Hubbry Logo
Eric WoolfsonEric WoolfsonMain
Open search
Eric Woolfson
Community hub
Eric Woolfson
logo
7 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Eric Woolfson
Eric Woolfson
Eric Woolfson
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Key Information

Eric Norman Woolfson (18 March 1945 – 2 December 2009)[1] was a Scottish songwriter, lyricist, vocalist, executive producer, pianist, and co-creator of the band the Alan Parsons Project, who sold over 50 million albums worldwide. Woolfson also pursued a career in musical theatre.

Early life

[edit]

Woolfson was born into a Jewish family in the Charing Cross area of Glasgow, where his family owned the Elders furniture store. He was raised in the Pollokshields area on the south side of the city and educated at the High School of Glasgow. Woolfson's interest in music was inspired by an uncle and he taught himself to play the piano.[2] After leaving school, he briefly flirted with becoming an accountant before moving to London to seek opportunities in the music industry.

Early career

[edit]

Arriving in London in 1963, he found work as a session pianist. The then current record producer for the Rolling Stones, Andrew Loog Oldham, signed him as a songwriter. During the following years, Woolfson wrote songs for artists such as Marianne Faithfull, Frank Ifield, Joe Dassin, the Tremeloes, Marie (French singer), Marmalade, Dave Berry, Peter Noone, and the Poets. In due course Woolfson signed other publishing deals as more of his songs were adopted by leading recording artists, throughout Europe and America. He also signed a deal with Southern Music, where he worked alongside composers and lyricists such as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.[3]

In 1971, with the assistance of Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, Lol Creme and Graham Gouldman (who later became 10cc), a single was produced under the name of Eric Elder ("San Tokay" b/w "Sunflower") and issued on UK Philips 6006 081 and US Philips 40699. Woolfson then produced a single by Graham Gouldman ("Nowhere to Go" b/w "Growing Older") which was issued in 1972 on UK CBS 7739. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Woolfson was an independent record producer for several record companies, and worked with artists including Dave Berry, the Equals, the Tremeloes and, in 1973, Darren Burn. Despite his success, he found that earning a living as a songwriter was not easy and decided to try artist management.

His move into management was instantly successful. His first two signings were Carl Douglas (whose record "Kung Fu Fighting" (1974) was one of the biggest selling hits of all time) and engineer/record producer Alan Parsons.

The Alan Parsons Project

[edit]

In 1974, Woolfson met record producer Alan Parsons at the Abbey Road Studios in London where both were working on different projects. Parsons asked Woolfson to become his manager and they worked together with a number of bands and artists including Pilot, Cockney Rebel, John Miles, Al Stewart, Ambrosia and the Hollies.

Subsequently, Woolfson and Parsons formed the Alan Parsons Project, the name originally being intended as a working title for their collaborative project. From 1976 to 1987, Woolfson and Parsons collaborated on the conception and lyrics for all ten albums by the Alan Parsons Project, which have achieved worldwide album sales in excess of 50 million.

On every Project album, Woolfson would sing a guide vocal track for each song, which the album's eventual lead vocalists would use as a reference. Some of these tracks can be heard on the new remastered editions of various Project albums released in 2007. Woolfson himself was the actual singer on many of the Project's biggest hits such as "Time", "Don't Answer Me", "Prime Time" and the band's signature tune "Eye in the Sky", which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 16–30 October 1982.

Solo career

[edit]

Freudiana was originally meant to be the 11th album by the Alan Parsons Project, but Woolfson was keen to explore the possibility of realising the project as a musical. While recording the album, Brian Brolly was introduced to Woolfson and promised to steer the album in this new direction. Brolly was previously a partner with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and together they created such musicals as Cats. With some help from Brolly, Woolfson was able to turn Freudiana into a stage musical.

Before the Freudiana stage production opened in 1990 in Vienna, a double-length studio album was released. The musical had a successful run, and it was planned that the show would open in other cities. However, plans were put on hold when a lawsuit broke out between Brolly and Woolfson, each fighting for control of the project. The studio disc (the "white" album) was quite difficult to obtain for a while. There was also a double-length German-language cast disc (the "black" album).

