Camelot (Broadway cast recording)
{{Infobox album
| name = Camelot
| type = cast
| artist = Julie Andrews, Richard Burton
| cover = Camelot - 1960 Original cast recording (album cover).jpg
| released = 1960
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre = Show tune
| length =
| label = Columbia Masterworks
| producer =
| misc = {{Extra chronology
| artist = Julie Andrews
| type = cast
| prev_title = My Fair Lady
| prev_year = 1959
| title = Camelot
| year = 1960
| next_title = Broadway's Fair Julie
| next_year =1961}}
}}
Camelot is the original cast recording of the musical with the same name, released in 1960 by Columbia Records. The musical, with a book by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, is based on the Arthurian legend as depicted in T.H. White's novel The Once and Future King. The original Broadway production starred Richard Burton as King Arthur, Julie Andrews as Guenevere, and Robert Goulet as Lancelot.{{cite magazine |title=Discourse from the Billboard sales department |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1960/Billboard%201960-12-26-OCR-Page-0022.pdf |magazine=Billboard |access-date=22 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412115704/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1960/Billboard%201960-12-26-OCR-Page-0022.pdf |archive-date=12 April 2021 |page=22 |date=26 December 1960 |url-status=live}} The album features iconic songs such as "Camelot," "How to Handle a Woman," and "If Ever I Would Leave You," which have become staples in the musical theater repertoire.{{cite web |last1=Ruhlmann |first1=William |title=Camelot [Original Broadway Cast Recording] |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/camelot-original-broadway-cast-recording--mw0000189305 |website=AllMusic |access-date=22 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220425203314/https://www.allmusic.com/album/camelot-original-broadway-cast-recording--mw0000189305 |archive-date=25 April 2022 |url-status=live}}
The recording was produced by Goddard Lieberman, who was also responsible for other successful Lerner and Loewe productions like My Fair Lady and Gigi. The album was released in both stereo and monaural formats, and it quickly became a commercial success, with Columbia Records implementing innovative marketing strategies, such as issuing "Camelot tokens" that could be redeemed for the album. This pre-release promotion helped generate significant interest and sales even before the album hit the market.{{cite magazine |title='Camelot' tokens spur LPs sale |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1960/Billboard%201960-11-14-OCR-Page-0003.pdf |magazine=Billboard |access-date=22 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250322021314/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1960/Billboard%201960-11-14-OCR-Page-0003.pdf |archive-date=22 March 2025 |page=3 |date=14 November 1960 |url-status=live}} Columbia with CBS was backed entirely by record company money, the put $400,000 for the "Camelot" album.{{cite magazine |last1=Rolontz |first1=Bob |title=Diskeries dig deep to obtain Broadway musical LP rights |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1960/Billboard%201960-08-29-OCR-Page-0001.pdf |magazine=Billboard |access-date=22 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250322022025/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1960/Billboard%201960-08-29-OCR-Page-0001.pdf |archive-date=22 March 2025 |pages=1, 32 |date=29 August 1960 |url-status=live}}
The album's release coincided with the Broadway production's run, which began in December 1960 at the Majestic Theatre in New York. Despite mixed initial reviews for the stage production, the cast recording was well-received and contributed to the musical's enduring popularity. The album's success was further bolstered by its association with President John F. Kennedy, who was fond of the musical and its themes, often referencing the "Camelot" concept as a metaphor for his administration.{{cite magazine |title=Mrs. Kennedy: "Camelot" Lyrics Stress JFK's "Shining Moment" In Office |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/60s/1963/CB-1963-12-14-OCR-Page-0007.pdf |magazine=Cashbox |access-date=22 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250322022618/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/60s/1963/CB-1963-12-14-OCR-Page-0007.pdf |archive-date=22 March 2025 |page=7 |date=14 December 1963 |url-status=live}} In an interview with historian Theodore White, published in LIFE magazine, on November 29, 1963, Jacqueline Kennedy likened the Kennedy era to the myth of Camelot, referencing a song from the album that JFK loved. She quoted the lyrics, "Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot", and expressed that while there would be other great presidents, there would never be another Camelot.{{cite magazine |last1=Grein |first1=Paul |title=AFI Honoree Julie Andrews' 'Super-cali-fragil-istic-expi-ali-docious' History on the Billboard Charts |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/julie-andrews-chart-history/my-fair-lady-original-cast-album/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=8 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229152904/https://www.billboard.com/lists/julie-andrews-chart-history/my-fair-lady-original-cast-album/ |archive-date=29 December 2022 |date=8 June 2022 |url-status=live}}
The album received a nomination for Best Musical Show in the 3rd Annual Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2006.[https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/2023-drama-league-award-winners-announced "Grammy Award Winners: Best Musical Show Album"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603025306/https://www.newyorktheatreguide.com/theatre-news/news/2023-drama-league-award-winners-announced |date=2023-06-03 }}, Rate Your Music, retrieved June 2, 2023
Critical reception
{{Music ratings
| noprose = yes
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}
| rev2 = Cash Box
| rev3 = Billboard
| rev4 = LIFE
}}
The original cast recording received widespread acclaim from critics upon its release. Overall, it was recognized for its strong performances, memorable score, and high production quality, solidifying its place as a classic in the Broadway musical canon.
