Late Orchestration

{{Short description|2006 live album by Kanye West}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Late Orchestration

| type = Live album

| artist = Kanye West

| cover = Kanye-late-orchestration.jpg

| alt =

| released = April 24, 2006

| recorded = September 21, 2005

| studio = Abbey Road (London)

| genre = Hip hop

| length = 47:19

| label = Mercury

| director = Tom Bird

| producer = {{hlist|Kanye West|Vicki Betihavas}}

| prev_title = Late Registration

| prev_year = 2005

| next_title = Can't Tell Me Nothing

| next_year = 2007

}}

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{AllMusic |class=album |id=late-orchestration-live-at-abbey-road-studios-mw0000554999 |title=Late Orchestration: Live at Abbey Road Studios |last=Luecking |first=Eric |access-date=December 20, 2021}}

| rev2 = Entertainment.ie

| rev2Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |url=http://entertainment.ie/Album-Review/Kanye-West---Late-Orchestration/4481.htm |title=Kanye West - Late Orchestration |accessdate=2009-05-27 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071119223953/http://entertainment.ie/album-review/Kanye-West---Late-Orchestration/4481.htm|website=entertainment.ie |archivedate=2007-11-19 }}

| rev3 = The Independent

| rev3score = Favorable{{cn|date=December 2021}}

}}

Late Orchestration is a live album by American rapper Kanye West. It was released on April 24, 2006, through Mercury Records in Europe and Asia.{{cite web|author=|date=2006-04-13|title=For The Record: Quick News On Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, Kanye West, Bijou Phillips, Jay Dee, Alice In Chains & More|url=http://origin.mtv.com/news/articles/1528676/20060413/jackson_michael.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070818051132/http://www.mtv.com:80/news/articles/1528676/20060413/story.jhtml|archive-date=2007-08-18|access-date=2006-07-28|work=MTV|publisher=MTV Networks}}{{Cite web|date=2006-04-12|title=Kanye West prepares live album and DVD|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/kanye-west-911-1362332|access-date=2021-12-20|website=NME|language=en-GB}} The album features recordings of live renditions of songs derived from his first two studio albums, The College Dropout (2004) and Late Registration (2005).{{Cite web|last=McDermott|first=Maeve|date=2019-03-18|title=With his weekly 'Sunday Service,' Kanye West is finally exciting again|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2019/03/18/sunday-services-kanye-west-finally-exciting-again/3133594002/|access-date=2021-12-20|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US}} It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London, England, before an audience of 300 invited guests on September 21, 2005.{{Cite web|last=Walker|first=Angus|date=2016-04-11|title=Kanye West's 5 Most Powerful Live Performances|url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/kanye-wests-5-most-powerful-live-performances-news.21038.html|access-date=2021-12-20|website=HotNewHipHop|language=en}}

West was backed by a seventeen-piece all-female string orchestra{{cite web |title=5 times hip hop and the classical world collided |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/21xPKjH3BSCVnCsTrt68ndl/5-times-hip-hop-and-the-classical-world-collided |website=BBC |accessdate=22 September 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910073019/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/21xPKjH3BSCVnCsTrt68ndl/5-times-hip-hop-and-the-classical-world-collided |archivedate=10 September 2019 |date=6 September 2019}} and featured guest appearances by John Legend, Lupe Fiasco, GLC and Consequence. The CD release features the full performance (12 tracks) along with an additional bonus track, "Gold Digger" (Live at AOL). The concert was also released on DVD as well as interviews and bonus music videos for the first four singles of Late Registration.

The cover photograph, taken by photographer Andrew Meredith,{{cite web|title=Kanye West album design|url=http://www.maggierogers.co.uk/design-and-direction/kanye-west/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918020810/http://www.maggierogers.co.uk/design-and-direction/kanye-west/|archive-date=2017-09-18|access-date=2017-03-28|website=maggierogers.co.uk}} is a reference to the Beatles' cover of their 1969 album Abbey Road, which features the four band members walking across a crosswalk on the well-known street, close to the studio where the album, and Late Orchestration, were recorded.{{Cite web|last=Strecker|first=Erin|date=2014-08-08|title=Here Are 7 of Our Favorite ‘Abbey Road’ Cover Homages|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/best-abbey-road-cover-homages-6214241/|access-date=2021-12-20|website=Billboard|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Wilkening|first=Matthew|date=2018-08-08|title=50 Years of 'Abbey Road' Album Cover Tributes and Parodies|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/abbey-road-album-cover-tributes/|access-date=2021-12-20|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|language=en}} Late Orchestration has been cited as the most well-known instance of hip hop and classical music coming together.