Musical theatre

[edit]

Woolfson explained his career switch during an interview in 2004:

I eventually developed The Alan Parsons Project as a vehicle but then I realised that there was more to it than that and that Andrew Lloyd Webber was right and that the stage musical was a fulfilling media for a writer like myself. I got into stage musicals in the mid-1980s.[4]

His first three musicals were Freudiana (1990), about Sigmund Freud; Gaudi (1993),[5] about Antonio Gaudi, and Gambler (1996). A fourth musical Edgar Allan POE, based on the life of the author, was given a world premiere concert production at Abbey Road studios, London in 2003.[6] An album was released in 2003 as Poe: More Tales of Mystery and Imagination (this contains some but not all of the songs from the stage version), and a musical album CD Edgar Allan Poe (containing the complete musical score of 17 songs) and a DVD of the POE Abbey Road concert were released in 2009.[7]

Dancing with Shadows (inspired by the anti-war play Forest Fire by the Korean playwright Cham Bum-Suk and with a book by Ariel Dorfman) was premiered in July 2007 in Korea.[8]

Personal life

[edit]

Woolfson married his wife Hazel in 1969 and they had two daughters and four grandchildren.[9] Politically, he was a centrist, supporting the Social Democratic Party (SDP) throughout the 1980s.[3] A friend of the SDP's second leader, David Owen, Woolfson refused to back the party's merger with the Liberal Party in 1988 and instead followed Owen into the 'continuing' SDP, of which he was a trustee (alongside David Sainsbury and Sir Leslie Murphy) until it was dissolved in 1990.[3][10]

Death

[edit]

Woolfson died from kidney cancer in London on 2 December 2009. He was survived by his wife, daughters Sally Seddon and Lorna Covington and four grandchildren.[11] He is buried in Cathcart Cemetery near Glasgow.

Discography

[edit]

As solo artist

[edit]
  • 1971 San Tokay b/w Sunflower (as ERIC ELDER) UK and US Philips (arranged and produced by 10cc)
  • 1990 Freudiana (with The Alan Parsons Project line-up)
  • 1991 Black Freudiana – Deutsche Originalaufnahme (Austrian Original Cast Musical Soundtrack)
  • 1995 Gaudi (musical)
  • 1997 Gambler (Das Geheimnis der Karten)
  • 2003 Poe: More Tales of Mystery and Imagination
  • 2007 Dancing Shadows
  • 2009 The Alan Parsons Project That Never Was
  • 2009 Edgar Allan Poe: A Musical
  • 2013 Somewhere in the Audience, released on 18 March 2013, the anniversary of Woolfson's birthday

As part of The Alan Parsons Project

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Eric Woolfson

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Eric Norman Woolfson (18 March 1945 – 2 December 2009) was a Scottish songwriter, lyricist, pianist, vocalist, and producer, best known as the co-creator and principal composer of the progressive rock act The Alan Parsons Project, which released ten conceptual albums from 1976 to 1987. Born in Glasgow and relocating to London in his late teens, Woolfson began his career as a session pianist and songwriter for artists including Marianne Faithfull and The Tremeloes before partnering with engineer Alan Parsons to form the studio-based Project, where he crafted thematic narratives drawing from literature, history, and psychology, often performing lead vocals and keyboards himself. The collaboration yielded commercial successes such as the singles "Eye in the Sky" and "Time," contributing to global sales exceeding 40 million records, though Woolfson deliberately maintained a low public profile, prioritizing artistic control over personal fame. Following the Project's conclusion, he adapted unused material into stage musicals including Gaudi, Freud Dreams, and Poe, staging them primarily in Europe. Woolfson died in London from kidney cancer at age 64, leaving a legacy of intricate, narrative-driven music that blended rock, orchestral elements, and literary inspiration without reliance on live performances or conventional band dynamics.

