“Heaven on Their Minds” from Jesus Christ, Superstar
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by Tim Rice
I – HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
- After Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice met with success over their collaboration on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, they signed a three-year songwriting contract with producers David Land and Sefton Myers at MCA.
- Since childhood, Tim Rice had been fascinated by Judas Iscariot and Pontius Pilate and always had an interest in writing something about them.
- November 21, 1969: the single “Superstar” (sung by Murray Head, with a B side of “John 19:41”) is released in the
- December 1, 1969: “Superstar” release in the
- Despite being banned by several radio stations, the success of the single led MCA to back a double album set. At this point the subject matter was still considered too risky to be staged.
- Recording took place from March to July of 1970, and production costs were very high, coming in over budget at $65,000.
- Cast featured Murray Head (Judas), Ian Gillian from Deep Purple (Jesus), Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene), Barry Dennen (Pontius Pilate).
- The concept album was released quietly in
- Jesus Christ Superstar was the best-selling album of 1971.
- Opened on Broadway on October 12, 1971 at the Mark Helinger Theatre – ran for 711 performances (starring Jeff Fenholt, Ben Bereen, and Yvonne Elliman. Ted Neely and Carl Anderson were both understudies and were later cast in the 1973 film).
- Nominated for five 1972 Tony Awards including Best Original Score and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Ben Vereen).
- At the time of its close, it was the longest-running show on the
- The 1973 film adaptation was shot on location in
- In December 1999, Jesus Christ Superstar was endorsed by the
II – OPEN LISTENING
As hard as I tried to bracket out all existing notions of this piece, I found that to be impossible. As soon as Murray Head’s voice – low, almost sultry – I was immediately transported to childhood. I was struck by the same feeling I felt then, an indescribable eerie feeling, like dread mixed with wonder. As though there was something present bigger than myself, and my mind could only react with nearly star-struck fear. But “fear” isn’t a terribly accurate adjective…nonetheless, there was something about the strings, the guitars, and the rhythm that absolutely fascinated me – and continues to do so.
III - SYNTAX
- Key of D minor
- Major chord progression is{i-iv-i-v-VI-I }
- 4:23 long
- Common Time (4/4)
- “Moderate Rock Tempo” noted in score
- Almost pop-rock/gospel/blues feel; many influences heard, not straight “rock.”
- Three sections with coda:
- A – Intro verses comprised of “First theme” and “Second theme”
- B – Main groove
- C – “Dance” section
- Song takes A1 A1 A2 A2 B B C B C B form
- C section changes to irregular meter (7/8) and speeds tonal movement, giving the impression of a suddenly faster tempo
- Completing the album took 60 recording sessions.
- Recorded in 4-Track Magnetic Stereo.
- The first ever 110 channel console was built for recording Jesus Christ Superstar by Ted Fletcher at Trident Studios.
- 11 principal singers, 16 chorus singers, and 3 choirs
- 85-piece symphony orchestra and 6 rock musicians
- Reeds: Flute doubling Piccolo, Flute doubling Clarinet, Oboe, Bassoon
- Brass: French horn, 1st and 2nd Trumpets, Trombone
- Strings: 1st and 2nd violins (divisi), Viola, Cello (divisi)
- Electric Guitar and Electric Bass
- Piano
- Organ (recorded at a church)
- Moog Synthesizer
IV – THE SOUND-IN-TIME
0.00 Electric bass guitar begins a low, pulsing phrase that continually repeats.
0.07 Entrance of vocals, accompanied by an added electric guitar and a piano dropping low blocked chords on the downbeat
0.25 Begins repeat of same vocal/musical structure as 0.07-0.24
0.42 Electric guitar repeated phrased changes to a slightly altered variation. The vocal line slowly begins to climb.
0.51 At the same time the electric guitar moves again to another slightly altered variation. The vocal line and music repeats the same climb as from (0.42-0.50) with the new guitar variation.
1.04 Vocal line cuts off but the instruments continue in the same manner, extending the pitch they have reached.
1.11 Guitars cut off and we hear the vocals come to the forefront, playing around arpeggios, while the keyboard, bass guitar, and percussion keep the groove.