William Ruhlmann of AllMusic website praised the album as a "Broadway landmark", highlighting the performances of Richard Burton, Julie Andrews, and Robert Goulet. He wrote that the music, composed by Lerner and Loewe, was both delightful and significant in the context of Broadway history.
Cash Box magazine described the album as a "top sales bonanza", emphasizing the charming collection of songs and the delightful performances by the cast. While the review wrote that the songs might not have the immediate show-stopping quality of Lerner and Loewe's previous work, My Fair Lady, it still celebrated the addition of lovely ballads to their catalog.{{cite magazine |title=Album Reviews |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/60s/1960/CB-1960-12-31-OCR-Page-0028.pdf |magazine=Cashbox |access-date=22 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250322024637/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/60s/1960/CB-1960-12-31-OCR-Page-0028.pdf |archive-date=22 March 2025 |page=30 |date=31 December 1960 |url-status=live}}
Billboard highlighted the "brilliant" performances of Julie Andrews and Richard Burton, as well as Robert Goulet's fine vocal style. The review also praised the album's packaging, which included colorful photos of the cast and notes on the leading players, making it an attractive purchase for fans of the musical.{{cite magazine |title=Reviews of this week's LP's |magazine=Billboard |date=26 December 1960 |page=27 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nB0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA27 |access-date=22 March 2025 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |issn=0006-2510}} LIFE magazine described Camelot as a "lovely spell" cast and praised the musical's blend of old English legends and enchanting new melodies, brought to life by the performancers.{{cite magazine |title=The sound of Christmas |magazine=LIFE |date=5 December 1960 |volume=49 |issue=23 |page=131 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=900EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA131 |access-date=22 March 2025 |publisher=Time Inc |issn=0024-3019}}
Commercial performance
The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top LP's - 150 Best-Selling Monaural LP's chart on June 5, 1961, and stayed at the top for six weeks.{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BiEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA20|title=Billboard Music Week Top LP's|page=20|date=June 5, 1961|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=January 11, 2022}}{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ByEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA32|title=Billboard Music Week Top LP's|page=32|date=June 12, 1961|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=January 11, 2022}}{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CSEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34|title=Billboard Music Week Top LP's|page=34|date=June 19, 1961|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=January 11, 2022}}{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CCEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA32|title=Billboard Music Week Top LP's|page=32|date=June 26, 1961|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=January 11, 2022}}{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ESMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24|title=Billboard Music Week Top LP's|page=24|date=July 3, 1961|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=January 11, 2022}}{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CiEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24|title=Billboard Music Week Top LP's|page=24|date=July 10, 1961|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=January 11, 2022}} By May 1965, it had sold 1,236,000 copies in the United States alone.{{cite magazine |title=Columbia Charter Member(s) |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1965/Billboard%201965-05-15-OCR-Page-0004.pdf |magazine=Billboard |access-date=22 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250322001828/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1965/Billboard%201965-05-15-OCR-Page-0004.pdf |archive-date=22 March 2025 |page=4 |date=15 May 1965 |url-status=live}} It was later certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for its performance in the country.{{cite magazine |title=Gold LP's |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1967/Billboard%201967-01-21-OCR-Page-0035.pdf |magazine=Billboard |access-date=19 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319232454/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1967/Billboard%201967-01-21-OCR-Page-0035.pdf |archive-date=19 March 2025 |page=43 |date=21 January 1967 |url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |title=Golden Albums |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/70s/1974/CB-1974-12-28-OCR-Page-0068.pdf |magazine=Cashbox |access-date=19 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250319232009/https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/70s/1974/CB-1974-12-28-OCR-Page-0068.pdf |archive-date=19 March 2025 |page=68 |date=28 December 1974 |url-status=live}}
CD release
In 1998, Columbia/Legacy released a digitally remastered version of the album in compact disc (CD), which included extensive liner notes, original playbill reproductions, reviews, photos, and an essay by Marc Kirkeby. This reissue aimed to preserve the historical significance of the recording while introducing it to a new generation of listeners. The 1998 CD reissue was commended for its additional content and remastered sound quality.