Early Years

Childhood and Education

Eric Woolfson was born Eric Norman Woolfson on 18 March 1945 in , , , into a Jewish that owned a local furniture shop. He grew up in the Pollokshields district of the city, in a household on Hamilton Avenue where his early fascination with developed through exposure to an uncle's piano playing. Woolfson attended Glasgow High School for Boys, after which he briefly worked for a Glasgow firm of chartered accountants in an unsuccessful capacity. Lacking formal musical training, he received only a short period of piano lessons as a child, which he soon abandoned in favor of self-directed practice, ultimately becoming a proficient self-taught pianist without the ability to read sheet music. By age 18, Woolfson had relocated to London to begin his career as a songwriter, signing with a publisher and forgoing further conventional education or employment.

Entry into Music Industry

Woolfson relocated to in 1963 at age 18, seeking opportunities in the music business after forgoing a potential path. He immersed himself in the scene around , known as London's "Tin Pan Alley," and began his professional career as a session pianist, performing alongside figures such as and before their Led Zeppelin tenure. In the mid-1960s, Woolfson secured a publishing deal with Andrew Loog Oldham's Immediate Records, transitioning into songwriting. His early compositions gained traction, with recordings by artists including ("Tomorrow's Calling"), , Jo Dassin, ("No, No, No" and "Sunshine Games"), ("Soleil"), Dave Berry, , and The Poets ("Wooden Spoon," co-written with Tommy Moeller). He also contributed to sessions like Mick Jagger's production of Chris Farlowe's "Out of Time," a number-one hit. Woolfson signed with Southern Music publishing house, where he collaborated in the creative environment shared with and during their early songwriting phase. His output proliferated, with songs covered by over 100 artists in and America, establishing his foothold as a professional and . By the early 1970s, he began shifting toward management, signing talents like , whose 1974 single "Kung Fu Fighting" topped charts worldwide.

The Alan Parsons Project

Formation and Creative Partnership

Eric Woolfson first encountered Alan Parsons in 1974 at Abbey Road Studios in London, where Woolfson was managing artists and Parsons was establishing himself as an engineer and producer following his work on Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon. Woolfson, recognizing Parsons' technical expertise, began managing some of his production projects, including successes with acts like Pilot, Cockney Rebel, and Al Stewart's Year of the Cat. In 1975, Woolfson initiated the formation of , securing a with 20th Century Records, with the entity structured as a studio-based collaboration rather than a traditional band. The name emphasized Parsons' engineering reputation to attract attention, while Woolfson handled songwriting, lyrics, management, and often and lead vocals on demos. Their creative partnership centered on producing concept albums, beginning with the 1976 debut Tales of Mystery and Imagination, inspired by 's works, which Woolfson proposed to leverage Parsons' production skills alongside his own compositional vision. Woolfson composed the music and lyrics for the project's material, recording initial demos, while Parsons focused on engineering, arrangement, and orchestration, employing rotating session musicians and vocalists tailored to each track. This division allowed for meticulous studio craftsmanship, yielding ten albums between 1976 and 1987 that sold over 55 million copies worldwide. Despite occasional creative disagreements, such as Parsons' initial reservations about songs like "Eye in the Sky," the duo's complementary strengths—Woolfson's melodic and lyrical innovation paired with Parsons' sonic precision—defined the project's sound.

