The Wiz: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

The Wiz: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album for the 1978 film adaptation of the Broadway musical The Wiz. Although the film was produced for Universal Pictures by Motown Records' film division, the soundtrack album was issued on MCA Records as a two-LP collection. Chiefly produced by Quincy Jones,^[2] The Wiz soundtrack features cast performances by the stars of the film, including Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Theresa Merritt, Thelma Carpenter, and Lena Horne.

The track selection is made up of both songs from the original 1975 Broadway musical by Charlie Smalls and Luther Vandross, as well as new songs written for the film by Quincy Jones, Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, and Anthony Jackson. This soundtrack marks Jones' first collaboration with Jackson; Jones would go on to produce Jackson's hit solo albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad.^[3]

Track listing

Record one, side one

1. "Main Title (Overture, Part One)" (instrumental)
2. "Overture (Part Two)" (instrumental)
3. "The Feeling That We Have" - Theresa Merritt and Chorus
4. "Can I Go On?" (Quincy Jones, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson) - Diana Ross
5. "Glinda's Theme" (instrumental)
6. "He's the Wizard" - Thelma Carpenter and Chorus
7. "Soon as I Get Home"/"Home" - Diana Ross

Record one, side two

1. "You Can't Win" - Michael Jackson
2. "Ease on Down the Road #1" - Diana Ross and Michael Jackson
3. "What Would I Do If I Could Feel?" - Nipsey Russell
4. "Slide Some Oil to Me" - Nipsey Russell
5. "Ease on Down the Road #2" - Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Nipsey Russell
6. "I'm a Mean Ole Lion" - Ted Ross
7. "Ease on Down the Road #3" - Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross
8. "Poppy Girls" (Anthony Jackson) (instrumental)

Record two, side one

1. "Be a Lion" - Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross
2. "End of the Yellow Brick Road" (instrumental)
3. "Emerald City Sequence" (music: Jones, lyrics: Smalls) - Chorus
4. "So You Wanted to See the Wizard" - Richard Pryor (spoken dialogue)
5. "Is This What Feeling Gets? (Dorothy's Theme)" (music: Jones, lyrics: Ashford & Simpson) - Diana Ross

Record two, side two

1. "Don't Nobody Bring Me No Bad News" - Mabel King and Chorus
2. "A Brand New Day" (Luther Vandross) - Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, and Chorus
3. "Believe in Yourself (Dorothy)" - Diana Ross
4. "The Good Witch Glinda" (instrumental)
5. "Believe in Yourself (Reprise)" - Lena Horne
6. "Home" - Diana Ross

• All songs written by Charlie Smalls, unless otherwise noted.

Charts

Album

Singles

References

1. ^ Allmusic review
2. ^ Jones, Quincy (2002). Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones. Broadway Books. pp. Pages 229, 259. ISBN 0767905105. 
3. ^ Bronson, Fred (2003). Billboard's Hottest Hot 100 Hits. Watson-Guptill. pp. Page 107. ISBN 0823077381. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "allmusic ((( The Wiz (Original Soundtrack) > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums )))". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r85145/charts-awards/billboard-album. Retrieved 2010-03-26. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "allmusic ((( The Wiz (Original Soundtrack) > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r85145/charts-awards/billboard-single. Retrieved 2010-03-26.