10538 Overture

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"10538 Overture"
10538 Overture.jpg
Single by The Electric Light Orchestra
from the album
The Electric Light Orchestra (No Answer)
B-side "First Movement (Jumping Biz)"
Released23 June 1972 (UK)
29 July 1972 (US)
RecordedJuly 1970
Studio Philips Studios, London
Genre Progressive rock, Symphonic rock [ citation needed ]
Length5:32 (Album length)
4:04 (Single edit)
Label Harvest
Songwriter(s) Jeff Lynne
Producer(s) Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne
The Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology
"10538 Overture"
(1972)		"Roll Over Beethoven"
(1973)

"10538 Overture" is the debut single by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in 1972.

Contents

History

The song, written by Jeff Lynne, was first recorded as an intended B-side for a single by the Move, Lynne's previous group. Both Roy Wood and Lynne sang on it, as happened later with The Move's "California Man". The song is about an escaped prisoner; Lynne wanted to give the character in the song a number, as opposed to a name, and he chanced upon the number 1053 while looking at the mixing console. Wood suggested adding an "8" to fit the melody better. Although intended to be a song for The Move, after cello parts were added it became the Electric Light Orchestra's first release. It was during the single's chart run that Wood left ELO, emerging later in the year with a new band called Wizzard.

Record World said that "this superb and highly commercial British group will have an American hit sooner or later. This, the opening track from their new concept album, may be the one." [1]

Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian rated it as ELO's 8th best song, calling it a "sentimental grooving ballad." [2]

Stereogum contributor Ryan Reed rated it as ELO's 9th best song, saying that "The late-’60s Beatles influence was never more apparent – from the metallic, descending electric guitar riff (shades of 'I Want You') to the Indian-tinted cello lines and disjointed stereo panning." [3]

Quotes

10538 Overture was an idea that Jeff (Lynne) brought along to the studio which was originally to be a Move track. After recording the basic backing track, the other guys went home, leaving Jeff and myself to run riot with the overdubs. At the time, I was very keen on collecting instruments, and had just acquired a cheap Chinese cello. After we had finished overdubbing the guitars, I sat in the control room trying out this cello and sort of messing around with Jimi Hendrix type riffs. Jeff said, 'That sounds great, why don't we throw it on the track.' I ended up recording around fifteen of these, and as the instrumentation built up, it was beginning to sound like some monster heavy metal orchestra. In fact, it sounded just bloody marvellous.

— Roy Wood, 28 March 2006 - No Answer Remaster

I had this guitar track, like a real big riff on a guitar. I laid it down in the studio and Roy Wood got his cello, his Chinese cello, and he overdubbed about fifteen cello riffs, just double tracking all the time-- and it sounded fantastic. We thought, it was like 'Wow!' and we just sat round playing it for days.

— Jeff Lynne, 31 July 2006 - The Harvest Years 1970-1973 liner notes

B-side

The B-side to "10538 Overture" was "First Movement (Jumping Biz)", an instrumental by Wood. The song first appeared on the band's debut album The Electric Light Orchestra in 1971. Wood plays classical guitar, oboe and cello. Wood has apparently acknowledged that "First Movement (Jumping Biz)" was inspired by the 1968 song "Classical Gas".

By [Roy Wood's] own admission First Movement (Jumping Biz) owed a debt to Mason Williams' transatlantic 1968 hit Classical Gas...

— Rob Caiger, 28 March 2006 - No Answer Remaster[ citation needed ]

"10538 Overture" became a B-side itself when a live version was released as the flip side of "Evil Woman" in 1975; containing elements of "Do Ya" The Electric Light Orchestra , later to become a track in its own right on "A New World Record" [4] [5]