Key Albums and Commercial Success

The Alan Parsons Project's albums, conceptualized and lyrically driven by Eric Woolfson in collaboration with , garnered substantial commercial acclaim, with worldwide sales surpassing 50 million units across their discography. Early releases established a foundation, while mid-period works capitalized on radio-friendly singles to achieve peak chart performance and certifications, reflecting Woolfson's skill in blending narrative themes with accessible melodies. The project's success peaked in the late 1970s and early 1980s, yielding multiple top-20 entries and RIAA-recognized sales, though later albums saw diminishing returns amid shifting musical tastes. I Robot (1977), the second album, marked a breakthrough, reaching #9 on the and earning platinum certification for over one million U.S. shipments, bolstered by its futuristic themes and tracks like "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You." This success built on the conceptual ambition of their debut Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1976), inspired by , which gained retrospective platinum status despite modest initial charting. Eye in the Sky (1982) represented their commercial zenith, peaking at #7 on the Billboard 200 and featuring the title track that hit #3 on the Hot 100, driving broad international appeal and Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album. Similarly, The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980) charted at #13, with the single "Games People Play" reaching #16, contributing to its enduring sales momentum through gambling-themed narratives. Albums like Eve (1979) and Ammonia Avenue (1984), peaking at #13 and #15 respectively, sustained momentum with singles such as "Don't Answer Me" (#15 in 1984), underscoring Woolfson's lyrical consistency amid evolving production. By the mid-1980s, releases including Vulture Culture (#46 in 1985) and Stereotomy (#43 in 1986) underperformed commercially, signaling the project's waning radio dominance.

Artistic Contributions and Innovations

Eric Woolfson served as the primary songwriter, lyricist, and conceptual architect for The Alan Parsons Project, crafting the narrative frameworks and lyrics that defined the ensemble's discography. He co-wrote the material for all ten albums produced between 1976 and 1986, infusing them with thematic depth drawn from literary sources, including the debut Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1976), which Woolfson conceived as an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's works. His contributions extended to key singles such as "Eye in the Sky," "Time," and "Don't Answer Me," where his lyrics explored philosophical and existential motifs, often paired with intricate musical arrangements. Woolfson's innovations lay in pioneering a director-driven model for album creation, akin to cinematic production, where conceptual guided the selection of guest vocalists, , and rather than relying on a fixed band lineup. This approach enabled flexible, studio-centric recordings that prioritized sonic layering and narrative cohesion, as seen in albums like The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980), which thematically examined and fate through interconnected songs. By integrating prose-like lyrics with elements, Woolfson elevated the Project's output beyond conventional pop, fostering albums that functioned as cohesive sonic narratives. His emphasis on literary inspiration and thematic unity distinguished in the progressive rock landscape, influencing later adaptations of Project material into while underscoring Woolfson's role in bridging classical storytelling traditions with modern recording techniques.

Dissolution and Internal Dynamics

The core of The Alan Parsons Project's creative process hinged on the division of labor between , who handled production, arrangement, and engineering with an emphasis on sonic experimentation, and Eric Woolfson, who crafted lyrics, overarching concepts, and piano-based compositions often inspired by literary or psychological themes. This partnership yielded twelve studio albums from 1975 to 1990, but subtle frictions emerged over time, particularly Woolfson's push to take on more lead vocals in later works, which Parsons countered by favoring diverse guest vocalists like and to match individual tracks' moods. These dynamics intensified after the 1987 release of Gaudi, the ninth album, when contractual disputes with over the project's expansive artistic scope stalled momentum and prompted both to explore independent paths. Woolfson, increasingly drawn to theatrical formats, viewed songwriting as a foundation for stage narratives, while Parsons prioritized production. The breaking point came during the production of Freudiana in 1989–1990, initially intended as the Project's thirteenth album exploring Freud's theories through conceptual tracks. Woolfson envisioned expanding it into a full musical theater production, a ambition Parsons declined to follow, leading to their professional split mid-project; the album was completed collaboratively and released under the Project banner on December 1, 1990, but marked the end of their . Parsons later described the Project's name as intrinsically tied to their duo, rendering continuation untenable without Woolfson, while Woolfson pursued musicals like Freudiana (staged in 1990 in ) and subsequent works such as Gaudi (1995).

