Evita is a concept album released in 1976 and produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice about the life of Eva Perón. Having successfully launched their previous show, Jesus Christ Superstar, on record in 1970, Lloyd Webber and Rice returned to the format for Evita. It was released in the United Kingdom on 19 November 1976.
Elements of the original plotline on this album were removed before the show was staged in London in 1978. "Che" here was much more explicitly based on Che Guevara, including a subplot about Guevara's failed efforts to market the insecticide Vendaval, most significantly highlighted in the song "The Lady's Got Potential". The track was cut from the score and a new song written to include the key plotline of Juan Perón's rise to power: "The Art of the Possible".
The libretto and synopsis record "Part One" ending after the balcony scene following "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" and "Part Two" beginning with "High Flying, Adored". On both the original LP and subsequent compact disc releases, though, the recording is split such that the balcony scene begins the second half. This split point was retained for the London stage production.
As well as producing the album, Lloyd Webber and Rice also performed on the recording. Rice's principal role was as one of the army officers on the track "Rainbow Tour" and Lloyd Webber played keyboards. In his autobiography, Rice quotes the production cost of the album at ã74,827.83; around five times that of the Superstar concept album.
The album was principally recorded and mixed at Olympic Studios in London from April to September 1976, except for the track "Waltz for Eva and Che" which was recorded at Henry Wood Hall as Lloyd Webber preferred its live acoustic for that piece.
The album was first played, on tape, to an invited audience after which it was remixed and had 15 minutes of material cut or rewritten. The master discs were re-cut five times, with side four being re-cut nine times.
The gatefold album was released with a monochromatic sleeve, simply black text and photographs on a white background. The cover had the name "Evita" written in a cursive font across a line drawn heart and the subtitle "An opera based on the life story of Eva Peron 1919-1952" below. A glossy brochure was included that contained the credits, libretto and a synopsis, with photographs of the cast and producers by Lord Snowdon and others, collected by the film director Carlos Pasini, of Eva Perón.
The album was relaunched on compact disc in 1996 as the "20th Anniversary Edition" with the cover printed on a silver, blue metalised paper rather than the original white.
Side breaks are from the original LP. The CD edition combines sides 1 and 2 on its first disc, and 3 and 4 on its second.
The recording also featured The London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Anthony Bowles.
Credits per AllMusic.