Starlight Express: Cast Recordings (1984-2024)

8 September 2022 is a date I will not easily forget. A friend of mine and I were chatting, following the news that Queen Elizabeth II was ill. I saw a post online from Ray Shell, who, I believe, was on the streets of London that day and had just heard news. I decided to stay up a little longer and then the news started breaking. Queen Elizabeth II had died. Prince Charles had become King Charles III.

Ray Shell is an original cast member of one of the most successful musicals ever performed in London's West End, the first production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe musical "Starlight Express". Ray had originated the role of Rusty, preserved on the double album cast recording released in 1984 on Polydor Records. If you've heard this album, or one of Andrew's compilations like "The Premiere Collection" (1988), you will recognize Ray's vocals from songs like "Starlight Express" and "I Am the Starlight". Ray also played Poppa in "The New Starlight Express", the updated London version from 1992, and can be seen performing "Light at the End of the Tunnel" on "Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration" (1998), and many more appearances on stage and screen.

On 27 March 1984, Ray took his bows with the rest of the original cast at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, London, transformed into a "world of speed and spectacle" as described on the 1984 poster, on the opening night of "Starlight Express". In a production directed by Trevor Nunn, choreographed by Arlene Phillips, designed by John Napier, Liz Da Costa as associate costume designer, lighting by David Hersey, sound by Martin Levan, David Caddick as production musical director, orchestrations by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Andrew's company the Really Useful Theatre Company producing, (thank you Starlight Express Wiki and Google AI Mode for leading me there!), and a cast also including Stephanie Lawrence, Frances Rufelle, Jeff Shankley, Jeffrey Daniel, P.P. Arnold and more (thank you Wiki!), "Starlight Express" became the next hit musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

By this point in his career, Andrew had composed the stage scores "The Likes of Us" (unproduced until 2005), "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" (1968, London production 1972), "Come Back Richard Your Country Needs You" (1969, performed once at the City of London School), "Jesus Christ Superstar" (album 1970, New York production 1971 and London production 1972), "Jacob's Journey" (1972, an early Act One opener for the London production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat"), "Jeeves" (1975), "Evita" (album 1976, London production 1978), "Variations" (album 1978), "Tell me on a Sunday" (album 1980), combined as the stage production "Song & Dance" (1982), "Cats" (1981), and the film scores "Gumshoe" (1971) and "The Odessa File" (1974). Andrew had also formed his company the Really Useful Group, renamed LW Entertainment in 2025, and started the tradition of his Sydmonton Festival, previewing his latest scores.

In 1977, a single appeared called "Engine of Love" from Earl and the Steam Team. Music was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Peter Reeves, the original London Narrator in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat". The B side was an instrumental called "Steamin'". Lord Wiki explains that lead singer Earl Jordan has the ability to "sing three notes at once in the style of a steam whistle", and if you want to hear this version, it can be found more easily on "Music & Songs from Starlight Express" released in 1987 on MCA Records. These two songs are the earliest available recordings of any of the music from "Starlight Express".

How did this single come about? Wiki says that "Starlight Express" came out of three projects that Andrew had been developing, none of which would progress. Wiki goes on: "In 1974, Lloyd Webber approached author Reverend W. Awdry about adapting Awdry's book series 'The Railway Series' as an animated TV series. Following the meeting, Lloyd Webber started composing, with actor and children's TV writer Peter Reeves contributing lyrics, alongside artist Brian Cosgrove animating for it. They pitched their material to Granada TV, who commissioned a pilot episode. The episode was completed in early 1976, but Granada ultimately decided not to produce a full series as they feared that Awdry's stories were not popular enough outside the UK to justify investing the time and money needed to make the series. Ironically, the 'Thomas & Friends' series later premiered seven months after 'Starlight Express' and became highly successful." If that title seems familiar, think "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends".

Wiki goes on: "Around the same time as writing 'Engine of Love', an American TV station invited Lloyd Webber to compose songs for a railway-themed animated film of Cinderella. In this version of the story, the Prince would hold a competition to decide which Engine would pull the royal train across the United States of America. Cinderella would be a steam engine, and the ugly sisters would be a diesel engine and an electric engine. This project went into development hell, but Lloyd Webber remained interested in telling a story with anthropomorphic trains." In 2021, Andrew would premiere his musical version of "Cinderella".

