"Evita vol. 2" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Evita — Original London Cast Recording, Vol. 2 (1978)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

Is there really a separate Volume 2 for the 1978 London cast? In the UK, the canonical album is a single “Original London Cast Recording” LP on MCA (cat. no. MCG 3527). Some territories split program material across cassettes or budget reissues, which is why “Vol. 1/Vol. 2” turns up in retail listings. When you see “Vol. 2” tied to 1978, it refers to a packaging split—not a distinct second album with different performances.

Think of this “Vol. 2” as shorthand for the back-half emphasis: Act II heavy-hitters led by Elaine Paige (Eva), with David Essex (Che) and Joss Ackland (Perón). The official 1978 album clocks 15 tracks (≈51 minutes) and was produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Release metadata on Apple Music and Discogs aligns on date, credits, and label; Music Week’s industry listings confirm the LP’s UK presence in early 1979. The Andrew Lloyd Webber official site covers the June 21, 1978 West End premiere and principals.

Questions & Answers

What is “Vol. 2” in practical terms?

A territory/format split of the 1978 Original London Cast program. The UK master release is a single LP (MCG 3527); “Vol. 2” is not a different recording.

Does “Vol. 2” map to Act II?

Usually, yes—retail splits tend to skew toward the later numbers (“Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” “Rainbow High,” “And the Money Kept Rolling In,” “Lament”).

How is this different from the 1976 concept album’s “Tape 2/Vol. 2”?

The 1976 concept album was a double set (MCX 503) with two LPs/cassettes; its “Tape 2” is part of that studio project, not the 1978 stage cast.

Who produced and released the 1978 cast album?

Produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice; released by MCA Records in the UK.

Key voices on the 1978 London recording?

Elaine Paige (Eva), David Essex (Che), Joss Ackland (Juan Perón).

Where can I verify track run and label details?

Apple Music (album page), Discogs (master/release pages), Andrew Lloyd Webber’s official site (premiere/cast), and Music Week’s archive listings.

How does this compare with the 1979 Premiere American (Broadway) recording?

The 1979 set is larger (double album) and later won the Grammy; the 1978 London LP is a concise highlights document.

Notes & Trivia

• UK LP catalogue widely cited as MCG 3527 (MCA). A matching cassette carried TC-MCG 3527.
• Some retailers tagged cassette splits as “Vol. 1/Vol. 2” for shelf clarity. The audio content comes from the same 1978 London cast master.
• Confusion persists because the 1976 concept album was a 2-LP/2-cassette set (MCX 503) with an explicit “Tape 2.”
• Apple Music standardizes the 1978 album at 15 tracks / ~51 minutes with the West End cast billed.

Genres & Themes

Symphonic rock & anthemry → political spectacle. Big brass and massed chorus turn rallies into theatre (“A New Argentina,” “Money Kept Rolling In”).

Latin dance-band colors → place & pageant. Tango/bolero tints frame Eva’s self-mythologizing (“Buenos Aires,” later echoed in Act II).

Torch ballad → myth vs. person. “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” (balcony) and the closing “Lament” bookend image and mortality.

Tracks & Scenes

“Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” — Eva
Where it plays: Act II opening balcony address from the Casa Rosada (the show’s emblem).
Why it matters: Public myth-making set to a clean, soaring melody; the rhetoric sells tenderness as legitimacy.

“High Flying, Adored” — Che & Company
Where it plays: Post-election reflection; the nation counts the cost of celebrity power.
Why it matters: The score’s sobering counter-melody—fame as altitude sickness.

“Rainbow High” — Eva & Dressers
Where it plays: Image-building montage before the European tour.
Why it matters: Branding as policy; fashion cues become diplomatic tools.

“And the Money Kept Rolling In (And Out)” — Che & Ensemble
Where it plays: Charity machine in overdrive; books that never quite balance.
Why it matters: Satire you can dance to; rhythmic churn mirrors opaque finances.

“Waltz for Eva and Che” — Eva & Che
Where it plays: Imagined confrontation near the end; two worldviews circling.
Why it matters: The show’s rare pause—philosophy in 3/4, mortality on the beat.

“She Is a Diamond” — Perón
Where it plays: Late defense of Eva’s legacy from Perón’s vantage point.
Why it matters: Quiet political love song—loyalty over policy.

“Lament” — Eva
Where it plays: Final confession; the myth drains away.
Why it matters: Human scale returns, answering the album’s prologue.

Music–Story Links

The balcony ballad builds a bond that later numbers interrogate. “Rainbow High” makes image the message; “Money Kept Rolling In” shows how image funds power. The waltz with Che reframes the narrative as a debate, setting up “Lament” to collapse spectacle into a single voice.

How It Was Made

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; lyrics by Tim Rice. Stage direction by Harold Prince. The UK “Original London Cast Recording” (MCG 3527) was produced by Lloyd Webber and Rice and issued by MCA. Apple Music lists June 21, 1978 as the album’s publication line; Discogs documents LP and cassette variants. Music Week’s archive places the LP in UK charts/retail circulation in early 1979.

Reception & Quotes

“The heart of the show lies in its most famous number… tunefully beguiling.” The Guardian

“Paige… offers us not a multi-dimensional Evita but a series of lightning impressions.” The Guardian (retrospective)

These summaries echo long-running critical consensus: the score’s anthems land viscerally; Che’s commentary needles the gloss. The OLC album remains the tightest snapshot of that balance.

Additional Info

• “Vol. 2” appears on split cassettes/retail packaging; audio is from the same 1978 London cast program.
• The 1976 concept album (MCX 503) has an explicit “Tape 2/Vol. 2” and is often the source of mislabelling.
• The 1979 Premiere American Recording is a larger set and later won the Grammy for Best Cast Show Album.
• Apple Music and Discogs remain the cleanest public references for 1978 album timing and credits.
• Industry paper Music Week lists the 1978 OLC in early-1979 market roundups.

Technical Info

• Title: Evita — Original London Cast Recording (often mis-split as “Vol. 2” on some cassettes)
• Year: 1978 (West End premiere June 21, 1978)
• Type: Original London cast highlights album
• Composers/Lyricists: Andrew Lloyd Webber (music); Tim Rice (lyrics)
• Starring: Elaine Paige (Eva), David Essex (Che), Joss Ackland (Juan Perón)
• Produced by: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice (album)
• Label / Cat. no. (UK): MCA Records — MCG 3527 (LP); TC-MCG 3527 (cassette)
• Availability: Streaming on major platforms; numerous LP/cassette/CD variants documented by Discogs

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Apple Music; Discogs; Andrew Lloyd Webber official site; Wikipedia; Music Week (archive).

November, 09th 2025