Out of the Blue (Electric Light Orchestra album)

Out of the Blue
Studio album by Electric Light Orchestra
Released	November 1977
Recorded	Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany
Genre	Rock, art rock
Length	70:12
Label	Jet, United Artists, Columbia
Producer	Jeff Lynne
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Music Box link Pitchfork Media (8.2/10) link Progarchives.com link
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 1977.

Contents 1 History 2 Reissue 3 Track listing 3.1 Side one 3.2 Side two 3.3 Side three 3.4 Side four 3.5 2007 bonus tracks 4 Personnel 5 Chart positions 6 References 7 External links

History

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, composed of four separate tracks which together made up a cohesive suite. The inclement weather effects heard on "Concerto" were real and recorded by Jeff Lynne during a very rainy summer in Munich 1977. The Concerto suite 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 ^[1] as taken from Flashback's liner notes, and both sold extremely well, this album reaching platinum according to RIAA Certification. 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, also that year, Jeff Lynne the albums composer received his first Ivor Novello award for Outstanding Contributions to British Music. The large spaceship on the album's cover (by now symbolic of 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. It also looks like a space station with a docking shuttle from 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)^[2]. The number JTLA 823 L2 which is featured on the shuttle arriving at the space station is the original catalogue number for the album. The space theme was carried onto the live stage in the form of a huge glowing flying saucer stage set in which the band performed inside.

Reissue

The album was remastered on February 20th (US) and 26th (UK), 2007 as part of the Sony/BMG Music Epic/Legacy series. The 30th anniversary issue was a strictly limited one-off pressing in hardback book with expanded 24-page full colour booklet. It features full-length sleeve notes by Jeff Lynne and ELO archivist Rob Caiger and a huge amount of rare photos and memorabilia. A push-out replica ELO Space Station for this verson 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 also a sixth single "Latitude 88 North" was released as digital download single. The album is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.^[3] In August 2006, it was named by the UK's Q magazine as the #11 'Guilty Pleasure' album of all time – a list designed to celebrate 'uncool' but excellent records, and which received considerable publicity.

Track listing

All music and lyrics were written by Jeff Lynne. Orchestra and choral arrangements by Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy and Louis Clark. Orchestra conducted by Louis Clark.

Side one

1. "Turn to Stone" – 3:42
2. "It's Over" – 4:08
3. "Sweet Talkin' Woman" – 3:48
4. "Across the Border" – 3:52

Side two

1. "Night in the City" – 4:02
2. "Starlight" – 4:30
3. "Jungle" – 3:51
4. "Believe Me Now" – 1:21
5. "Steppin' Out" – 4:38

Side three

This side is titled Concerto for a Rainy Day.

1. "Standin' in the Rain" – 4:20
2. "Big Wheels" – 5:10
3. "Summer and Lightning" – 4:13
4. "Mr. Blue Sky" – 5:05

Side four

1. "Sweet Is the Night" – 3:26
2. "The Whale" – 5:05
3. "Birmingham Blues" – 4:21
4. "Wild West Hero" – 4:40

2007 bonus tracks

18. "Wild West Hero" (Alternate Bridge - Home Demo) – 0:24
19. "The Quick and the Daft" – 1:49
20. "Latitude 88 North" – 3:24

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

Even though Mik Kaminski appeared only on "Sweet Talkin Woman" and "Across the Border", Melvyn Gale on "Wild West Hero" and Hugh McDowell on none of the tracks, all three are credited as full band members.

Chart positions

• #3
• #4 UK Albums Chart, BPI certification: Platinum
• #4 Billboard 200, RIAA certification: Platinum

References

1. ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:3ifoxqt5ldse
2. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062622/posters
3. ^ http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/steveparker/1001albums.htm

External links

• 2007 reissue

•  • e Electric Light Orchestra
Founding members: Jeff Lynne · Roy Wood · Bev Bevan Other members in Electric Light Orchestra
Studio albums	The Electric Light Orchestra/No Answer · ELO 2 · On the Third Day · Eldorado · 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 · Live at the BBC
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 · Ticket to the Moon
Related articles	Discography