Fire On High
Encyclopedia
"Fire on High" is the opening instrumental track from the 1975 Electric Light Orchestra
album Face the Music.
The song was the UK B-side to the band's worldwide hit single Livin' Thing
, issued in blue vinyl. It was also later included — in an edited form minus the backwards vocals — as the flip side of the US hit single Sweet Talkin' Woman
in 1978.
The album version contains an opening with a subliminal message. When the song is played backwards, the message, in a masked heavy voice (performed by ELO drummer, Bev Bevan
), can be heard stating, "The music is reversible but time is not. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back." — ostensibly Jeff Lynne's
shot at backmasking
hysteria, after satanic allegations were made against their song "Eldorado" by Fundamentalist Christianity
members. Snippets of "Messiah
" by Handel
can be heard during the album opening as well.
"Fire on High" was used as the opening theme for the CBS Sports Spectacular
TV show in the Mid-1970s. A slightly edited version of "Fire on High" is used on a thrill ride called the Astrosphere at Funtown Splashtown USA
in Saco, Maine
. The ride is a scrambler inside of a vinyl dome held up by the air pressure inside, and as the ride goes there are lighting and laser effects and strange random pictures projected onto the walls of the bubble while "Fire on High" is played extremely loudly. A similar ride called GyroSphere, designed by Chris Elling and Brian Bram
, located at Seabreeze Amusement Park
in Rochester, New York
also used "Fire on High" in the early 1980s. The song was used from the ride's inception until 1992 when it was replaced with Twilight Zone by 2 Unlimited. The ride has since been discontinued and torn down. At the site of the ride is a plaque which mentions the usage of the ELO song. In 2000, The New Jersey Devils
used, along with video clips, the song "Fire on High" in an opening ceremony to all its games. Much of the song was also played prior to every Atlanta Thrashers
home game.
Despite being almost entirely instrumental, the song's title can be faintly heard near the end of the track by the chanting chorus.
This song was also voted one of the best driving songs of all time by The Rock N Roll Revue.
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
album Face the Music.
The song was the UK B-side to the band's worldwide hit single Livin' Thing
Livin' Thing
"Livin' Thing" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and performed by Electric Light Orchestra. It appears on ELO's 1976 platinum-selling album, A New World Record...
, issued in blue vinyl. It was also later included — in an edited form minus the backwards vocals — as the flip side of the US hit single Sweet Talkin' Woman
Sweet Talkin' Woman
"Sweet Talkin' Woman" is a 1978 single by The Electric Light Orchestra from the LP Out of the Blue. Its original title was "Dead End Street", but it was changed during recording, perhaps to avoid confusion with a 1966 hit of the same title by the Kinks...
in 1978.
The album version contains an opening with a subliminal message. When the song is played backwards, the message, in a masked heavy voice (performed by ELO drummer, Bev Bevan
Bev Bevan
Bev Bevan is an English rock musician, who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra...
), can be heard stating, "The music is reversible but time is not. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back." — ostensibly Jeff Lynne's
Jeff Lynne
Jeffrey "Jeff" Lynne is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained fame as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra and was a co-founder and member of The Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob...
shot at backmasking
Backmasking
Backmasking is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward on to a track that is meant to be played forward...
hysteria, after satanic allegations were made against their song "Eldorado" by Fundamentalist Christianity
Fundamentalist Christianity
Christian fundamentalism, also known as Fundamentalist Christianity, or Fundamentalism, arose out of British and American Protestantism in the late 19th century and early 20th century among evangelical Christians...
members. Snippets of "Messiah
Messiah (Handel)
Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later...
" by Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
can be heard during the album opening as well.
"Fire on High" was used as the opening theme for the CBS Sports Spectacular
CBS Sports Spectacular
CBS Sports Spectacular is a sports anthology program produced by CBS Sports. The series began on January 3, 1960 as The CBS Sports Spectacular, and has been known under many different names, including CBS Sports Saturday, CBS Sports Sunday, Eye on Sports and The CBS Sports Show.The program...
TV show in the Mid-1970s. A slightly edited version of "Fire on High" is used on a thrill ride called the Astrosphere at Funtown Splashtown USA
Funtown Splashtown USA
Funtown Splashtown USA is a family-owned amusement park located in Saco, Maine, in the United States.-History:...
in Saco, Maine
Saco, Maine
Saco is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 18,482 at the 2010 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as General Dynamics Armament Systems , a subsidiary of the defense contractor General Dynamics...
. The ride is a scrambler inside of a vinyl dome held up by the air pressure inside, and as the ride goes there are lighting and laser effects and strange random pictures projected onto the walls of the bubble while "Fire on High" is played extremely loudly. A similar ride called GyroSphere, designed by Chris Elling and Brian Bram
Brian bram
Brian Bram, born May 9, 1955 in Chicago and raised in Deerfield, Illinois, played a minor role in the underground comix movement with his contributions to American Splendor, the comic book series written and published by Harvey Pekar and, in 2003, made into an award-winning motion picture starring...
, located at Seabreeze Amusement Park
Seabreeze Amusement Park
Seabreeze Amusement Park, known locally as Seabreeze, is an historic amusement park in Irondequoit, a suburb of Rochester, New York, United States.Seabreeze is in northeast Irondequoit, where Irondequoit Bay empties into Lake Ontario...
in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
also used "Fire on High" in the early 1980s. The song was used from the ride's inception until 1992 when it was replaced with Twilight Zone by 2 Unlimited. The ride has since been discontinued and torn down. At the site of the ride is a plaque which mentions the usage of the ELO song. In 2000, The New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
used, along with video clips, the song "Fire on High" in an opening ceremony to all its games. Much of the song was also played prior to every Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
home game.
Despite being almost entirely instrumental, the song's title can be faintly heard near the end of the track by the chanting chorus.
This song was also voted one of the best driving songs of all time by The Rock N Roll Revue.