On this date in 1976, Electric Light Orchestra's Strange Magic reached No.14 on the Billboard charts. It was the second charting single from their fifth studio release Face the Music.
Jeff Lynne's experiment of combining pop music with classical overtones was proving to be a success, the formula was quite successful for most of the 70's. Citing the Beatles as a heavy influence, Lynne's ability to put together radio friendly pop with lush orchestrations sounded very much like a direction the Beatles might have gone in had they stayed together. In fact, it was closer to the sound Paul McCartney and Wings had employed throughout the 70's as well. The only drawback was the 'soft rock' categorization ELO suffered as a result.
Lynne, named one of the top ten rock producers of all time, would go on to work with George Harrison and help form the super group The Traveling Wilburys.
What I find amazing all these years later, is how the music seems at once both fresh and frozen in time.
I'm just sayin'.
Strange Magic
Strange Magic- Electric Light Orchestra (Live, 2001)
Turn To Stone- Electric Light Orchestra ( Live, 1978)
Livin' Thing- Electric Light Orchestra ( Live, 1978)
Telephone Line- Electric Light Orchestra (live, 1978)
Rockaria- Electric Light Orchestra (1976)
1 comment:
Nice - I've found myself enjoying the majestic tones of ELO myself lately. To think, he was the least talented of the Traveling Wilburys. Jeff Lynne had a famous quote about ELO, "we picked up where 'I Am the Walrus' lef off."
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