And now here they are, Nick and Sue on Chatterbox. When the stars talk, they talk to Nick and Sue. And welcome back to the Chatterbox Redux podcast with Nick and Sue. And today our guest is Jeff Wayne of The War of the Worlds. And now on Chatterbox UK we're just lucky enough to welcome Jeff Wayne. Jeff, welcome to Chatterbox. How are you, sir? Hello, Jeff. Hi there, you guys. Thank you for your invitation. I look forward to our chat on Chatterbox. Yes, absolutely. It's great to meet
you at last. Okay. Now, I think most of our listeners would be aware of, obviously, War of the Worlds. It's an album that sold, I think, is it 16 million copies or something? Something amazing, anyway. And as the years have gone by, you've basically, there's been a reworks version we'd like to talk about. Now, we've got a new version of War of the Worlds, a new radio edit, and we've got this thing to do with National Album Day, so are you
giving that a bit of a push? And also, I hope we've got time, we've got you doing a tour and I'm pleased to say you're coming within 30 miles of us to Brighton, so we'll be catching you then. So, Jeff, anniversary, I know you did a 35th and so on, but... the reimagined play and the album that's out, I mean, basically, what's different about it? Well, every production we've ever done, right from the very beginning, beginning of our arena tours, which started in 2006, have all
been different. I've never wanted to just take it out of the box and do it the same way each time. That would be a bit too easy. And I don't think it would be of a great challenge for us as creative people. And we want to entertain audiences in a way that is always looking at what's technology, for example, what's new in technology, using it, incorporating it into our arena tours. We've had it's called the war of
the world's experience. occupies a whole building, 24 rooms, a bar and a restaurant all sort of decorated in steampunk. You're greeted by a Martian fighting machine when you enter and it fires, doesn't fire real flames like we do in our arena tours. The fighting machine at the experience is smoke and light, but it's very effective and It's an example of something that, sort of like my original double album, that we had no idea what this sort of acceptance, if there would
be, by the public, the critics, the media. And this experience, we thought if it ran three to six months, we would have done very well. And it's now in its sixth year, and it's going at least to the end of the seventh year. And that's really been my whole history sort of with the War of the Worlds. Every new production, the West End, the tours, our audio book with Michael Sheen and Taron Egerton. Every interpretation
is different. The score has always been the heart of every one of these productions, but I add new things. I look at and listen to the way the grooves are sounding and the technology in our arena tours is quite something because if you compare our first tour in 2006 when it was considered a pretty groundbreaking multimedia extravaganza, it bears no real similarity to the show we're doing now. Just the pushing and challenging of of new ways of interpreting without losing the
essence of my original score. Perfect. Well, you can imagine me when it came out, I was something like I was eight years old when it came out and I did soon after my birthday. And I got one of those little vouchers for some records. It might be W. H. Smith or someone. But I went and bought the album with it. Absolutely true. And I've got to tell you now, Jeff, when I put the stylus on and those first few bars of the Eve of War, imagine a kid listening to that playing it too
loud. You imagine what. So absolutely amazing. And it was sort of like, wow, this thing's great. It's futuristic, but classical at the same time. And those few bars, just amazing. And of course, I'm pleased to say that's, of course, the new radio edits of Eve of War. I've just had it blasting in my headphones. Totally and utterly amazing. That's why we're sticking it straight on our playlist. But can I ask you, Geoff, obviously the inspiration is, of course, the War of the
Worlds from HG Wells. As a kid, as you were growing up, were you into classical music or were you into rock and what was your inspiration as a kid, just out of interest? Well, it comes from the fact that From about the age of five, I started taking piano lessons. My dad was a very popular singer and actor in the United States for many years. And so I always was growing up around musicians and writers and directors, creative
talent. And I started with classical piano. And then many years later, I switched to jazz, living in New York at the time. I went to a teacher who was a brilliant musician in his own right, named John Mahigan, but he also wrote books and took on certain people for pupils. And I was fortunate that he took me on. He taught at the Juilliard School of Music in New York, and then came back to England. Pop music was starting
to come out. Bill Haley in the Comets was my first awareness of an act that was making incredible energy unique in the way they performed. They came to England. I was living here as a young boy. Whereas Elvis, who never came here, I was becoming familiar with his records when he became the legend that he did. But I've been in... involved as a writer and a producer in probably most genres of music. So I feel sort of at home in most genres, but I love writing classical string orchestrations.