Wiki goes on: "'Starlight Express' proper began in early 1981. Lloyd Webber asked lyricist Richard Stilgoe to help him revive the idea as a concert for schools, in the style of Lloyd Webber's breakthrough musical, 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'." This resulted in the performance of two new songs at the 1982 Sydmonton Festival.

Wiki goes on: "The director Trevor Nunn watched the performance and offered to help develop the material from something "twee" to something with "more spectacle and theatre magic"." It seems that "Starlight Express" was evolving from something akin to "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat" to a production on the scale of "Cats".

Wiki goes on: "Together, Lloyd Webber, Stilgoe and Nunn developed the story to include the idea of trains and coaches racing. The choreographer Arlene Phillips was brought on board along with the designer John Napier, who suggested staging the show on roller skates." With this in mind, not only did they require triple threats, performers who had the ability to act, sing and dance, but now there was roller skating.

Wiki goes on: "In 1983, the first act of 'Starlight Express' was workshopped by Nunn and Phillips with a cast that included the comedian Tracey Ullman. Based on the workshop's success, 'Starlight Express' began full-scale production, opening in the West End in March 1984." It would run there for eighteen years, closing on 12 January 2002 after 7,409 performances. I would say it did rather well.

The original cast recording was put together from three live performances, with three studio produced remixes including the songs: "AC/DC" produced by Alan Shacklock, a name I recognize from Meat Loaf's "Bad Attitude" released the same year, with an uncredited guest vocal from Sarah Brightman, "He Whistled at Me", "Right Place, Right Time" and "No Comeback" remixed by Dave MacKay (thank you Starlight Express Wiki and Google AI Mode!). This was the first recording I heard and it was a feast.

Let's go through the songs. First disc: "Overture", a blast of sound driving me into the world of "Starlight Express", musically this recalls "Variations" for me, "Rolling Stock", synth and orchestral power give way to rock in the opening song, "Call Me Rusty", Rusty makes his appearance on this memorable tune, "A Lotta Locomotion", this sounds like it could have been a single in the 1980s, "Pumping Iron", like music that could have existed in "Joseph" or "Cats", "Freight", an infectious song you just want to sing along with, "AC/DC", haunting sound and atmosphere, I love what Sarah Brightman brings to the mix too, "He Whistled at Me", Pearl sings about her dream train, this is the music from "Engine of Love" which had already been a single, "The Race", an action instrumental, a medley of various themes from the score, "There's Me", an underrated classic, part of which became the music for "A Gift for Living Well" from Andrew's musical "The Woman in White", "Poppa's Blues", a great example of Andrew's eclecticism, demonstrated in scores like "Joseph", "Cats" and this one, "Belle the Sleeping Car", a relaxing number late in the first act, and "Starlight Express", the theme and perhaps the most well-known song from this score.

Second disc: "The Rap", one of the first times rap appeared in a musical, I believe, so this is quite novel, "U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D.", the musical goes country, "Rolling Stock (Reprise)", a dramatic second act reprise, "C.B.", a pop song for one of the villains, "Right Place, Right Time", another potential single, musically and lyrically, "I Am the Starlight", one of the pivotal moments of this score and an iconic musical scene, "He Whistled at Me (Reprise)", Pearl's song is reprised before the final race, "Race: The Final", the thundering climax, bringing us directly into "No Comeback", a pounding tune that brings to mind songs like "And the Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)" from "Evita" and "Hand me the Wine and the Dice" from the later "Aspects of Love", "One Rock 'N' Roll Too Many", a bluesy number for some of the trains, "Only He", the big love song, "Only You", Rusty and Pearl's reprise, and "Light at the End of the Tunnel", the rousing gospel finale, and I love this version the way it slows down in the middle. Ladies and gentlemen, this has been an adventure in listening. What it looked like must have been something as well.

"Starlight Express" would reach Broadway three years later, opening at the Gershwin Theatre, New York on 15 March 1987. Much of the script, score and production were reworked, and there was no Broadway cast recording. An album of pop versions produced by Phil Ramone was released the same year, the aforementioned "Music & Songs from Starlight Express".

