Tim Rice

Lore & Background

For the *Aida* concept album, Tim Rice wrote lyrics that Elton John set to music, creating songs that were then recorded by a diverse roster of artists. The album was certified gold in April 1999 by the RIAA. One track, "Written in the Stars", a duet with LeAnn Rimes, was released as a single, reaching No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart; that single was also certified gold in April 1999 by the RIAA. Another song, "The Messenger", makes its only appearance on this record, as it would be cut from the Broadway production and consequently left off the cast album. Prior to the recordings being performed by other artists, John also recorded each song as a solo full production demo; these tracks did not make the album and have never been officially released but are readily available on YouTube.

In Their Own Story

In the studio, Tim Rice's lyrics met Elton John's melodies, and then those songs were handed to stars like Sting, Tina Turner, and Shania Twain. The album is sometimes known as the "concept album" for *Aida*, both because it came before the production and to distinguish it from the 2000 release of *Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida: Original Broadway Cast Recording*. Rice's words for "A Step Too Far" and "Elaborate Lives" were sung by Heather Headley and Sherie Rene Scott, who would go on to play Aida and Amneris respectively in the Broadway production. The album's gold certification by the RIAA in April 1999 marked a commercial milestone for the project.

Reader's Guide

Tim Rice is the lyricist for the 1999 concept album *Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida*, which contains songs with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice. The album predates the main production of the 2000 musical *Aida*. Rice's lyrics were performed by a wide range of artists: Janet Jackson, Tina Turner, Sting, Lenny Kravitz, Shania Twain, Boyz II Men, Spice Girls, James Taylor, LeAnn Rimes, Kelly Price, Lulu, Angelique Kidjo, and Dru Hill. Two tracks feature the voices of future Broadway cast members Heather Headley and Sherie Rene Scott. The single "Written in the Stars" (a duet with LeAnn Rimes) reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and was certified gold by the RIAA in April 1999. The song "The Messenger" appears only on this album, having been cut from the Broadway production. Elton John also recorded solo full production demos of each song, which are not officially released but are available on YouTube.

Did You Know?

• The album *Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida* was certified gold in April 1999 by the RIAA.
• The single "Written in the Stars", a duet with LeAnn Rimes, reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
• The song "The Messenger" appears only on this concept album, as it was cut from the Broadway production and left off the cast album.
• Two tracks feature the voices of future Broadway cast members Heather Headley (who would play Aida) and Sherie Rene Scott (who would play Amneris).
• Elton John recorded solo full production demos of each song, which have never been officially released but are readily available on YouTube.