Kander & Ebb's 2001: A Space Odyssey

As most movie fans know, a full original orchestral score for Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” had been composed (by Alex North) and recorded, before Kubrick decided at the last minute to ditch it and score the film entirely with classical music “needle drops”.
What few people realise is that MGM has become so alarmed at Kubrick’s indecision with regard to the film’s musical score (with the release date fast approaching) that they contacted songwriting duo Kander & Ebb, who at that time were the toast of Broadway after the acclaim garnered by their groundbreaking show “Cabaret” (they would go on to achieve similar success with “Chicago”), with a view to giving Kubrick another option…

Kander & Ebb had only composed these few pieces before Kubrick fixed on the classical score; it’s not known if he ever heard these songs or what his opinion might have been…

Now, fully arranged and completely made up for the first time, here at last is Kander & Ebb’s 2001: A Space Odyssey…