Let's have a look at this one. Performers include El DeBarge, Peter Hewlett, Josie Aiello, Marc Cohn, Earl Jordan and Richie Havens. Songs are "Starlight Express" produced by Jay Graydon, this version contains new verses, "Engine of Love", added for the Broadway production, "Lotta Locomotion", "There's Me", "AC/DC", "Pumping Iron", "Engine of Love", the original single version, "Only You", the new version of "Only He" from the London production, "The Race Is On" instrumental produced by Harold Faltermeyer, "Make Up My Heart", written for the Broadway production, "I Am the Starlight", "One Rock & Roll Too Many" and "Light at the End of the Tunnel". This album is a collection of fun pop songs, and there's really nothing more I can add except it's a fun listen of these songs in their own right. The Broadway production closed on 8 January 1989 after 761 performances. As of this post, the musical has not been revived there.

According to Wiki, following the Broadway opening, "Engine of Love" and "Make up My Heart" were incorporated into the London production. "No Comeback" was removed.

Two more albums follow on my list. The first being an Australian/Japanese recording released in 1987. This contains the songs "Rolling Stock", "Engine of Love", "AC/DC", "Pumping Iron", "Make Up My Heart", "There's Me", "Starlight Express", "Pearl Twirl – Hymn to Victory", "U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D.", "Girls Rolling Stock", "Wide Smile", the Broadway version of the song "C.B.", I believe, "Right Place, Right Time", "Starlight/Race Music", "Only You", and "Light at the End of the Tunnel". I believe this album comes from a 1980s tour of Australia and Japan. As far as I'm aware, this is the only time "Starlight Express" has been performed professionally in Australia. I'm pleased that this recording even exists.

The second is the Bochum cast recording from 1988, from the production that opened on 12 June 1988 at the specially built Starlight Express Theater in Bochum, Germany. This album contains the songs, listed here in English, "Overture", "Rolling Stock", "Engine of Love", "AC/DC", "Make Up My Heart", "There's Me", "Poppa's Blues", "Starlight Express", "A Lotta Locomotion", which, for whatever reason, has been shifted to this point on the album, "U.N.C.O.U.P.L.E.D.", "Starlight Express", "One Rock 'N' Roll Too Many", "Only You" and "Light at the End of the Tunnel". Probably I should hear the other two or so recordings, especially given that they contain the complete score, but, from this version, it's too soon for me to comment. All I can say is there is no language barrier for me, probably one of the reasons it continues playing in Bochum to this day.

The London production was relaunched in November 1992 with a number of updates and revisions, and given the title "The New Starlight Express". The cast recording was released the following year.

According to Wiki, these are the changes made from the 1980s version. Wiki: "Twelve songs were removed: the Overture, 'Engine of Love', 'Call Me Rusty', 'Hitching and Switching', 'There's Me', 'Belle the Sleeping Car', 'Heat Three', 'Wide Smile High Style', 'No Comeback', 'Only He' and 'Only You'." Note: "Call Me Rusty" and "Hitching and Switching" both appear in Wiki's 1992 song list. "No Comeback" had already been removed prior to 1992. The song "A Lotta Locomotion" appeared in the production but was not included on the recording.

Wiki: "Five songs were added: 'Crazy', 'He'll Whistle at Me', 'Make Up My Heart', 'Next Time You Fall in Love', 'The Megamix'." Next point: "'The Rap' opened the second act and was rewritten entirely to become an anthem to racing." Next point: "The 'Entry of National Trains' was moved to the show's opening. 'Pumping Iron' was forced to after 'AC/DC'." Next point: "The characters of Belle and C.B. were cut. This required substantial changes to the plot, as without a clear villain, Rusty, Electra and Greaseball had to cause their problems or be the victims of circumstance to move the story along." Next point: "Rather than winning a heat each, as in the five-race structure, Greaseball and Electra come first and second in the first heat, securing their final place. Rusty did not race until the last, only reluctantly taking Poppa's place after the title song. After the Uphill Final, when Dinah uncouples Electra, with no C.B., he partners Buffy instead for the Downhill Final. At the end of the race, Electra and Greaseball now crashed accidentally, and Electra took C.B.'s place in 'One Rock 'N' Roll Too Many'." Note: "One Rock 'N' Roll Too Many" follows "Next Time You Fall in Love" on the album but precedes it in the production.

