Evita (soundtrack)

Evita
Cover for the two-disc edition of the album
Soundtrack album by Madonna / various artists
Released	November 12, 1996
Recorded	CTS Studios October – November 1995 (London, United Kingdom)
Length	107:30 (2-disc) 77:17 (1-disc)
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Alan Parker Andrew Lloyd Webber David Caddick Nigel Wright
Madonna chronology
Something to Remember (1995) Evita (1996) Ray of Light (1998)
Singles from Evita
"You Must Love Me" Released: October 21, 1996 "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" Released: February 4, 1997 "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" Released: March 18, 1997

Evita is the third soundtrack album by American singer Madonna. It was released on November 12, 1996, by Warner Bros. Records to promote the 1996 American musical drama film, Evita. The film was based on Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1978 musical of the same name, about First Lady of Argentina, Eva Perón. Additional performers on Evita include Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce and Jimmy Nail, but is considered a Madonna album since the majority of the songs are sung by her.^[1] After securing the title role in Evita, Madonna underwent vocal training in order to enhance her singing abilities. Director Alan Parker worked with Rice and Lloyd Webber to compose the soundtrack, reworking the original songs as well as a new song, "You Must Love Me", for the film.

The actors were tense during the recording sessions for Evita, since they were from different professional backgrounds. The musical style for Evita differed from Madonna's previous works and she was not comfortable in recording her vocals inside the studio alongside the orchestra. After an emergency meeting with the principal personnel, it was decided she would record in a separate location. It took almost four months for the soundtrack to be finished. Rice and Lloyd Webber had employed the classical technique while creating the music, taking the central theme, "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", and tweaking it to cater to a variety of settings. Through the songs, the soundtrack tells the story of Eva Perón's beginnings, her rise to fame, political career and gradually her death.

The soundtrack was released in two different versions. A two-disc edition which featured all the tracks from the film, and a single-disc edition contained a selection of song highlights. Evita was promoted by the release of three singles—"You Must Love Me", "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and "Another Suitcase in Another Hall"—the former won the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1997. Critical reception towards the soundtrack was mixed, with AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine calling it "unengaging"^[2] while Hartford Courant's Greg Morago praised Madonna's singing abilities.^[3] Evita was a commercial success, reaching the top of the charts in Austria, Belgium, Scotland, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, while attaining top-ten positions in other major musical markets. In the United States, the soundtrack reached a peak of number two on the Billboard 200 chart, and was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Background and development

"The hardest work that anyone had to do was obviously done by Madonna. She had the lion's share of the piece, singing as she does on almost every track. Many of the songs were comfortably within her range, but much of the score was in a range where her voice had never ventured before. Also, she was determined to sing the score as it was written and not to cheat in any way".

—Film director Alan Parker talking about working with Madonna on Evita.^[4]

In 1996, Madonna starred in the film Evita, playing the role of Eva Perón, the Spiritual Leader of the Nation of Argentina. For a long time, Madonna had desired to play Eva and even wrote a letter to director Alan Parker, explaining how she would be perfect for the part.^[5] Madonna had already enlisted the help of composers Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, who had originally created Evita the musical. Rice believed that the singer would suit in the title role since she could "act beautifully through music".^[6]

However Lloyd Webber was still wary about Madonna's singing, so after securing the role, she underwent vocal training with coach Joan Lader. Madonna was benefited since Evita required the actors to sing their own parts, and the training helped in increasing her own confidence in singing the unusual songs.^[6][7] Lader noted that the singer "had to use her voice in a way she's never used it before. Evita is real musical theater — its operatic, in a sense. Madonna developed an upper register that she didn't know she had."^[8][9] She taught Madonna how to sing using her diaphragm rather than just her throat. That way she was able to project her voice in a much more cohesive manner. Madonna was thrilled to find the newly discovered nuances in her voice and would go home every night, practicing by telephoning her friends and singing to them.^[6]

In the meantime, Parker had finished writing the script for the film. He visited Lloyd Webber's home in France, and tried to bring him and Rice together for working on the film; the duo had not worked with each other for years after the musical Cricket (1986). While drafting the script Parker had re-written the last act, removing the repetitive content of the original play. This resulted in Rice and Lloyd Webber composing new music, including the new song "You Must Love Me".^[10] Parker knew that the pre-recorded playback would be the main backbone for the filming, hence was wary about the decisions he had to make in the recording studio. He pondered over the script and the music, expecting any questions that the actors would have for later.^[10]

Recording sessions

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice composed the music of Evita, including the new song, "You Must Love Me".