1.35 Brief interlude during with a keyboard plays a pattern of repeated descending triads.
1.40 Bass guitar/Keyboard downbeat leads us into a repeat of the previous musical structure that was used from 1.13-1.39
2.03 Same keyboard pattern used at 1.38, but here leads us into a different section –
2.07 The beat changes as does the melody, still based on arpeggiations but now their movement is downward, as is their progression – moving down in stepwise motion.
2.22 A repeat, musically, of the section from 1.11-1.40
2.52 Strings take over playing a dance-like syncopated rhythm over an organ melody.
3.06 Vocals enter again on the same tune as at 1.11.
3.09 The strings are more adventurous, they rush forward in short spurts.
3.16 Vocal line varys a bit, getting higher.
3.30 The pattern used at 1.35 is now is the strings, and leads into a stepwise-motion rush in an upward scale-based line.
3.41 The vocal line repeats words and melismatic phrases as though improvising. The piano replaces what the strings were doing, moving up and down the keyboard in a quasi-jazz-like fashion.
V – MUSICAL AND TEXTUAL REPRESENTATION
The lyrics when viewed as text reveal, in fact, how well they were set to music. When the lines are read as a one would speak them, the emphasis (more often than not) falls on the words that are emphasized through the music. At the same time, viewing the lyrics as text allows for the opportunity to dig out the meaning of the words, which sometimes may be hard to catch in this semi-strophic piece.
On a more specific referential note, it is clear that Judas is speaking from the standpoint of a zealot – one who believed that the Messiah was to come as a literal king that would bring literal liberation to the Jews, and with it, literal warfare. Judas directly mentions the occupation of Judea by the Romans and I am certain is also, with that remark, encompassing the whole of Jewish history, throughout which (to this time, c.33 A.D.) the Jewish people had spent very little time without occupation by an outside force.
JUDAS:
My mind is clearer now.
At last - all too well I can see where we all soon will be.
If you strip away the myth from the man, you will see where we all soon will be.
Jesus! You've started to believe the things they say of you.
You really do believe this talk of God is true?
And all the good you've done will soon get swept away.
You've begun to matter more than the things you say.
Listen, Jesus, I don't like what I see.
All I ask is that you listen to me.
And remember, I've been your right hand man all along.
You have set them all on fire.
They think they've found the new Messiah,
and they'll hurt you when they find they're wrong.
I remember when this whole thing began.
No talk of God then, we called you a man.
And believe me, my admiration for you hasn't died,
but every word you say today gets twisted 'round some other way,
and they'll hurt you if they think you've lied.
Like his father, carving wood, he'd have made good.
Tables, chairs, and oaken chests would have suited Jesus best;
He'd have caused nobody harm, no one alarm.
Listen, Jesus, do you care for your race?
Don't you see we must keep in our place?
We are occupied! Have you forgotten how put down we are?
I am frightened by the crowd, for we are getting much too loud.
And they'll crush us if we go too far.
If they go too far....
Listen, Jesus, to the warning I give.
Please remember that I want us to live.
But it's sad to see our chances weakening with every hour.
All your followers are blind!
Too much heaven on their minds.
It was beautiful, but now it's sour.
Yes it's all gone sour.
Listen, Jesus, to the warning I give.
Please remember that I want us to live.
C'mon, c'mon
He won't listen to me…aaahhh!
Webber does a fantastic job of creating an atmosphere through the music which grounds the standpoint of the character. Overall, I feel the musical references in this piece are very nicely summed up under Virtual Feeling, so I will leave you to our next step without further ado.
VI – VIRTUAL FEELING
The repeated guitar phrase drives into your head, builds and builds just as his frustration and anger does – it makes the listener feel as though they’re suddenly trapped within Judas’ head.
It’s agitated, like a trapped animal. You can feel Judas’ desperation not only through his voice and words, but in the orchestration. Murray Head’s voice is sultry with a mystic edge, as though he knows things we do not, while beneath him the instruments churn, stuck in a pattern the way a one-track mind cannot think of anything else but the object of its fixation. In the almost irritated, pulsing, insistent guitar and the strings that bounce and rush in short bursts as though hopping around a boxing ring with an opponent, we come to understand his mental state – Judas is like Cassandra, blessed with clear sight of what is to come but cursed never to be believed. He is convinced that he has the right answers; his frustration can only build to match his conviction when no one understands, and no one cares to listen.
