- On the Third Day
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On the Third Day Studio album by Electric Light Orchestra Released November 1973 (US)
December 1973 (UK)
12 September 2006 (Reissue)Recorded April - May 1973at De Lane Lea Studios, London Genre Progressive rock, cello rock, symphonic rock Length 39:26 (Original) Label Warner Bros. (UK)
United Artists Records (US), Jet Records, Columbia Records
Epic/Legacy (Reissue)Producer Jeff Lynne Electric Light Orchestra chronology ELO 2
(1973)On the Third Day
(1973)The Night the Light Went On in Long Beach
(1974)US alternate album cover Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [1]
Music Box [2]
Rolling Stone (unfavourable) [3] George Starostin (9/10) [4] This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.
On the Third Day is the third studio LP by Electric Light Orchestra and the first to be recorded without any input from Roy Wood.
Contents
Overview
On the Third Day was released in 1973 and failed to enter the UK charts at the time, although it did reach the US charts. Side two of the album was recorded during or shortly after the sessions for ELO's LP ELO 2, but unlike its predecessor it contains shorter tracks. By contrast, the four songs on side one of the album were linked into a continuous suite. Violinist Mik Kaminski made his debut on side one of this album replacing Wilf Gibson, although Gibson plays on side two (plus the bonus tracks). Also, cellist Colin Walker left the line up around the same time, leaving Mike Edwards as lone cellist.
Of all other ELO albums, except for ELO 2, this might be considered closest in style to progressive rock, with some elaborate band arrangements and complicated musical segués between tracks. The Mini Moog synthesizer can be heard prominently on several tracks, particularly as lead instrument on the instrumental "Daybreaker". It was to be the last ELO album where Jeff Lynne attempted to re-create an orchestral sound in the studio by multi-tracking the cellos and solo violin of the band members - for the next album, a real orchestra would be hired. Marc Bolan played guitar on "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" and "Dreaming of 4000", both originally uncredited, as well as on "Everyone's Born to Die", which was not released at the time but appears as a bonus track on the 2006 remaster.
In September 2006 the album was remastered and released again with bonus tracks, featuring the Hipgnosis album art from the original UK release. The bonus tracks "Auntie" (working title of "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle"), "Mambo" (working title of "Dreaming of 4000") and "Everyone's Born to Die" were recorded during the ELO 2 sessions.
Miscellaneous
- "Ocean Breakup/King of the Universe" contains a sequence of morse code signaling ELO, something Jeff Lynne would also do 10 years later on "Secret Messages".
- "Showdown" was originally intended to be released on single only and, since it was on a different label (Harvest Records) than the UK LP, did not appear on the original UK LP. It was, however, included on the US LP.
- "Bluebird Is Dead" features a guitar solo played backwards.
- Although he didn't actually record on the album, Hugh McDowell did appear on this front cover of the US LP seen at right, which was an unusual photograph taken by famed photographer Richard Avedon that had ELO displaying their belly-buttons.
- In 2006, New Zealand rap group Frontline sampled a piece of "Dreaming of 4000" for their latest release "Hold 'em".
- The working titles for "In the Hall of the Mountain King" was "In the Hole of the Mounted Parrot", "Daybreaker" was "Theme from Glass Table" and "Dreaming of 4000" was "I'm Only Dreaming" and "Mambo".
Chart positions and runs
- US: #52 Billboard 200, 24 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 Years.
- AUS: #46 ARIA Albums Chart, 10 weeks
- CAN: #40 RPM Albums Chart, 14 weeks
Original track listing
All songs written by Jeff Lynne unless otherwise indicated.
Side one
- "Ocean Breakup/King of the Universe" – 4:07
- "Bluebird Is Dead" – 4:42
- "Oh No Not Susan" – 3:07
- "New World Rising/Ocean Breakup (Reprise)" – 4:05
- "Showdown" – 4:09 (Not included in original UK release)
Side two
- "Daybreaker" – 3:51
- "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" – 3:56
- "Dreaming of 4000" – 5:04
- "In the Hall of the Mountain King" (Edvard Grieg) – 6:37
Bonus tracks
- "Auntie (Ma-Ma-Ma Belle)" (Take 1) – 1:19
- "Auntie (Ma-Ma-Ma Belle)" (Take 2) – 4:05
- "Mambo (Dreaming of 4000)" (Take 1) – 5:05
- "Everyone's Born to Die" – 3:43
- "Interludes" (Previously unreleased) – 3:40
Personnel
- Jeff Lynne - Vocals, Guitars
- Bev Bevan - Drums, Percussion
- Richard Tandy - Piano, Moog
- Mike de Albuquerque - Bass, Backing Vocals
- Wilf Gibson - Violin on tracks 5-14
- Colin Walker - Cello on tracks 5-14
- Mike Edwards - Cello
- Mik Kaminski - Violin on tracks 1-4
- Additional personnel
- Marc Bolan - Guitar on tracks 7, 8, 10-13
References
External links
Electric Light Orchestra Jeff Lynne
PersonnelStudio albums The Electric Light Orchestra (No Answer) · ELO 2 (Electric Light Orchestra II) · On the Third Day · Eldorado · Face the Music · A New World Record · Out of the Blue · Discovery · Time · Secret Messages · Balance of Power · ZoomSoundtracks Live albums Compilations Showdown · Olé ELO · The Light Shines On · Three Light Years · The Light Shines On Vol 2 · ELO's Greatest Hits · A Box of Their Best · Four Light Years · Afterglow · ELO's Greatest Hits Vol. 2 · The Very Best of the Electric Light Orchestra · Strange Magic · Light Years · Definitive Collection · Flashback · The Ultimate Collection · The Essential Electric Light Orchestra · All Over the World · Ticket to the MoonVideography Discovery (1979) · Live at Wembley (1980) · Fusion – Live In London (1990) · The Very Best of ELO (1991) · Zoom Tour Live (2001) · Total Rock Review (2006) · In Performance (2010) · Live – The Early Years (2010)Related articles Discography · Don Arden · Reinhold Mack · Jet Records · The Move · Wizzard · ELO Part II · List of songs produced by Jeff Lynne · Jeff Lynne and The BeatlesBook:Electric Light Orchestra ·
Category:Electric Light Orchestra
Categories:- Electric Light Orchestra albums
- Albums produced by Jeff Lynne
- Albums with cover art by Hipgnosis
- Warner Bros. Records albums
- United Artists Records albums
- Jet Records albums
- 1973 albums
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