Recording sessions began in September 1995, and took place at the CTS Studios in London, with Madonna and co-actors Antonio Banderas and Jonathan Pryce.^[10] Engineer David Reitzas performed the mixing of the track at Larrabee North Studios, utilizing their Solid State Logic 9000 J series consoles for the mix.^[11] For the first day's sessions, music supervisor David Caddick suggested to record "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" with the 84 piece orchestra backing Madonna's vocals. However, Lloyd Webber was critical of the recording arrangements done in the studio.^[10] The cast was also nervous. Flick noted that Banderas found the experience "scary" while Madonna was "petrified" when it came to recording the songs. "I had to sing 'Don't Cry For Me Argentina' in front of Andrew Lloyd Webber ... I was a complete mess and was sobbing afterwards. I thought I had done a terrible job", the singer recalled.^[7][12] Conductor John Mauceri recalled that another challenge the production faced was adapting the stage numbers into a feature film; "On film, it's different than being on stage because the person on the screen in front of you is never farther than someone on the pillow in bed next to you".^[4] Parker declared the first day of recording as "Black Monday", since it was "filled with trepidation and nerves ... All of us came from very different worlds—from popular music, from movies, and from musical theater—and so we were very apprehensive".^[7]

According to producer Nigel Wright, the lead actors would first sing the numbers backed by a band and orchestra, "then they would go off with Alan and David in a more intimate recording environment and perfect their vocals".^[4] However, more trouble arose as Madonna was not comfortable with laying down a "guide vocal" simultaneously with an 84 piece orchestra inside the studio. Also, unlike her previous soundtrack releases, she had little to no control over the project; "I'm used to writing my own songs and I go into a studio, choose the musicians and say what sounds good or doesn't ... To work on 46 songs with everyone involved and not have a big say was a big adjustment", she recalled.^[13]

An emergency meeting was held between Parker, Lloyd Webber and Madonna where it was decided that the singer would record her part at Whitfield Street, a contemporary studio, while the orchestration would take place somewhere else. She also had alternate days off from the recording to save and strengthen her voice.^[10][14] Recording the soundtrack was a slow process and took almost four months before it was completed.^[6] But Parker noticed at the end of recording that they did not have the new song in place. Recalling in his The Making of Evita essay:

Finally, while I was visiting Andrew at his country estate in Berkshire to play him the tracks we had recorded, he suddenly sat down at the piano and played the most beautiful melody, which he suggested could be our new song. Needless to say, I grabbed it. However, we still needed lyrics and Tim dutifully began to put words to the music. The vast majority of the original Evita score had been done this way: music first, lyrics afterwards. After many weeks of nail biting, Tim was finally cajoled into writing the lyrics that now accompany the music to "You Must Love Me".^[10]

Music and lyrical interpretation

Antonio Banderas and Jonathan Pryce were the other principal vocalists on the soundtrack, besides Madonna.

Madonna's vocals are featured on 15 of the 19 tracks present in the soundtrack. Other principal vocalists include Banderas, Pryce and Jimmy Nail. Rikky Rooksby noted in The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna that Evita was stylistically different than the music Madonna had recorded previously. The soundtrack was her most challenging endeavor since the Stephen Sondheim songs recorded for the 1990 film, Dick Tracy. Rice and Lloyd Webber employed the classical technique while creating the music, where a composer takes a central theme and adapts it to a variety of settings, keys and tempos.^[15] The central backbone and theme of the soundtrack is "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", and through the songs it tells the story of Eva's beginnings, her rise to fame, political career and gradually her death.^[16]

The soundtrack begins with the tracks "A Cinema in Buenos Aires, 26 July 1952" and "Requiem for Evita", both conducted by John Mauceri, dealing with the announcement of Eva's death. Following this "Oh What a Circus" begins, where Banderas takes the lead vocals.^[16] Built on the uptempo melody of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", the song has rock influences and piano sounds. After a short interlude by Nail, "On This Night of a Thousand Stars", a distorted electric guitar and bass heralds "Eva and Magaldi / Eva Beware of the City".^[16] Here the lyrics talk about warning Eva from strangers in the big city. The sound of train horns, Latin percussion, drums, and light guitars introduce "Buenos Aires", talking about Eva finally arriving in the city. The melody finds Madonna singing in a higher range, and the song has a heavy composition in the middle with guitar, trumpets and discordant music.^[17] "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" begins with soft strummed guitar in broken chords, and consists of strings and acoustic guitar played in a subdued manner. Madonna sings about Eva moving from one home to another, portraying an image—the suitcase in the hall—"to express the nomadic nature of modern civilization".^[17]

