Light Years, The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra is a two CD compilation album by Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...

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The album celebrates the band's 25th Anniversary singles career starting in 1972 and contains all of ELO's 29 UK hit singles plus other single edits that either didn't chart or where hits in other countries. All the songs included are the edited 7" single versions. It is also the first ELO compilation to feature the song "Across the Border" which was scheduled to be released as an EP track in 1980 but was withdrawn. Although not in chronological order, it is however the most comprehensive assemblage of the band's hits of the many compilations available.

The album was also released in Europe with an identical track order under the titles, The Swedish Collection and The Danish Collection.

Track listing

Disc 1 "Turn to Stone Turn to Stone "Turn to Stone" is a 1977 song by Electric Light Orchestra.The song is the opening track to the double album Out of the Blue. It was the first song released as a single from the LP. The single reached #18 in the U.K. charts and stayed there for 12 weeks. Out of four singles from the album, "Turn to... " – 3:47 "Evil Woman Evil Woman (Electric Light Orchestra song) "Evil Woman" is a song written by lead vocalist Jeff Lynne and recorded by Electric Light Orchestra.First released on the band's fifth album, 1975's Face the Music. Released as a single in late-1975, the song became the band's first worldwide hit... " – 4:15 "Livin' Thing Livin' Thing "Livin' Thing" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and performed by Electric Light Orchestra. It appears on ELO's 1976 platinum-selling album, A New World Record... " – 3:32 "Twilight" – 3:37 "Telephone Line Telephone Line (Electric Light Orchestra song) "Telephone Line" is a song by Electric Light Orchestra.The song is track two on their 1976 album A New World Record and was the final single to be released from the band's LP until September 2006 when Surrender was released from the expanded reissue.... " – 4:41 "Four Little Diamonds Four Little Diamonds "Four Little Diamonds" is a song by the rock music group Electric Light Orchestra from their 1983 album Secret Messages. It was also featured on their compilation albums Afterglow and Flashback. The single did not do very well in the USA, spending only 2 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and... " – 4:06 "Xanadu" – 3:27 "Last Train to London Last Train to London "Last Train to London" is the fifth track from the Electric Light Orchestra album Discovery.The song was released in 1980 in the UK as a double A-side single with "Confusion". It peaked at #8 in the UK Singles Chart. However, in the US the two songs charted separately, with "Confusion" charting in... " – 4:32 "Strange Magic Strange Magic For the greatest hits collection of the same name, see Strange Magic: The Best of Electric Light Orchestra."Strange Magic" is a song written and performed by the Electric Light Orchestra. It can be found on the 1975 Face the Music LP.... " (7" Edit) – 4:06 "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle Ma-Ma-Ma Belle "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" is a song recorded by the Electric Light Orchestra.It was taken from the 1973 album On the Third Day. In the UK, the single version had a slightly different mix from the album original featuring a descending string crescendo and was edited in length.Marc Bolan plays twin lead... " (7" Edit) – 3:11 "Confusion Confusion (Electric Light Orchestra song) "Confusion" is the second song from the 1979 Electric Light Orchestra album Discovery. It features acoustic guitar and vocoder.It was released in the UK as a double A-side single with "Last Train to London". It peaked at #8 in the UK Singles Chart... " – 3:40 "Rock 'n' Roll Is King" – 3:05 "The Way Life's Meant to Be The Way Life's Meant to Be "The Way Life's Meant to Be" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and performed by Electric Light Orchestra.The song is track five on the 1981 album Time and was the last track to be released as a single from the album in the UK. It starts with gentle violins, and continues with flamenco-like guitar... " – 4:39 "Can't Get It Out of My Head Can't Get It Out of My Head Can't Get It Out of My Head is a song by Electric Light Orchestra.First released on the band's fourth album, Eldorado, in July 1974, the song is the second track on the album and follows "Eldorado Overture." The song was released in November of that same year as a single.The song became the band's... " (7" Edit) – 3:07 "Secret Messages Secret Messages (song) "Secret Messages" is a song recorded by Electric Light Orchestra and is the title track of the 1983 album Secret Messages.... " (Special version from the LP) – 3:34 "Calling America Calling America "Calling America" is a song by the rock music group Electric Light Orchestra released as a single from their 1986 album Balance of Power. It became the band's first hit in three years. The song is, like most of the songs on Balance of Power, musically upbeat and bright but lyrically darker,... " – 3:28 "Don't Walk Away Don't Walk Away (Electric Light Orchestra song) "Don't Walk Away" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra . 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... " – 4:39 "Don't Bring Me Down Don't Bring Me Down "Don't Bring Me Down" is a song by the band Electric Light Orchestra, and is the last track from their 1979 album Discovery. It is their highest charting hit in the US to date.-History:... " – 4:03 "Mr. Blue Sky Mr. Blue Sky "Mr. Blue Sky" is a song by English rock group Electric Light Orchestra, featured on the band's seventh studio album Out of the Blue . Written and produced by frontman Jeff Lynne, the song forms the fourth and final track of the "Concerto for a Rainy Day" suite, on side three of the original double... " – 5:03