Independent Career

Solo Recordings

Poe: More Tales of Mystery and Imagination, released in 2003, marked Eric Woolfson's debut solo studio . Composed, arranged, and primarily sung by Woolfson himself, it expanded on the Edgar Allan Poe-inspired themes from The Project's 1976 debut, featuring eleven new tracks drawing from Poe's stories such as "" and "The Fall of the House of Usher." The was recorded at and emphasized Woolfson's multifaceted role as songwriter, performer, and producer, with orchestral elements and guest musicians including on vocals for select tracks. In April 2009, Woolfson issued Eric Woolfson Sings That Never Was, his second and final solo studio effort, recorded in October 2008 just months before his death. This nine-track compiled songs originally developed for unreleased material, with Woolfson delivering lead vocals on all selections, accompanied by a mix of session musicians and orchestral backing. Notable inclusions were "Train to ," which contained Woolfson's sole recorded solo, and re-recorded demos like "Somewhere in the " and "Immortal" derived from his Poe musical . The release highlighted Woolfson's intent to revisit and personalize APP-era compositions outside the collaborative framework. These recordings demonstrated Woolfson's shift toward self-directed artistic control, prioritizing lyrical narratives and melodic structures rooted in his earlier conceptual style, though they achieved limited commercial distribution compared to his Project work.

Musical Theatre Works

Following the end of his collaboration with The Alan Parsons Project in 1987, Eric Woolfson shifted focus to musical theatre, creating five original works that drew on themes from psychology, architecture, literature, gambling, and war-torn societies. These productions, primarily premiered in Europe and Asia, incorporated songs from his earlier conceptual albums while expanding into full stage narratives with books, choreography, and live orchestration. Woolfson's approach emphasized elaborate sound design and thematic depth, often resulting in cast recordings and international tours, though none achieved broad commercial success on the scale of his progressive rock output. Freudiana, Woolfson's debut effort, originated from a 1990 exploring Sigmund Freud's theories on the unconscious and . The story follows a man trapped overnight in London's who drifts into a encountering Freud's patients on a journey of self-discovery. It premiered on October 12, 1990, at the in , —where Beethoven's had debuted—and ran for 19 months. The production featured elaborate sets evoking Freudian symbolism and a score blending orchestral elements with vocalists echoing Woolfson's style. Gaudi adapted motifs from Woolfson's 1987 album into a about American Don Parker grappling with artistic integrity, financial pressures, and romance amid visions of Antoni Gaudí's Barcelona masterpieces. Premiering on June 18, 1993, at the Stadt Theater in , , it transferred to larger venues including the Euro Music Hall in (1995) and a purpose-built 1,750-seat Euro Dome in (1996), where it played for five years to over 500,000 spectators, earning standing ovations nightly. A German touring version followed from , with planned Asian revivals. The Gambler, inspired by Woolfson's experiences in Monte Carlo and songs from the 1980 album The Turn of a Friendly Card, depicts interlocking fates in a involving a boss, ambitious youth, showgirl, and countess amid themes of addiction and seduction. It debuted in 1996 at the Theater in Monchengladbach, , spawning seven Korean productions and a 2002–2005 tour to —the first Korean-language musical to do so there—and winning multiple Korean . A live cast album was released in 1997, capturing the score's high-energy numbers like "Green Light Means Danger." Edgar Allan Poe revisited Woolfson's fascination with the author's macabre tales, blending biography with adaptations of stories like "The Raven" and "The Fall of the House of Usher." A showcase premiered on November 6, 2003, at in , featuring actor as Poe in a semi-staged format with orchestral backing. No full theatrical run followed, but a studio album of 10 songs was recorded, and a CD/DVD of the premiere was issued posthumously in April 2010. Dancing Shadows, Woolfson's final musical, was adapted from the Korean play Sanbul (A Forest Fire) with book by , set in a mountain village depleted of men by war, where a young woman shelters a hidden boy, sparking tension among the surviving women. It premiered in 2007 in , securing five Korean , including Best Musical. A concept cast album was released that year, highlighting choral and introspective tracks like "Dancing with My Shadow," with international stagings in development at the time of Woolfson's death.

