Secret Messages is an album by
Electric Light OrchestraElectric 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...
, released in 1983 through
Jet RecordsJet Records was a small British record label set up by Don Arden with artists like Electric Light Orchestra , Roy Wood, Gary Moore, Ozzy Osbourne, Riot and Magnum. The first release on the "Jet Records" label was "No Honestly", a UK top 10 for its singer and writer Lynsey De Paul in November 1974...
. It would be the last ELO album to feature bassist
Kelly 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...
, conductor
Louis ClarkLouis Clark is a British musical arranger and keyboard player.He trained at Leeds College of Music. He was the conductor of the orchestra and choir hired to back Electric Light Orchestra's sound, introduced on their album Eldorado in 1974...
and real stringed instruments. It was also the final ELO studio album to become a worldwide top 40 hit upon release.
Original Concept
The record was originally planned to be a
double albumA double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
, but the band's record company cited that it would be too expensive for a double vinyl LP due to the early 1980s' oil crisis. This version of the album was digitally recorded and was to have been ELO's first
compact discThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
. Six of the songs from the intended double album would appear as B-sides and reappear on the
AfterglowAfterglow was a box set compilation by Electric Light Orchestra released in 1990 with liner notes by music critic and editor Ira Robbins of Trouser Press fame...
box set in 1990, including a string-laden eight minute long tribute to the band's home town (
BirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
) entitled "Hello My Old Friend". Some of the tracks reappeared on the 2001 re-issue of the album. "Endless Lies", which had been altered for its inclusion on the subsequently-released
Balance of Power album, appears in its original 1983 form on the 2001 remaster of this album.
Secret Messages, as its title would suggest, was littered with hidden messages in the form of
backmaskingBackmasking is a recording technique in which a sound or message is recorded backward on to a track that is meant to be played forward...
, some obvious and others less so. This was Lynne's second tongue-in-cheek response to allegations of hidden
SatanicSatanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
messages in earlier Electric Light Orchestra LPs by Christian fundamentalists which led up to early 1980s American congressional hearings (a similar response had been made by Lynne on the
Face the Music album, during the intro to the "
Fire On High"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...
" track). In Britain the cover of
Secret Messages has a mock warning to youth about the hidden messages. Word of the album's impending release in the United States caused enough of a furor to cause CBS Records to delete the cover blurb there.
Louis ClarkLouis Clark is a British musical arranger and keyboard player.He trained at Leeds College of Music. He was the conductor of the orchestra and choir hired to back Electric Light Orchestra's sound, introduced on their album Eldorado in 1974...
returned to conduct the strings once more and violinist Mik Kaminski appeared on an ELO recording for the first time since 1977's
Out of the BlueThe 30th Anniversary Edition was released on February, 20th 2007 with three bonus tracks.-Personnel:ELO*Jeff Lynne – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion*Bev Bevan – drums, percussion, backing vocals, fire extinguisher on "Mr...
, playing a violin solo on the track "Rock 'n' Roll Is King." On completion of this album
Jeff 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...
dismissed bassist
Kelly 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...
. Groucutt later sued for alleged lost royalties and received a settlement out of court.
Three singles were released from the album in the UK: "Rock 'n' Roll Is King," the title track, and "
Four Little Diamonds"Four Little Diamonds" is a song by the rock music group Electric Light Orchestra from their 1983 album Secret Messages. It was also featured on their compilation albums Afterglow and Flashback. The single did not do very well in the USA, spending only 2 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
." In the US, "Rock 'n' Roll Is King," "Four Little Diamonds," and "Stranger" were issued. "Rock 'n' Roll Is King" would be the band's last UK Top 20 hit. The song "Letter from Spain" was used as backing music in commercials for the Games of the XXV Olympiad, held in 1992 in
BarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
,
CataloniaCatalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Track Listing
All music composed and lyrics written by
Jeff 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...
. Strings conducted by
Louis ClarkLouis Clark is a British musical arranger and keyboard player.He trained at Leeds College of Music. He was the conductor of the orchestra and choir hired to back Electric Light Orchestra's sound, introduced on their album Eldorado in 1974...
Side One
- "Secret Messages
"Secret Messages" is a song recorded by Electric Light Orchestra and is the title track of the 1983 album Secret Messages....
