Eldorado (Electric Light Orchestra album)
Encyclopedia
Eldorado - A Symphony By The Electric Light Orchestra (known as simply Eldorado) is the fourth studio album by the Electric Light Orchestra
, released in 1974.
; vocalist Jeff Lynne conceived the storyline before he wrote any music. The plot follows a Walter Mitty
-like character who journeys into fantasy worlds via dreams, in order to escape a mundane reality with which he's become fed up.
hired an orchestra; on previous albums, Lynne would overdub the strings. Louis Clark
co-arranged and conducted the strings, and would go on to become a full member. The group's three resident string players continued to perform on recordings, however, and can be heard most prominently on the songs "Boy Blue" and "Laredo Tornado".
Mike de Albuquerque departed early on in the recording process, leaving Lynne to play bass and provide most of the backing vocals for the album (though de Albuquerque received credit.) Kelly Groucutt
replaced de Albuquerque for the subsequent tour, when cellist Melvyn Gale
also joined.
"Eldorado Finale" is heavily orchestrated much like "Eldorado Overture". Jeff Lynne said of the song, "I like the heavy chords and the slightly daft ending, where you hear the double bass players packing up their basses, because they wouldn't play another millisecond past the allotted moment."
re-released his classic 1954 film Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome
using Eldorado as the soundtrack.
" was released as a single (with "Illusions in G Major" as the flipside) and was a success in the US.
An edited version of "Boy Blue
" was released as the album's second single, but failed to make any commercial impact.
The album was certified Gold
in the US soon after its release. The album and singles, however, failed to find a wide audience in the band's native United Kingdom
.
(then known as Sharon Arden), consists of a still taken from the well-known 1939 film The Wizard of Oz
.
s "50 Albums That Built Prog Rock".
of the album's orchestral parts, plus "Dark City", an early draft of the track "Laredo Tornado".
Additional personnel
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...
, released in 1974.
Concept
Eldorado is the first complete ELO concept albumConcept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
; vocalist Jeff Lynne conceived the storyline before he wrote any music. The plot follows a Walter Mitty
Walter Mitty
Walter Mitty is a fictional character in James Thurber's short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty", first published in the New Yorker on March 18, 1939, and in book form in My World and Welcome to It in 1942...
-like character who journeys into fantasy worlds via dreams, in order to escape a mundane reality with which he's become fed up.
Recording
Eldorado marks the first album on which Jeff LynneJeff 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...
hired an orchestra; on previous albums, Lynne would overdub the strings. Louis Clark
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...
co-arranged and conducted the strings, and would go on to become a full member. The group's three resident string players continued to perform on recordings, however, and can be heard most prominently on the songs "Boy Blue" and "Laredo Tornado".
Mike de Albuquerque departed early on in the recording process, leaving Lynne to play bass and provide most of the backing vocals for the album (though de Albuquerque received credit.) Kelly Groucutt
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...
replaced de Albuquerque for the subsequent tour, when cellist Melvyn Gale
Melvyn Gale
Melvyn 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...
also joined.
"Eldorado Finale" is heavily orchestrated much like "Eldorado Overture". Jeff Lynne said of the song, "I like the heavy chords and the slightly daft ending, where you hear the double bass players packing up their basses, because they wouldn't play another millisecond past the allotted moment."
In Popular Culture
In 1978, filmmaker Kenneth AngerKenneth Anger
Kenneth Anger is an American underground experimental filmmaker, occasional actor and author...
re-released his classic 1954 film Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome
Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome
Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome is a short 38 minute film by Kenneth Anger, filmed in 1954. Anger created two other versions of this film in 1966 and the late 1970s. According to Anger, the film takes the name "pleasure dome" from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's atmospheric poem Kubla Khan...
using Eldorado as the soundtrack.
Reception
"Can't Get It Out of My HeadCan't Get It Out of My Head
Can'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...
" was released as a single (with "Illusions in G Major" as the flipside) and was a success in the US.
An edited version of "Boy Blue
Boy Blue (Electric Light Orchestra Song)
"Boy Blue" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and performed by the Electric Light Orchestra which first appeared as track number 3 from their 1974 album, Eldorado....
" was released as the album's second single, but failed to make any commercial impact.
The album was certified Gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
in the US soon after its release. The album and singles, however, failed to find a wide audience in the band's native United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The 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...
.
Cover artwork
The front cover, designed by Sharon OsbourneSharon Osbourne
Sharon Rachel Osbourne is an English television host, author, music manager, businesswoman and promoter as well as the wife of heavy metal singer-songwriter Ozzy Osbourne....
(then known as Sharon Arden), consists of a still taken from the well-known 1939 film The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
.
Legacy
In July 2010, the album was named one of Classic Rock magazineClassic Rock (magazine)
Classic Rock is a British magazine dedicated to the radio format of classic rock, published by Future Publishing, who are also responsible for its "sister" publication Metal Hammer. Although firmly focusing on key bands from the 1960s through early 1990s, it also includes articles and reviews of...
s "50 Albums That Built Prog Rock".
Side one
Side two
Reissue
The album was remastered and reissued on 12 June 2001 with two bonus tracks, "Eldorado Instrumental Medley", a suiteSuite
In music, a suite is an ordered set of instrumental or orchestral pieces normally performed in a concert setting rather than as accompaniment; they may be extracts from an opera, ballet , or incidental music to a play or film , or they may be entirely original movements .In the...
of the album's orchestral parts, plus "Dark City", an early draft of the track "Laredo Tornado".
- "Eldorado Instrumental Medley" – 7:56
- "Dark City" – 0:46
Chart Positions and Chart Runs
- US: #16 Billboard 200Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, 32 weeks - UK: did not chart on its own when first released, but reached #38 in 1978 as part of the 3-LP box-set Three Light YearsThree Light YearsThree Light Years was a boxed set of three studio albums by Electric Light Orchestra. It was released in December 1978 and reached #38 on the UK Albums Chart.-Contents:...
. - AUS: #40 ARIA Albums ChartARIA ChartsThe ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, 14 weeks - CAN: #7 RPM Albums ChartRPM (magazine)RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
, 28 weeks
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, electric and acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards, orchestra and choral arrangements - 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, percussion - Richard TandyRichard TandyRichard Tandy , is best known as the keyboard player in the rock band, Electric Light Orchestra...
– piano, moog synthesiser, guitar, backing vocals, orchestra and choral arrangements - Mike de Albuquerque – bass
- 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 - Mike EdwardsMike Edwards (musician)Mike Edwards , known as Swami Deva Pramada or simply Pramada, was an English cellist and music teacher. His wide-ranging career was most widely notable for his membership of the Electric Light Orchestra.-Early life:...
– cello - Louis ClarkLouis 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...
- orchestra and choral arrangements and conducting
Additional personnel
- Peter Forbes-Robertson – spoken word