The dance-like sections provide an abrupt shift in the middle of the piece, a type of “B-section” for mental state and action. Whether it is a pursuit or a retreat, you can nearly hear Judas regrouping, as though he realized his tactics weren’t working and needs to think up a new strategy. The music paints us a picture, as though Judas were trying to approach Jesus, yet other things or other people are continually blocking his way. You can hear him through the music pushing his way through the crowds, striving to get closer but being forever in lost in the throngs of other people seeking out Christ’s attention.
VII – ONTO-HISTORICAL WORLD
· The presence of a Moog Synthesizer is very indicative of the late 60’s and early 70’s – one was used by The Beatles shortly before on their last recorded album Abbey Road, and the use of synthesizers in music would become more and more prominent throughout the 70’s and 80’s.
· The electric guitar was a rather new instrument in the 60’s, and including it on the album gave it a distinctly “modern” feel.
· Rock music was considered “sinful” by many people who would conventionally take an interest in Jesus Christ. Popular music had just begun to become a viable conduit for Christianity and spiritual themes. Other such examples (though not necessarily Christian) could have been “My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison (1970), and “Spirit in the Sky” by Norman Greenbaum (1969).
· The language used is modern English. There is no attempt to make it sound “old-fashioned,” to “fit in” with the time of Christ. There is certainly nothing King-James-y about the lyrics or the tone of the text.
· The slight gospel/blues feel of the song may come from the influence of the early Elton John and the fact that several musicians on the album may have played on Elton John’s early work as well.
· It was a trend at the time to produce a concept album to see how successful a staged show would be, which may have led to JCS’s success. Nowadays, if it doesn’t look like a show will fly, it is much harder to get an album produced.
· The youth movement of the late 60’s and the
VIII – OPEN LISTENING
Returning for another open listening, I am absolutely struck by the sheer power of the piece. The guitar riffs and the rhythmic changes sweep along, carry us on Judas’ passionate journey. It’s unbelievable…in a strange way, the more I listen to this piece, the longer I think I’d be content to listen to it over and over again, every time discovering something new.
IX – PERFORMANCE GUIDE
For the musicians, it is of utmost importance for the articulation of the notes to be clear. The last thing I’d want to hear would be for the phrases – some of which are marked by such simple and subtle variations – to become bogged down and heavy. The force of this piece has been written into the piece itself, and if the musicians try to make the music “driving” or “insistent,” they’ll miss the mark.
A quick note regarding a rather technical aspect of casting, I do not feel it is appropriate for Judas’ high notes to come off as screechy. I far prefer to hear someone sing them who has them, not someone who is reaching for them. If you’re faced with these screeching falsetto notes that come out of nowhere, it’s distracting. Nothing can yank an audience out of the moment like the unreliability of a singer!
For Judas, I’d suggest spending a lot of time with the text. The key to this piece is communication. Before you even set out to sing it, develop for yourself a clear picture of the character, of Christ, and exactly what it is you’re trying to accomplish by saying these words. What is it that makes you say these words? And why now? Use the language to get your point across. The best realizations of this piece are the ones that really connect with the heart of what the text is saying; with that level of clarity in communication, you get the feeling that the character is simply speaking rather than singing, which I feel is a goal for all singers. Carl Anderson, who performed the role on Broadway and reprised it in the 1973 film, does this particularly well. Anderson absolutely owns the character; his Judas alternately sounds as though he is growling, crying, arguing, and even attempting level-headedly to make one see reason as he appeals to Jesus, making his performance, in my opinion, the definitive recording.
X – META-CRITIQUE
I feel that my strengths were the Performance Guide and Virtual Feeling sections. As a performer, specifically actress and musician, I have very highly opinionated ideas about what I would want from an emotionally charged piece like this one, and on the flip side of that coin I enjoy tapping in to the more interpretive aspects of a work.
I feel, if anything, that the Referential meanings to be found in the music bled into the Virtual Feeling, which could be viewed by some as a weakness. And oddly, I feel as though my Open-Listenings perhaps fell a little short, if only because I had spent so much time with this piece over the course of – well, a lifetime, really – I found it very hard to “bracket out” any prior experience. In fact, I would go so far as to argue that the connection in this song is entirely rooted in prior experience. Think of it – if someone were to listen to this piece and they had not a clue as to who Jesus was or what Judas was talking about, the brunt of the power and passion in the music would be lost.
