ELO Compilations, Greatest Hits and Best Of
albums issued World Wide in 1992 to 1993
In association with Patrik Guttenbacher - Face The Music Germany, presented here is a discography of Electric Light Orchestra compilation LPs & CDs issued world wide in 1992 to 1993 along with information/description on each release.
Vinyl LPs plus later released CDs/MDs are listed along with the countries there were issued in, example front covers, LP labels and CDs are also shown. Please see the countries listed on the main menu above for full catalogue numbers/details/issue variants.
Click a album cover below to be taken to the release information and details.
Title
First Issue Date
First Label Issue
Format & Country
Livin' Thing Electric Light Orchestra Best
1992
Zounds
CD - Germany
Track List
Roll Over Beethoven
Don't Bring Me Down
Turn To Stone
Livin' Thing
The Way Life's Meant To Be
10538 Ouverture
Rockaria
Showdown
Evil Woman
Confusion
Here Is The News
Hold On Tight
Rock And Roll Is King
Shine A Little Love
Twilight
Telephone Line
I'm Alive
Calling America
All Over The World
At the very beginning of the year 1992, the guys at Phono, the Vereinigten Motor Verlage released a CD under the label 'Zounds Nur vom Feinsten', a licence product from Sony Special Products, that stands for a CD series, which had used the latest technology for noise reduction.
The sound-correction was made with state of the art anti-static, to suppress the tiresome tape noises, without creating unnecessary side-effects like missing the treble or rush-pumping. Exaggerated trebles, bass' and a hiss at s-sounds are compensated with special electronics and precise adjustments. The previously used noise reductions had amended the sound to make it sound like the listenable sound of the LP and MC range, which resulted in a more falsifying of the treble and bass parts of the track.
The album "Livin' Thing Electric Light Orchestra Best" CD 27200 460 offers a warm CD Sound and saves the soul of the songs, as known from the LP versions. For the first time, one could hear several refinements of the songs and many instrumental-sounds could be heard clearly for the first time.
The songs had been used in their album versions, apart from Roll Over Beethoven, which was used in their 4:31 single version and Evil Woman without orchestral intro. On Twilight they tried to re-create the single-version out of the album version, resulting in a longer fade-in and an outro with the first tones from Yours Truly, 2095.
The songs chosen are clearly set upon E.L.O.'s success on the German market, as they all were favourites with the big radio stations or were chart hits. As such we see for the first time The Way Life's Meant To Be on a sampler, which had been a hit in Germany. Although the 20-page booklet features pictures by E.L.O. Part II, it doesn't mention them in the booklet-text itself.
Title
Electric Light Orchestra - Greatest Hits
First Issue Date
First Label Issue
Format & Country
Track List
1992
Sony
2 x CD - New Zealand 472722-2
CD1:
Mr. Blue Sky
Sweet Talkin' Woman
Livin' Thing
Evil Woman
The Diary Of Horace Wimp
Telephone Line
Shine A Little Love
Turn To Stone
Calling America
Can't Get It Out Of My Head
Here Is The News
Showdown
CD2:
Rockaria!
Rock'n'roll Is King
Confusion
All Over The World
Don't Walk Away
Wild West Hero
Don't Bring Me Down
I'm Alive
Last Train To London
Hold On Tight
Strange Magic
Ticket To The Moon
Missing From My Collection
Sony Music Entertainment New Zealand took the chance too and released his own E.L.O. sampler in 1992. It was in the shops in New Zealand, although it had been manufactured in Australia.
The 2-CD box in a jewel-case and the order code 472722-2 seems to have been planned like a double LP. The four-page booklet features liner-notes which could have been presented on the inner-sleeve of a fold-open cover too. The Electric Light Orchestra is looked upon as a charts-phenomenon and Jeff Lynne is paid homage without mentioning any other member's names.
A 1986 'group-shot' of Jeff Lynne rounds it all off. The sampler was still released with the Jet-Records Logo.
