Wembley or Bust

Last updated

Wembley or Bust
Wembley or Bust cover.jpg
Live album and concert film by
Jeff Lynne's ELO
Released17 November 2017
Recorded24 June 2017
Venue Wembley Stadium
Genre Rock
Length98:25 (album), 118:00 (DVD)
Label
Director Paul Dugdale
Producer Jeff Lynne
Jeff Lynne's ELO chronology
Alone in the Universe
(2015)		Wembley or Bust
(2017)		 From Out of Nowhere
(2019)

Wembley or Bust is a live album and concert film by Jeff Lynne's ELO. It was recorded during the Alone in the Universe Tour at Wembley Stadium. The album peaked at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 12 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums. The album was also certified silver in the United Kingdom.

Contents

Background and recording

Jeff Lynne decided to reform the Electric Light Orchestra after BBC DJ Chris Evans and the listeners of his show expressed their desire to see ELO play live again. [1] Lynne recruited former ELO member Richard Tandy along with a new band and played a single concert in Hyde Park, London to a crowd of 50,000 in September 2014. After the success of the show, Lynne decided to produce another ELO album. [1] The album Alone in the Universe was released in November 2015, [2] and the band undertook the Alone in the Universe Tour to promote the record with a similar band from the Hyde Park Concert.

The album and film were both recorded during the Alone in the Universe Tour at Wembley Stadium, in London. The concert was performed in front of a sellout crowd of 60,000 on 24 June 2017. [3] The experience from the concert would later be described in the song "Time of Our Life" from the next ELO album From Out of Nowhere .

Release and promotion

Prior to the album and DVD's release, in addition to a trailer, [4] 3 videos were taken from the film and were released on ELO's YouTube channel, the songs featured in the videos were: "Turn to Stone", "Telephone Line", and "Evil Woman". [5] [6] [7]

Wembley or Bust was released via record labels Big Trilby, Columbia, and Sony Music. It was made available on CD, LP, and digital download. [3]

In 2018 a book entitled Wembley or Bust was released, limited to only 1,500 copies. [8] The book is about Lynne's music career and the planning that went into the Wembley or Bust concert. [9] Included with the book was a 7" vinyl picture disc with the live recordings of "Xanadu" and "Don't Bring Me Down". [8] [10]

Songs

All of the songs played at the concert were included on the album and film. Almost all of the songs were previous ELO songs, with the exception of the Traveling Wilburys' song "Handle With Care", a band of which Jeff Lynne was formerly a member.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [12]
The Spill MagazineStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [13]

The album received favorable reviews, with most of the discussion about how the complex sound of ELO was performed. The Decider said that "It sounds perfect. Pitch perfect. Every note. So perfect, it's just like listening to the record." [14] Audiophile Review similarly said, "it sure is swell to hear these dense, complex arrangements performed live as Jeff intended them to be heard!" [15] The Spill Magazine called it "A legendary performance from a world-class band". [13] In his review, Stephen Thomas Erlewine at AllMusic said that Wembley or Bust "could sometimes be mistaken for an ELO greatest-hits album", but he also mentioned that Lynne "is a little rougher and lower than he was at his peak". [11]

Track listing

Audio CD

All tracks are written by Jeff Lynne, except where noted.

Disc 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Standin' in the Rain" 4:11
2."Evil Woman" 4:36
3."All Over the World" 4:00
4."Showdown" 4:15
5."Livin' Thing" 4:09
6."Do Ya" 4:12
7."When I Was a Boy" 3:28
8."Handle with Care" Traveling Wilburys 3:45
9."Last Train to London" 4:24
10."Xanadu" 3:23
11."Rockaria!" 3:20
12."Can't Get It Out of My Head" 4:45
Disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."10538 Overture" 4:48
2."Twilight" (includes "Prologue") 4:45
3."Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" 4:07
4."Shine a Little Love" 3:54
5."Wild West Hero" 4:09
6."Sweet Talkin' Woman" 3:44
7."Telephone Line" 4:55
8."Turn to Stone" 4:00
9."Don't Bring Me Down" 4:14
10."Mr. Blue Sky" 5:11
11."Roll Over Beethoven" Chuck Berry 6:10
Total length:1:38:25