In "Goodnight and Thank You", Madonna and Banderas trade verses, talking about ending Eva's love affairs, followed by Banderas' solo "The Lady's Got Potential", musing about Eva's gradual rise on the society ladder.^[17] The gentle ballad, "I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You", is about Eva meeting her husband Juan Perón; its composed of flutes, classical guitar and subdued strings.^[18] Military drum beats and a brass section start off "Peron's Latest Flame", where Banderas sings loudly about the general population disapproving of Eva. In the middle of a male backing chorus, Madonna sings her lines, accompanied by stereo tom-tom drum and synth sounds.^[18] For "A New Argentina", electric guitar and chorus form the main backbone. Composed as an "uprising hymn", Rooksby noted that Madonna's vocals sounded "aggressive and growling".^[18]

	'You Must Love Me' A 17 second clip of "You Must Love Me", with Madonna singing the chorus over the restrained piano sounds.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The second disc begins with "Don't Cry for Me Argentina", whose lyrics are described as a "string of meaningless platitudes" by Rice, adding that it worked as a speech by a "megalomaniac woman" like Eva, trying to win the favor of the people of Argentina.^[19] The composition consist of pizzicato strings, and the song jumps from being light to heavy and extravagant, with one section of it being hummed by choral voices.^[19] "High Flying, Adored" has an Elton John like style according to Rooksby, who described the lyrics as narcissistic and a parallel with Madonna's life. "RainBow High" features instrumentation from drums, guitars, horns and strings, with the lyrics being about Eva's materialistic needs.^[20]

With "Waltz for Eva and Che", the soundtrack's atmosphere becomes tense, as Banderas and Madonna sing on top of bass and timpani. The bittersweet song "You Must Love Me" starts with the sound of orchestra and piano. Lyrically it talks about Eva's discovery that her husband Juan had actually loved her all along and not merely seen her as a political prop.^[21] As the song moves towards the chorus, the piano sounds stop and the cello plays with Madonna belting out the lyrics: "Deep in my heart, I'm concealing, Things that I'm longing to say", when the piano and the orchestra sounds come back again. It proceeds in the same way and gradually fades out.^[21] The final track, "Lament", finds Madonna singing in a whispered tone, about Eva looking back at her life on her deathbed. Accompanied by classical guitar and harp, Banderas also sings over Eva's grave, and the track gradually fades out as an anti-climax.^[21]

Release and promotion

The soundtrack was released in the United States on November 12, 1996, almost two weeks before the release of the film.^[22] It was already in huge demand prior to its release, according to Tim Devin, manager of Tower Records. "People are seriously clamouring for it. We are getting more inquiries about this record than anything else right now," Devin explained to Billboard's Larry Flick.^[7] Warner Bros. depended on pre-release press reviews, consumer curiosity and the singles from the soundtrack to keep the interest afloat, until the album was released. Jeff Gold, VP/GM of Warner Bros. declared the release as a "worldwide event that has ignited public interest throughout each stage of its evolution".^[7]

Madonna performing the lead single, "You Must Love Me"', on the Sticky & Sweet Tour (2008–09). It went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Evita consisted of two formats, a two-disc edition titled The Complete Motion Picture Music Soundtrack, containing all the tracks used on the film, and a single-disc edition, Music from the Motion Picture, which contained only a selection of highlights. International release strategy of the soundtrack was similar to that of the United States, with November 25 as the date, and the single-disc edition planned for release later in December.^[7] An Evita EP, which contained remixed versions of "Buenos Aires", "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and "Another Suitcase in Another Hall", was supposed to be released but was cancelled.^[23]

Singles

"You Must Love Me" was released as the soundtrack's lead single on October 27, 1996. It was written specifically for the film with the hopes of obtaining an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song.^[24] According to Lloyd Webber, the song's main inspiration was to showcase Eva's emotional state at the time as well as her relationship with Juan.^[25] The song garnered positive response from music critics, many of them highlighting Madonna's enhanced singing ability.^[26] It went on to win the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1997.^[27][28] It was also a moderate commercial success, becoming a top-ten hit in some countries including Finland, Italy and the United Kingdom, while reaching the top-twenty in the United States, where it achieved a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).^{[29][30][31][32][33]} The song's music video for the song was directed by Parker and featured Madonna performing the track inside a small hotel room.^[34]

"Don't Cry for Me Argentina" was released as the second single from the album on February 4, 1997. A separate version called the "Miami Mix", which included re-recorded vocals in English and Spanish and an Argentinean bandoneon in the song's intro, was promoted to radio.^[23] Madonna's vocals received positive critical response^[35] and the song reached the top-ten of the charts a number of nations, including the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and received gold certifications from five of them.^[36]