Personal Life and Later Years

Family and Private Life

Woolfson married Hazel, a distant cousin, in 1969. The couple had two daughters, Sally and Lorna. By the time of his death, the family included four grandchildren. Despite the commercial success of his musical endeavors, Woolfson led a notably private life, eschewing personal publicity and maintaining anonymity even as sold tens of millions of albums. He resided primarily in in later years, with his family remaining out of the public eye.

Health Challenges and Death

Woolfson was diagnosed with in the years leading up to his death, which he battled for an extended period. The illness progressed despite treatment, marking a significant health challenge in his later years. He died from complications of in the early hours of December 2, 2009, at the age of 64, in , . His daughter, Sally Seddon, confirmed the cause as cancer. Woolfson was buried at Cathcart Cemetery in , .

Legacy and Reception

Critical and Commercial Impact

The , co-founded and primarily songwritten by Woolfson, attained substantial commercial success through eleven studio albums released between 1975 and 1987, collectively selling over 50 million copies worldwide. Standout releases included (1977), which peaked at number 9 on the US and earned platinum certification in the United States for over one million units shipped, and Eye in the Sky (1982), which reached number 4 on the same chart while achieving multi-platinum status in multiple markets due to the title track's radio dominance. These milestones reflected Woolfson's role in crafting accessible with orchestral elements, driving sustained revenue from singles like "Games People Play" and "Time," which charted prominently in Europe and . Critically, Woolfson's output with the Project earned praise for its conceptual depth and melodic craftsmanship, as evidenced by obituaries highlighting his ability to blend rock, classical influences, and narrative themes while maintaining broad appeal—yet often at the expense of personal visibility, rendering him an "anonymous" figure despite the ensemble's achievements. Reviewers noted the music's polished sophistication, with tracks like those on The Turn of a Friendly Card (1980) lauded for thematic cohesion around gambling and fate, though some contemporaries critiqued the Project's reliance on studio perfectionism as prioritizing commercial sheen over raw innovation. His solo endeavors, such as the rock opera Freudiana (1990), extended this legacy into theatrical forms and garnered recognition for ambitious storytelling, with Woolfson himself describing it as a culmination of ideas initially shelved from Project sessions. Posthumously, Woolfson's impact persists commercially through reissues and archival material; for instance, expanded editions of Tales of Mystery and Imagination (1976) and I Robot have re-entered charts, with the former hitting Top 100 peaks in 2025 driven by vinyl demand and streaming. Critically, tributes emphasize his enduring influence on progressive and symphonic rock, as has continued touring Project material, underscoring Woolfson's foundational songwriting in sustaining fan interest over decades. This dual legacy of high sales volumes and niche admiration highlights Woolfson's preference for behind-the-scenes authorship, yielding verifiable economic returns without mainstream adulation.

Posthumous Recognition and Releases

Following Woolfson's death from cancer on December 2, 2009, recordings of his musical —which he had actively promoted until shortly before his passing—were commercially released on CD and DVD on April 6, 2010, comprising 17 tracks from the showcase performance originally staged in 2003. The release aimed to generate interest in a potential Broadway production, featuring Woolfson's compositions inspired by the author's works. In 2013, the album Somewhere in the Audience was issued on March 18, coinciding with what would have been Woolfson's 68th birthday; it compiles 13 selections from his musicals Gaudí, The Gambler, POE, and Dancing Shadows, performed by West End and Broadway artists including Steve Balsamo and Ben Forster. Subsequent reissues of Alan Parsons Project material have highlighted Woolfson's contributions, such as the 2020 Ammonia Avenue (Sessions) featuring his piano takes and the 2025 50th-anniversary edition of I Robot with liner notes from his estate. Posthumous recognition includes the establishment of an official website, ericwoolfsonmusic.com, dedicated to cataloging his recordings and theatrical works, alongside a fundraising page supporting . Tributes from collaborators, such as ' 2019 reflection marking the 10th anniversary of Woolfson's death, and family-led commemorations like a 2024 video by his granddaughter Amelie on the 15th anniversary, underscore ongoing appreciation for his songwriting legacy. Annual birthday retrospectives in music publications have also noted his influence on and musical theater.