" - 4:44
- "Loser Gone Wild" - 5:27
- "Bluebird" - 4:13
- "Take Me On and On" - 4:57
- "Time After Time" - 4:01 (not on vinyl LP; included on cassette tape format and 12 inch single )
Side Two
- "Four Little Diamonds
"Four Little Diamonds" is a song by the rock music group Electric Light Orchestra from their 1983 album Secret Messages. It was also featured on their compilation albums Afterglow and Flashback. The single did not do very well in the USA, spending only 2 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
" - 4:05
- "Stranger" - 4:27
- "Danger Ahead" - 3:52
- "Letter from Spain" - 2:51
- "Train of Gold" - 4:20
- "Rock 'n' Roll Is King" - 3:49
Bonus tracks on the 2001 edition
- "No Way Out" - 3:28
- "Endless Lies" - 3:26 (1983 Version, previously unreleased)
- "After All" - 2:23
Original intended track listing for double album
Side A
- "Secret Messages" - 4:51
- "Loser Gone Wild" - 5:17
- "Bluebird" - 4:13
- "Take Me On and On" - 5:02
Side B
- "Stranger" - 4:30
- "No Way Out" - 3:27
- "Beatles Forever
"Beatles Forever" is a song recorded by the Electric Light Orchestra in 1983, intended for the album Secret Messages. When the album was cut from a planned two-disc set to a single LP, "Beatles Forever" was abandoned — and somewhat abruptly, given that it had previously been cited as the likely...
" - 4:30
- "Letter from Spain" - 2:59
- "Danger Ahead" - 3:47
|
Side C
- "Four Little Diamonds" - 4:12
- "Train of Gold" - 4:22
- "Endless Lies" - 3:35 (1983 Version)
- "Buildings Have Eyes" - 4:04
- "Rock 'n' Roll is King" - 3:10
Side D
- "Mandalay" - 5:20
- "Time After Time" - 3:56
- "After All" - 2:24
- "Hello My Old Friend" - 8:37
|
Personnel
- 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...
- vocals, background vocals, guitar, synthesisers, bass guitar, piano, percussion, Oberheim DMX, producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- 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...
- drums, percussion
- Richard Tandy
Richard Tandy , is best known as the keyboard player in the rock band, Electric Light Orchestra...
- synthesizers, grand piano, electric piano, harmonica, Oberheim DMX
- Kelly Groucutt
Kelly 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 guitar, background vocals (Train Of Gold, Rock 'N' Roll Is King, No Way Out and Beatles Forever)
Additional personnel
- Mik Kaminski
Mik Kaminski is best known for playing violin in the Electric Light Orchestra between 1973 and 1979.-Biography:...
- violin (Rock 'n' Roll Is King)
- Dave Morgan
David 'Dave' Morgan is an English songwriter and musician.-Career:He was a member of well-regarded Birmingham 60's group The Uglys with Steve Gibbons between 1967 and 1969, where Morgan was the bassist and vocalist...
- additional background vocals
- Bill Bottrell
Bill Bottrell is an American record producer, songwriter and musician, probably best known for his Grammy Award-winning collaborations with Michael Jackson, E.L.O. and Sheryl Crow.- Biography :...
- EngineerAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Strings conducted by Louis Clark
Louis Clark is a British musical arranger and keyboard player.He trained at Leeds College of Music. He was the conductor of the orchestra and choir hired to back Electric Light Orchestra's sound, introduced on their album Eldorado in 1974...
Chart performance
| Country |
Peak |
Top 40 weeks |
Total weeks |
Link |
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
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4 |
8 |
15 |
4 |
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
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5 |
12 |
12 |
5 |
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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6 |
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17 |
6 7 |
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
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7 |
9 |
11 |
8 |
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
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11 |
8 |
12 |
9 |
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
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11 |
6 |
12 |
10 |
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
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13 |
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12 |
11 |
| New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
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13 |
7 |
10 |
12 |
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
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15 |
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40 |
13 |
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
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19 |
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17 |
14 |
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
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20 |
13 |
20 |
15 |
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
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35 |
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8 |
16 |
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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36 |
1 |
16 |
17 |