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This was the first LP I ever owned, probably bought by my father to familiarise us with the music of JCS before we saw the stage show in 1973.

At the time, as a very non-discerning 12yo, I really enjoyed this album. However, once I’d seen the quite superb Australian production at the Palais Theatre in St Kilda, in Melbourne, Australia, and subsequently paid up for the official Australian cast soundtrack album, the shortfalls of the Sagapan offering quickly became apparent.

Even now, though, 50 years on, I still give kudos to the group of apparent amateurs who put this album together. Musically, it’s very thin – a couple of guitars, a piano, drums and a flute. The small number of singers share roles; for instance, Colin Dyall sings the roles of both Jesus and Simon Zealotes, Mick Tuck is Judas and Annas. Larry Dyall (presumably Colin’s brother) is Herod. A vocal group, The Carols, is also credited. I’m guessing The Carols, at best, were a duet. And not particularly melodic.

Although they all seem to be trying their best, the sad fact is that few of the cast can actually sing very well. Colin Dyall, who, as well as singing Jesus and Simon, is listed as the producer and director of this record, and that can be the only reason he got to sing that role. He goes wonderfully off-key in the first line of “Hosanna”, and in “What’s the Buzz” he sings almost comically flat, in an effort to express emotion. His monologue in “The Crucifixion” (infused with a flute playing “I Don’t Know How to Love Him”), sounds as agonising and emotional as someone reading the clues from a crossword puzzle. I’ve Googled him, but I can’t find any details what happened to Colin’s career and life after this record. I’d really like to know what became of him. Perhaps he became a bank manager, or a bookkeeper.

Mick Tuck, as Judas, is probably the best of this lot. But that’s not saying a great deal.

Not only do the vocalists murder the songs, but many of the songs on this album are bizarrely arranged, for no apparent reason. For instance, “What’s the Buzz/Strange Things Mystifying” actually starts with the latter half of “Mystifying”, then segues back to “What’s the Buzz”, before concluding with the Judas part of “Mystifying”. It’s nonsensical. “Herod’s Song” is sung with a completely melody, and at points, different lyrics are inserted.

Other oddities: Track 3, Side 1 is listed as “Everything’s Alright”, when it’s actually “I Don’t Know How to Love Him”. The songs, as presented on the record, are out of sequence. We hear “Hosanna” before “This Jesus Must Die”, “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” before “Everything’s Alright”, “Simon Zealotes” before “Heaven on Their Minds”. It’s only on the second half of Side 2, with the weird version of “Herod’s Song”, “Judas’ Death”, “Superstar” and “The Crucifixion”, ending the record in some sort of logical progression.

And for some reason, every song ends with a fade-out, rather than simply ending, as they’re supposed to. If Colin is still alive, and still lucid, I would love to ask him about the making of this album, how he managed to put this wonderful mess together.

Having said all this, despite its crude production values and the serious lack of talent within, I still have a fondness for this record. It *was* my introduction to “Jesus Christ Superstar”, znd for that, I’m grateful to them. I’m sure Colin and friends had the best intentions when they met up in Saga Sound Studios in London in 1971 to make their dreadful masterpiece.