Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida

Background

The album features Elton John performing alongside pop, country, and R&B stars including Janet Jackson, Tina Turner, Sting, Lenny Kravitz, Shania Twain, Boyz II Men, Spice Girls, James Taylor, LeAnn Rimes, Kelly Price, Lulu, Angelique Kidjo, and Dru Hill. Two tracks, "A Step Too Far" and "Elaborate Lives", include vocals from future Aida cast members Heather Headley and Sherie Rene Scott, who would later play Aida and Amneris respectively. The album was certified gold by the RIAA in April 1999.

Before the recordings by other artists, John recorded each song as a solo full production demo; these tracks were not included on the album and have never been officially released, though they are readily available on YouTube. "Written in the Stars", a duet with LeAnn Rimes, was released as a single, reaching No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Adult Contemporary chart; it was certified gold in April 1999. "The Messenger" appears only on this album, as it was cut from the Broadway production and left off the cast album.

This record is sometimes called the "concept album" for Aida, both because it preceded the production and to distinguish it from the 2000 release of Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida: Original Broadway Cast Recording.