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From album
Out of the Blue
Electric Light Orchestra · 1977 · Track 13
Details
Duración5:05
ÁlbumOut of the Blue
Año1977
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The story behind
When the sun peeks out after gray days, inspiration can come in unexpected ways. This is what happened to Jeff Lynne, leader of Electric Light Orchestra, while he was looking for material for the double album Out of the Blue. Locked away in a Swiss chalet, surrounded by fog and clouds, he spent several days without finding a clear idea. Suddenly, the sky cleared, revealing a breathtaking view of the Alps, and the sunlight seemed to unlock his creativity. In the following two weeks, he not only composed Mr. Blue Sky, but also thirteen other songs, shaping what would be the "Concerto for a Rainy Day" concept within the album.
The recording of Mr. Blue Sky, which took place at the Musicland studios in Munich, Germany, benefited from arrangements that evoke the Beatles, with harmonic and rhythmic quotes reminiscent of tracks like "Martha My Dear" or "A Day in the Life". Even the piano and drum intro was borrowed from The Kinks' "Do You Remember Walter". The song's distinctive sound is enriched by the prominent use of a cowbell-like instrument, which was actually the sound of a fire extinguisher, credited to Bev Bevan on percussion. The piece also stands out for its innovative use of the vocoder, a technology that Electric Light Orchestra helped popularize at the time, and which is used to sing the title phrase of the song, as well as the final instruction "please turn me over", inviting the listener to flip the vinyl record. This particularity, along with its catchy melody and energy, has made it one of the band's most recognized songs, reaching number 6 in the UK and 35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.