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An album musical is a type of recording that sounds like an original cast album but is created specifically for the recording medium and is a complete entertainment product in itself, rather than just promoting or reflecting an existing or planned musical theatre production or revue. Although there has been no one term consistently used to describe this type of recording, the genre predates the use of the term "concept album" by several decades, dating back to the era of 78-rpm records with such original works as Gordon Jenkins' Manhattan Tower (1946, expanded in 1956), The Letter, (1959) starring Judy Garland, and Stan Freberg's Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America, Volume One: The Early Years (1961).[citation needed] On most contemporary concept albums, the performers or bands sing as themselves, whereas on an album musical the performers are playing characters in a story.
Some original album musicals have later been expanded into staged musicals, including You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (which was specifically labeled an "Original Album Musical") and, beginning in the late 1960s, such notable rock musicals as Tim Rice, Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson's Chess and The Who's Tommy. Although Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice may have been anticipating later stage productions when they recorded their two-LP albums of Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita, at the time of their initial release they were, in essence, album musicals.