After splitting up with Alan Parsons during the recording of Freudiana, Woolfson has pursued musical theatre. Those are mainly performed in Germany and Austria, but also in Korea and Japan.
Contents
Life before The Alan Parsons Project:
He was born in 1945 (18 March 1945 – 2 December 2009) in Glasgow, Scotland, and started composing music in his early teens. He moved to London where he found work as a session pianist, at the age of eighteen. The record producer for the Rolling Stones, Andrew Oldham, signed him up as a songwriter. During the following years, Woolfson wrote songs for such artists as Marianne Faithfull, Frank Ifield, Joe Dassin, The Tremeloes, Marmalade, Dave Berry, Peter Noone. His songs were recorded by over one hundred artists both in Europe and America. During the sixties he worked with two unknown writers: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
In the early seventies, Eric turned his hand to management and was instantly successful. His first two signings were Carl Douglas, (whose record Kung Fu Fighting was one of the biggest selling hits of all time) and engineer/record producer Alan Parsons.
The start of The Alan Parsons Project:
In 1975, Woolfson joined forces with record producer Alan Parsons who was a recording engineer on many Beatles and Paul McCartney albums as well as having engineered Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’.
Eric and Alan formed a new kind of collaboration that would allow Parson’s engineering skills to be exploited to the full and at the same time give Woolfson a vehicle for his talents as a songwriter/lyricist. The Alan Parsons Project was born. From 1976-1987, Eric has conceived and wrote the lyrics for all ten albums by The Alan Parsons Project (he and Parsons collaborated on writing the music), which have achieved world-wide sales in excess of forty million.
Splitting up:
Freudiana was originally meant to be the eleventh album by The Alan Parsons Project. While recording the album, Brian Brolly entered the picture and he helped steer the album in a new direction. Brolly was previously a partner with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and together they created such musicals as Cats. With Brolly's help, Woolfson was able to turn Freudiana into a stage musical.
Before the Freudiana stage production opened in 1990, 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. In the end, Brolly won.
The studio disc (the "white" album) was quite difficult to obtain for a while. There was also a double-length cast disc (the "black" album) which is currently out of print.
The afterlife:
Woolfson was eager to write for musical theatre. He explained his career switch during an interview by MusicalWorld on July 7, 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-eighties." His musicals are mainly performed in Germany. This was for two reasons: The Alan Parsons Project was well known in Germany, and at that time the arts were very well funded there.
His first musical premiered in Vienna in 1990: Freudiana, about Sigmund Freud. The success of this first work led to Woolfson’s second musical Gaudi (concerning the Spanish architect Antonio Gaudi) (1995), which ran for over five years in several German productions. Gambler, Woolfson’s third musical also premiered in Germany in 1996 and had a first run of over 500 performances. Gambler has had five productions in Korea, one of which also toured Japan in 2002 (the first time a Korean language production had been staged in this way). A fourth musical Edgar Allan Poe, based on the life of the author, was given a demonstration production at Abbey Road studios, London in 2003. This musical was released in March 2010 as More Tales of Mystery and Imagination on CD and DVD
Dancing with Shadows (based on 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
Personal life and death:
Woolfson was active in the British Social Democratic Party or SDP.
Woolfson was married to Hazel from 1969 until his death from kidney cancer in London[6] in the early hours of 2 December 2009. He is survived by both his daughters.
excerpt from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Woolfson
Limelight
Eric Woolfson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of a distant sun
I can feel it inside
Maybe this day
Could be the one
I can hear the roar
Of a distant crowd
Calling my name
Shouting out loud
Holding on isn't always easy
I ain't gonna change my mind
Limelight, you were all I ever wanted since it all began
Limelight, shining on me
Telling the world who I am
Limelight, don't let me slip right through your fingers
There's a long way to fall
After all the years of waiting
I'm gonna show them all
I can see the world
In a different light
Now it's easy to say
Where I went wrong
What I did right
I can hear the beat
Of a different drum
Take it all in my stride
Hold my head high
Second to none
Holding on wasn't always easy
Nothing can change my mind
Limelight, you were all I ever wanted since it all began
Limelight, shining on me
Telling the world who I am
Limelight, don't let me slip right through your fingers
There's a long way to fall
After all the years of waiting
I'm gonna show them all
Maybe the role's not easy
Maybe the prize is small
After all the years of waiting
I'm gonna show them all
The lyrics of Eric Woolfson's 'Limelight' tell the story of an aspiring artist who dreams of being in the limelight and using their talent to shine. The opening lines suggest that the artist sees a distant sun, symbolizing hope and possibility, and feels it inside, representing a strong inner drive to achieve their dreams. The second verse talks about the artist's awareness of making mistakes and learning from them, highlighted by the line 'Where I went wrong, what I did right.' Despite the challenges and obstacles faced in their journey to fame, they hold on to their aspirations, believing that they can make it to the top. The song's chorus underscores the artist's yearning for recognition and validation, epitomized by the limelight, which represents the public's attention and acclaim. The lyrics convey the desire to be noticed and appreciated for one's abilities and hard work, and the determination to overcome any setbacks to make it to the top.
Overall, 'Limelight' is a song about pursuing one's dreams, believing in oneself, and never giving up. It speaks to the struggles and challenges that artists face in their careers, as well as the desire for success and recognition. The song's positive and empowering message makes it a timeless anthem of perseverance and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see the glow
I am aware of a far-off light appearing faintly
Of a distant sun
Emanating from a star that is far away
I can feel it inside
I sense its presence within me
Maybe this day
Possibly, today
Could be the one
Might be the significant opportunity
I can hear the roar
I perceive the sound of loud cheers
Of a distant crowd
Coming from an audience that is far away
They are waiting for me
Expecting me to appear before them
Calling my name
Shouting out my given name
Shouting out loud
Crying out in a boisterous manner
Holding on isn't always easy
Persisting through difficult times is a challenge
I ain't gonna change my mind
I am not going to alter my decision
Limelight, you were all I ever wanted since it all began
Attention and fame were my aspirations from the outset
Limelight, shining on me
Focusing the spotlight on my person
Telling the world who I am
Revealing my identity to the public
Limelight, don't let me slip right through your fingers
Do not let me fall out of the public spotlight
There's a long way to fall
Failure could lead to a great distance downward
After all the years of waiting
Following a prolonged period of anticipation
I'm gonna show them all
I will demonstrate my worth and ability to everyone
I can see the world
I am able to perceive the universe
In a different light
With an alternate outlook
Now it's easy to say
Currently, it is simple to communicate
Where I went wrong
Identifying where errors were made in the past
What I did right
Recognizing which actions were successful
I can hear the beat
I am able to listen to the rhythm
Of a different drum
Originating from an alternative source
Take it all in my stride
Handle everything with composure
Hold my head high
Maintain self-respect and self-esteem
Second to none
Undisputedly superior
Holding on wasn't always easy
Maintaining persistence was frequently arduous
Nothing can change my mind
I am determined and not swayed from my position
Maybe the role's not easy
The part I have is possibly challenging
Maybe the prize is small
The reward for success might not be substantial
After all the years of waiting
Following a prolonged period of anticipation
I'm gonna show them all
I will demonstrate my worth and ability to everyone
Contributed by Christian C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.