"Another Suitcase in Another Hall" was the third and final single released on March 3, 1997.^[37] Upon its release, the song garnered positive response from music critics and reached the top-ten of the charts in Italy and the United Kingdom.^[38][31][39] The track "Buenos Aires" received remix treatment from DJ duo Pablo Flores-Javier Garza. Warner Bros. was initially reluctant to release the remixes, but decided to finally release it to coincide with the home video release of Evita the film. Flores and Garza kept the Latin composition of the track, while "flattening" the groove to make it suitable for playing in dance floors. They also added a live percussion and keyboard lines to the remix. Larry Flick from Billboard commented that "Buenos Aires" displayed Madonna's "increased comfort and dexterity as a stylist".^[40] Following its promotional release in October 1997, "Buenos Aires" peaked at number three on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart..^[41]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Baltimore Sun	(negative)[42]
Entertainment Weekly	(negative)[43]
The Herald Journal	(positive)[44]
Hartford Courant	(positive)[3]
The New York Times	(positive)[45]
San Francisco Chronicle	(mixed)[46]
Spin	(positive)[47]

Evita has received generally mixed reviews from music critics. J. Randy Taraborrelli, author of Madonna: An Intimate Biography felt that Madonna's singing sounded "supple and strong", and believed her to be not "at all out of place".^[48] Authors Allen Metz and Carol Benson wrote in their book The Madonna Companion that the soundtrack gave Madonna "some of the post-disco queen/sex machine credibility she so desperately crave[d]".^[49] Writing for the Hartford Courant, Greg Morago complimented Madonna's vocals and her "remarkable understanding of the material ... While some of the numbers have lost their sharp edge ('A New Argentina' lacks requisite anger), the recording benefits from its concentration on the characters' voices. There is a vibrant, contemporary energy and fearless cinematic sweep to this welcome new stamp on the mythic life of Eva Duarte de Perón".^[3]

In her review of Evita, Janet Maslin from The New York Times complimented Madonna's ability to emote the songs calling them "legitimately stellar and full of fire".^[45] Stefan A. Meyer, from The Herald Journal, felt that "there's a little something for everyone in Evita. It's a pop-culture clash that is sometimes quite annoying (especially in Rice's left-field rhymes) but still works like a charm".^[50] Spin's Annie Zaleski noted that the soundtrack demonstrated Madonna's "astronomical growth as a vocalist ...Evita marked the start of Madonna's Serious Phase, one where she balanced youthful coquettish-ness with a more mature, introspective outlook".^[47]

AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave a mixed review calling the soundtrack "unengaging". He theorized that it was due to Madonna's performance. Erlewine commended Madonna's singing but deduced that her vocals made the songs sound like she was "trying really hard to be credible, which makes it difficult to connect with her".^[2] While reviewing the film, San Francisco Chronicle's Octavio Roca's feeling about the soundtrack was mixed, saying that the "delicious irony of Rice's lyrics remains intact, as does the freshness of Lloyd Webber's music". But Roca believed that the Latin influences present in the original songs were missing, due to John Mauceri's "languid conducting of the soundtrack, and most of all by Vincent Paterson's choreography".^[46] A negative review came from The Baltimore Sun; critic J. D. Considine felt the soundtrack would disappoint Madonna fans "because Evita just isn't pop music—or, at least, not the kind of pop music Madonna usually makes on her own ... As a result, slogging through Evita is like listening to an opera written by someone who never got beyond learning how to write recitativo".^[42] Considine was also disappointed with the vocal abilities of Madonna and co-star Antonio Banderas; "they lack the power and tone to lend this intoned dialog a patina of musicality".^[42] Finally, Owen Gleiberman from Entertainment Weekly called it a "soundtrack of mediocre '70s rock".^[43]

Commercial performance

No Doubt's third studio album, Tragic Kingdom, prevented Evita from topping the Billboard 200 chart.

