WHEN Jeff Wayne's musical version of The War of the Worlds came out in 1978, no-one, not even its creator, expected it to become such a big hit.
This was, after all, the height of punk and while Star Wars had already begun irrevocably changing the cinematic landscape, few predicted The War of the Worlds was going to have a major impact on the music industry.
But it did. The double album spent six years in the UK charts, selling 475,000 copies and going platinum in the process.
And in the 27 years since its original release, the songs have been remixed and sampled by DJs and hip-hop artists the world over.
The brainchild behind this classical, soft-rock opera was New York-born musician Jeff Wayne.
Although his collaborators included the likes of Phil Lynott, David Essex and the brilliant Richard Burton, it was always Wayne's project, as the sleeve notes testify to, crediting him with "synthesiser, keyboards, voices, director, conductor, executive producer, performer and orchestration."
Since its release, he has been involved with numerous films and TV programmes and produced records for other artists, but his name remains inextricably linked with The War of the Worlds.
But this sits quite happily with him and he is even working on a new CGI animation film based around his original score, that is due to come out in 2008.
The idea for turning The War of the Worlds into a musical came with the help of his father, Jerry, who had himself been a popular singer and entertainer in the US.
"During that period of time I was composing, arranging and producing for various recording artists and my Dad said, 'Hey, you set out to compose big works, why don't you think about taking a story and creating a big piece around it?'
"And I thought it was a good idea, so between us we started reading different books," says Wayne.
They narrowed it down to a shortlist of three, the other two being Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and John Wyndham's The Day of The Triffids.
"It came down to The War of the Worlds. It had big themes that I could immediately hear sound to, and the first time that I read it I remember he wrote the sound of the Martians who were exclaiming this word 'ulla', and that hit me immediately.
"I thought that's a sound that I can do, I'll compose something and I'll only use the word 'ulla', so it doesn't complicate it for the listener."
He used the book's chapters as musical markers to create a continuous piece, rather than a series of individual songs.
Wayne, who was in Yorkshire to present a signed print of artwork from the album to Leeds University, admits he was surprised by the level of success. "I've had flops and I've had hits beyond The War of the Worlds and I can genuinely say I put as much love and attention into them all.
"With this I was just greatly fortunate to attract the kind of people that I did," he says.
Wayne, who has lived in England for the last 25 years, is not involved with Spielberg's forthcoming blockbuster but doesn't believe it will detract from his own work.
"This film is a modernised version and it's difficult to argue against two-hundred million dollar budgets and Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise but I think the two can live compatibly with one another."
Wayne's musical path began at the age of five when he took classical piano lessons. He then trained as a jazz pianist before learning orchestration and conducting.
While his career has been dominated by The War of the Worlds, he is far from just a one-trick pony.
He has a degree in investigative journalism, has written scores for countless films, including McVicar, starring Roger Daltrey, and has worked with artists as diverse as Catherine Zeta Jones and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
But if he is only remembered for one outstanding soundtrack, he insists he will be more than happy.
"To this day it remains a pride of place in my heart and soul and I'm proud of it."
chris.bond@ypn.co.uk