Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley
Encyclopedia
Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley is a concert film by The Electric Light Orchestra
.
In 1978 the band played the Wembley Arena
for a record eight appearances. The opening night (a charity Gala event) was filmed in the presence of the Duke
and Duchess of Gloucester and the band were introduced by US actor Tony Curtis
.
The stage was a huge flying saucer with hydraulic lifts, the 'roof' would open up to reveal the band. The concert was one of the first examples of lasers used at a live rock
concert. Due to the nature of the sound acoustics on the huge metal and fiberglass flying saucer shaped stage the band had difficulty hearing their monitors and keeping time, so backing tapes were used that only the band were supposed to hear. The original TV broadcast edit in mono sound was poorly mixed from the concert and used some of the backing tapes used by the band pushed high in the mix which (unfairly) appeared to make the band look like they were lip-synching.
The Out of the Blue Tour or Big Night tour as it was known in the United States became the highest grossing concert tour ever up to that point. This concert, along with The Face the Music Tour 1976
, were released as live compact discs in 1998
produced for the Discovery
album (for which the band never toured). As previously mentioned, the sound quality of the Wembley concert contained in some of these early releases is relatively poor, and elevates the prominence of the studio backing tapes on many tracks. In 2006, the DVD was remastered and the sound mix was fully restored and presented in DTS sound, at last presenting the sound that was heard by the audience. A new DVD release of the concert has been scheduled with bonus material and new packaging according to the ELO website http://www.ftmusic.com/news/index.html
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...
.
In 1978 the band played the Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
for a record eight appearances. The opening night (a charity Gala event) was filmed in the presence of the Duke
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester is a member of the British Royal Family. Prince Richard is the youngest grandchild of King George V and Queen Mary. He has been Duke of Gloucester since his father's death in 1974. He is currently 20th in the line of succession...
and Duchess of Gloucester and the band were introduced by US actor Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis
Tony Curtis was an American film actor whose career spanned six decades, but had his greatest popularity during the 1950s and early 1960s. He acted in over 100 films in roles covering a wide range of genres, from light comedy to serious drama...
.
The stage was a huge flying saucer with hydraulic lifts, the 'roof' would open up to reveal the band. The concert was one of the first examples of lasers used at a live rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
concert. Due to the nature of the sound acoustics on the huge metal and fiberglass flying saucer shaped stage the band had difficulty hearing their monitors and keeping time, so backing tapes were used that only the band were supposed to hear. The original TV broadcast edit in mono sound was poorly mixed from the concert and used some of the backing tapes used by the band pushed high in the mix which (unfairly) appeared to make the band look like they were lip-synching.
The Out of the Blue Tour or Big Night tour as it was known in the United States became the highest grossing concert tour ever up to that point. This concert, along with The Face the Music Tour 1976
Live at Winterland '76
Live at Winterland '76 is a Live album by the Electric Light Orchestra released in 1998.Recorded in 1976 during the band's Face the Music Tour, this album, along with 1974's The Night The Light Went On are two official releases of the band performing live. Bassist Kelly Groucutt features...
, were released as live compact discs in 1998
Video releases
It has also been released previously on Betamax and VHS in 1980, VHS again in '89, then in '98 as a DVD and VHS coupled with their music video albumDiscovery (music video)
Discovery is a music video album by the Electric Light Orchestra.Recorded in 1979 shortly after the completion of the Discovery studio album. The track listing is identical to the studio LP. Each of the album's songs has its own corresponding promotional video. It did receive TV airings on The Blue...
produced for the Discovery
Discovery (Electric Light Orchestra album)
Discovery is a 1979 album by Electric Light Orchestra.-History:Discovery was the band's first No. 1 album in the UK, entering the chart at that position and staying there for five weeks...
album (for which the band never toured). As previously mentioned, the sound quality of the Wembley concert contained in some of these early releases is relatively poor, and elevates the prominence of the studio backing tapes on many tracks. In 2006, the DVD was remastered and the sound mix was fully restored and presented in DTS sound, at last presenting the sound that was heard by the audience. A new DVD release of the concert has been scheduled with bonus material and new packaging according to the ELO website http://www.ftmusic.com/news/index.html
Full concert song list
Below is the entire set from the concert. Seven of the songs that night have never been released on video or compact disc, songs marked Live at Wembley are the same songs that appear on the DVD.- Introduction By Tony Curtis
- Introduction Theme - album Live at Wembley '78Live at Wembley '78Live at Wembley '78 is a live recording by Electric Light Orchestra. Edited in length as was the VHS/DVD version.-Sound issues:The sound on this album has led to accusations of the band Lip synching, as did the earlier video from which this CD was taken...
- Standin' In The Rain - album Live at Wembley '78
- Night In The City - album Live at Wembley '78
- Turn To StoneTurn to Stone"Turn to Stone" is a 1977 song by Electric Light Orchestra.The song is the opening track to the double album Out of the Blue. It was the first song released as a single from the LP. The single reached #18 in the U.K. charts and stayed there for 12 weeks. Out of four singles from the album, "Turn to...
- album Live at Wembley '78 - Eldorado OvertureEldorado Overture"Eldorado Overture" is the opening track on Electric Light Orchestra's 1974 concept album Eldorado.It was a new experience for Jeff Lynne to use a full orchestra and choir for the band's songs. The opening starts with haunting sounds provided by Richard Tandy on the synthesizer...
