Classical Goes Rock: Prog “Peter and the Wolf” Featuring Manfred Mann, Brian Eno, Phil Collins, Stephane Grappelli Returns to CD from Cherry Red, Esoteric
Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev wrote Peter and the Wolf in 1936 as “a symphonic fairy tale for children.” As conceived, the narrator tells a story for children in which every character is musically “played” by a different instrument, i.e., the bird is a flute, the duck is an oboe, the cat is a clarinet, the grandfather is a bassoon, the Wolf is French horns, the hunters are woodwinds and trumpets, and Peter is string instruments. Prokofiev’s composition earned the attention of Walt Disney who famously turned it into a 15-minute animated short film in 1946 starring Sterling Holloway (the future voice of Winnie the Pooh) as the narrator, with music provided by the orchestra of Kurt Graunke. Countless other famous persons and conductors have taken a turn at Peter and the Wolf, among them Basil Rathbone and Leopold Stokowski; Arthur Godfrey and Andre Kostelanetz; Cyril Ritchard and Eugene Ormandy; Leonard Bernstein and, well, Leonard Bernstein; Carol Channing and Erich Kunzel; Patrick Stewart and Kent Nagano; Sting and Claudio Abbado, and perhaps most famously, David Bowie and Ormandy. U.S. Presidents (Bill Clinton) and First Ladies (Eleanor Roosevelt) have even narrated recordings. Though Sting, David Bowie, and another narrator, Alice Cooper, are all bona fide rock stars, their renditions were traditional. So, what about a progressive rock Peter and the Wolf? Such a release arrived in 1975 from Jack Lancaster (Blodwyn Pig) and Robin Lumley (Brand X). Now, that unusual interpretation has been remastered and reissued by Cherry Red’s Esoteric Recordings arm.
Lancaster (as The Grandfather, primarily playing the electronic wind instrument known as the lyricon) and Lumley (on keyboards) were joined by an impressive array of friends including Manfred Mann as Peter, Gary Brooker as The Bird, Brian Eno as The Wolf, Chris Spedding and Gary Moore as The Duck, and (bringing a true touch of elegance) French-Italian jazz virtuoso violinist Stephane Grappelli as The Cat. As the Narrator, Lancaster and Lumley cast Viv Stanshall of The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (and also the Master of Ceremonies on Mike Oldfield’s prog classic Tubular Bells). Support was provided by more illustrious musicians including Cozy Powell, Phil Collins, and Alvin Lee. As co-producer with Lancaster and Lumley, Dennis Mackay helped put it all together.
A full performance of the Prokofiev original lasts around 25 minutes; Disney’s version truncated the work to about 15. Lancaster and Lumley, however, were looking to expand the original, and so their Peter and the Wolf runs nearly 40 minutes long. To fill it out, they penned a number of their own instrumentals, interweaving them with rock arrangements of the Prokofiev melodies. Surely the composer (who died in 1953) didn’t imagine Peter’s instantly recognizable theme being played, country-style, by a band including steel guitar, spacey synthesizer, saxophone, synthesized strings, and a bass-guitar-drums rhythm section!
The prog Peter and the Wolf whimsically touched on various musical idioms throughout, including searing electric rock, blues, country, and jazz, within its classical-inspired framework. While not for purists, it was successful enough to spin off overdubbed albums in the French, German, Italian, and Spanish languages. (Only the original English version is included in this reissue.)
Esoteric’s reissue, remastered by Paschal Byrne, includes a 20-page booklet with new liner notes by Malcolm Dome (with fresh recollections from Jack Lancaster) and a reprint of the illustrated children’s storybook that accompanied the original LP release. The crackling musicianship of this Peter still impresses today; if you’re looking for something different, Peter and the Wolf just might fit the bill. It’s out now in the U.K., and tomorrow, December 3, in North America, from Cherry Red and Esoteric. You’ll find the track listing and order links below!
Jack Lancaster and Robin Lumley, Peter and the Wolf (RSO 2479 167, 1975 – reissued Cherry Red/Esoteric ECLEC2781, 2021) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
- Introduction
- Peter’s Theme
- Bird and Peter
- Duck Theme
- Pond
- Duck and Bird
- Cat Dance
- Cat and Duck
- Grandfather
- Cat
- Wolf
- Wolf and Duck
- Threnody for a Duck
- Wolf Stalks
- Cat in Tree
- Peter’s Chase
- Capture of Wolf
- Hunters
- Rock and Roll Celebration
- Duck Escape
- Final Theme
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5 thoughts on “Classical Goes Rock: Prog “Peter and the Wolf” Featuring Manfred Mann, Brian Eno, Phil Collins, Stephane Grappelli Returns to CD from Cherry Red, Esoteric”
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Joe, are you not aware of this other version of “Peter and the Wolf” by none other than Peter Schickele? The music is the same but Schickele wrote a new story and renamed it “Sneaky Pete and the Wolf.” The disc also includes “Carnival of the Animals” with Schickele’s own accompanying verses You might want to check it out, if you don’t know it.
That’s a version I’d like to hear PDQ! Thanks for the tip.
Of course you are all forgetting the classic version by “Weird Al” Yankovic and Wendy Carlos, which was released on CBS Records in 1988. It is notable for featuring the added character Bob the Janitor – represented by the accordion.
That one I didn’t know about. I like Weird Al.
Great album,got the french version in Montreal when it came out way back.Still listen to it occasionnally.
I believe the beginning of Brand X,or when they first met