Beatles Forever

Last updated

"Beatles Forever"
Song by Electric Light Orchestra
ReleasedUnreleased
Recorded1982, Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, the Netherlands
Genre Rock
Length4:28
Label Jet Records
Songwriter(s) Jeff Lynne
Producer(s) Jeff Lynne

"Beatles Forever" is an unreleased song by Electric Light Orchestra in 1983, written by Jeff Lynne and intended for the album Secret Messages . [1] Initially, it was to be the seventh track of the double album configuration, featured on side two of the LP. [2] When the album was shortened to a single LP by CBS Records, eight of the eighteen total tracks were removed, including "Beatles Forever." The other seven tracks have since had official releases on various albums and remasters in some form prior to the 2018 double album release. Though this reissue of the parent album was meant to follow the original 1983 intended configuration, "Beatles Forever" was again excluded, making it the only track from the original album not to appear later as an official bonus track or part of a compilation. [1] [3]

Contents

Recording and composition

Recorded in February, 1982, "Beatles Forever" was one of the first songs recorded for Secret Messages. The band was in the middle of the Dutch portion of the Time Tour when they visited Wisseloord Studios to record a few new songs— something that Lynne would later refer to as a "flying visit." [4] Along with the songs "Train of Gold", "No Way Out" and "Motor Factory" (early version of "Rock 'n' Roll Is King") that were all started during that same session, "Beatles Forever" is known as one of the four tracks bassist Kelly Groucutt performed on the album.

The track is a Beatles tribute song, with lyrics that express high admiration for the band and their songs. [5] Throughout the chorus, various Beatles' song titles are sung and quoted, [5] with some including their corresponding motifs played on either Lynne's guitar or Richard Tandy's synthesizers. The song is in C major and has a main tempo of roughly 77 beats-per-minute while the second half of the chorus has a faster 152 bpm. Along with drummer Bev Bevan's playing and common on the parent album, the drum machine Oberheim DMX is featured, providing additional percussion elements, though it is unclear whether Lynne or Tandy specifically contributed this. Lynne, Groucutt and touring musician Dave Morgan provided backing vocals on the pre-chorus and chorus; Morgan later recalled in an interview that he was mimicking the vocals of John Lennon. [6] No orchestral strings are featured on the song. At the end of the track, the sounds of a cheering audience are heard as the chorus fades out.

Parts of the chorus and chord progression would later appear in the Jeff Lynne song "Video!" from the soundtrack to the film Electric Dreams in 1984. [5]

Legacy

As of 2023, "Beatles Forever" remains unreleased officially. Acetates of the original 1983 double LP configuration that include the song do exist and have appeared on eBay on several occasions. [7] Bootlegs of the song have circulated online, with one of them being a low-quality recording of the song being played at an ELO fan convention in 2001. [8] Despite its unreleased status, the song has been covered by others on YouTube. In mid-to-late 2020, the song was leaked in significantly higher quality twice, once in July and once in September with a fanmade music video. Both leaks claim to be a recording of the acetates.[ citation needed ]

Jeff Lynne has since labelled the song as one he is not fond of. In a 2001 interview with Rockline, he stated:

"It's 'cause it's so fawning, y'know. It's so over the top, y'know. Um... maybe one day it'll come out. I'd like to sort of redo it or something." [9]

Although not released on any official medium, a small snippet of the song's intro can be heard on the final fade-out of the 2018 double LP version of "No Way Out" via print-through, if the volume is turned up. [10]

Personnel

Related Research Articles

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

The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are 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 best known as the co-founder of the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was formed in 1970. As a songwriter, he has contributed a number of hits to the repertoire of ELO, 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>Out of the Blue</i> (Electric Light Orchestra album) 1977 studio album by Electric Light Orchestra

Out of the Blue is the seventh studio album by the British rock group Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released on 28 October 1977. Written and produced by ELO frontman Jeff Lynne, the double album is among the most commercially successful records in the group's history, selling about 10 million copies worldwide by 2007.