All songs were included in their album versions, except of Mr. Blue Sky missing the tuning-in search, Evil Woman and Strange Magic as usual without orchestral intro, Rock'n'Roll Is King without intro and outro and Don't Bring Me Down once again without 'doorslam'.
All Over The World and Don't Walk Away are faded out a bit earlier, losing the voice-mixture at the first and the latter the quiet but very nice E-Guitar solo at the end. One can only hope that the album was received well in the far southeast, as within Europe the many releases of the different countries stood themselves in the way.
In regard to the song-selection, each album from "On The Third Day" to "Balance Of Power" was featured with the number of songs from each album referring to the chart success. The cassette edition was released in double sized single MC-Tray
Title
First Issue Date
First Label Issue
Format & Country
Track List
ELO - Definitive Collection
1992
Sony
CD - Holland/Europe
Cd - Brazil
Showdown
Eldorado Overture
Can't Get It Out Of My Head
Evil Woman
Strange Magic
Livin' Thing
So Fine
Rockaria
Sweet Talkin' Woman
Turn To Stone
Mr. Blue Sky
Don't Bring Me Down
Shine A Little Love
The Diary Of Haracy Wimp
All Over The World
Twilight
Rock 'N Roll Is King
Hold On Tight
Secret Messages
Among the flood of samplers, Sony Holland surprised us in the late year of 1992 with "Definitive Collection" in the series 'Best Of The Best'.
The 4-page folder convinced one with a nice collage of cover-artwork from the albums "The Night The Light Went On (In Long Beach), Face The Music, A New World Record, Out Of The Blue, E.L.O.'s Greatest Hits, Secret Messages" and the So Serious single.
With such a cover design there was no escape. The record looked like a truly official release, after all these licensed low budget releases of the past.
Among the 19 printed songs on the sleeve, Above The Clouds in missing as this one was unintentionally included as part of the 5:59-version of Livin Thing. This mistake had previously been done on the European CD-release of "A New World Record", with a missing index mark for the 3:32 minutes of Above The Clouds.
All songs are featured in their album versions with Evil Woman without, but Strange Magic with orchestral intro. So Fine keeps the sinking tone "A" and slips right into the wrong start of Rockaria!. Twilight is faded-in like the single-version and ends at 3:41, although the voice-mixture-intro of Rock'n'Roll Is King is faded into it.
The album-outro of Rock'n'Roll Is King ends about 7 seconds earlier. On Hold On Tight, the edited intro of Secret Messages is faded-in at 3:04. As such, Secret Messages is only 4:30 long, instead of 4:44. It is also faded-out prior to the intro for Loser Gone Wild.
There is certain magic to this compilation as the people in charge have took some effort to get the song selection and the running-order right. Especially these little fade-overs make this sampler a pleasure to listen to.
The album 472421 2 combines a lot of good E.L.O. tunes in a very well done combination. The only minor criticism is, that this CD only contains of material from 1973 to 1983 and is as such missing three E.L.O. albums.
Title
First Issue Date
First Label Issue
Format & Country
Track List
Burning Bright
1992
Sony
CD - USA
CD - Canada
Turn To Stone
Livin' Thing
Standin' In The Rain
Stranger
Strange Magic
Hold On Tight
Night In The City
Do Ya
Fire On High
Rock 'N' Roll Is King
In 1992 again Sony USA released another album on the label Sony Music Special Products. "Burning Bright" was to see the light only two years after "ELO Classics" and was done in the same low-budget sampler manner.
With Sony Music Special Products A 22639, again six US hit singles were collected together with four album takes, never before featured on a sampler: Standin' In The Rain, Stranger, Night In The City and Fire On High go with the other tracks very well and represent as well some of the best of E.L.O.
All songs are featured in their album versions, which means that Strange Magic has its orchestral intro. Standin' In The Rain is however faded-out a bit earlier. Only Rock 'n' Roll Is King is the single version. "Burning Bright" has been available on CD and MC.
There was also an "Excelsior" edition A 25306 issued at some point in 1992 after the take over of CBS.