As far as the new album, I love hearing the sound evolution from "Starlight Express" and this will continue again with the 2024 recording. I'll get into what I thought of some of the changes now: "Overture", "Entry of National Trains", this was cool hearing the dialogue, "He'll Whistle at Me", a new slower version of Pearl's song "He Whistled at Me", the music has reverted from "Engine of Love", "Freight", the opening section feels like a reference to negative reviews, "AC/DC", a slightly different ending from memory, "Coda of Freight", an elaborate vocal reprise, "Crazy", really brings me into "The New Starlight Express", "Make Up My Heart", it's cool hearing it in a more complete version of the score, "Race Two", the nineties version of the action medley continues, "The Rap", the rewritten nineties version, fun to hear the difference which, from memory, is dramatic, "Race Three", the next action medley, "Next Time You Fall in Love" with lyrics by Don Black, the new song for Pearl and Rusty which is the music from "The Ballad of Billy McCaw" deleted from the Broadway "Cats", I feel like Andrew might have been inspired by "(I've Had) The Time of my Life" from the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack, so he brings that kind of sound into "The New Starlight Express", and "Starlight Megamix", following on from "Joseph Megamix" from the London Palladium revival of "Joseph". Andrew completes his trilogy of mega mixes with the 1996 production of "By Jeeves".

The following year, a 90 minute version of "Starlight Express" opened on 14 September 1993 at the Las Vegas Hilton. "The New Starlight Express" album was reissued for this production with a different cover containing the title "Starlight Express". Reva Rice, from "The New Starlight Express", also played Pearl in this version. The production closed on 30 November 1997.

Over the next few decades, "Starlight Express" would continue to evolve in further productions. At one point, Andrew discussed working on another update with writer Ben Elton. This would lead to their musical "The Beautiful Game" opening in September 2000 at the Cambridge Theatre, London.

Wiki explains the changes that have been made in the Bochum production since 1988. Wiki: "In 2003, the songs 'Crazy' and 'Next Time You Fall in Love' were added to the show, the latter replacing 'Only You'. A 'Megamix' was also added to the end of the show. 'Engine of Love' was shortened. An extra verse was added to the set, allowing greater flexibility in staging and more tricks for the skaters." Next point: "In 2006, the Hip Hoppers replaced the Rockies from the second U.S. tour." Next point: "In 2007, the Rap was altered again." Next point: "2008, the 'Entry of the National Trains' was moved to the show's beginning. 'There's Me' was cut, and 'Engine of Love' was replaced by a shortened version of 'Call Me Rusty'. 'Next Time You Fall in Love' was cut. Additionally, the title song was reworked to the "When your goodnights have been said" lyric," so the version from the original cast recording, "'He'll Whistle at Me' had lyrics corrected, 'The Rap' was changed to 'It's Race Time', and the final duet between Rusty and Pearl was updated to the U.K. tour version of 'Only He'." Next point: "In 2013, 'A Whole Lotta Locomotion' replaced 'A Lotta Locomotion'. 'I Do', a new song written for the 2012 U.K. and 2013 Asia tour by Lloyd Webber's son Alastair, replaced 'Only He'. Several songs had lyrics changed and costumes altered with a nod to the original London production." Next point: "In 2017, Krupp, Electra's armaments truck, was cut from the production."

Wiki goes on to explain: "In 2017, Lloyd Webber visited the production for the charity gala in which the show was performed in English and found it 'unrecognizable' following years of incremental revisions. Arlene Phillips added that in 2018, the 'overall tone of the show [now appeared] a little bit sexist.' Lloyd Webber resolved to shut down the production if he could not find a way to 'get Starlight back to its roots'. He wrote new material and workshopped for six performances at The Other Palace in London in September 2017 before being rolled out in Bochum. Phillips directed the stripped-back workshop production with no set, costumes or roller skates. These changes included..."

