For any of us who’ve ever seen the video for festive classic Band Aid (or Band Aid II… or Band Aid 20), the inside of a recording studio is no longer shrouded in secrecy. But despite the visual representations of charity singles showing us where and how the musical magic happens, it is still a treat to glance past usually closed doors and take a look at the creation process.
So, like finding that 12th chocolate egg that eluded you on Sunday, it feels like an extra Easter bonus to peek at the musical theatre stars recording new album West End Switched Off, among them I Can’t Sing’s Simon Bailey and Cool Rider’s Ashleigh Gray.
The new CD, which will be launched at a special concert on Sunday at the St James Theatre Studio, promises stripped back new arrangements of musical theatre favourites. Among the twists in store are Katie Hall’s version of Les Misérables’ Bring Him Home, which is normally sung by the male Jean Valjean, and Chloë Hart and Thomas Sutcliffe singing a duet version of Wicked’s anthem Defying Gravity.
The new album also features Bailey’s take on The Little Mermaid’s Part Of Your World, former Hairspray star Adrian Hansel revisiting the musical to sing You Can’t Stop The Beat and former The Voice UK contestant Jordan Lee Davies singing Summertime from Porgy And Bess.
The album – as all good albums are – will be available from Amazon and iTunes, and there are tickets still available for Sunday’s launch. Whet your appetite by taking a look at the goings on in the recording studio.