Title
Re Issue Date
First Label Issue
Format & Country
Track List
ELO Greatest Hits
1992
Epic Records
MD – Europe
MD – UK
MD - USA
Evil Woman
Livin' Thing
Can't Get It Out Of My Head
Showdown
Turn To Stone
Rockaria
Sweet Talkin' Woman
Telephone Line
Ma Ma Ma Belle
Strange Magic
Mr. Blue Sky
(Album Versions, except A1, B4 without orchestra intro; A4 Single Version faded at 3:50; B3 Single Version faded at 3:36)
In 1992 ELO's Greatest Hits was issued in the new Mini Disc format and featured also the lovely reduced LP information, like the group's picture, Jeff's letter, and the lyrics in a little booklet.
Title
First Issue Date
First Label Issue
Format & Country
Track List
ELO Greatest Hits Vol 2
1992
Epic
CD - Europe
CD - UK
LP - Spain
Mini Disc - UK & Europe
Rock N' Roll Is King
Hold On Tight
All Over The World
Wild West Hero
Diary Of Horace Wimp
Shine A Little Love
Confusion
Ticket To The Moon
Don't Bring Me Down
I'm Alive
Last Train To London
Don't Walk Away
Here Is The News
Calling America
Twilight
Secret Messages
Finally it is there, the follow-up of the 1979 success-album "ELO's Greatest Hits"! It took them 13 years until Sony UK went on the market just in time for years end in 1992 with "ELO's Greatest Hits Volume 2".
The order code 471956 2 had however been assigned earlier on, as it is between the numbers for "Collection Gold" und "Definitive Collection". This implies that it took some time to develop the concept for "ELO's Greatest Hits Volume 2".
With the exception of the single version of Secret Messages, all songs were included in their album version, although Rock'n'Roll Is King loses the album intro. The fan-talk on All Over The World and the guitar solo of Don't Walk Away are faded-out a bit earlier, on Twilight the outro is faded-out much quicker, but Here Is The News is faded in the string-bridge.
Although it was a European wide product, the song-selection is typically British and continues with the missing UK hit Wild West Hero. Owing to the title, it only includes the hit singles by E.L.O. from the albums "Discovery" to "Balance Of Power". The album was released on CD, cassette and mini-disc, a new format newly introduced by 1992 to the market.
In Spain, Sony released "ELO's Greatest Hits Volume 2" even on LP-Vinyl, which still shows again how important this album release was. It's however sad, that the booklet has nothing to offer apart from the song titles. As such it doesn't make it stand out from the other simultaneously released compilations, although the album "ELO's Greatest Hits Volume 2" would have deserved more attention.
Title
First Issue Date
First Label Issue
Format & Country
Track List
Electric Light Orchestra – Collection Gold
1992
Columbia / Sony
CD - France
Can't Get It Out Of My Head
Rock And Roll Is King
Shine A Little Love
Last Train To London
Don't Bring Me Down
Ticket To The Moon
Hold On Tight
Telephone Line
It's Over
Mr. Blue Sky
Getting To The Point
Boy Blue
Eldorado - Finale
France released in 1992 its very own compilation album through Sony Music Special Marketing on the Columbia Label: "Collection Gold" with the subtitle "13 Titres Originaux" was released as COL 471376 2 and sported a picture of an unknown TV-appearance from 1977.
The songs are without exception included in their album versions from the very beginning to the last tone. For the first time ever on a sampler, it featured Eldorado Finale, who closed this well done compilation in a fine way. As France is not really known as a 'classic' E.L.O. country, one can only take off his hat to this brilliant piece in the sampler-history. "Collection Gold" was available on CD and MC.
Title
First Issue Date
First Label Issue
Format & Country
Electric Light Orchestra - Midnight Blue/Don't Bring Me Down/Last Train To London
1992
Della
LP Korea
Track List
Side A:
Evil Woman
Livin' Thing
Can't Get It Out Of My Head
Turn To Stone
Telephone Line
Sweet Talkin' Woman
Side B:
Midnight Blue
Shine A Little Love
Confusion
Last Train To Lonon
Don't Bring Me Down
Korea was another country to follow up with the release of the album "Midnight Blue / Don't Bring Me Down / Last Train To London" via Della Records, manufactured by Han So Ri Records, with the order code DL-7783 HSR-9080.
