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From album
Out of the Blue
Electric Light Orchestra · 1977 · Track 1
Details
Duración3:49
ÁlbumOut of the Blue
Año1977
ISRCUSSM17800576
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The story behind
When you dive into *Turn to Stone*, the first sensation is that of a powerful hook that grabs you immediately, an energy that propels you from the first chord. It's the track that opens the ambitious double album Out of the Blue, and it sets the tone right from the start. What's interesting is that, of the four singles released from that album, this was the first to be presented to the public. While it reached number 18 in the UK and stayed on the charts for twelve weeks, it didn't reach the top 10 like other tracks from the album. However, crossing the Atlantic, things were different: it climbed to number 13 in the United States and number nine in Canada in early 1978.
The gestation of this song has a particular detail. Jeff Lynne composed it in Switzerland, in the midst of a two-week writing marathon for the album. He himself took care of the bass line with the Moog, a distinctive element that gives it that very particular rhythmic foundation. Jeff Lynne has mentioned that Turn to Stone is one of his favorites, highlighting its simplicity yet its evocative power, and he loves the "shuffle" rhythm. He even, in a middle section, dares to speak very quickly, something he used to do to add an unexpected touch and prevent the song from becoming monotonous. In 2008, it received recognition for surpassing one million radio plays. Critics described it as epic and orchestrated rock, a mix of pop hooks with strings and powerful rock, with falsetto harmonies that dialogue with the main voice. It is said that the cello sound marks the beat in an almost hypnotic way.