- Don't Walk Away (Electric Light Orchestra song)
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"Don't Walk Away" 
Single by Electric Light Orchestra from the album Xanadu B-side "Across the Border" Released November 21, 1980 Format 7" Recorded 1980 Musicland Studios Munich Genre Pop rock Length 4:47 Label Jet Records Writer(s) Jeff Lynne Producer Jeff Lynne Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology "All Over The World"
(1980)"Don't Walk Away"
(1980)"Hold On Tight"
(1981)"Don't Walk Away" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It is featured in the 1980 feature film Xanadu in an animated sequence by Don Bluth.
The song also appears on the soundtrack album Xanadu. It was the last single released from the album.
The song is being performed as part of the 2007 Broadway musical Xanadu.
The song is written in a standard key signature of C Major and was #21 hit in the UK.
Contents
B side
Across the Border
"Across the Border" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and performed by Electric Light Orchestra.
It is track 4 on their highly successful album Out of the Blue. In 1980 the track became the B-side to the hit single Don't Walk Away.
The song opens with a steam train and horn sound effect, then switching into a small bridge with the violin and the moog, then switching to an upbeat rock song, with the opening verse being reminiscent of The Beach Boys track Heroes and Villains. Mik Kaminski features on violin, one of only three songs he performed on from "Out of the Blue" and the song also features a Latin mariachi style brass section.
"Listen out for the train noises first, also some Spanish style trumpets. Big finish with much phasing on the drums." - Bev Bevan (1977 - Japanese Out Of The Blue LP liner notes)
EP
In 1980 after the release of the UK box set Four Light Years the song was intended to be the lead off track on a proposed Across the Border EP which also included Don't Bring Me Down, Telephone Line and Mr Blue Sky. For reasons unknown the EP was withdrawn and the intended EP artwork which matched the parent box set was used as the slip cover for their 1982 double A-side single "Here is the News/Ticket to the Moon" instead. The EP version of the song made its debut on the 1997 compilation album "Light Years".
Chart positions
Chart (1980) Peak
PositionGerman Media Control Singles Chart 52 Irish Singles Chart 7 UK Singles Chart[1] 21 References
- ^ "Chart Stats - Electric Light Orchestra". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=2340. Retrieved 2010-08-05.
1970s 1972: "10538 Overture" • "Mr. Radio" • 1973: "Roll Over Beethoven" • "Showdown" • 1974: "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle/Daybreaker" • "Can't Get It Out of My Head" • 1975: "Boy Blue" • "Evil Woman" • 1976: "Nightrider" • "Strange Magic" • "Livin' Thing" • 1977: "Rockaria!" • "Do Ya • "Telephone Line" • "Turn to Stone" • 1978: "Mr. Blue Sky" • "Wild West Hero • "Sweet Talkin' Woman" • "It's Over" • "The ELO EP" • 1979: "Shine a Little Love" • "The Diary of Horace Wimp" • "Don't Bring Me Down" • "Confusion"/"Last Train to London"1980s 1980: "I'm Alive" • "Xanadu" • "All Over the World" • "Don't Walk Away" • 1981: "Hold On Tight" • "Twilight" • 1982: "Here Is the News"/"Ticket to the Moon" • "Rain Is Falling" • "The Way Life's Meant to Be" • 1983: "Rock 'n' Roll Is King" • "Secret Messages" • "Four Little Diamonds" • "Stranger" • 1986: "Calling America" • "So Serious" • "Getting to the Point"1990s 1990: "Destination Unknown"2000s Categories:- 1980 singles
- Electric Light Orchestra songs
- Songs produced by Jeff Lynne
- Songs from Xanadu
- Songs written by Jeff Lynne
- 1980s song stubs
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