A ▁ ▁About ▁the ▁album ▁Jeff ▁Wayne ' s ▁Musical ▁Version ▁of ▁The ▁War ▁of ▁the ▁World s ▁was ▁created ▁by ▁composer ▁Jeff ▁Wayne ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 8 ▁novel ▁by ▁H . ▁G . ▁Well s . ▁It ▁features ▁Academy ▁Award ▁nominated ▁actor ▁Richard ▁Bur ton , ▁Justin ▁Hay ward ▁( of ▁The ▁Mo ody ▁Blues ), ▁Chris ▁Thompson ▁( of ▁Man fred ▁Mann ' s ▁Earth ▁Band ), ▁Phil ▁Lyn ott ▁( of ▁Th in ▁L iz zy ), ▁Jul ie ▁Cov ington ▁( of ▁Ev ita ▁and ▁Rock ▁Fol lies ), ▁and ▁David ▁Es sex ▁( E v ita , ▁The ▁China ▁Pl ates ). ▁Wayne ▁conduct s ▁what ▁would ▁come ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Black ▁Sm oke ▁Band ▁and ▁the ▁U LL Ad ub ULL A ▁string ▁or chestra . ▁ ▁" F ore ver ▁Aut umn " ▁was ▁a ▁UK ▁Top ▁ 5 ▁single , ▁s ung ▁by ▁Hay ward . ▁In ▁Canada , ▁it ▁only ▁managed ▁to ▁reach ▁No . ▁ 7 3 ▁and ▁f ared ▁only ▁slightly ▁better ▁in ▁the ▁US , ▁pe aking ▁at ▁No . ▁ 4 7 . ▁The ▁album ▁itself ▁spent ▁ 2 9 0 ▁weeks ▁in ▁the ▁UK ▁album ▁charts . ▁It ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁top ▁ 1 0 ▁in ▁ 2 2 ▁countries ▁and ▁reached ▁No . ▁ 1 ▁in ▁ 1 1 ▁countries . ▁In ▁Canada , ▁the ▁album ▁reached ▁just ▁No . ▁ 7 6 . ▁▁ ▁The ▁album ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first