And The War of the Worlds contains, I think, a mixture of styles because the HGOL story motivated me to, I sort of in my mind was creating a musical ping pong match in that when the story is being told through the eyes of humanity, it's much more acoustic and string orientated. And when it switches and we're being told about the Martians, their machines, their weaponry, it becomes much more electronic and aggressive. And it's all
linked together. It's a continuous work. The truth is You know, if you'd asked me, as I was, who did I think was going to like this sort of double album? I remember answering, I have no idea. I really don't know who it will appeal
to. But I had so many wonderful artists, musicians and technicians involved with me that I always felt if I could just see the album for one week in the UK album charts, I would feel that I hadn't let everybody down, not knowing it would last in the charts in its first, however many years, 330 weeks. And it keeps popping up now and then and like reissues on vinyl. And they always seem to do well. And here I am talking to you. Now, if I had been asked, would I be talking to you
guys today, 48 years on? Of course not. That's great. Great answer. But then you go, it goes back to me hearing those bars for the first time. Never tired of it. Listening to the radio edit, which all the stations are going to be playing, it still sounds exciting. It is really exciting. Just like, you know, it is just amazing. Excites
you every time. So if it does that to me still, someone hearing it for the first time in a younger audience, you know, the people that are just learning about it, like the record buyers of today, as I call them. Yeah. I heard it for the first time on the podcast, didn't I? You did. And it was amazing. Absolutely. And also, we've got the opening bars playing on the current EE mobile TV adverts. television here. Okay. That's also, I think, the 10th anniversary of that version
coming out, which is the Ben Librand remix. So look for that coming up the charts as well as the single by Jeff. That's all rather good. So, Jeff, National Album Day, 19th of October. You're championing it with, obviously, the War of the Worlds remix double album by the looks of it. in yellow and orange vinyl. We give you a free pair of sunglasses because they're so bright, the two vinyl discs, that you need sunglasses to save time. Sue's just seen it, seen them.
I like that. I like the cover as well. So that's a nice, and also on the 19th of October, because this will be going, yeah, it will be being played then, the show will. You're doing a one -off signing on National Album Day, 19th of October, at the Massive HMV in Oxford Street in London. I am, and I've done a couple over the years. And they're always good fun because you get to meet people that you wouldn't have in normal circumstances. So I'm looking forward to it.
Yeah, National Album Day, I learned very recently. It's been going for some years. And this year, I'm one of their champions, as they call them, representing the war of the worlds. And there's others that are participating. in their own way on albums that they've been sort of praised for. That's great, absolutely great, and it's a great store as well, absolutely massive. And I love the yellow and orange double vinyl, but yeah, it's great, especially for such a fantastic album
as well, you know, amazing. So the experience you mentioned, that is going to certainly run to the end of its seventh year. We've got War of the Worlds at the Dominion Theatre, Tottenham Court Road. I mean, that's already been on for some time again. How long is it the ticket's been sold for now? I think it's going to go on and on, but I mean, are they booking to the end of next year or where's that one going at the
moment? Actually, we played there but are not playing any longer because what happened was that I was invited by now the late Bill Kenwright. to present the War of the Worlds in the West End for a limited season of seven weeks. It did so well, it was extended for another month. But by that point, we were confirmed to go back into the arenas because it was the 30th anniversary at that point of the release of the original double album of the War of the Worlds. So we
were there in 2016. uh for however many months the it was 88 shows the season wound up but we have been talking and hope that we'll wind up back in the theaters because it's another it's another environment it's so different from uh arenas which of course are are giant and uh you have to redesign and rethink the show for uh even though the dominion is one of the biggest theaters in the west end uh about 2100 people the smallest arenas in the UK are about 4 ,000
people and go up to 21 ,000 or so. So one is designing and communicating in a different sort of way when you're in a theatre that has different intimacy. It offers really some very exciting challenges. Oh, I can imagine. As I say, we're definitely going to be coming along to Brighton to see you because That's a bit of a modern square venue. And as you say, the smaller venues you're playing at are 4 ,000, which is about what Brighton has. It is about 4 ,000. Yeah, spot on, actually.
Anyway, this World of Worlds Tour, while we've got you, is the Alive on Stage Tour, Spirit of Manta 2023, 2025 even. OK, now. We've got Liam Neeson a hologram of Liam Neeson, which is great You're conducting it. So you're there at the front conducting at every one of these Concerts as it plays around the country. You're actually there since 2006 I've never missed a show in the arenas and I didn't miss one show when we played 88 shows at the Dominion And long may
that continue? Absolutely At the end of the interview, I should go through all the theatres that exist. It's like a dozen or more. So we do that at the end. So it doesn't take up your time. OK, what I'd like to ask is what's next for Jeff Wayne? Are we going for the 50th anniversary or we got something in between? Well, we may have something in between. But yes, we're going for a 50th anniversary.