In the United States, Evita debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 chart for the issue dated November 30, 1996. It was the first entry on the chart for a "broadway musical transitioned into film soundtrack" since Grease: The Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture in 1978.^[51] The soundtrack fell to number 28 the next week, before beginning to rise again when the film was released into theaters. Within five weeks it crept back into the top-ten of the Billboard 200 and for the issue dated 1997-02-08, reached a peak of number two on the chart.^[1] This was spurred by Madonna winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. Sales increased by 17.5% to 122,000 sold for that week according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[52] It remained there for two weeks, being kept from topping the chart by No Doubt's third studio album, Tragic Kingdom, which only had an 8% sales decline to 143,000 copies.^[1][53]

Evita was present for a total of 30 weeks on the Billboard 200, and ranked at number 26 on the year-end chart.^[54][55] Along with the Billboard 200, Evita reached the top of the Soundtracks Albums chart.^[56] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the soundtrack quintuple platinum, for shipment of 2.5 million copies across the country.^[57][58] By July 2010, the album had sold 2,005,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan.^[59] The single-disc edition of the soundtrack charted separately on the Billboard 200, reaching a peak of number 167.^[54]

In Canada, Evita debuted at number 27 on the RPM Top Albums/CDs chart.^[60] It reached a peak of number five on the chart, and stayed for a total of 27 weeks.^[61][62] The single-disc edition also charted separately, reaching a peak of number 91.^[63] In Australia, the soundtrack debuted on the ARIA Charts at number six. After fluctuating down the charts for the next few weeks, it climbed into the top-ten in March 1997, and peaked at number five.^[64] The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) certified the two-disc edition as gold and the singe-disc edition as platinum for shipment of 35,000 and 70,000 copies respectively.^[65][66] The soundtrack had a similar trajectory in New Zealand, where it peaked at number six on the albums chart, and was present for a total of 18 weeks.^[67] The Recorded Music New Zealand (RMNZ) certified it platinum, for shipment of 15,000 copies.^[68]

Evita debuted at number seven on the UK Albums Chart and ended up reaching the top of the charts in February 1997, becoming Madonna's fifth number one album in the country. It was present on the chart for a total of 44 weeks and ranked at number 23 on the year-end chart.^[31][69] The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified it double platinum for shipment of 600,000 copies.^[70] Across Europe, Evita reached the top of the charts in Austria, Belgium (both Flanders and Wallonia), Scotland and Switzerland, as well as top-ten in Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.^[71][72][73] Its performance across the European markets resulted in the soundtrack reaching the top of the pan-European Top 100 Albums chart.^[72] According to Carol Clerk's book Madonnastyle, the soundtrack has sold a total of 11 million copies worldwide.^[74]

Track listing

All lyrics written by Tim Rice; all music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Evita: The Complete Motion Picture Music Soundtrack – Disc 1[75]
No.	Title	Performer(s)	Length
1.	"A Cinema in Buenos Aires, 26 July 1952"		1:20
2.	"Requiem for Evita"		4:16
3.	"Oh What a Circus"	Antonio Banderas Madonna	5:44
4.	"On This Night of a Thousand Stars"	Jimmy Nail	2:24
5.	"Eva and Magaldi / Eva Beware of the City"	Madonna Jimmy Nail Antonio Banderas Julian Littman	5:20
6.	"Buenos Aires"	Madonna	4:09
7.	"Another Suitcase in Another Hall"	Madonna	3:33
8.	"Goodnight and Thank You"	Madonna Antonio Banderas	4:18
9.	"The Lady's Got Potential"	Antonio Banderas	4:24
10.	"Charity Concert / The Art of the Possible"	Jimmy Nail Jonathan Pryce Antonio Banderas Madonna	2:33
11.	"I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You"	Madonna Jonathan Pryce	4:18
12.	"Hello and Goodbye"	Madonna Andrea Corr Jonathan Pryce	1:46
13.	"Peron's Latest Flame"	Antonio Banderas Madonna	5:17
14.	"A New Argentina"	Madonna Jonathan Pryce Antonio Banderas	8:13

Evita: The Complete Motion Picture Music Soundtrack – Disc 2[75]
No.	Title	Performer(s)	Length
1.	"On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada (Part 1)"	Jonathan Pryce	1:28
2.	"Don't Cry for Me Argentina"	Madonna	5:31
3.	"On the Balcony of the Casa Rosada (Part 2)"	Madonna	2:00
4.	"High Flying, Adored"	Antonio Banderas Madonna	3:32
5.	"Rainbow High"	Madonna	2:26
6.	"Rainbow Tour"	Antonio Banderas Gary Brooker Peter Polycarpou Jonathan Pryce Madonna John Gower	4:50
7.	"The Actress Hasn't Learned the Lines (You'd Like to Hear)"	Madonna Antonio Banderas	2:31
8.	"And the Money Kept Rolling In (and Out)"	Antonio Banderas	3:53
9.	"Partido Feminista"	Madonna	1:40
10.	"She Is a Diamond"	Jonathan Pryce	1:39
11.	"Santa Evita"		2:30
12.	"Waltz for Eva and Che"	Madonna Antonio Banderas	4:31
13.	"Your Little Body's Slowly Breaking Down"	Madonna Jonathan Pryce	1:24
14.	"You Must Love Me"	Madonna	2:50
15.	"Eva's Final Broadcast"	Madonna	3:05
16.	"Latin Chant"		2:11
17.	"Lament"	Madonna Antonio Banderas	5:17
Total length:			107:30

