A New World Record

Infobox Album
Name = A New World Record
Type = Studio album
Artist = Electric Light Orchestra

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Released = October 1976
September 12, 2006 (reissue)
Recorded = Musicland Studios, Munich
Genre = Rock
Length = 36:20
Label = Jet Records, United Artists Records & Columbia Records
Epic/Legacy (reissue)
Producer = Jeff Lynne
Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=Az9n8b5t4tsqe link]
*Robert Christgau (B+) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=electric+light+orchestra link]
*Rolling Stone (favourable) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/electriclightorchestra/albums/album/216546/review/5943911/a_new_world_record link]
*George Starostin 13/15 [http://starling.rinet.ru/music/elo.htm#Record link]

Last album = "Face the Music" (1975)
This album = "A New World Record" (1976)
Next album = "Out of the Blue" (1977)

"A New World Record" is the sixth studio album by Electric Light Orchestra. It was released in 1976.

Overview

The second album to be recorded at Musicland Studios in Munich, the LP proved to be the band's long awaited breakthrough in the UK: after seeing their previous three studio recordings fail to chart in their home market, "A New World Record" became their first top ten album in the UK, The LP became a huge global success and would consolidate the band's position as one of the biggest selling rock bands in the world, reaching multi-platinum status in the US and UK. The cover art features the famous ELO logo, designed by Kosh, for the first time. This logo would be included on several of the group's subsequent releases. The cover also features New York's Empire State Building, which took the "world record" for tallest building in 1931, but at the time of release, ironically, had just recently lost its title to crosstown skyscraper World Trade Center in 1972 and Chicago's Sears Tower in 1974

The album included the hit singles "Telephone Line," which became the band's first gold US single, "Livin' Thing," and "Do Ya" (US); and "Rockaria!" (UK). The focus is more on shorter pop songs, a trend which would continue throughout the rest of ELO's future albums. In 2006, the album was remastered and released with bonus tracks on Sony's Epic/Legacy imprint. "Surrender" was also issued as a promotional single and an iTunes download single, which entered the top 100 download chart.

The bands frontman Jeff Lynne regards his own songwriting at this point to have reached a new high.:– Jeff Lynne 2006; "A New World Record" remaster

Chart Positions, Chart Runs

* US: #5 Billboard 200, 69 weeks
* UK: #6 UK Albums Chart, 100 weeks
* AUS: #1 ARIA Albums Chart, 78 weeks
* CAN: #1 RPM Albums Chart, 65 weeks

Track listing

All songs written by Jeff Lynne.

ide one

tracklist
title1 = Tightrope
length1 = 5:03

title2 = Telephone Line
length2 = 4:38

title3 = Rockaria!
length3 = 3:12

title4 = Mission (A World Record)
length4 = 4:25

ide two

tracklist
title1 = So Fine
length1 = 3:54

title2 = Livin' Thing
length2 = 3:31

title3 = Above the Clouds
length3 = 2:16

title4 = Do Ya
length4 = 3:43

title5 = Shangri-La
length5 = 5:32

Bonus tracks (2006 remaster)

#

"Telephone Line" (Alternate vocal) – 4:41
# "Surrender" (previously unreleased) – 2:37
# "Tightrope" (alternate mix) – 4:55
# "Above the Clouds" (Instrumental version) – 1:14
# "So Fine" (Instrumental version) – 4:16
# "Telephone Line" (Instrumental version) – 4:51

Personnel

* Jeff Lynne - vocals, lead, rhythm and slide guitars, percussion, piano
* Bev Bevan - drums, Minimoog drum, percussion, vocals
* Richard Tandy - piano, Minimoog, Micromoog, polyphonic keyboard, electric guitars, clavinet, grand piano, Mellotron, percussion, vocals
* Kelly Groucutt - vocals, bass, percussion, backing vocals
* Mik Kaminski - violin
* Hugh McDowell - cello
* Melvyn Gale - cello
* Mary Thomas - operatic vocals
* Patti Quatro - uncredited vocals
* Orchestra and choral arrangements - Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy and Louis Clark.
* Orchestra conducted by Louis Clark.

External links

* [http://www.ftmusic.com/anewworldrecord/index.html A New World Record Remastered info]

succession box
before = "Rumours" by Fleetwood Mac
title = Australian Kent Music Report number-one album
years = April 18, 1977 – June 19, 1977
after = "Silk Degrees" by Boz Scaggs