They incorporated the sounds of string ensembles, vocoders and dub echos into rock songs, thereby creating a very sophisticated studio version of rock. The musical content of ELO songs often went far beyond usual chord structures, mixing pop songwriting with classical romanticism and synthesized sounds. The band claim that their music ‘picks up where The Beatles left off.’
Formed in 1970 by Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan (the remaining members of the 1960s rock group The Move). The band used cellos, violin, horns and woodwinds to give their music a classical sound. This was an idea Roy Wood initially had while with The Move, to take rock music in a new direction. In 1970 when Carl Wayne left the The Move, Jeff Lynne, front man with fellow Brum band Idle Race, responded to Wood’s second invitation to join the line-up, with the lure of starting the new band. To help finance the fledgling project, two more Move albums were released during the recording of their eponymous first album in 1971 which produced the UK hit 10538 Overture. In the US this album was released with the mistaken title of No Answer, due to a mix-up with an uncompleted telephone call to the American label and subsequent secretarial message.
However, tensions soon surfaced between Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne. With most of the media attention focused on Roy Wood, differences in musical direction, and a disastrous first live outing, it was no surprise when the band went through the first of its many line-up changes as Wood took Hugh McDowell and Bill Hunt with him to form Wizzard. Despite the music press’s predictions that the band would fold without Wood, Jeff Lynne stepped up to lead the band, with Bevan remaining on drums, bassist Richard Tandy switching to moog synthesizer, Michael d’Albuquerque on bass, Mike Edwards, Colin Walker (cello) and Wilfred Gibson replacing Steve Woolam on violin. They released ELO 2 in 1973, from which came their first U.S. chart hit, a hugely elaborate version of the Chuck Berry classic Roll Over Beethoven. After their second album, violinist Gibson was dismissed and replaced by Mik Kaminski. They also released On the Third Day in 1973, with Mike Edwards playing all the cello parts due to Colin Walker leaving the band. Later that same year saw the return of Hugh McDowell, who had jumped ship the year previous, to replace cellist Colin Walker.
In 1974 Lynne hired a thirty-piece orchestra, choir and Louis Clark, then began work on the next LP Eldorado, A Symphony, a concept album about dreams, scoring their first U.S. Top Ten hit with Can’t Get It Out Of My Head in 1975. Eldorado would become ELO’s first gold album.
After the release of Eldorado, bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt and cellist Melvyn Gale joined, replacing de Albuquerque and Edwards respectively.
Prologue
ELO Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There lies another time
Where darkness and light are one
And as you tread the halls of sanity
You feel so glad to be
Unable to go beyond
I have a message
From another time
The lyrics in ELO's "Prologue" are enigmatic and speak to a mystical and elusive realm that exists just beyond the border of the waking mind. The opening lines suggest that there is another time, a place where the boundaries between darkness and light are blurred, and where the subconscious and conscious mind intersect. This place is described as an imperceptible space that we can never access fully, even if we are aware of its existence.
The lyrics go on to describe a feeling of relief in being unable to fully unravel the mysteries of this other world. The singer feels glad to be restrained by the limits of their own sanity, implying that there is a certain safety in not being able to fully delve into the depths of the unknown. However, despite this feeling of safety, the lyrics also suggest that there is an urgent message waiting to be found in this mystical realm.
Overall, "Prologue" seems to be a song about the allure of mystery and the human desire to explore the unknown. The lyrics depict a tantalizing world just beyond our grasp, a place where light and dark converge, and where enigmatic messages wait to be discovered.
Line by Line Meaning
Just on the border of your waking mind
At the edge of your consciousness, there is a mysterious and unknown realm.
There lies another time
In this realm, there exists a different time beyond the present moment.
Where darkness and light are one
In this other time, light and darkness are not in opposition, but coexist together.
And as you tread the halls of sanity
As you navigate through this existence of logic and reason,
You feel so glad to be
You experience an indescribable joy and gratefulness.
Unable to go beyond
However, you are unable to fully transcend this current reality.
I have a message
I am a messenger, bringing an important communication.
From another time
I come from this other realm, bearing a message from beyond time itself.
Contributed by Camilla T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@icecreamsamwich
Just off the border of your waking mind,
there lies another time
where darkness and light are one.
And as you tread the halls of sanity,
you feel so glad to be
unable to go beyond.
I have a message
from another time.
The visions dancing in my mind
The early dawn, the shades of time
Twilight crawling through my windowpane
Am I awake or do I dream?
The strangest pictures I have seen
Night is near and twilight's gone away
With your head held high and your scarlet lies,
you came down to me from the open skies
It's either real or it's a dream,
there's nothing that is in between
Twiliiight!
I only meant to stay a while
Twiliiiiiight!
I gave you time to steal my mind
away from me
The crest of night, I saw your face
You disappeared without a trace
You brought me here, but can you take me back?
Inside the image of your light
What now is day and once was night
You leave me here and then you go away
It's either real or it's a dream,
there's nothing that is in between
Twiliiiiight!
TWILIIIIIIGHT!
TWILIIIIIIIIIIGHT!
I gave you time to steal my mind
away from me
You brought me here, but can you take me back again?
With your head held high and your scarlet lies,
you came down to me from the open skies
It's either real or it's a dream,
there's nothing that is in between
Twiliiight!
I only meant to stay a while
Twiliiiiiight!
I gave you time to steal my mind
Twiliiight!
I only meant to stay a while
Twiliiiiiight!
I only meant to stay a whiiiile...
Twiliiiiiight
Twiliiiiiiiiight!
@thearchiveofmylife
1981 on #mymusicalroadto50
Electric Light Orchestra- Twilight
Even ELO were stripped back in this year.
Gone were the cellos gone were the violins.
It was such a big change from Discovery and Xanadu.
But what a start to an album.
I include this here as it was intended, with the Prologue before Twilight and the start of a new ambitious concept album from the mind of Jeff Lynne.
@MuensterQ
one of the most energetic, dynamic, powerful, yet unashamedly eccentric and chaotic pop songs of all time. It has a thumping pace driven at a breakneck speed, blasting away and changing up so often, you can't even stop to catch your breath. The most genius aspect of this song, to me, has to be how its emphasis on forward momentum almost distracts you from considering how complex and unique this song truly is, as it is constantly going somewhere new and inundating you with what's coming next. Bona fide banger. Perfectly expresses what makes ELO so great. Superficially catchy and commercial, yet quietly brilliant in a way that has only grown more apparent with time. I have the privilege as a young man to listen to this music with fresh ears. Fun music, first and foremost. The sincerity of ELO is what draws me to the music the most. Great stuff.
@samharrington641
well said
@davidschofield4068
4:09 @@samharrington641 😊
@nethaniahdelvalle5586
Amém!!
@anonymoushuman8344
Turn to Stone is like that, too: much more going on when you pay attention and really listen.
@hayaokakizaki4463
"I have a message from another time"
It really do feel like ELO is reaching a hand out from the 70s to take you in for just a little bit.
@josephschultz3301
It's one of the things that just makes 'em timeless, I think. They've definitely got that 70s sound and vibe, but the lyrics make 'em very awesome to listen to, no matter the generation you're from.
Example: I'm a 90s kid and ELO is very easily one of my favorite bands. The instrumentation, the mixing, the sound design in general, and the vocals all work towards a great soundscape that's just wonderful to listen to. I fucking love this band <3
@coyotejohenson7245
@@josephschultz3301 I'm a 90s kid as well and I agree!
@josephschultz3301
@@coyotejohenson7245 Glad to hear it! Much love, my friend! =D
@hipsterelephant2660
the album was recorded in the 80s