Vinyl LP

Side A
No.TitleLength
1."Standin' in the Rain"4:11
2."Evil Woman"4:36
3."All Over the World"4:00
4."Showdown"4:15
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Livin' Thing" 4:09
6."Do Ya" 4:12
7."When I Was a Boy" 3:28
8."Handle with Care" Traveling Wilburys 3:45
Side C
No.TitleLength
1."Last Train to London"4:24
2."Xanadu"3:23
3."Rockaria!"3:20
4."Can't Get It Out of My Head"4:45
Side D
No.TitleLength
5."10538 Overture"4:48
6."Twilight" (includes "Prologue")4:45
7."Ma-Ma-Ma Belle"4:07
8."Shine a Little Love"3:54
Side E
No.TitleLength
1."Wild West Hero"4:09
2."Sweet Talkin' Woman"3:44
3."Telephone Line"4:55
4."Turn to Stone"4:00
Side F
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Don't Bring Me Down" 4:14
6."Mr. Blue Sky" 5:11
7."Roll Over Beethoven" Chuck Berry 6:10
Total length:1:38:25

Personnel

Personnel for the live album and film. [16]

Most of the band had performed with Jeff Lynne on previous occasions at Children In Need rocks in 2013, Festival In a Day at Hyde Park and Glastonbury 2016 though the celloists Amy Langley, Jessica Cox and the violinist Rosie Langley (who replaced Chereene Allen on violin solos) [17] had appeared at Glastonbury as part of the Orchestra. The keyboardist, Marcus Byrne, replaced Richard Tandy on piano and vocoder, [18] causing his former role to be replaced by Jo Webb on keyboards, backing vocals and acoustic guitar (on "Handle with Care" (replacing Mick Wilson from Hyde Park)) [19] . The percussionist, Mick Wilson, was removed from the band before Glastonbury causing most of his role to be replaced by the backing vocalist Iain Hormal and Melanie Lewis-McDonald.

Jeff Lynne's ELO

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (2017)Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [20] 20
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [21] 34
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [22] 64
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [23] 12
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [24] 17
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [25] 12
Scottish Albums (OCC) [26] 8
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [27] 58
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [28] 21
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [29] 54
UK Albums (OCC) [30] 9
US Billboard 200 [31] 90
US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [32] 32
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [33] 12
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [34] 8

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [35] Silver60,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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 the co-founder and currently the sole member 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 of 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, for 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 on 15 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>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.

<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). It was 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.

<i>ELOs Greatest Hits</i> 1979 greatest hits album by Electric Light Orchestra

ELO's Greatest Hits is a compilation by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), released 23 November 1979. Despite being released after the album Discovery, this album omitted the band's most recent hits, "Don't Bring Me Down" and "Shine a Little Love".

<i>All Over the World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra</i> 2005 greatest hits album by Electric Light Orchestra

All Over the World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra is a compilation album by the Electric Light Orchestra, released in 2005.

<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.

<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.

<i>Armchair Theatre</i> (album) 1990 studio album by Jeff Lynne

Armchair Theatre is the first solo album by Jeff Lynne, released in 1990.

<i>Electric Light Orchestra Part Two</i> (album) 1990 studio album by ELO Part II

Electric Light Orchestra Part Two is the debut album by ELO Part II, released in 1991. In March 1991, lead single "Honest Men" charted at number 60 on the UK Singles Chart, and 36 on the Dutch Top 40 chart. The track "Kiss Me Red" is a cover of the theme to the short-lived TV series Dreams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ELO Part II</span> English rock/pop band

The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) Part II was a British-American rock band formed by Electric Light Orchestra drummer and co-founder Bev Bevan. The band also included former ELO bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt, and violinist Mik Kaminski for most of its career, along with conductor Louis Clark, who toured as a guest with ELO in its later years.

<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, 7 live albums, 40 compilation albums, 13 video albums, 33 music videos, 1 extended play, 50 singles, 1 soundtrack album and 8 box sets. ELO have also sold over 50 million records worldwide.

<i>Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra</i> 2012 greatest hits album by Jeff Lynne

Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra is an album of re-recordings by Jeff Lynne of hits by Electric Light Orchestra. It was issued in 2012 by Frontiers Music simultaneously with Lynne's cover album Long Wave.

<i>Alone in the Universe</i> 2015 studio album by Jeff Lynnes ELO

Alone in the Universe is the thirteenth studio album by British rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), and the first credited to Jeff Lynne's ELO. The moniker came out from Lynne as a response to ELO tribute and imitation bands, who repeatedly used ELO for promoting their own tours. Released on 13 November 2015, the album is the first of new original material credited to the group since Zoom in 2001, and the second since the group's original disbandment in 1986.