Wiki proceeds to list these changes: "adding a new song and musical motif for the coaches called 'I Got Me' with lyrics by Lauren Aquilina." Next point: "removing several songs that no longer fit the theme." Next point: "substantially revising the orchestration in favour of a more rock-based 1980s sound." Next point: "reintroducing the Rockies, replacing the Hip Hoppers." Next point: "changing the genders of Poppa and Bobo from male to female, becoming 'Momma' and 'Coco'. Rocky 3 became female; Volta became male." Next point: "replacing Ashley and Buffy with Belle, the lounge car, and Tassita, the quiet carriage (in the German production, Tassita would become Carrie, the luggage car, and Belle became a bar car)." Next point: "replacing Electra's money truck, Purse, with Killerwatt, the security truck."

Wiki then goes on to explain: "In May 2018, the Bochum production closed for a month to rehearse the new material and for significant technical updates to the 30-year-old auditorium. Lloyd Webber, Phillips and original designer John Napier returned to oversee the changes, which Lloyd Webber now considers the definitive version of 'Starlight Express'. As well as the changes from The Other Palace, they also..."

Wiki lists these changes: "updated the German lyrics of several songs within the show". Next point: "redesigned many costumes based on new designs". Next point: "installed completely new sound and lighting". Next point: "introduced the British train named ‘Brexit’, renamed the Japanese train 'Manga', renamed the French train 'Coco'." Next point: "made some characters 'gender variable': Rocky 3, Wrench, Volta, and Manga – although primarily meant to be female, female, male, and male respectively – may be played by an actor of a different gender if it's necessary due to vacations/injuries etc. of the original actor, as well as (as of June 2019) Brexit (originally meant to be male)."

Two new English recordings were released as part of "Andrew Lloyd Webber: Unmasked: The Platinum Collection" (2018) in connection with his seventieth birthday. These recordings were "Light at the End of the Tunnel" performed by Gregory Porter and "I Am the Starlight" performed by Mica Paris and George Ure. For anyone excited for a new production or recording, as a result of these songs, they didn't have to wait *too* long.

Forty years after it opened in London's West End, and over twenty years since its closure there, "Starlight Express" returned to London. The production directed by Luke Sheppard opened 30 June 2024 at Starlight Auditorium, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre in London.

Wiki details further changes: "Greaseball is portrayed as female, Electra uses they/them pronouns, Poppa is changed to Momma and is played by the same actor as plays Control's mother in the first scene. Control is played by a child actor." Note: Poppa had already become Momma in the 2017/2018 versions. "A script change is that Rusty now wins, with Hydra, by making steam from hydrogen (rather than coal). This is in a new number "Hydrogen" by Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe." The production closes on 3 May 2026.

The 2024 London cast recording was released in November 2024 and I'll take a look at some of the changes now: "I Am Me", one of the new songs I hadn't heard, and how could I not like the reference to "Tire Tracks and Broken Hearts" from "Whistle down the Wind", "Hydrogen", a cinematic new addition to the proceedings here, "Momma's Blues", Momma is just as cool as Poppa, "Starlight Express", this goes back to the verses from "Music & Songs from Starlight Express" which is an intriguing choice, possibly because of the music from the deleted song "Only He", "Wide Smile", C.B.'s song restored, now sung by the character Slick, "I Do" written by Andrew's son Alastair with lyrics by Nick Coler, this does manage to hold its own against "Only He", "Only You" and "Next Time You Fall in Love" so my congratulations to Alastair and Nick on this one.

I was writing earlier about the sound evolution of "Starlight Express" and because of the 2024 recording this is one of the things I love about this musical. If you listen to, say, the 1984, 1993 and 2024 recordings you can hear a whole evolution of musical arrangements and sound, what Andrew, his co-orchestrators and his sound and recording teams have been able to do from a performance and technical standpoint. "Starlight Express" isn't just an entertaining musical I can listen to, something that, I believe, doesn't aspire to be anything more than what it is, and has introduced generations of audiences to musical theatre, it's a nice example, for me, of the evolution of orchestrations and sound in a musical.

Andrew's evolution as a composer and orchestrator can be traced through all of his works and their inherent recordings, but "Starlight Express", for me, is a cool example of what tools he and his associates have been able to use over a period of time, forty years in this case. If you haven't heard the latest album, or any of these albums at all, and you are interested, I say try to bear this in mind.

Thank you to all of the people who brought me "Starlight Express" onstage and offstage, thank you to all of the people whose tireless efforts went into performing and recording all of the versions of this musical, and thank you for reading what I have to say.

Thank you for reading,

Ryan.