Wild West Hero
Encyclopedia
"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 in June 1978 but fell to No. 36 the following week. Thanks to a rush-release in 12" format on yellow vinyl, its fortunes were reversed a week later, and within six weeks it had risen to a peak position of No. 6. Coincidentally this was also the highest UK position achieved by the group's previous single, Mr. Blue Sky
, and the next two, Sweet Talkin' Woman
and Shine a Little Love
.
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...
, and the closing track and third single from the album Out of the Blue
Out of the Blue (Electric Light Orchestra album)
The 30th Anniversary Edition was released on February, 20th 2007 with three bonus tracks.-Personnel:ELO*Jeff Lynne – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar, keyboards, percussion*Bev Bevan – drums, percussion, backing vocals, fire extinguisher on "Mr...
. The song was written by lead singer 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...
. 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...
, normally the band's cellist, provided the Western
Western music (North America)
Western music originated as a form of American folk music. Originally composed by and about the people who settled and worked throughout the Western United States and Western Canada. Directly related musically to old English, Scottish, and Irish folk ballads, Western music celebrates the life of...
-style piano for this track.
It entered the UK Top 40 at No. 31 in June 1978 but fell to No. 36 the following week. Thanks to a rush-release in 12" format on yellow vinyl, its fortunes were reversed a week later, and within six weeks it had risen to a peak position of No. 6. Coincidentally this was also the highest UK position achieved by the group's previous single, 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...
, and the next two, 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...
and 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:...
.
Chart positions
Chart (1978) | Peak Position |
---|---|
Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
9 |
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
6 |