Last Train to London

Last updated

There was a certain period when it seemed we spent years on trains going back and forth from Birmingham to the various TV and radio stations in London.

Discovery remaster (2001), Jeff Lynne

Critical reception

Billboard described the song as having a "catchy pop melody with Beatlesque vocal qualities and a smooth layered sound." [3] Cash Box said that the song has "a frothy pop melody" and "a bouncy R&B-tinged rhythm line," making it sound somewhat like Heatwave's 1977 single "Boogie Nights." [4] Record World said that "The electronic dance beat and lilting vocals are as timely as they are engaging." [5]

Something Else! critic S. Victor Aaron found it to be "more formulaic" than "Shine a Little Love", the other "disco thumper hit from Discovery." [6]

Chart history

"Last Train to London"
Last train to london.jpg
UK single
Single by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album Discovery
A-side "Confusion" (UK)
B-side "Down Home Town" (US)
Released9 November 1979 (UK)
January 1980 (US)
Recorded1979, Musicland Studios, Munich, West Germany
Genre
Length4:31
Label Jet
Songwriter(s) Jeff Lynne
Producer(s) Jeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology
"Don't Bring Me Down"
(1979)
"Last Train to London"
(1979)
"I'm Alive"
(1980)
Discovery track listing
9 tracks
Side one
  1. "Shine a Little Love"
  2. "Confusion"
  3. "Need Her Love"
  4. "The Diary of Horace Wimp"
Side two
  1. "Last Train to London"
  2. "Midnight Blue"
  3. "On the Run"
  4. "Wishing"
  5. "Don't Bring Me Down"
Chart (1979/80)Peak
position
Irish Singles Chart [7] 9
UK Singles Chart [1] 8
Canada (RPM) [8] 28
US Billboard Hot 100 [2] 39
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles36

Cover versions

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.

<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>A New World Record</i> 1976 studio album by Electric Light Orchestra

A New World Record is the sixth studio album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released in October 1976 on United Artists Records in the U.S., and on 19 November 1976 on Jet Records in the United Kingdom. A New World Record marked ELO's shift towards shorter pop songs, a trend which would continue across their career.

<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>Discovery</i> (Electric Light Orchestra album) 1979 studio album by Electric Light Orchestra

Discovery is the eighth studio album by English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released on 1 June 1979 in the United Kingdom by Jet Records, where it topped record charts, and on 8 June in the United States on Jet through Columbia Records distribution. A music video album featuring all the songs being played by the band was then released on VHS in 1979, then re-released as part of the Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley DVD and VHS in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Livin' Thing</span> 1976 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"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.

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

"Strange Magic" is a song written Jeff Lynne and performed by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was released on their 1975 Face the Music album.

<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">Turn to Stone (Electric Light Orchestra song)</span> 1977 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"Turn to Stone" is a 1977 song by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweet Talkin' Woman</span> 1978 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"Sweet Talkin' Woman" is a 1978 single by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) from the album Out of the Blue (1977). Its original title was "Dead End Street", but it was changed during recording. Some words that survived from that version can be heard in the opening of the third verse, "I've been livin' on a dead end street".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evil Woman (Electric Light Orchestra song)</span> 1975 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"Evil Woman" is a song written by lead vocalist Jeff Lynne and recorded by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It was first released on the band's fifth album, 1975's Face the Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Telephone Line (song)</span> 1977 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Bring Me Down</span> 1979 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"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.

<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">Confusion (Electric Light Orchestra song)</span> 1979 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"Confusion" is the second song from the 1979 Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) album Discovery. It features 12-string acoustic guitar and vocoder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Alive (Electric Light Orchestra song)</span> 1980 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"I'm Alive" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released as a single in May 1980. It is featured in a sequence near the beginning of the feature film Xanadu. The song also appears on the soundtrack album Xanadu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xanadu (Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra song)</span> 1980 single

"Xanadu" is the title song from the soundtrack of the 1980 film Xanadu. Written by Jeff Lynne of the English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), the song is performed by English-born Australian singer, songwriter and actress Olivia Newton-John, with Lynne adding parenthetic vocals in the style of his other songs on the Xanadu soundtrack, and ELO providing the instrumentation. It was Lynne's least favourite of his own songs. "Xanadu" reached number one in several countries and was the band's only UK number-one single, when it peaked there for two weeks in July 1980. It was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry. It also peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electric Light Orchestra discography</span>

The discography of the English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) consists of 15 studio albums, seven live albums, 40 compilation albums, 13 video albums, 33 music videos, one extended play, 50 singles, one soundtrack album and eight box sets. ELO have also sold over 50 million records worldwide.

References

  1. 1 2 "Electric Light Orchestra". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Electric Light Orchestra - Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  3. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 1 December 1979. p. 52. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  4. "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 1 December 1979. p. 20. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  5. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 1 December 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  6. Aaron, S. Victor (14 February 2011). "Guilty pleasures: Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra". Something Else!. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  7. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 6 March 2013.Enter Electric Light Orchestra in the Search by Artist field, then click Search.
  8. "RPM Top 100 Singles - March 8, 1980" (PDF).
  9. Van der Kiste, John (2017). Electric Light Orchestra: Song by Song.