Balance of Power (album)
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| Balance of Power | ||
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| Studio album by Electric Light Orchestra | ||
| Released | 1 March 1986 March 2007re-issue |
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| Recorded | 1985-1986 Compass Point,Nassau, Bahamas and Hartmann Digital Untertrubach | |
| Genre | Pop Rock Electronica | |
| Length | 34:18 55:33 Reissue |
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| Label | Epic Records | |
| Producer(s) | Jeff Lynne | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| Electric Light Orchestra chronology | ||
| Secret Messages (1983) |
Balance of Power (1986) |
Live at Winterland '76 (1998) |
Balance of Power is an album by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) released in 1986 (see 1986 in music).
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Balance of Power was the last studio album by the Electric Light Orchestra for a period of over 15 years. By this time Kelly Groucutt had departed and the group was pared down to a trio, with Jeff Lynne handling bass in addition to his usual guitar work and more recent dabbling with electronic percussion and synthezisers. Although the songs on the album appear upbeat and bright, the lyrics denote a sadness throughout (perhaps indicating Jeff Lynne's mood at the time regarding the break-up of the band). ELO played some live concerts in the UK and Europe (their last for fifteen years), and in one UK show George Harrison guested on guitar.
The video for "Calling America" was shot in Paris and contains shots of Centre Georges Pompidou; the band plays in front of Pompidou. A video was also made for "So Serious". The track "Endless Lies" was a homage to Roy Orbison and was originally recorded for the aborted double LP Secret Messages, it reappeared here in a slightly reworked and more compact form. A number of firsts single out this album, it was the first ELO album not to feature any strings, the first to feature a saxophone and the band's first compact disc. The album also is the shortest album in the ELO catalogue.
The B-sides "Caught in a Trap", "A Matter of Fact" (alternative lyrics) and "ELO Megamix" are among the band's more collectible single tracks; "Destination Unknown" and the standard version of "A Matter of Fact" were released on the 1990 compilation Afterglow. The remastered version was released on February 26th (UK) and March 20th (US), 2007 as part of the Sony/BMG Music Epic/Legacy series including an extra 21 minutes of music, considerably lengthening what was the shortest ELO album.
[edit] Chart Positions
#9
#49
#49
[edit] Singles
- "Calling America"/"Caught In A Trap"/"Destination Unknown".
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- released in January 1986 in the UK.
- charted February 1, 1986 for 15 weeks in the U.S. and reached #18.
- charted 17 March 1986 for 11 weeks in Australia and reached #47.
- "So Serious"/"A Matter Of Fact"/"A Matter Of Fact" (alternate lyrics).
- "Getting To The Point"/"ELO Megamix" ("Don't Bring Me Down"/"Sweet Talkin' Woman"/"Livin' Thing"/"Calling America"/"So Serious"/"Shine A Little Love"/"Twilight"/"Turn To Stone"/"Hold On Tight")/"Secret Lives".
[edit] Track listing
All words and music by Jeff Lynne.
- "Heaven Only Knows" – 2:52
- "So Serious" – 2:38
- "Getting To The Point" – 4:28
- "Secret Lives" – 3:26
- "Is It Alright" – 3:25
- "Sorrow About To Fall" – 3:59
- "Without Someone" – 3:48
- "Calling America" – 3:26
- "Endless Lies" – 2:55
- "Send It" – 3:04
[edit] 2007 Bonus Tracks
- "Opening" - 0:24
- "Heaven Only Knows (Alternate Version)" - 2:32
- "In For The Kill" - 3:13
- "Secret Lives (Alternate Mix)" - 3:24
- "Sorrow About To Fall (Alternate Mix)" - 3:48
- "Caught In A Trap (UK B-side) - 3:44
- "Destination Unknown (UK B-side) - 4:10
[edit] Credits
- Jeff Lynne - Vocals, Electric and Acoustic guitars, Bass guitar, Keyboards, Percussion
- Bev Bevan - Drums, Percussion
- Richard Tandy - Keyboards, Sequence Programming
- Christian Shnieder - Saxophone
[edit] External links
| Electric Light Orchestra |
| Founding members: Jeff Lynne | Roy Wood | Bev Bevan Other members in Electric Light Orchestra |
| Electric Light Orchestra discography |
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| Studio albums: The Electric Light Orchestra/No Answer | ELO 2 | On the Third Day | Eldorado, A Symphony | Face the Music | A New World Record | Out of the Blue | Discovery | Xanadu | Time | Secret Messages | Balance of Power | Zoom |
| Live albums: The Night the Light Went On (In Long Beach) | Live at Winterland '76 | Live at Wembley '78 |
| Compilation albums: Showdown | Olé ELO | The Light Shines On | The Light Shines On Vol 2 | ELO's Greatest Hits | A Box of their Best | Afterglow | ELO's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 | Strange Magic | Flashback | The Essential Electric Light Orchestra | All Over the World |
