R.I.P. Eric Woolfson

[7 Wishes]

A real tragedy - the voice of the Alan Parsons Project. I have everything he ever released with and without the APP. I hadn't known about this. He was brilliant - a phenomenal songwriter, and a voice for the ages. You will be missed.

[TRAGChick]

My God....this is so sad

Listening to "Eye In The Sky" right now......

Eric Woolfson of Alan Parsons Project dies at 64

Last Updated: Thursday, December 3, 2009 | 12:44 PM ET Comments16Recommend35
CBC News

(Sony/BMG) Musician Eric Woolfson, a singer and songwriter best known as co-founder of progressive rock group Alan Parsons Project, has died. He was 64.

Woolfson died in London on Wednesday after a battle with cancer, according to his website.

A songwriter since the early 1960s, Woolfson created 10 albums with Alan Parsons, an engineer who had worked on the Beatles' Abbey Road and on the Pink Floyd album, Dark Side of the Moon.

Their low-key albums, recorded with a revolving cast of session musicians, had a cult following, especially in Germany and the U.S. Their biggest selling album was 1982's Eye in the Sky.

Other albums included I Robot and Tales of Mystery and Imagination, which was based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

Glasgow-born Woolfson was a lyricist and singer for the group, writing songs that became hits, such as Time, Don't Answer Me and Eye in the Sky.

Before working with Parsons, he wrote songs recorded by more than 100 artists, including Marianne Faithfull, Frank Ifield, The Tremeloes, Marmalade and Dave Berry. He also had success as a producer, most notably with Carl Douglas, who recorded the 1974 hit Kung Fu Fighting.

In the 1960s, Woolfson worked alongside two then-unknown writers, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

After he and Parsons split, while working on the album Freudiana, Lloyd Webber encouraged him to try his hand at musical theatre.

His first attempt was called Freudiana, a musical based on the life of Sigmund Freud, which premiered in 1990 in Vienna.

He had great success in Germany with the musical Gaudi, based on the life of the Spanish architect, which ran five years. Another musical, The Gambler, toured in Japan and Korea.

He also returned to Poe, whose work had long fascinated him, with a musical that premiered at Abbey Road Studios in 2003 and was playing in Berlin at the time of his death.

Woolfson is survived by his wife Hazel and two daughters.

[Don]

Very unique music. These are the type of artists that should be in the HOF. Not your typical cookie cutter band. When ever I hear anything about the Chicago Bulls that damn Sirius starts playing in my head. A bit of useless trivia but Project arranger Andrew Powell also composed the score for the cult classic, Ladyhawke

[Maui Tom]

Oh damn...APP was/is one of my top 5 all time....bummer...

[Peartree12249]

Very sorry to hear that Eric Woolfson passed away. I Robot is still a great listen.

[Ehwmatt]

Yep... too bad. He had some projects coming supposedly too. I love the APP

[hoagiepete]

Sorry to hear this news.

I wore the Eve album completely out (although he only contributed keys and did not sing...I think). A big fan of his work on Eye in the Sky and The Turn of a Friendly Card.

May he RIP.

Did APP put on a good concert? Never saw them.

[Ehwmatt]

Sorry to hear this news.

I wore the Eve album completely out (although he only contributed keys and did not sing...I think). A big fan of his work on Eye in the Sky and The Turn of a Friendly Card.

May he RIP.

Did APP put on a good concert? Never saw them.

VERY good concert. One of the best I've seen, in fact. Saw them in Detroit a few years back w/ my dad

[Peartree12249]

Some of you may not be familiar with Eric's other work outside APP. Here is a video of Steve Balsamo singing the beautiful song "Immortal" from Poe: More Tales of Mystery and Imagination written by Eric Woolfson in 2003.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNcfYDM3kQA


Immortal

I was adrift on an ocean of dreams
I was amazed...
And as I sail to the end of the world
I'm not afraid...
Mournful moon and willow tree
Tell the world not to weep for me
And I will be set free...
I took a drink from a bottle of wine
And I was changed...
Made a deal with the devil inside
And I was shamed...
I have sailed on stormy seas
Where the four winds blow me;
Shining moon and willow tree
Tell the world--remember me
For I will be set free...
All that we see,
All that we seem
Is but a shadow of a shadow
Of a dream within a dream;
But if a tree is evergreen,
Then maybe part of us
Could be eternal...
Though tangled life
May be no more,
A drop rain upon the ocean
Grain of sand upon the shore
The words will live forevermore
If you can hear me now,
Am I immortal?
Magic moon and willow tree
If they ask about me,
Tell the truth, and they might learn;
Light a candle and watch it burn...
Then I will be set free...
Free as a bird
Upon the wind,
Now all the trials and tribulations
Of the world don't mean a thing;
Above the clouds
I'll fly away--
Was it my imagination,
Did the stars come out to play?
Beyond the sun--
Eternal flame,
I hear a chorus of a million voices
Calling out my name;
But all I see and all I seem
Is but a shadow of a shadow
Of a dream within a dream,
Free as the wind--
Lighter than air
Free from the jealous minds,
The scornful, bitter words
Won't hurt me there
And I will live forevermore--
If you remember me,
I am immortal!
I am immortal!