Take That frontman Gary Barlow joins cast for a new War of the Worlds album

By ANTHONY BARNES
Published on 19/09/2012 01:12

GARY Barlow has landed a lead role performing on a revamp of the celebrated album of musical War of the Worlds.

The Take That star is taking on two of the most famous songs from the production, originally sung by Moody Blues singer Justin Hayward.

Barlow will tackle Forever Autumn and The Eve of the War, with its famous line “the chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one – but still they come”.

Other names drafted in for the album, based on the HG Wells book, include Joss Stone and Kaiser Chiefs frontman Ricky Wilson, currently appearing in a stage version.

The album was a huge hit in the late 1970s when it was originally released, spending more than 330 weeks on the chart and spawning hit singles.

Creator Jeff Wayne has now given it a complete overhaul 34 years after it first came out.

Barlow said he was delighted to appear on the album.

“I’ve been a huge fan of The War of the Worlds score since I was a kid, so to be asked to work with the legend that is Jeff Wayne was a real privilege.”

Actor Liam Neeson is also among the new cast, playing The Journalist who narrates the production, a role originally taken by Richard Burton.

Taken star Neeson was already lined up to perform in the new stage version, although he will be appearing as a 3D hologram rather than live.

He said: “I knew and loved the book from when I was a teenager and it was an easy persuasion. I bought the album in 1979 when I was working in Ireland. I still have that little cassette.”