Stage Door Records are pleased to announce the release of ‘Songs from Kermit Goell’s ‘Pocahontas’ – The West End Musical’ on March 24th, 2017. The CD release continues Stage Door’s commitment to preserve ‘lost’ British theatre scores of the past 50 years and coincides with the 400th anniversary of Pocahontas’ death. The album presents the first opportunity to hear selections from ‘Pocahontas’ following the recent discovery of reel-to-reel tapes featuring recordings of the score. The tapes, which were presumed lost, had not been played in over 50 years.
‘Pocahontas’ opened at London’s Lyric Theatre on November 14th 1963 – the musical featured music, book and lyrics by Kermit Goell and starred Tony nominated Broadway actress Anita Gillette in the title role alongside Terence Cooper playing both roles of John Smith and John Rolfe. The production encompassed all aspects of Pocahontas’ life story, from her beginnings in Virginia to her death in Gravesend in March 1617. The musical first opened as The Princess Pocahontas at the Glasgow Alhambra Theatre on October 8th 1963, later playing theatres in Leeds and Liverpool before transferring to London’s Lyric Theatre, opening on November 14th 1963 and closing after just 12 performances.
The London Cast Album of ‘Pocahontas’ was scheduled to be recorded and released by Decca, however the recording sessions were subsequently cancelled following the show’s swift closure and the work became a forgotten memory in a long list of lost West End musicals, the score presumed unrecorded. However, in 2016 Kermit Goell’s son Jonathan, located several reel-to-reel tapes of demonstration recordings from ‘Pocahontas’ in his father’s archive. The demos were recorded at two sessions in 1962 and feature selections from Goell’s ‘Pocahontas’ score performed by a company of Broadway singers under the musical direction of Jay Blackton.
Now, over 50 years since Kermit Goell’s ‘Pocahontas’ was last heard, Stage Door are pleased to present an opportunity to revisit selections from the score on the album ‘Songs From Kermit Goell’s Pocahontas – The West End Musical’ and offer listeners the chance to discover a musical, presumed lost. Alongside the digitally remastered demonstration recordings, the album features a selection of piano instrumentals from Goell’s score. As a special bonus, the CD concludes with an audio interview with Anita Gillette, the star of ‘Pocahontas’. Gillette’s in depth interview, recorded in 2016 especially for this album, features the Tony nominated Broadway performer reflecting on her memories of the production.
‘POCAHONTAS’ – ORIGINAL DEMO RECORDINGS
1. Free As A Bird
2. She Fancied Me
3. You Have To Want To Touch Him
4. Too Many Miles From London Town
5. I Love You Johnny Smith
6. Things
7. Virginia
8. Oranges and Lemons
9. I Have Lost My Way
10. Love Thy Indian Neighbour
11. Oranges and Lemons (Reprise)
12. I Have Lost My Way (Reprise)
13. Finale – Virginia
PIANO SELECTIONS FROM ‘POCAHONTAS’
14. She Fancied Me
15. Free As A Bird
16. You Have To Want To Touch Him
17. Too Many Miles From London Town
18. I Love You Johnny Smith
19. Things
20. Virginia
21. Oranges and Lemons
22. I Have Lost My Way
23. Love Thy Indian Neighbour
BONUS TRACK
24. Anita Gillette Interview (2016)
For more information visit: www.stagedoorrecords.com