Chart history

Chart (1972)Peak
position
Dutch Top 40 [6] 24 (tip)
UK Singles Chart [7] 9

Personnel

Jeff Lynne version

"10538 Overture"
Song by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra
Released8 October 2012 (UK)
9 October 2012 (US)
Recorded2001–2012 Bungalow Palace
Length4:44
Label Frontiers
Songwriter(s) Jeff Lynne
Producer(s) Jeff Lynne
Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra track listing
12 tracks
  1. "Mr. Blue Sky"
  2. "Evil Woman"
  3. "Strange Magic"
  4. "Don't Bring Me Down"
  5. "Turn to Stone"
  6. "Showdown"
  7. "Telephone Line"
  8. "Livin' Thing"
  9. "Do Ya"
  10. "Can't Get It Out of My Head"
  11. "10538 Overture"
  12. "Point of No Return"

Jeff Lynne re-recorded the song in his own home studio. It was released on a compilation album with other re-recorded ELO songs, under the ELO name. [8]

Covers and other uses

The song was covered by Bobby Sutliff and Mitch Easter in 2001 for the Jeff Lynne tribute album Lynne Me Your Ears , [9] by Parthenon Huxley in 2005, [10] and by Def Leppard in 2006 on their cover album Yeah! [11] The song's main guitar riff was also 'sampled' by Paul Weller for his 1995 song "The Changingman". [12] The song was also used in the 2013 film American Hustle . [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric Light Orchestra</span> English rock band

The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) is an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop and classical arrangements with futuristic iconography. After Wood's departure in 1972, Lynne became the band's sole leader, arranging and producing every album while writing nearly all of their original material. From this point until their first break-up in 1986, Lynne, Bevan, and keyboardist Richard Tandy were the group's only consistent members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Lynne</span> English musician (born 1947)

Jeffrey Lynne is an English musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is the co-founder and leader of the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was formed in 1970, and as a songwriter has written most of the band's hits, including "Evil Woman", "Livin' Thing", "Telephone Line", "Mr. Blue Sky", "Don't Bring Me Down" and "Hold On Tight".

<i>Face the Music</i> (Electric Light Orchestra album) 1975 studio album by Electric Light Orchestra

Face the Music is the fifth studio album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released in September 1975 by United Artists Records and on 14 November 1975 in the United Kingdom by Jet Records. The album moves away from the large-scale classical orchestrated sound from the previous album, Eldorado, in favour of more "radio-friendly" pop/rock songs, though the string sections are still very prominent. The new sound proved successful for the group as Face the Music was the first ELO album to go platinum.

<i>On the Third Day</i> 1973 Electric Light Orchestra album

On the Third Day is the third studio album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), and the first to be recorded without input from Roy Wood. It was released in the United States in November 1973 by United Artists Records, and in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1973 by Warner Bros. Records. From this album on, the word The was dropped from the band's name. The album was reissued on 12 September 2006.

<i>ELO 2</i> 1973 studio album by Electric Light Orchestra

ELO 2 is the second studio album by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in 1973. In the US, the album was released as Electric Light Orchestra II. It was the band's last album to be released by the Harvest label, the last on which the band used the definite article The in their name, and the one that introduced their abbreviated name 'ELO'. It was also the last album to feature co-founder Roy Wood, who left during its recording.

<i>Zoom</i> (Electric Light Orchestra album) 2001 studio album by Electric Light Orchestra

Zoom is the twelfth studio album by British symphonic rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released on 12 June 2001 on Epic Records. It was the first official ELO album since 1986's Balance of Power.

<i>Afterglow</i> (Electric Light Orchestra album) 1990 box set by Electric Light Orchestra

Afterglow is the third box set compilation by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released in 1990 with liner notes by music critic and editor Ira Robbins of Trouser Press. A different two-CD compilation with identical artwork was issued simultaneously under the title The Very Best of The Electric Light Orchestra.

<i>Strange Magic: The Best of Electric Light Orchestra</i> 1995 greatest hits album by Electric Light Orchestra

Strange Magic: The Best of Electric Light Orchestra is a compilation album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in 1995 only in the US.

