 5, 2019 at 8:29 pm

    I wish this would go back to the theatre it amazed me in the 80s and still does today such an emotional ride.

    Reply
  7. BIRGITTA KARLSSON says

    March 12, 2021 at 8:33 am

    I saw the Musical in London a few Times, and its realy sad that it doesnt came out on dvd video. But the rumours sas that someone in the Crüe filmed it for privat use. If si, why not make it on dvd for us Cliff Richard, etc, fans to enjoy. Please

    Reply

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