"Boy Blue" | ||||
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Single by Electric Light Orchestra | ||||
from the album Eldorado | ||||
B-side | "Eldorado" | |||
Released | April 1975 (US) | |||
Recorded | 1974 De Lane Lea Studios | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 5:19 (Album version) 4:13 (US single edit) | |||
Label | United Artists | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jeff Lynne | |||
Producer(s) | Jeff Lynne | |||
Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology | ||||
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Eldorado track listing | ||||
10 tracks
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"Boy Blue" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and performed by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) which first appeared as track number 3 from their 1974 album Eldorado .
The album version of the song starts with a Baroque-style trumpet and string quartet fanfare – reminiscent of Jeremiah Clarke's "Prince of Denmark's March" (ca. 1700) — and then develops into a minimoog sequence before the song properly begins. [1] [2] [3] The song includes a midway solo of the band's three string players. At the end of the song the string instruments quickly fade, immediately leading into the LP's fourth track "Laredo Tornado".
According to Allmusic critic Michael A. Guarisco "The melody matches the fanfare of the lyrics by matching verses that have a strident sense of swing to them with a sing-along chorus built on a descending-note hook." [4]
Bassist Mike de Albuquerque sings on the song - one of his final appearances in the ELO catalogue. [5]
The US edited single version of the song had many of the orchestrations removed. [6] ELO writer Barry Delve believes that edits demonstrated "how much the album version's ambitious arrangement lifts 'Boy Blue' from being a fairly standard pop song to something much more remarkable." [6]
A song about an all-conquering hero from the middle ages.
The song is an anti-war song set during the Crusades and forms the second dream as part of the overall Eldorado dreamscape. [3] It tells the story of Boy Blue, a war hero returning from a far-off war and the rapturous welcome he receives from his town folk. [4] The chorus is made up of the town folk singing "Hey, Boy Blue is back." [4] Boy Blue rebuffs the hero worship and declares his hatred of war, stating his refusal to ever “take up arms again”. [7] [4]
The song was released as the second single from the Eldorado album but failed to chart. [8] Billboard said that it had a catchy hook and a similar "smooth sound" to ELO's previous single "Can't Get It Out of My Head," and had expected it to achieve similar chart success. [9] Cash Box said "a big symphonic sound surrounds and cushions a driving rock beat on this excellently produced Jeff Lynne track." [10] Record World said that the song "is just familiar enough on the first listen. This azure lad brings on visions of 'Hang On Sloopy,' then heads out on its own." [11]
Allmusic critic Donald A. Guarisco described "Boy Blue" as "a densely-crafted tune that was equal parts string recital, prog-rock, and power pop" and "a smart fusion of pop, prog and rock elements that made a dynamic centerpiece for the first side of Eldorado." [4] Guarisco believed that it "was probably a bit too ambitious to be a hit single." [4]
The song was covered by Rick Altizer on the tribute album Lynne Me Your Ears in a harder rock style. [12]
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. For their initial tenure, Lynne, Bevan, and keyboardist Richard Tandy were the group's only consistent members.
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".
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.
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.
"Livin' Thing" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and performed by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It appears on ELO's 1976 album A New World Record and was also released as a single. Patti Quatro sang uncredited vocals, particularly the "higher and higher" parts.
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"Can't Get It Out of My Head" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and originally recorded by Electric Light Orchestra.
"Turn to Stone" is a 1977 song by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).
"Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" is a song recorded by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).
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"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.
"Telephone Line" is a song by English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released in May 1977 through Jet Records and United Artists Records as part of the album A New World Record. It was very successful, reaching the Top 10 in Australia, US, and UK, and number 1 in Canada.
"Don't Bring Me Down" is the ninth and final track on the English rock band the Electric Light Orchestra's 1979 album Discovery. It is their highest-charting hit in the United States to date.
"So Serious" is a song by the rock music group Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) from their 1986 album Balance of Power, released in the UK as the second single from the album in 1986.
"Eldorado" is the title track from the 1974 album of the same name by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).
Eldorado is the fourth studio album by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released in the United States in September 1974 by United Artists Records and in the United Kingdom in October 1974 by Warner Bros. Records.
"Nightrider" is a song from Electric Light Orchestra's (ELO) album Face the Music.