Evil Woman (Electric Light Orchestra song)

Infobox Single
Name = Evil Woman


Artist = Electric Light Orchestra
from Album = Face the Music
B-side = "10538 Overture (Live)"
Released = October, 1975
Format = 7"
Recorded = 1975 Musicland Studios
Genre = Rock
Length = 4:21 (single version: 3:13)
Label = Jet Records & United Artists Records
Writer = Jeff Lynne
Producer = Jeff Lynne
Certification =
Chart position = *
*
* #23
Last single = "Boy Blue"
(1975)
This single = "Evil Woman"
(1975)
Next single = "Strange Magic"
(1976)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Flashback
Type = Box Set
prev_track = "Tightrope"
prev_no = 1)
(CD II
this_track = "Evil Woman"
track_no = 2
next_track = "Livin' Thing"
next_no = 3

"Evil Woman" is a song written and recorded by Electric Light Orchestra.

First released on the band's fifth album, 1975's "Face the Music". Released as a single in 1975 the song became the band's first worldwide hit. According to Jeff Lynne this song was the quickest he had ever written, in thirty minutes, originally as 'filler' for the group's "Face the Music" album. The song placed in the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic, peaking at #10 in both the US and the UK. The song became a hit again in the UK in 1978 when it featured on the "ELO EP". The lyric "There's a hole in my head where the rain comes in" is a tribute to The Beatles' song "Fixing a Hole".

In 1995, Michael Stipe imitated Jeff Lynne at an R.E.M. concert at Madison Square Garden on their "Monster Tour", he wore a frizzy wig and sang "Evil Woman" before the show with Luscious Jackson playing the music. In 2002, the song was also used in the film "Austin Powers in Goldmember" during the jail scene with Doctor Evil getting a visit from Mindy Sterling's character Frau Farbissina. In 2006 a part of the song was sampled in the Pussycat Dolls single "Beep".

The song is being performed as part of the 2007 Broadway musical "Xanadu" and is also featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV. The 1985 TV special "DTV Monster Hits!" also featured a short music video of the song, set to clips of all the female villains featured in Disney cartoons up to that point.

External links

* [http://www.jefflynnesongs.com/evilwoman/ In-depth Song Analysis] at the Jeff Lynne Song Database (jefflynnesongs.com)