Variations

Variations is a Classical/Rock fusion album by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and younger brother Julian Lloyd Webber were always very close, but their two different careers (a rock musical composer and a classical cellist) meant that a collaboration seemed unlikely. It wasn't until Julian beat his brother in a bet on a Leyton Orient football match that Andrew was forced to write his cello work.
As his subject, Andrew chose the theme of niccolo Paganini's Caprice No. 24 in A minor and added 23 variations for cello and rock band.

The work premiered at the 1977 Sydmonton Festival with rock band Colosseum II, featuring Gary Moore, Jon Hiseman and Don Airey being joined by Barbara Thompson (Sax, Flute), Rod Argent, (Piano, Synthesizer, Keyboards) and Julian Lloyd Webber (Cello). It was subsequently rearranged and recorded in 1978. It reached number 2 in the album charts.
The cover is based on the painting Frederick, Prince of Wales, and his sisters by Philip Mercier.

The work was used in Song and Dance and David Cullen made an arrangement of the work for cello and orchestra. The opening and closing variations have been rewritten for cello and piano, the latter of which Julian often uses as an encore, due to its amusing glissando down to Bottom A (forcing a mid piece retune) to conclude.
The opening theme is used as the theme to The South Bank Show and Variation 5 became Unexpected Song with lyrics by Don Black. Variation 18 is an instrumental version of the title song from the first Rice/Webber musical The Likes of Us .