Works

Discography with The Alan Parsons Project

Eric Woolfson co-founded with in 1975, contributing as the primary lyricist, co-composer of music, , occasional , and co-producer across its albums. The project's studio albums featuring Woolfson's core involvement, spanning concept-driven themes from and to and , are detailed below.
AlbumRelease Year
Tales of Mystery and Imagination1976
1977
1978
1979
The Turn of a Friendly Card1980
Eye in the Sky1982
1984
1985
1986
Gaudi1987
1990
Woolfson departed the project after Freudiana, which Parsons produced but which marked the end of their direct collaboration on new material under the banner; subsequent Parsons-led releases excluded Woolfson's songwriting and performances.

Solo Discography

Eric Woolfson's solo discography comprises recordings released under his name independent of The Alan Parsons Project collaborations and theatrical productions. These works feature his compositions, vocals, and piano performances, often revisiting progressive rock and conceptual themes from his earlier career. Poe: More Tales of Mystery and Imagination, released on , 2003, by Music Street Records, contains 17 original songs drawing from Edgar Allan Poe's short stories and poems, including tracks like "To One in Paradise" and "." The album was produced by Woolfson at and marked his return to Poe-inspired material following The Alan Parsons Project's 1976 debut. Eric Woolfson Sings That Never Was, issued on April 6, 2009, by Limelight Music, presents 13 tracks of previously unreleased material composed in the 1980s for potential albums but shelved due to creative differences. Woolfson handled lead vocals, , and orchestration arrangements by Gavin Greenaway, with songs such as "Golden Key" and "Nothing Can Change My Mind." This was his final album release before his death later that year.
TitleRelease DateLabelTracks
Poe: More Tales of Mystery and ImaginationJuly 29, 2003Music Street Records17
Eric Woolfson Sings The Alan Parsons Project That Never WasApril 6, 2009Limelight Music13

Theatrical Productions

Woolfson's entry into followed the dissolution of his partnership with , with his productions drawing from conceptual albums he had developed, incorporating new material alongside adapted songs. These works were primarily staged in and , emphasizing narrative-driven stories set to symphonic rock scores. Freudiana, Woolfson's debut stage musical, explored themes from Sigmund Freud's life and theories through a inspired by the 1990 of the same name. It premiered on September 12, 1990, at the in , , and ran for 19 months, attracting audiences with its blend of and progressive music. Gaudi, his second musical, dramatized the life of architect , weaving dilemmas of artistic integrity, finance, and family against Barcelona's backdrop. The production debuted in June 1993 at the Stadt Theater in , , continuing through March 1997 with over 500,000 attendees across venues including the Euro Music Hall in (1995) and Euro Dome in (1996). A touring version has been active in since 2005. The third production, Gambler (also known as Das Geheimnis der Karten), adapted motifs from gambling and fate, incorporating tracks from The Alan Parsons Project's The Turn of a Friendly Card. It premiered in October 1996 in Mönchengladbach, Germany, for an 18-month run. A Korean-language version followed in 1999 in Seoul, produced by Seensee, leading to five additional stagings including Japan tours in 2002 and 2005; it received multiple Korean Tony-equivalent awards. Dancing Shadows, a later work commissioned by Seensee, featured a book by and direction by Paul Garrington, delving into themes of illusion and reality. It world-premiered in July 2007 at a . Poe, based on Edgar Allan Poe's tales, began with a November 2003 showcase concert at in , featuring performers such as and . A full German-language production opened in August 2009 at the Halle Opera House, running over 18 months until March 2011. It later staged in Seoul's Kwanglim Arts Centre BBCH from 2016 to 2018.

