The Electric Light Orchestra (album)

The Electric Light Orchestra
Studio album by The Electric Light Orchestra
Released December 1971 (UK)
March 1972 (US)
Recorded July 1970 – June 1971 at Philips Studios, London
Length 41:30
Label Harvest (UK)
United Artists (US)
Producer Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne
The Electric Light Orchestra chronology
The Electric Light Orchestra
(1971)		 ELO 2
(1973)
Singles from The Electric Light Orchestra
  1. "10538 Overture"
    Released: 23 June 1972

The Electric Light Orchestra is the debut studio album by English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in December 1971. In the US, the album was released in early 1972 as No Answer, after a misunderstood telephone message made by a United Artists Records executive asking about the album name.[1] The caller, having failed to reach the ELO contact, wrote down "no answer" in his notes, and this was misconstrued to be the name of the album.

Recording

The album is focused on the core trio of Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne, and Bev Bevan who were the remaining members of rock group The Move. The Move were still releasing singles in the UK at the same time as this project was undertaken, but interest was soon to be abandoned in Wood's former band. The sound is unique on this recording in comparison to the more slickly produced ELO albums of the subsequent Lynne years, incorporating many wind instruments and replacing guitar parts with heavy, "sawing" cello riffs, giving this recording an experimental "Baroque-and-roll" feel; indeed, "The Battle of Marston Moor" is the most baroque-influenced track on the album. On this track, Roy Wood, in addition to playing virtually all the instruments, had to provide the percussion as well because Bev Bevan, normally the group's percussionist and drummer, refused to play on the track because of his low opinion of it.

Release

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Robert ChristgauB−[3]

"Queen of the Hours", which became the B-side to "Roll Over Beethoven" from the band's second album, was the first ever ELO published song, released by Harvest Records in November 1971 in a compilation called The Harvest Bag which featured various Harvest records artists.[4]

The original LP was mixed in Quadraphonic sound but was only released in this format in South America. Many of these "quad" tracks appeared with the SQ encoding intact on the "First Light" series edition of the album and on a later double-CD release entitled Early ELO, 1971–1974 (available only as an import in the US). The entire "quad" version with SQ encoding intact has since been released on disc 3 of the Harvest Years compilation. The original album art was designed by Hipgnosis and the photographs of the band on the back of the album cover, dressed in seventeenth century period costume, were taken at the Banqueting House in Whitehall, adding to the Baroque flavour and emphasis on Stuart Britain found on the record. "Mr. Radio" was intended to be the second single from the album, but was subsequently withdrawn. The edited single version made its first appearance on the 2005 compilation album Harvest Showdown instead.

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
1."10538 Overture" (Jeff Lynne)Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood5:32
2."Look at Me Now" (Roy Wood)Roy Wood3:17
3."Nellie Takes Her Bow" (Lynne)Jeff Lynne5:59
4."The Battle of Marston Moor (July 2nd 1644)" (Wood)Roy Wood6:03
Side two
No.TitleLead vocalsLength
5."First Movement (Jumping Biz)" (Wood)Instrumental3:00
6."Mr. Radio" (Lynne)Jeff Lynne5:04
7."Manhattan Rumble (49th Street Massacre)" (Lynne)Instrumental4:22
8."Queen of the Hours" (Lynne)Jeff Lynne3:22
9."Whisper in the Night" (Wood)Roy Wood4:50

The Electric Light Orchestra (First Light Series)

The Electric Light Orchestra
(First Light Series)
Studio album by Electric Light Orchestra
Released 2001
Recorded July 1970 – June 1972
Label Harvest, EMI
Producer Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra chronology
Zoom
(2001)		 The Electric Light Orchestra (First Light Series 30th Anniversary Edition)
(2001)		 ELO 2 (First Light Series)
(2003)
CD 2 First Light
First Light cover
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Artistdirect.com[5]

The Electric Light Orchestra (First Light Series) is a two disc expanded special 30th anniversary edition of their debut album.

Released in 2001 in the UK, disc one contains the original ELO album plus bonus tracks and an interactive CD-ROM feature, while disc two features the oldest surviving live ELO material with co/founder Roy Wood and cellist Andy Craig.

Disc one

The Electric Light Orchestra

  1. "10538 Overture" (Lynne) – 5:32
  2. "Look at Me Now" (Wood) – 3:17
  3. "Nellie Takes Her Bow" (Lynne) – 5:59
  4. "The Battle of Marston Moor (July 2nd 1644)" (Wood) – 6:03
  5. "First Movement (Jumping Biz)" (Wood) – 3:00
  6. "Mr. Radio" (Lynne) – 5:04
  7. "Manhattan Rumble (49th Street Massacre)" (Lynne) – 4:22
  8. "Queen of the Hours" (Lynne) – 3:22
  9. "Whisper in the Night" (Wood) – 4:50
Bonus tracks
  1. "Battle of Marston Moor" (Take 1) (Wood) – 1:00
  2. "10538 Overture" (Take 1) (The Move/ELO) – 5:46
Disc two

First Light

  1. Brian Matthew Introduces ELO – 0:37
  2. "10538 Overture" (Acetate version) – 5:24
  3. "Look at Me Now" (Quad mix) – 3:19
  4. "Nellie Takes Her Bow" (Quad mix) – 5:59
  5. "Battle of Marston Moor (July 2nd, 1644)" (Quad mix) – 5:55
  6. "Jeff's Boogie No 2" (Live) – 6:58 (Early version of "In Old England Town")
  7. "Whisper in the Night" (Live) – 5:45
  8. "Great Balls of Fire" (Live) – 5:40
  9. "Queen of the Hours" (Quad mix) – 3:18
  10. "Mr. Radio" (Take 9) – 5:18
  11. "10538 Overture" (BBC session) – 4:38 / (Hidden track) "Whisper in the Night" (Take 1) – 5:00

Personnel

Additional personnel

Chart positions

References

  1. ↑ No Answer, Snopes.com, 19 December 2012
  2. ↑ Mason, Stewart. "The Electric Light Orchestra – Electric Light Orchestra : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic.
  3. ↑ "CG: Electric Light Orchestra". Robert Christgau.
  4. ↑ Porter, Robert (September 2010). "Electric Light Orchestra – Roll Over Beethoven; An In-Depth Song Analysis". Retrieved 8 September 2010.
  5. ↑ "Electric Light Orchestra Limited Edition by Electric Light Orchestra @ ARTISTdirect.com – Shop, Listen, Download". Artistdirect.com.
  6. ↑ "Electric Light Orchestra". Offfical Charts Company. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  7. ↑ "The Electric Light Orchestra – Electric Light Orchestra : Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
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