Evita: Music from the Motion Picture – Single-disc edition[76]
No.	Title	Performer(s)	Length
1.	"Requiem for Evita"		4:17
2.	"Oh What a Circus"	Antonio Banderas Madonna	5:44
3.	"On This Night of a Thousand Stars"	Jimmy Nail	2:23
4.	"Eva and Magaldi / Eva Beware of the City"	Madonna Jimmy Nail Antonio Banderas Julian Littman	5:20
5.	"Buenos Aires"	Madonna	4:08
6.	"Another Suitcase in Another Hall"	Madonna	3:32
7.	"Goodnight and Thank You"	Madonna Antonio Banderas	4:17
8.	"I'd Be Surprisingly Good for You"	Madonna Jonathan Pryce	4:17
9.	"Peron's Latest Flame"	Antonio Banderas Madonna	5:17
10.	"A New Argentina"	Madonna Jonathan Pryce Antonio Banderas	4:16
11.	"Don't Cry for Me Argentina"	Madonna	5:34
12.	"High Flying, Adored"	Antonio Banderas Madonna	3:31
13.	"Rainbow High"	Madonna	2:27
14.	"And the Money Kept Rolling In (and Out)"	Antonio Banderas	3:47
15.	"She Is a Diamond"	Jonathan Pryce	1:39
16.	"Waltz for Eva and Che"	Madonna Antonio Banderas	4:12
17.	"You Must Love Me"	Madonna	2:50
18.	"Eva's Final Broadcast"	Madonna	5:15
19.	"Lament"	Madonna Antonio Banderas	4:10
Total length:			77:17

Notes

• The two-disc edition includes the entire soundtrack to the film, (excluding the medley played at the end), while the single-disc edition includes the highlights from the film soundtrack.
• "Latin Chant", which appears as a separate track on the two-disc CD edition, is incorporated into "Eva's Final Broadcast" on the single-disc edition, hence the longer running time.

Personnel

Credits and personnel adapted from the 2-CD edition of the soundtrack's liner notes.^[75]

Performers

• Madonna – principal artist, vocals
• Antonio Banderas – principal artist, vocals
• Jonathan Pryce – principal artist, vocals
• Jimmy Nail – principal artist, vocals
• Andrea Corr – vocals
• Julian Littman – vocals, background vocals
• Gary Brooker – vocals
• Peter Polycarpou – vocals
• John Gower – vocals
• Angeline Ball – background vocals
• Nick Holder – background vocals
• Lorenza Johnson – background vocals
• George Little – background vocals
• Gordon Neville – background vocals
• Laura Pallas – background vocals
• Mark Ryan – background vocals
• Alex Sharpe – background vocals
• Linda Taylor – background vocals
• Fredrick Warder – background vocals
• Andrew Wood-Mitchell – background vocals
• Julia Worsley – background vocals

Musicians

• Andrew Lloyd Webber – orchestration
• David Caddick – conductor
• Nick Curtis – conductor
• Michael Dixon – conductor
• John Mauceri – conductor
• David Cullen – orchestration

Technical

• Nigel Wright – record producer, audio mixing
• Alan Parker – record producer
• Andrew Lloyd Webber – record producer
• David Caddick – record producer
• Lawrence Dermer – record producer
• Madonna – audio mixing
• Dave Reitzas – engineer, audio mixing
• Dick Lewzey – engineer
• Robin Sellars – engineer
• Mark "Spike" Stent – engineer
• Jake Davies – assistant engineer
• Lee McCutcheon – assistant engineer
• Gustavo Moratorio – assistant engineer
• Matt Silva – assistant engineer
• Dave Wagg – assistant engineer
• Toby Wood – assistant engineer
• Dave Collins – audio mastering
• Mark Graham – music copyist
• Nick Mera – music copyist
• David Appleby – photography

