Singer-songwriter John Parr, of St Elmo’s Fire fame, has contributed an original rock composition to the latest Vampires Rock musical, Eternal Love.
Rock musical Vampires Rock: Eternal Love opens in just nine months, and Grammy-nominated John’s ‘Everything They Said Was True’ will be among 21 original songs featured.
Eternal Love producer, director and performer Steve Steinman, who is based in Newark, said: “As a result of John Parr coming to see me perform in one of our stage shows, I was kindly gifted the song. It was included on my first, number one album Leap of Faith, and subsequently released as a single — topping the Amazon Rock and iTunes charts in its own right.
“John wrote the song with Meat Loaf way back in 1982. He was staying at Meat Loaf’s home at the time.
“It’s an incredible song, but its roots are firmly in the seventies guitar rock era. For a time in the eighties, rock music transformed to a more synthesizer and drum machine-led format, and for that reason, Everything They Said Was True was overlooked, and was never recorded.”
Like all other numbers included in the Eternal Love score, Everything They Said Was True is a song with a story to tell, as it deals with the angst of a troubled relationship.
When John met Steve backstage at the Hull Arena, Steve had just embarked on his own recording career — which has now led to six singles and two albums to the top of the Amazon Music and iTunes charts.
“John was very complimentary about my debut single Leap of Faith, and agreed to allow me to record Everything They Said Was True,” added Steve.
“He said it deserved to be heard, and encouraged me to ‘go and get it out there’ — which I did — and I took it to the top of the charts.”
Steve says that he is thrilled to include the song in the score for Eternal Love, the third part of the popular Vampires Rock trilogy.
Among the other esteemed songwriters contributing to the rock musical’s score are Steve Womack and Steve Etherington.
Steve Womack has written songs for many well-known recording artists, most recently contributing several songs for Bonnie Tyler’s latest album, including a duet with Cliff Richard, while Steve Etherington has featured in chart-topping groups and co-written the music for two hit musicals previously.
“Importantly, all the songs performed in Eternal Love feature the art of storytelling,” said Steve Steinman.
“They’re all outstanding songs in their own right and won’t have to rely on the musical for their popularity.”
Two thirds of the score is comprised of numbers from Steve’s two albums, and the remainder is made up from brand-new songs, specifically written for the musical.
“They’re all in the can, composed and ready to go,” he added.
Eternal Love has promised production values to match West End spectaculars, a cast of 20 supremely talented performers, and choreography and costumes of the very highest calibre.
It bills itself as ‘the first rock musical championing an original score since the Rocky Horror Show’.
“Eternal Love: The Musical establishes a brand-new vision for the genre of musical theatre,” said Steve.
“In addition to possessing everything you’d expect from a West End musical, on occasions it unashamedly breaks the fourth wall, ensuring that the fast-paced humour — which has earnt the Vampires Rock franchise its cult following — persists.”
Eternal Love will call at Newark Palace Theatre in April 2025, after setting off on tour in January 2025.