<i>Secret Messages</i> 1983 studio album by Electric Light Orchestra

Secret Messages is the tenth studio album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in 1983 on Jet Records. It was the last ELO album with bass guitarist Kelly Groucutt, conductor Louis Clark and a full orchestra, and the last ELO album to be released on the Jet label. It was also the final ELO studio album to become a worldwide top 40 hit upon release.

<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>Balance of Power</i> (album) 1986 studio album by Electric Light Orchestra

Balance of Power is the eleventh studio album by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) released in 1986. It is the final album by the band to feature co-founder Bev Bevan on drums, as well as the last album to feature a significant contribution from keyboardist Richard Tandy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Groucutt</span> British bassist (1945–2009)

Kelly Groucutt was an English musician, best known as the bassist and occasional vocalist for the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) between 1974 and 1982.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Tandy</span> British keyboardist

Richard Tandy is an English musician. He is best known as the keyboardist in the rock band Electric Light Orchestra ("ELO"). His palette of keyboards was an important ingredient in the group's sound, especially on the albums A New World Record, Out of the Blue, Discovery, and Time.

<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. It 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shine a Little Love</span> 1979 song by the Electric Light Orchestra

"Shine a Little Love" is a song by English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released as a single in the US and UK in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Over the World (Electric Light Orchestra song)</span> 1980 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"All Over the World" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It is featured in the 1980 feature film Xanadu in a sequence with the film's stars Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, and Michael Beck. The song also appears on the soundtrack album Xanadu, and was performed in the 2007 Broadway musical Xanadu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Walk Away (Electric Light Orchestra song)</span> 1980 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"Don't Walk Away" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).

<i>ELOs Greatest Hits Vol. 2</i> 1992 greatest hits album by Electric Light Orchestra

ELO's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 is an album by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released in 1992 as a follow up to their more successful ELO's Greatest Hits, though it was not issued in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Video!</span> 1984 single by Jeff Lynne

"Video!" is a song by Jeff Lynne from the soundtrack to the film Electric Dreams in 1984. It is one of two songs that Lynne and keyboard player Richard Tandy provided for the film's soundtrack. The single version is 3:26 in length, while the version included in the film is longer, at 4:18.

<i>Ticket to the Moon: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra Volume 2</i> 2007 greatest hits album by Electric Light Orchestra

Ticket to the Moon: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra Volume 2 is a 2007 compilation album by Electric Light Orchestra, and is a companion to 2005's All Over the World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nightrider (song)</span> 1976 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"Nightrider" is a song from Electric Light Orchestra's (ELO) album Face the Music.

<i>Definitive Collection</i> (Electric Light Orchestra album) 1999 greatest hits album by Electric Light Orchestra

Definitive Collection is a compilation album recorded by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) and produced by Jeff Lynne. It was released on 13 April 1999 with two discs. Some of the songs include their album versions like "Strange Magic" and "Shine a Little Love", and some tracks include edits seen below.

References

  1. 1 2 Electric Light Orchestra – Beatles Forever. "Music Reviews - Electric Light Orchestra – Beatles Forever". Thelogbook.com. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  2. ↑ Caiger, Rob (June 2001). "SECRET MESSAGES". Face the Music. Archived from the original on 7 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Jeff Lynne revisits hs roots with ELO, classic covers efforts". Goldmine . 24 June 2013.
  4. ↑ Secret Messages 2001 remaster liner notes.
  5. 1 2 3 "Electric Light Orchestra – Beatles Forever". thelogbook.com. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  6. ↑ "Dave Morgan Interview". Welcome to The ELO Network. 4 March 1999. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  7. ↑ Sinclair, Keith J. "In Pictures: Secret Messages 2LP Acetates" . Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  8. ↑ ELO - Beatles Forever (unreleased), archived from the original on 15 December 2021, retrieved 30 January 2020
  9. ↑ "Jeff Lynne Song Database - Song Details". www.jefflynnesongs.com. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  10. ↑ No Way Out, archived from the original on 15 December 2021, retrieved 30 January 2020
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.