The BBC’s original 1981 full-cast radio dramatisation of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is coming to CD and vinyl LP in December – the first time it’s been available to buy in the original 26-episode broadcast format.
Starring Ian Holm as Frodo, Michael Hordern as Gandalf, John Le Mesurier as Bilbo, Bill Nighy as Sam, and Robert Stephens as Aragorn, alongside Gerard Murphy, Peter Vaughan, Simon Cadell and Michael Graham Cox, the production was dramatised by Brian Sibley and Michael Bakewell.
The release comes from the BBC’s Demon Records and features over 13 hours of newly-mastered audio in stereo, with every cliffhanger and reprise intact, plus a standalone disc of the series’ soundtrack by the renowned composer Stephen Oliver.
Both the CD and vinyl editions include an 8-page booklet, featuring behind the scenes cast photos and a note about the making of the series by dramatist Brian Sibley, is also included along with full cast and credits for every episode.
The CD edition is presented across 14 CDs in deluxe 7” sized box set packaging while the LP edition is pressed on Clear and Forged Gold coloured vinyl.
Each set is individually numbered and features beautiful original artwork, re-imagining the landscape of Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
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