Disc 2 "Sweet Talkin' Woman Sweet Talkin' Woman "Sweet Talkin' Woman" is a 1978 single by The Electric Light Orchestra from the LP Out of the Blue. Its original title was "Dead End Street", but it was changed during recording, perhaps to avoid confusion with a 1966 hit of the same title by the Kinks... " – 3:47 "I'm Alive I'm Alive (Electric Light Orchestra song) "I'm Alive" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra, released as a single in May 1980. It is featured in a sequence near the beginning of the feature film Xanadu. The song also appears on the soundtrack album Xanadu.... " – 3:43 "Shine a Little Love Shine A Little Love "Shine a Little Love" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra. It was released as a single in the US in May 1979 and in the UK in June of the same year.-Summary:... " – 4:10 "Ticket to the Moon Ticket to the Moon "Ticket To The Moon" is a popular song written by Jeff Lynne and performed by Electric Light Orchestra.It was track four on the album Time and was released as a Double A along with "Here Is The News" in January 1982 , reaching #24 in the UK charts. The song is somewhat reminiscent of their earlier... " – 4:07 "Illusions in G Major Illusions in G Major Illusions in G Major is a song recorded by the Electric Light Orchestra.The song is track eight on the band's highly-acclaimed 1974 album Eldorado.... " – 2:38 "So Serious So Serious (song) "So Serious" is a song by the rock music group Electric Light Orchestra from their 1986 album Balance of Power.Released in the UK as the second single from the album in 1986... " – 2:41 "Nightrider Nightrider (ELO song) "Nightrider" is a song from Electric Light Orchestra's album Face The Music.The song's title is a titular tip of the hat to Lynne's first major band, The Nightriders. This was the second single released from the album after "Evil Woman", in 1976. The B-side on the single was a live version of ... " (7" Edit) – 3:43 "All Over the World All Over the World (song) "All Over the World" is a song by the Electric Light Orchestra . It is featured in the 1980 feature film Xanadu in a sequence with the film's stars Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, and Michael Beck... " – 4:01 "Here Is the News Here Is the News "Here Is the News" is a 1982 song written and performed by Electric Light Orchestra.It is track ten on the album Time and was released as a double A-side along with "Ticket to the Moon" in January 1982, reaching #24 in the UK charts. The song makes heavy use of synthesizers but also includes... " – 3:44 "The Diary of Horace Wimp" – 4:17 "Across the Border" (EP Version) – 3:51 "Showdown Showdown (Electric Light Orchestra song) "Showdown" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and recorded by the Electric Light Orchestra.It was the band's last contemporary recording to be released on the Harvest label.... " – 4:10 "Hold on Tight" – 3:07 "Wild West Hero Wild West Hero "Wild West Hero" is a song by Electric Light Orchestra, and the closing track and third single from the album Out of the Blue. The song was written by lead singer Jeff Lynne. Melvyn Gale, normally the band's cellist, provided the Western-style piano for this track.It entered the UK Top 40 at No. 31... " – 4:40 "Do Ya" – 3:45 "10538 Overture 10538 Overture -Song history:The song, written by Jeff Lynne, was intended to be a B-side on one of The Move's singles. Rick Price of The Move played bass on the track originally but was never credited, apparently with all the overdubs and layers that were added to the track the bass line 'got lost' in the mix... " (7" Edit) – 3:56 "Getting to the Point Getting to the Point "Getting to the Point" is a song by the rock music group Electric Light Orchestra from their 1986 album Balance of Power. Released in the UK as the last single from the album in July 1986... " – 4:29 "Rockaria! Rockaria! "Rockaria!" is a song by Electric Light Orchestra. It was the third track on the band's successful 1976 album A New World Record and was the second single from the album. Featuring the operatic voice of Mary Thomas during the introduction, she flubbed the first take by starting the vocals too early... " – 3:14 "Roll Over Beethoven" (7" Edit) – 4:34

Personnel

• Jeff Lynne
  Jeff Lynne
  Jeffrey "Jeff" Lynne is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained fame as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra and was a co-founder and member of The Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob...
  
   – vocals, guitars, keyboards
• Roy Wood
  Roy Wood
  Roy Adrian Wood is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the bands The Move, Electric Light Orchestra, and Wizzard. As a songwriter, he contributed a number of hits to the repertoire of these bands.-Career:Wood...
  
   – vocals, cello, oboe, bass guitar
• Bev Bevan
  Bev Bevan
  Bev Bevan is an English rock musician, who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra...
  
   – drums, percussion
• Richard Tandy
  Richard Tandy
  Richard Tandy , is best known as the keyboard player in the rock band, Electric Light Orchestra...
  
   – synthesizers, mellotron, clavinet, piano, guitar
• Kelly Groucutt
  Kelly Groucutt
  Kelly Groucutt , born Michael William Groucutt, was an English musician who was best known for being the bass player for the band Electric Light Orchestra , between 1974 and 1983. He was born in Coseley, West Midlands.-Early career:Groucutt began his musical career at 15 as Rikki Storm of Rikki...
  
   – vocals, bass guitar
• Hugh McDowell
  Hugh McDowell
  Hugh McDowell is an English cellist best known for his membership in Electric Light Orchestra and related acts.-Career:...
  
   – cello
• Mik Kaminski
  Mik Kaminski
  Mik Kaminski is best known for playing violin in the Electric Light Orchestra between 1973 and 1979.-Biography:...
  
   – violin
• Melvyn Gale
  Melvyn Gale
  Melvyn Gale is an English cellist.-Career:Gale obtained his classical music orientated education at the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Before joining the Electric Light Orchestra, he had already played with the London Palladium Orchestra, with whom he had his...
  
   – cello
• Mike de Albuquerque – bass guitar, vocals
• Mike Edwards
  Mike Edwards (musician)
  Mike Edwards , known as Swami Deva Pramada or simply Pramada, was an English cellist and music teacher. His wide-ranging career was most widely notable for his membership of the Electric Light Orchestra.-Early life:...
  
   – cello
• Wilf Gibson – violin
• Colin Walker – cello
• Bill Hunt – French horn
• Steve Woolam – violin