Composer Jeff Wayne talks to ME & MY MONEY

Jeff Wayne is a composer, musician, conductor and producer and might be greatest recognized for his double album Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds, writes York Membery. 

The album – based mostly on H.G. Wells’ basic novel of the identical identify – offered 15 million copies after its launch in 1978. Jeff, who was born in New York however has lived within the UK for 60 years, has composed almost 3,000 promoting jingles, in addition to quite a few TV theme tunes together with ITV’s Good Morning Britain and movie scores together with The Who’s McVicar. 

The 80-year-old father of 4 and grandfather of 9 lives in a Hertfordshire manor home together with his spouse Geraldine. He opened the £5 million The War Of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience in London in 2019 and is taking his dwell The War Of The Worlds present on tour subsequent yr.

What did your dad and mom train you about cash?

My father Jerry was a preferred singer, actor and author within the US and had three No 1 hits, a nationwide radio present in addition to Broadway hits. 

I assumed my dad’s profession would final perpetually but it surely crashed abruptly when he was blacklisted in 1950 through the McCarthy Era, a darkish interval when Senator Joseph McCarthy hounded anybody he suspected of being a communist. In early 1951, my father’s profession was in tatters and I noticed my dad and mom go from having a cushty way of life to promoting prized possessions and counting the pennies.

Good transfer: Jeff Wayne invested round £200,000 of his personal cash into recording War Of The Worlds

So in 1953, we moved to London the place Dad performed Sky Masterson within the authentic West End model of Guys And Dolls. I grew up figuring out that nevertheless comfortably off one is likely to be, it may all be snatched away at a second’s discover.

Have you ever struggled to make ends meet?

Oh sure, after I returned to Britain within the mid-Sixties after a spell within the US. I ran out of cash when a music venture acquired delayed however was lucky to have the ability to borrow £6,000 from my greatest good friend in California. After my profession acquired going, I paid him again with curiosity.

Have you ever been paid foolish cash?

I used to be paid 200 guineas (round £210) for for my first TV advert – for the Cheese Bureau – within the late-Sixties, excellent cash on the time. After just a few advertisements the floodgates opened – I went on to compose the music for the Esso tiger TV advert and wrote the Get The Abbey Habit advert for Abbey National – and my jingles went world wide. At one level I had workplaces in Paris and Frankfurt. What’s being a millionaire although? It’s only a quantity to me.

What was the most effective yr of your monetary life?

Probably 1978, the yr that I launched my Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds double album. One day my dad gave me a replica of H.G. Wells’ basic and after one learn I knew it had the potential to be was a musical as a result of whereas on one stage it is the story of a Martian invasion of Victorian England, it is also a narrative of hope, love and never giving up. My dad and I secured all of the rights [excluding the book and film rights] to the work, and I spent the following 18 months writing the music and placing collectively the double album.

While CBS (now Sony) thought it was good, they weren’t positive it was going to promote. But it simply took off and spent 330 weeks within the UK album charts. It spawned two hit singles, Forever Autumn and The Eve Of The War, in addition to video video games, a London-based ‘immersive expertise’ and a dwell West End manufacturing stage present.

The most costly factor you’ve got purchased for enjoyable?

A Cherokee Chief automotive which had simply gone on sale this aspect of the Atlantic. I handled myself to it after The War Of The Worlds’ album success in 1978. My spouse Geraldine and I even have a beautiful assortment of Clarice Cliff pottery. When her work is in vogue, its worth goes up, and when it isn’t, it goes down. Up and down, up and down. The most we’ve got paid for a chunk is £200 to £300.

What is your greatest cash mistake?

I invested a number of thousand kilos in The Widow Applebaum’s Deli and Bagel Academy, a New York-style restaurant serving salt beef sandwiches and bagels, in London’s West End within the mid-Seventies. It sadly closed after just a few months and left me just a few grand out of pocket. I believe it was an thought forward of its time.

Best cash choice you could have made?

Investing round £200,000 of my very own cash into recording War Of The Worlds. CBS initially put up £70,000 believing it could be a single album of thematic music but it surely wasn’t sufficient cash to make a double album with visitor artists. So I referred to as a household assembly in 1976 after I outlined my plan for an idea album based mostly on the novel. I assumed they have been going to inform me I used to be bonkers and would not make investments however they backed me all the best way.

My most great buy was my Steinway Concert D Grand Piano in 1975, on which I wrote The War Of The Worlds. It was a very good funding and an analogous mannequin right this moment would price £120,000-£140,000.

Do you personal any property?

My spouse and I dwell in a village the place we personal a five-bedroom Georgian home as soon as owned by the racing driver Graham Hill. We purchased it in 1983 for a six-figure sum, but it surely has since gone up in worth 20-fold. It’s set in 30 acres, and in addition has its personal tennis court docket. Two-thirds of it had burnt down within the Nineteen Thirties, so it wanted an in depth rebuild earlier than we may transfer in although.

If you have been Chancellor what would you do?

I’d look severely at how British artists have been impacted when desirous to tour Europe post-Brexit. The price has risen considerably.

What is your primary monetary precedence?

Making positive my household and I stay snug. I’ve simply turned 80, however I’ve no plans to retire. I really like conducting and producing my excursions and proceed to compose and create in addition to play tennis which retains my thoughts lively.

• The War Of The Worlds Immersive Experience (thewaroftheworldsimmersive.com). For information on The Spirit Of Man tour in 2025 go to thewaroftheworlds.com.