Out of the Blue (Electric Light Orchestra album)
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| Out of the Blue | ||
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| Double album by Electric Light Orchestra | ||
| Released | November 1977 February 2007 re-issue |
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| Recorded | Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany | |
| Genre | Rock, Art Rock | |
| Length | 70:12 (Original length) | |
| Label |  Jet Records United ArtistsEpic/Legacy (Re-issue) |
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| Producer(s) | Jeff Lynne | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Electric Light Orchestra chronology | ||
| A New World Record (1976) |
Out of the Blue (1977) |
Discovery (1979) |
Out of the Blue is a double album by Electric Light Orchestra, first released in November 1977 (see 1977 in music).
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Jeff Lynne wrote the entire album in three and a half weeks after a sudden burst of creativity whilst hidden away in his rented chalet in the Swiss Alps. It took a further two months to record in Munich. The album had 4,000,000 pre-ordered copies and quickly went Platinum upon release. Out of the Blue spawned five hit singles in different countries, and was one of ELO's most commercially successful albums. It was also the first double album in the history of the UK music charts to generate four top twenty hit singles. Side three of the original double LP consisted of the symphonic Concerto for a Rainy Day, comprised of four separate tracks which together made up a cohesive suite that one might compare to such classical works as Beethoven's Sixth Symphony (Pastorale). Concerto would be Lynne's last dabbling in symphonic rock.
Jeff Lynne considers A New World Record and Out of the Blue to be the group's crowning achievements,[citation needed] and both sold extremely well. As with most double and triple albums, fans dispute whether a single record of the best tracks would have been a more cohesive and enjoyable release, however Capital Radio in the UK had no such qualms, awarding it "Album of the Year" in 1978 and more notably The Daily Mirror Rock and Pop Awards (forerunner to The Brit Awards) awarded the album with the top gong also in 1978. The album was remastered on February 20th (US) and 26th (UK), 2007 as part of the Sony/BMG Music Epic/Legacy series.
The large spaceship on the album's cover (by now synonymous with the group) was designed by Shusei Nagaoka and Ria Lewerke with Kosh based on Kosh's earlier logo he designed for the previous album A New World Record which connected with Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind fever; this theme was carried onto the live stage in the form of a huge glowing flying saucer stage set in which the band performed inside.
The album is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[1]
[edit] Track listing
All music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne. Orchestra and choral arrangements by Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy and Louis Clark. Orchestra conducted by Louis Clark.
[edit] Side one
- "Turn to Stone" – 3:42
- "It's Over" – 4:08
- "Sweet Talkin' Woman" – 3:48
- "Across the Border" – 3:52
[edit] Side two
- "Night in the City" – 4:02
- "Starlight" – 4:30
- "Jungle" – 3:51
- "Believe Me Now" – 1:21
- "Steppin' Out" – 4:38
[edit] Side three
This side is titled Concerto for a Rainy Day.
- "Standin' in the Rain" – 4:20
- "Big Wheels" – 5:10
- "Summer and Lightning" – 4:13
- "Mr. Blue Sky" – 5:05
[edit] Side four
- "Sweet Is the Night" – 3:26
- "The Whale" – 5:05
- "Birmingham Blues" – 4:21
- "Wild West Hero" – 4:40
[edit] 2007 bonus tracks
- "Wild West Hero" (Alternate Bridge - Home Demo) – 0:24
- "The Quiet and the Daft" – 1:49
- "Latitude 88 North" – 3:24
[edit] 2007 - 30th anniversary issue
A strictly limited one-off pressing in hardback book with expanded 24-page full colour booklet featuring full-length sleeve notes by Jeff Lynne and ELO archivist Rob Caiger and a huge amount of rare photos and memorabilia plus a push-out replica ELO Space Station was released as well as the standard jewel case edition with a full colour 12-page edited booklet. The album once again reached the top twenty album charts in the UK, peaking at #18
[edit] Personnel
- Jeff Lynne - Lead Vocals, backing vocals, lead guitar, slide guitar, rhythm guitar, Gibson EDS 1275, Les Paul Custom, Marauder, Ovation 1615/4, 1619/4, Wurlitzer E.P. 200, Mini-moog, percussion
- Bev Bevan - Slingerland drums, Remo Roto Toms, Avedis Zildian Cymbals, Slingerland 'Bev Bevan' drumsticks, Remo drum heads, gong, various percussion instruments, Fire extinguisher, backing vocals
- Richard Tandy - Polymoog, Mini-moog, ARP 2600, Odyssey, Omni, Sequencer, minus noise mixer, Wurlitzer E.P. 200, Yamaha C 7B piano, S L M concert spectrum, mellotron M 400, Hohner clavinet, Gibson S.G custom guitar
- Kelly Groucutt - Vocals, backing vocals, Gibson G.3 bass, percussion
- Mik Kaminski - Barcus Berry violin
- Melvyn Gale - William Lewis cello, Piano
- Hugh McDowell - William Lewis cello
[edit] Miscellaneous
- JTLA 823 LZ which is featured on the shuttle arriving at the space station is the original catalog numbers for the album Out of the Blue
- A sixth single was released from the album in February 2007, "Latitude 88 North" written in 1977 and previously incomplete and left off the track list.
- The inclement weather effects heard on "Concerto for a Rainy Day" were real and recorded by Jeff Lynne during a very rainy summer in Munich 1977.
- Instrumental song "The Whale" was composed by Lynne after watching a documentary about the slaughter of whales.
- The title of "Birmingham Blues" is a pun based on Jeff Lynne's home Football Team Birmingham City FC who's nickname are "The Blues".
- Cellist Melvyn Gale played piano on the track "Wild West Hero".
- Tarzan can be heard on the track "Jungle" voiced by Jeff Lynne.
- At the conclusion of "Mr. Blue Sky" a heavily vocoded voice says "Please turn me over." This occurred at the end of side three of the vinyl record, asking the listener to flip to side four.
[edit] Chart Positions
#3- #4
- #4
[edit] External links
| Electric Light Orchestra |
| Founding members: Jeff Lynne | Roy Wood | Bev Bevan Other members in Electric Light Orchestra |
| Electric Light Orchestra discography |
|---|
| 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 |