Track listing
{{Track listing
| extra_column = Performer(s)
| headline =
| title1 = Overture
| writer1 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra1 = Orchestra*
| length1 = 3:13
| title2 = I Wonder What The King Is Doing Tonight
| writer2 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra2 = Richard Burton
| length2 = 1:28
| title3 = The Simple Joys Of Maidenhood
| writer3 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra3 = Julie Andrews
| length3 = 2:02
| title4 = Camelot
| writer4 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra4 = Richard Burton
| length4 = 2:30
| title5 = Follow Me
| writer5 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra5 = Mary Sue Berry
| length5 = 3:02
| title6 = The Lusty Month Of May
| writer6 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra6 = Julie Andrews, Ensemble
| length6 = 2:12
| title7 = C'Est Moi
| writer7 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra7 = Robert Goulet
| length7 = 3:29
| title8 = The Lusty Month Of May
| writer8 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra8 = Julie Andrews, Ensemble
| length8 = 3:00
| title9 = Then You May Take Me To The Fair
| writer9 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra9 = Julie Andrews, Bruce Yarnell, James Gannon, John Cullum
| length9 = 4:29
| title10 = How To Handle A Woman
| writer10 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra10 = Richard Burton
| length10 = 2:37
| title11 = Before I Gaze At You Again
| writer11 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra11 = Julie Andrews
| length11 = 1:59
| title12 = If Ever I Would Leave You
| writer12 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra12 = Robert Goulet
| length12 = 3:11
| title13 = The Seven Deadly Virtues
| writer13 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra13 = Roddy McDowall
| length13 = 1:26
| title14 = What Do The Simple Folk Do?
| writer14 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra14 = Richard Burton, Julie Andrews
| length14 = 5:01
| title15 = Fie On Goodness!
| writer15 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra15 = Knights
| length15 = 3:35
| title16 = I Loved You Once In Silence
| writer16 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra16 = Julie Andrews
| length16 = 3:07
| title17 = Guenevere
| writer17 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra17 = Ensemble
| length17 = 3:19
| title18 = Finale Ultimo (Camelot Reprise)
| writer18 = Lerner and Loewe
| extra18 = Richard Burton
| length18 = 2:04
}}
Pesonnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Camelot: Original Broadway Cast.{{cite AV media notes |title=Camelot |type=liner notes |author=Julie Andrews, Richard Burton |year=1960 |publisher=Columbia Masterworks|id=KOL 5620}}
- Original Broadway Cast: Richard Burton and Julie Andrews in Camelot
- Book & Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
- Music by Frederick Lowe
- Production staged by Moss Hart
- Co-starring Roddy McDowall and Robert Goulet
- Musical Direction: Franz Allers
- Production by Jenny Productions
- Record production by Goddard Lieberson
- Arranged by Trude Rittman
- Photography by Maynard Frank Wolfe, Milton H. Greene
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for Camelot |
| Chart (1960–1968)
! Peak |
|---|
| {{Album chart|Norway|20|artist=Musical|album=Camelot|rowheader=true|access-date=August 8, 2013}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|10|date=19641004|rowheader=true|access-date=June 23, 2018|refname="uk"}} |
| scope="row"| U.S. Top LP's - 150 Best-Selling Monaural LP's (Billboard){{Cite magazine|title=Top LP's|date=June 5, 1961|magazine=Billboard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BiEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8|page=20|access-date=November 1, 2020|archive-date=November 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231110015301/https://books.google.com/books?id=BiEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}
|align=center|1 |
Certifications and sales
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Julie Andrews}}
{{Robert Goulet}}
{{Billboard Year-End number one albums}}