References

  1. https://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/biography
  2. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/dec/08/eric-woolfson-obituary
  3. https://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/pre-alan-parsons-project
  4. https://www.songwriter.co.uk/page723.html
  5. https://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/
  6. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/arts/music/04woolfson-1.html
  7. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/eric-woolfson-singer-and-songwriter-with-the-alan-parsons-project-1886164.html
  8. https://www.facebook.com/heraldscotland/posts/eric-woolfson-the-scottish-songwriter-and-vocalist-who-sold-over-50-million-albu/1060621736085150/
  9. https://alittlelightblogging.wordpress.com/2017/07/03/eric-woolfson-the-post-parsons-years/
  10. http://www.theavenueonline.info/site1/bios/woolfson.htm
  11. https://www.the-alan-parsons-project.com/eric-woolfson
  12. https://www.the-alan-parsons-project.com/timeline
  13. https://www.the-alan-parsons-project.com/about
  14. https://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/the-alan-parsons-project-that-never-was/sleeve-notes
  15. https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinum.php?content_selector=top-artist-tallies
  16. http://musicchartsarchive.com/artists/alan-parsons-project
  17. https://www.classicrockhistory.com/complete-list-of-alan-parsons-project-albums-and-songs/
  18. https://www.abbeyroad.com/news/the-genius-of-alan-parsons-as-told-by-abbey-roads-cameron-colbeck-2716
  19. https://www.facebook.com/groups/AlanParsonsProject/posts/10160910877265286/
  20. http://www.theavenueonline.info/site1/app-faq.htm
  21. https://www.discogs.com/release/2724609-Eric-Woolfson-Poe-More-Tales-Of-Mystery-And-Imagination
  22. https://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=13842
  23. https://www.discogs.com/release/3161609-Eric-Woolfson-Eric-Woolfson-Sings-The-Alan-Parsons-Project-That-Never-Was
  24. https://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=24231
  25. https://www.goldminemag.com/music-history/take-five/5-songs-featuring-singer-songwriter-eric-woolfson-that-you-should-know/
  26. https://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/freudiana/home
  27. https://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/gaudi/home
  28. https://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/gambler/home
  29. https://www.filmedlivemusicals.com/poe-the-musical.html
  30. https://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/dancing-shadows/home
  31. https://www.heraldscotland.com/default_content/12604927.eric-woolfon-musician-writer/
  32. https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/eric-woolfson-2443129
  33. https://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=63282
  34. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/45055448/eric-woolfson
  35. https://russmisc.wordpress.com/2024/05/06/the-alan-parsons-project/
  36. https://www.uncut.co.uk/features/interviews/alan-parsons-album-by-album-140761/
  37. https://www.sonymusic.com/legacy/legacy-recordings-to-release-alan-parsons-projects-turn-of-a-friendly-card-sessions/
  38. https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2025/04/02/the-alan-parsons-project-hits-a-new-career-high/
  39. https://alanparsons.com/blogs/news/eric-woolfson-my-friend-and-co-founder-of-app
  40. https://variety.com/2010/legit/news/poe-musical-gets-cd-and-dvd-release-1118016537/
  41. https://www.theatermania.com/news/eric-woolfsons-poe-musical-to-be-released-on-cd-and-dvd-april-6_25817/
  42. https://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/somewhere-in-the-audience/home
  43. https://music.apple.com/us/album/somewhere-in-the-audience/835052631
  44. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4e-HwNzAE4
  45. https://www.realrocknews.com/the-alan-parsons-projects-i-robot-reissue-a-48-year-celebration-of-sci-fi-prog-rock-mastery/
  46. https://www.justgiving.com/Eric-Woolfson/
  47. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMXN9t_vpMs
  48. https://americansongwriter.com/4-fabulous-alan-parsons-project-songs-co-written-by-eric-woolfson-in-honor-late-musicians-80th-birthday/
  49. https://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/discography
  50. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/eric-woolfson-mn0000159032
  51. https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/eric-woolfson/the-alan-parsons-project-that-never-was/
  52. https://www.discogs.com/master/793247-Eric-Woolfson-Poe-More-Tales-Of-Mystery-And-Imagination
  53. https://www.ericwoolfsonmusic.com/poe/home
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.