Charts

Weekly charts Charts (1996–97) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[64] 5 Australian Albums (ARIA)[77] Two-disc edition 35 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[78] 1 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[71] 1 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[79] 1 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[61] 5 Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[63] Single-disc edition 91 Danish Albums (Tracklisten)[72] 4 Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[80] 6 European Top 100 Albums (Music & Media)[72] 1 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[30] 17 French Albums (SNEP)[81] 2 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[82] 2 Italian Albums (FIMI)[73] 2 Japanese Albums (Oricon)[83] 21 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[67] 6 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[84] 3 Scottish Albums (OCC)[85] 1 Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[86] 16 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[87] 5 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[88] 1 UK Albums (OCC)[31] 1 US Billboard 200[54] 2 US Billboard 200[54] Single-disc edition 167 US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)[56] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position Australian Albums (ARIA)[89] 49 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[90] 4 Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[91] 27 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[92] 13 Italian Albums (FIMI)[93] 15 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[94] 40 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[95] 12 UK Albums (OCC)[69] 23 US Billboard 200[55] 26 US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)[55] 5

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[96]	Platinum	60,000^*
Australia (ARIA)[66]	Platinum	70,000^^
Australia (ARIA)[65] Two-disc edition	Gold	35,000^^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[97]	2× Platinum	100,000^*
Brazil (ABPD)[98]	Gold	100,000^*
Germany (BVMI)[99]	Platinum	500,000^^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[100]	Platinum	20,000^*
Netherlands (NVPI)[101]	Gold	50,000^^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[68]	Platinum	15,000^^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[102]	Gold	25,000^*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[86]	Gold	50,000^^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[103]	Platinum	50,000^^
United Kingdom (BPI)[70]	2× Platinum	600,000^^
United States (RIAA)[57]	5× Platinum	2,500,000[lower-alpha 1]
Summaries
Worldwide	N/A	11,000,000[74]
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

1. The Recording Industry Association of America considers double CD as two different units, resulting in the quintuple platinum certification for shipments of 2.5 million copies.^[58]

See also

• List of European number-one hits of 1997
• List of number-one hits of the 1990s (Switzerland)
• List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 1990s