It's already being planned. And it's good that I was a three -year -old child prodigy when I wrote The War of the Worlds because I may not have made it to the 50th anniversary. Wow. That's a joke. Oh, I thought you were a real child. You know, I've seen them on TV before. Wow. This is funny. He was so serious. I can assure you. Well, very good. I like that. It's definitely staying in. What's the difference between the Spirit of Man tour and the original? Well, every
tour has been different. There's always new ingredients that challenges the audience in new ways and emotionally and visually. The Spirit of Man is a duet that's in my original... uh, double album and it stays throughout. It's a duet between
Parson Nathaniel and his wife, Beth. And it's an, in a way it's an argument between the two of them because the Parson is somebody you would think in times of stress, like a Martian invasion is, uh, the local community would come to him for moral and spiritual support, but he's the first one that really loses it. Whereas his wife, Beth, is a simple, decent woman who tries to bring him back from his madness and convince
him that life is worth living for. It's so important that it's almost worth fighting for and even dying for. And it's a major moment in our story and in the score. And it's a very dramatic and emotional piece. And Many of our tours I've given a name to. So this is the War of the Worlds, the Spirit of Mantor, which I named not just because of the duet that appears in the show and on my albums, but because of the world we're
living in at the moment. And what we need is a lot of good spirit and hope, which the song is really about. It's just a simple and small
way of trying to... Pass that emotion on Jeff when you're on tour and you go to these big venues do any of the people in the audience like get dressed up or Yeah, we've had Many tours where I'm more aware of it when maybe I'm leaving the venue and there's some people waiting outside and I suddenly see them dressed as the characters in the war of the worlds It and it's amazing and it's it's wonderful because again you realize how over the years we've reached people and We're
now and again. It's only because we're in performing for so many years now the the tours That we've started to realize we're into our third generation people because you know you said earlier Nick that you became aware of it when you were eight? Yeah, absolutely. So here you are now, a man of what, 32, 33? I'm afraid I'm 35 now. Thank you. Thank you very much. I try to get away with
that one as well. But yeah, so you now are of an age where perhaps you have a child or children and they've grown up and they're bringing their children and we see them and I only started to see this when we started touring because how else do you know who's buying your album short of doing a signing at a record store? You mostly only know how well a record is done. Is it in the charts? Is it being played? Is it selling? But you don't always truly know who those people
are. And I'm discounting mail that comes our way of people who have admired the War of the Worlds. But you're not meeting them. You just know about their appreciation of the work. Sure. Jeff, comment for you. Nick's just loaded up your Wikipedia page. Cool, you're a handsome guy in that picture. He still is. Look at him. Without saying on air. Well, not on air, but have you seen how old he is? Yes. Wow. Amazing.
brilliant but you look really good in that picture well thank you very much i must check wikipedia out to see which one it is but thank you very much standing next to a mic stand obviously that picture was taken here in my studio which i don't know whether you can see much of it but uh yeah and uh i think i'm wearing a suit yes very nice nice picture okay um one little comment i'd like to because before i met uh War of the Worlds, when I was eight years old, with that voucher
to W .H. Smiths, I had already, I was already enjoying Holst and the Planets. I just wanted to ask you, as you were growing up, was any inspiration devolved from Holst and the Planets in what we got as the final production of the first War of the Worlds album? Is there any inspiration there? Not so much inspiration, but awareness of Holtz's wonderful composition, which is divided up into the planets. But ironically, or coincidentally, many years later, there was a group called Sky.
Is that? Yeah. And I was they were doing a new version of the planets, an interpretation. And they asked me to compose a starting piece for it. And by the time they got into production, one of the two guitarists, Kevin Peake, emigrated to Australia. And it became his solo album. And I think it was, from memory, called Return to the Planets. And I sent him my piece, and it starts off the album. And it's another interpretation
of Holst's Planets. It's a magnificent piece and a real sort of feel for the universe and the main planets within it. Sure, absolutely. Sue, have you got anything else? The only comment is how amazing is the website? It is. Well, we always finish with social media, Geoff, so I do actually urge everyone to have a look at the website. And there's merchandise. Yep. We've
got thewaroftheworlds .com. do click on the little green green the little green martian button there and um you can actually get your tour tickets um straight from there um you've got the music and playlists you can buy the war of the worlds merchandise in fact it's all there just have a look at it that is thewaroftheworlds .com and i'm certain if i hit that button there there will be links to your other social media as well jeff Leaves me to say, Jeff Wayne, it's great
to meet you at last. Absolutely, mate. We'll see you in Brighton, won't we? We are going to see you in Brighton, doing your bit. And it's been great chatting to you. And hopefully we get a chat. Obviously, there's a 50th anniversary coming up. I hope we have a chat for that. But that project in the meantime, that'd be wonderful. So hopefully we can hook up for that one as well, Jeff. Thank you so much to you both, Nick and
Sue. Thank you for the lovely words. Geoff, just before we go, have you thought of doing an autobiography? Yes, have you done one? Yeah. Well, that little project that I was saying was going to come before the 50th anniversary, it is that. Oh, Geoff, that's amazing. That is amazing. Thank you. Your face. Yeah. And thank you so much for your time. Take care, Geoff. It's been a real pleasure. Thank you for inviting me. Thank you very much. Take care. Bye -bye. Bye -bye. Bye. Thanks for
watching! This edition of the Chatterbox Redux podcast was presented by Nick and Sue. We thank our special guest who was Jeff Wayne from the War of the Worlds. Our email address is nicklbum at myyahoo .com Alternatively, you could send press releases, CDs, vinyls, books, merch and even portraits to PO Box 26, the old Observer Building, Telford Road, St Leonard's -on -Sea,
East Sussex, England, TM38, 9LZ. We thank you for your company and look forward to welcoming you again next time when our guest will be newcomer Danny Addison. Until then, bye -bye. you