<i>From Out of Nowhere</i> (Jeff Lynnes ELO album) 2019 studio album by Jeff Lynnes ELO

From Out of Nowhere is the fourteenth studio album by British rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), and the second credited to Jeff Lynne's ELO. The band's first studio album in four years, it was released on 1 November 2019 through Big Trilby and Columbia Records. The title track was released as the lead single on 26 September 2019. Lynne played most instruments on the album. Keyboardist Richard Tandy returned to play on one track, prior to his death in 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 Greene, Andy (22 October 2015). "Jeff Lynne Explains How Electric Light Orchestra Came Back to Life". Rolling Stone .
  2. ↑ Gordon, Jeremy (24 September 2015). "Jeff Lynne's ELO announce new album Alone in the Universe, share When I Was a Boy". Pitchfork .
  3. 1 2 Kreps, Daniel (6 October 2017). "Jeff Lynne's ELO Readies Concert Film 'Wembley or Bust'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  4. ↑ ELO (6 October 2017). Jeff Lynne's ELO – Jeff Lynne's ELO – Wembley or Bust Trailer. Big Trilby. Retrieved 11 September 2021– via YouTube.
  5. ↑ ELO (16 October 2017). Jeff Lynne's ELO – Turn to Stone (Live at Wembley Stadium). Big Trilby. Retrieved 11 September 2021– via YouTube.
  6. ↑ ELO (3 November 2021). Jeff Lynne's ELO – Telephone Line (Live at Wembley Stadium). Big Trilby. Retrieved 11 September 2021– via YouTube.
  7. ↑ ELO (10 November 2017). Jeff Lynne's ELO – Evil Woman (Live at Wembley Stadium). Big Trilby. Retrieved 11 September 2021– via YouTube.
  8. 1 2 "Wembley Or Bust". Genesis Publications . Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  9. ↑ Ewing, Jerry (22 June 2021). "Jeff Lynne's ELO book Wembley Or Bust on general sale in September". Loudersound. Future . Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  10. ↑ "Xanadu" / "Don't Bring Me Down" (7" picture disc). Jeff Lynne's ELO. United Kingdom: Big Trilby. 2018. USSM11708573.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Wembley or Bust at AllMusic
  12. ↑ "Jeff Lynne's ELO – Wembley Or Bust – Record Collector Magazine". recordcollectormag.com. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  13. 1 2 "SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: JEFF LYNNE'S ELO – WEMBLEY OR BUST". The Spill Magazine. 17 November 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  14. ↑ "'Jeff Lynne's ELO: Wembley Or Bust' on Showtime: Review". 14 September 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  15. ↑ Smotroff, Mark (11 December 2017). "Jeff Lynne's ELO: Wembley Or Bust Reviewed". Audiophile Review. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  16. ↑ Wembley Or Bust (Liner notes). United Kingdom: Columbia. 2017. 88985 48742 1.
  17. ↑ "Livin' Thing Jeff Lynne's ELO Live with Rosie Langley and Amy Langley, Glastonbury 2016". YouTube. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  18. ↑ Sinclair, Keith J. "Caught Live (4): Jeff Lynne's ELO @ Wembley 24/06/17". YouTube. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  19. ↑ "Handle With Care Jeff Lynne's ELO Wembley 2017 *LIVE* FRONT ROW *4K HD*". YouTube. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  20. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Jeff Lynne's ELO – Wembley Or Bust" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  21. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jeff Lynne's ELO – Wembley Or Bust" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  22. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Jeff Lynne's ELO – Wembley Or Bust" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  23. ↑ "Electric Light Orchestra Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  24. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Jeff Lynne's ELO – Wembley Or Bust" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  25. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Jeff Lynne's ELO – Wembley Or Bust" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  26. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  27. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Jeff Lynne's ELO – Wembley Or Bust". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  28. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Jeff Lynne's ELO – Wembley Or Bust". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  29. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Jeff Lynne's ELO – Wembley Or Bust". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  30. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  31. ↑ "Electric Light Orchestra Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  32. ↑ "Electric Light Orchestra Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  33. ↑ "Electric Light Orchestra Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  34. ↑ "Electric Light Orchestra Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  35. ↑ "British album certifications – Electric Light Orchestra – Wembley Or Bust". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 1 January 2021.
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.