- Unreleased* - Can't Get It Out Of My HeadCan't Get It Out of My HeadCan't Get It Out of My Head is a song by Electric Light Orchestra.First released on the band's fourth album, Eldorado, in July 1974, the song is the second track on the album and follows "Eldorado Overture." The song was released in November of that same year as a single.The song became the band's...
- Unreleased* - Hugh's Solo / Flight of the BumblebeeFlight of the Bumblebee"Flight of the Bumblebee" is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899–1900. The piece closes Act III, Tableau 1, during which the magic Swan-Bird changes Prince Gvidon Saltanovich into an insect so that he can fly away to...
- Unreleased* - TightropeTightrope (Electric Light Orchestra song)"Tightrope" is the title of the opening track to A New World Record by Electric Light Orchestra.Recorded in 1976 at Musicland, Munich, West Germany, The song features a dramatic orchestral opening before transforming into an upbeat rock song...
- album Live at Wembley '78 - Telephone LineTelephone Line (Electric Light Orchestra song)"Telephone Line" is a song by Electric Light Orchestra.The song is track two on their 1976 album A New World Record and was the final single to be released from the band's LP until September 2006 when Surrender was released from the expanded reissue....
- album Live at Wembley '78 - Rockaria!Rockaria!"Rockaria!" is a song by Electric Light Orchestra. It was the third track on the band's successful 1976 album A New World Record and was the second single from the album. Featuring the operatic voice of Mary Thomas during the introduction, she flubbed the first take by starting the vocals too early...
- album Live at Wembley '78 - Mik's Solo/In The Hall Of The Mountain KingIn the Hall of the Mountain KingIn the Hall of the Mountain King is a piece of orchestral music composed by Edvard Grieg for the sixth scene of Act II in Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt, which premiered in Christiania on February 24, 1876....
/Hungarian Dance No. 5 - Unreleased* - Wild West HeroWild West Hero"Wild West Hero" is a song by Electric Light Orchestra, and the closing track and third single from the album Out of the Blue. The song was written by lead singer Jeff Lynne. Melvyn Gale, normally the band's cellist, provided the Western-style piano for this track.It entered the UK Top 40 at No. 31...
- album Live at Wembley '78 - Strange MagicStrange MagicFor the greatest hits collection of the same name, see Strange Magic: The Best of Electric Light Orchestra."Strange Magic" is a song written and performed by the Electric Light Orchestra. It can be found on the 1975 Face the Music LP....
- Unreleased* - ShowdownShowdown (Electric Light Orchestra song)"Showdown" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and recorded by the Electric Light Orchestra.It was the band's last contemporary recording to be released on the Harvest label....
- album Live at Wembley '78 - 1 Minute Talk - album Live at Wembley '78
- Sweet Talkin' WomanSweet 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...
- album Live at Wembley '78 - Evil Woman - Unreleased*
- Mr. Blue SkyMr. Blue Sky"Mr. Blue Sky" is a song by English rock group Electric Light Orchestra, featured on the band's seventh studio album Out of the Blue . 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 Live at Wembley '78 - Do Ya - album Live at Wembley '78
- Livin' ThingLivin' 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...
- album Live at Wembley '78 - Ma-Ma-Ma BelleMa-Ma-Ma Belle"Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" is a song recorded by the Electric Light Orchestra.It was taken from the 1973 album On the Third Day. In the UK, the single version had a slightly different mix from the album original featuring a descending string crescendo and was edited in length.Marc Bolan plays twin lead...
- Unreleased* - Roll Over BeethovenRoll Over Beethoven"Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 hit single by Chuck Berry originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to replace classical music...
- album Live at Wembley- Electric Light Orchestra Outroduction Theme
Personnel
- Jeff LynneJeff LynneJeffrey "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...
- Vocals, Guitar - Bev BevanBev BevanBev Bevan is an English rock musician, who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra...
- Drums - Richard TandyRichard TandyRichard Tandy , is best known as the keyboard player in the rock band, Electric Light Orchestra...
- Keyboards - Kelly GroucuttKelly GroucuttKelly Groucutt , born Michael William Groucutt, was an English musician who was best known for being the bass player for the band Electric Light Orchestra , between 1974 and 1983. He was born in Coseley, West Midlands.-Early career:Groucutt began his musical career at 15 as Rikki Storm of Rikki...
- Bass, Vocals - Mik KaminskiMik KaminskiMik Kaminski is best known for playing violin in the Electric Light Orchestra between 1973 and 1979.-Biography:...
- Violin - Hugh McDowellHugh McDowellHugh McDowell is an English cellist best known for his membership in Electric Light Orchestra and related acts.-Career:...
- Cello - Melvyn GaleMelvyn GaleMelvyn Gale is an English cellist.-Career:Gale obtained his classical music orientated education at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Before joining the Electric Light Orchestra, he had already played with the London Palladium Orchestra, with whom he had his...
- Cello, Piano - Jake Commander - Backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Links
- Mr. Blue Sky (Live at Wembley) Licensed content from Eagle Rock EntertainmentEagle Rock EntertainmentEagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, high-definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones,...
- Roll Over Beethoven (Live at Wembley) Licensed content from Eagle Rock EntertainmentEagle Rock EntertainmentEagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, high-definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones,...
- Sweet Talkin' Woman (Live at Wembley) Licensed content from Eagle Rock EntertainmentEagle Rock EntertainmentEagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, high-definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones,...
- Livin' Thing (Live at Wembley) Licensed content from Eagle Rock EntertainmentEagle Rock EntertainmentEagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, high-definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones,...