<i>Message from the Country</i> 1971 studio album by The Move

Message from the Country is the fourth and final studio album by the Move, as well as the group's only album for EMI's Harvest label. It was recorded simultaneously with the first Electric Light Orchestra album, The Electric Light Orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Blue Sky</span> 1978 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"Mr. Blue Sky" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), featured on the band's seventh studio album Out of the Blue (1977). Written and produced by frontman Jeff Lynne, the song forms the fourth and final track of the "Concerto for a Rainy Day" suite on side three of the original double album. "Mr. Blue Sky" was the second single to be taken from Out of the Blue, peaking at number 6 in the UK Singles Chart and number 35 in the US Billboard Charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Can't Get It Out of My Head</span> Song written by Jeff Lynne and originally recorded by Electric Light Orchestra

"Can't Get It Out of My Head" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and originally recorded by Electric Light Orchestra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do Ya (The Move song)</span> 1971 song covered by the Move and by ELO

"Do Ya" is a song written by Jeff Lynne, that was originally recorded by The Move, which became a hit for the Electric Light Orchestra in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Showdown (Electric Light Orchestra song)</span> 1973 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"Showdown" is a 1973 song written by Jeff Lynne and recorded by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was the band's last contemporary recording to be released on the Harvest label. The song was released as a single and reached No 12 in the UK Singles Chart, in the week beginning 28 October, and No 9 on the Norwegian chart VG-lista.

<i>The Light Shines On</i> 1977 greatest hits album by Electric Light Orchestra

The Light Shines On is a compilation album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). This is the second Harvest compilation of their early years with the label, followed in 1979 by volume 2. It features 5 tracks from ELO's debut album, 3 tracks from their second album and the non album single Showdown, although both 10538 Overture and Roll Over Beethoven are the single edits. The full length versions are featured on volume 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Man (song)</span> 1972 single by The Move

"California Man" is a song by British rock and roll band The Move. It was written by the band's guitarist/vocalist Roy Wood, who has said he wrote it as a pastiche of Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis.

<i>Zoom Tour Live</i> Live album by Electric Light Orchestra

Zoom Tour Live was a one-off concert performed by the Electric Light Orchestra recorded originally for television, later released as a film.

<i>Fusion – Live in London</i> 1990 video by Electric Light Orchestra

Fusion – Live in London is a concert film by Electric Light Orchestra, recorded at the New Victoria Theatre in London on 20 June 1976. The concert was a part of the band's Face the Music tour. It was released in VHS format in 1990.

<i>The Electric Light Orchestra</i> (album) 1971 debut album by Electric Light Orchestra

The Electric Light Orchestra is the debut studio album by English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in December 1971 in the United Kingdom by Harvest Records. In the United States, the album was released in March 1972 as No Answer, after a misunderstood telephone message made by a United Artists Records executive asking about the album name; 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.

<i>Electric Light Orchestra Live</i> 2013 live album by Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra Live is a live album by Electric Light Orchestra. It was released on 19 April 2013 in the UK, and on 23 April in the US on Frontiers Records.

References

  1. ↑ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. 27 May 1972. p. 10. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  2. ↑ Kachejian, Brian (26 September 2022). "Top 10 Electric Light Orchestra Songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  3. ↑ Reed, Ryan (7 January 2016). "The 10 Best ELO Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  4. ↑ "Electric Light Orchestra - Evil Woman (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. November 1975. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  5. ↑ "Electric Light Orchestra - Evil Woman / 10538 Overture (Vinyl) at Discogs". Discogs.com. 1975. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  6. ↑ "Top 40: Electric Light Orchestra - 10538 Overture". Top40.nl. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
  7. ↑ "Electric Light Orchestra". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  8. ↑ "Releases : elo - Mr. Blue Sky - The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra". Elo.biz. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  9. ↑ Damas, Jason. "Lynne Me Your Ears: A Tribute to the Music of Jeff Lynne". AllMusic . Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  10. ↑ "Homemade Spaceship: The Music of ELO - P. Hux : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  11. ↑ Thomas, Stephen. "Yeah! - Def Leppard : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  12. ↑ Hewitt, Paolo (2008). Paul Weller: The Changing Man. London: Transworld Publishers. p. 284. ISBN   978-0-552-15609-7.
  13. ↑ "American Hustle (2013) - IMDb" – via www.imdb.com.
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