Notes

1. Caulfield, Keith (April 10, 2015). "Madonna's 21 Top 10 Albums: From 'Madonna' to 'Rebel Heart'". Billboard. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Evita [Motion Picture Music Soundtrack] > Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
3. Morago, Greg (November 14, 1996). "Album Review – Motion Picture Soundtrack – Evita". Hartford Courant. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
4. "Soundtrack of 'Evita'". Universal Pictures. Archived from the original on December 6, 1999. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
5. Michael 2004, p. 67
6. O'Brien 2008, pp. 305–306
7. Flick, Larry (October 26, 1996). "Radio embraces Madonna's "Evita"". Billboard. 108 (43): 91. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
8. Taraborrelli 2008, p. 260
9. Ciccone, Madonna (November 1996). "The Madonna Diaries". Vanity Fair: 174–188. ASIN B001BVYGJS. ISSN 0733-8899.
10. Parker, Alan (December 1996). "The Making of Evita Essay". AlanParker.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
11. Di Perna, Alan (October 5, 1996). "Larrabee Gets A Face Lift". Billboard. 108 (40). ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
12. Davis, Sandi (January 10, 1997). "Banderas Sings Praises of 'Evita'". The Oklahoman. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
13. Taraborrelli 2008, p. 261
14. Taraborrelli 2008, p. 262
15. Rooksby 2004, p. 76
16. Rooksby 2004, p. 77
17. Rooksby 2004, p. 78
18. Rooksby 2004, p. 79
19. Rice 2012, p. 23
20. Rooksby 2004, p. 80
21. Rooksby 2004, p. 81
22. Morton 2002, p. 182
23. Taylor, Chuck (January 25, 1997). "'Miami Mix' makes people cry out for single release of Madonna's 'Argentina'". Billboard. 109 (04): 100. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
24. Citron 2001, p. 402
25. "A Second Interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber, Composer, On the Set of Evita in Budapest". Universal Pictures. Archived from the original on December 6, 1999. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
26. Keough, Peter (January 2, 1997). "Evita bludgeons, but seduces". Boston Phoenix. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
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34. Reuben, Michael (June 21, 2012). "Evita Blu ray". Blu-Ray. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
35. Maslin, Janet (December 25, 1996). "Movie review - Evita (1996)". The New York Times. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
36. Certifications for "Don't Cry for Me Argentina":
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37. Another Suitcase in Another Hall (7" CD single liner notes). Madonna. Warner Bros. Records. 1997. 9362438532.
38. Promis, Jose F. (June 17, 1997). "Madonna > Another Suitcase in Another Hall". AllMusic. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
39. Burpee, Geoff (December 18, 1996). "Critic's Poll". Billboard. 108 (52): 46. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
40. Flick, Larry (August 16, 1997). "Madonna's 'Buenos Aires' Remixes On The Horizon". Billboard. 109 (33): 27. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
41. "Madonna – Chart history". Billboard Dance Club Songs for Madonna. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
42. Considine, J. D. (November 12, 1996). "'Evita' soundtrack is no showstopper Review". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
43. Gleiberman, Owen (December 20, 1996). "Evita". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
44. Strauss, Neil (November 28, 1996). "Soundtracks among top holiday recordings". The Herald Journal. 151 (333): 42. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
45. Maslin, Janet (December 25, 1996). "Movie review – Evita (1996)". The New York Times. Retrieved June 29, 2015.
46. Roca, Octavio (January 1, 1997). "Don't Cry for 'Evita'". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
47. Zaleski, Annie (March 9, 2015). "Express Yourself: What Is Madonna's Greatest Era? The SPIN staff dissects one woman's three decades of pop stardom". Spin. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
48. Taraborrelli 2008, p. 286
49. Metz & Benson 1999, p. 25
50. Meyer, Stefan A.l (November 22, 1996). "'Evita' soundtrack precedes film release". The Herald Journal. 151 (327): 31. Retrieved August 28, 2015.
51. Bronson, Fred (November 30, 1996). "Benny, Bjorn's Next Move After Chess" (PDF). Billboard. p. 92. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
52. Mayfield, Geoff (February 8, 1997). "Between the Bullets" (PDF). Billboard. p. 80. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
53. Mayfield, Geoff (February 1, 1997). "Between the Bullets" (PDF). Billboard. p. 82. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
54. "Soundtrack – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Soundtrack. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
55. "The Year in Music 1997" (PDF). Billboard. pp. YE–26, YE–82. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
56. "Soundtrack – Chart history" Billboard Soundtrack Albums for Soundtrack. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
57. "American album certifications – Madonna – Evita (Soundtrack)". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 10, 2014. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
58. Farber, Jim (September 11, 1995). "Don't Buy into Jax' Pyramid Scheme: Platinum-Status Symbol on 'History' Marking Over 5-million Albums Sold Proves to Be as Worthless as Fool's Gold". Daily News. New York. Retrieved August 5, 2011.
59. Grein, Paul (July 23, 2010). "Chart Watch Extra: Gaga's Nice Round Number". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on August 14, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
60. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 9928" (PDF). RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
61. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 9804." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
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63. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3300." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
64. "Australiancharts.com – Soundtrack / Madonna – Evita". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
65. Ryan 2011, p. 561
66. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
67. "Charts.org.nz – Soundtrack / Madonna – Evita". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
68. Scapolo 2007, p. 771
69. "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1997". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
70. "British album certifications – Original Soundtrack – Evita". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 10, 2014. Enter Evita in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Platinum in the field By Award. Click Search
71. "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack / Madonna – Evita" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
72. "Hits of the World: Eurochart" (PDF). Billboard. February 15, 1997. p. 55. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
73. "Madonna: Discografia Italiana". Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved May 31, 2010.
74. Clerk 2008, p. 142
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79. "Ultratop.be – Soundtrack / Madonna – Evita" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
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86. Salaverri 2005, p. 90
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Footnotes

• Citron, Stephen (2001). Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber: The New Musical. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-509601-9.
• Clerk, Carol (2008). Madonna Style. Music Sales Group. ISBN 0-85712-218-5.
• Metz, Allen; Benson, Carol (1999). The Madonna Companion: Two Decades of Commentary. Music Sales Group. ISBN 0-8256-7194-9.
• Michael, Mick St. (2004). Madonna 'Talking': Madonna in Her Own Words. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-418-7.
• Morton, Andrew (2002). Madonna. Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 0-312-98310-7.
• O'Brien, Lucy (2008). Madonna: Like an Icon. Bantam Press. ISBN 978-0-552-15361-4.
• Rice, Time (2012). Oh, What a Circus. Hachette UK. ISBN 978-1-4447-6217-4.
• Rooksby, Rikky (2004). The Complete Guide to the Music of Madonna. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-9883-3.
• Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
• Salaverri, Fernando (2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002. Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
• Scapolo, Dean (2007). The Complete New Zealand Music Charts 1966–2006 (Illustrated ed.). Maurienne House. ISBN 978-1-877443-00-8.
• Taraborrelli, Randy J. (2008). Madonna: An Intimate Biography. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-0-330-45446-9.

External links

• Evita (The Complete Motion Picture Music Soundtrack) at Discogs (list of releases)