|
|
|
| 2012 Heroes |
|
Act One Our show begins with a medley of songs by the most successful female artist in the history of popular music, Madonna Louise Ciccone. She performed the half time show at SuperBowl XLVI, which became the most watched performance in history, with 114 million viewers. A slightly amended version is presented tonight. We begin with the bestselling singel of 1990, Vogue, and continue with Music, taken from the 2000 album of the same name. Open Your Heart and Express Yourself followed by Give Me All Your Luvvin', the singer's 38th US top ten hit, brings us right up to date. We then include Crazy For You, and end the section with Like A Prayer. This song was a huge hit, and although its semi-religious video caused controversy, it eventually sold over five million copies and hit the top spot in nearly twenty countries. A worldwide icon, Madonna is a true hero to generations around the world.
Our next section pays tribute to some of the great theatrical heroes of the last hundred years. We start with Feelin' Good, written by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the 1965 musical 'The Roar of the Greasepaint, the Smell of the Crowd'. The song has been recorded by dozens of artists, perhaps most famously by Nina Simone, although a recent cover by Muse was voted the greatest cover version of all time. Next is The Rhythm Of Life from Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields' 1966 musical 'Sweet Charity', and we continue with a medley from one of the most popular musicals in history, 'The Sound of Music'. Written in 1969 by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the show was filmed in 1965, winning a total of five Oscars. Tonight we present Edelweiss, So Long, Farewell', and Climb Ev'ry Mountain, although perhaps not quite as you remember them! Next is Spread The Love Around, taken from 'Sister Act', written by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, the show, a smash on Broadway, was nominated for five Tony awards. The section closes in classic style with Don't Rain On My Parade, from the 1964 musical 'Funny Girl', written by Bob Merrill and Jule Styne.
We celebrate the biggest selling artist of this century - Adele. Since the release of her debut album '19', her success has been staggering - she has won eight Grammy awards, three Brits and three American musci awards. Her second album, '21', is now the fifth best-selling album ever in the UK, having recently overtaken Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'. Our medly begins with Rolling In The Deep and is followed by Make You Feel My Love. Written by Bob Dylan in 1997, the song was covered by Billy Joel and Garth Brooks before Adele's version in 2008, which spend 55 weeks on the UK chart. We then feature the 1989 song by The Cure, Lovesong, and close the section with Someone Like You. The singer's now legendary piano backed performance of the song at the 2011 Brit awards propelled it to number one on both sides of the Atlantic and has been viewed on YouTube over 217 million times! This song has truly entered the pantheon of classics
Our first half ends in tribute to one of the greatest singer/songwriters of his generation - Sir Paul McCartney. In June, he celebrated his seventieth birthday and October marks 50 years since the release of The Beatles' first single, 'Love Me Do'. We cover many aspects of his long and winding career, beginning with She's Leaving Home, taken from 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'. Co-written with John Lennon, it featured a string arrangement by Mike Leander, much to the annoyanace of Beatles' producer George Martin. Next, the 1973 Wings classic Band On The Run. The single was a number one hit in the US and number three in the UK, and the album was the best-seller of 1974. Somedays was one of the last songs McCartney wrote for his wife, Linda, before her death, the song being greatly enhanced by a string arrangement, this time written by George Martin. Next is Maybe I'm Amazed from Sir Paul's 1970 debut solo album; it is the only McCartney song included in Rolling Stone magazine's '500 Greatest Songs Of All Time'. It was also the first dance at our Director's wedding, which just happened to be exactly ten years ago! We conclude with a selection from the famous 'Abbey Road' album, featuring Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, and the prophetically titled The End. Never could a career have been so perfectly topped than by those last memorable words, 'And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make'.
|
Act Two
Act Two begins with a medley of songs taken from the Abba-inspired musical, 'Mamma Mia'. Since the show opened in London, it has spawned productions all over the world and has now been seen by over forty two million people. The show has been running on Broadway for eleven years,was the longest running Broadway show to run in Las Vegas, and has recently opened in china.
Our next section pays tribute to a selection of great modern Scottish songs, beginning with Dignity, taken from Deacon Blue's debut album, 'Raintown'. The song, a hit in 1988, was voted as the most popular song of the 1980s in STV's recent poll to find the greatest Scottish album of all time. Next is Biffy Clyro's Many Of Horror. The song was a very minor hit until it was re-recorded by Matt Cardle, winner of the 2010 series of The X Factor, leading to a Facebook campaign to get the original back into the charts, which eventually resulted in the song reaching number eight in the top ten. Sunshine On Leith is the title track from The Proclaimers' album released in 1988. The song itself only reached number forty one but has subsequently become the title of the hit musical based on the Reid brothers' songs and is also frequently sung by fans of one of Edinburgh's two football teams, although probably not very much at the last cup final! We stick with The Proclaimers for a special version of I'm Gonna Be/500 Miles. As the 2007 Comic Relief song, performed by Peter Kay and Matt Lucas, it topped the charts, ending up as the ninth best-selling single of the year. Our version imagines what would have happened if The Proclaimers had written 'Les Miserables'! The section closes with Dougie McLean's beautiful Caledonia. Originally recorded by the author in 1979, a Frankie Miller cover version was used in the 1990s as a lager advert, vastly increasing the fame of the song.
Our next section pays tribute to some of the many Heroes who are sadly no longer with us, beginning with No One But You (Only The Good Die Young). Written by Brian May as a tribute to his late colleague, Freddie Mercury, the original was recorded in 1997 and was the last recording to feature the remaining three members of Queen. We continue by paying tribute to the late Davy Jones, with Daydream Believer, a 1967 hit for the Monkees, which topped the charts in the US and was number five in the UK. Next is the late Donna SUmmer's 1979 hit Hot Stuff. Summer was the first woman to win the Grammy for Best Rock Vocal, which this record won in 1979. Our section concludes with a tribute to one of the most successful artistes of all time, Whitney Houston, who died in February. First is her 1988 smash, I Wanna Dance With Somebody, which was a number one hit in thirteen different countries. A very different side to Houston's talents was highlighted by her 2009 version of R Kelly's I Look To You, which was performed by its composer at Houston's funeral this year.
Our finale starts with a brand new version of Stars from 'Les Miserables'. This is followed by Elton John and Bernie Taupin's Your Song, performed tonight in the arrangement used in Baz Luhrmann's 2001 move, 'Moulin Rouge'. The song charted again in 2010, when a cover version released by Ellie Goulding reached number two in the charts, being kept off the top spot by the X Factor version of David Bowie's Heroes - more of which later! Our finale continues with the heartfelt Throw Your Arms Around Me, a song of love lost, originally recorded in 1984 by Australian rock band Hunters & Collectors. The song has been covered by Crowded House, Pearl Jam and was frequently part of performances by comic trio The Doug Anthony Allstars. Our cast take their bows to the groove of Primal Scream's 2002 classic, Movin' On Up and our last song is the title song of this year's show - David Bowie's Heroes. Written by Bowie and Brian Eno in 1977, again, the song was not a huge hit on its first release, but has subsequently become one of the most covered songs in Bowie's vast catalogue.
|