All songs are featured in their album versions on the LP with Evil Woman obviously loosing its orchestral intro. While the song selection on the first side is mostly based on E.L.O.'s biggest hits, the second side is a sort of best of "Discovery".
The LP comes with a one-sided insert with the E.L.O. history in Korean letters, a short discography and a listing of all line-ups with some errors. The album has a rather unusual design and an odd title, but is compiled with a lot of care and attention and is as good as any Japanese edition.
Title
First Issue Date
First Label Issue
Format & Country
Electric Light Orchestra - Midnight Blue/Last Train To London
1992
Della
CD - Korean
Track List
Evil Woman
Livin' Thing
Can't Get It Out Of My Head
Turn To Stone
Telephone Line
Sweet Talkin' Woman
Midnight Blue
Shine A Little Love
Confusion
Last Train To London
Don't Bring Me Down
Missing From My Collection
The CD-edition had been released on Della, Han So Ri a bit later with the changed title "Midnight Blue / Last Train To London" and the order code HSD-9080. The cover design is completely different, but the booklet folder has the same text and liner-notes.
Music wise there is no difference to the LP edition. We don't know if the album had any impact on the Korean market, but the popularity of Midnight Blue in Korea is obvious.
Title
First Issue Date
First Label Issue
Format & Country
Track List
Electric Light Orchestra – Greatest Hits
1993
Globo / Columbia
LP & CD - Brazil
A Side:
Prologue / Twilight
I'm Alive
So Fine
Can't Get It Out Of My Head
Rockaria!
Last Train To London
B Side:
Livin' Thing
All Over The World
Telephone Line
Do Ya
Strange Magic
Tightrope
Brazilian Re-release, with a new sleeve of "Seventies The Electric Light Orchestra" originally from 1990. Issued on the Globo / Columbia label in 1993 as LP, MC and CD. The album "Electric Light Orchestra's Greatest Hits" is sporting a nice cover picture from the Rock 'n' Roll Is King video-sessions.
All songs are featured in their album versions, with So Fine, Can't Get It Out Of My Head and Tightrope being faded-out a bit quieter. Prologue and Twilight count as one song and once again no song from "Out Of The Blue" is featured
Title
First Issue Date
First Label Issue
Format & Country
Track List
Electric Light Orchestra - The Very Best Of
1993
Sony France Versailles
CD - France
Last Train To London
Don't Bring Me Down
Evil Woman
Livin' Thing
Can't Get It Out Of My Head
Do Ya
Telephone Line
Turn To Stone
Sweet Talkin' Woman
Mr. Blue Sky
All Over The World
Hold On Tight
Rock And Roll Is King
Strange Magic
Twilight
Showdown
Rockaria!
Roll Over Beethoven
Shine A Little Love
In 1993, Sony France Versailles released a beautifully packed "The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra", VER 474487 2, with 8-page booklet and French liner notes as picture CD and cassette.
With the exception of Rock 'n' Roll Is King and Roll Over Beethoven, all songs are featured in their album versions. Evil Woman loses its orchestral intro; Hold On Tight is faded in quieter, as is Twilight, ending with the "footsteps". Showdown ends at 3:39 and Shine A Little Love is faded-out from 4:25 to 4:31.
Title
First Issue Date
First Label Issue
Format & Country
Electric Light Orchestra - The Chart Singles Collection
1993
Bellaphon
CD - Germany
Track List
Roll Over Beethoven
Can’t get It Out Of My Head
Evil Woman
Livin’ Thing
Do Ya
Rockaria!
Telephone Line
Turn To Stone
Mr Blue Sky
Shine A Little Love
Don’t Bring Me Down
Confusion
Xanadu
Hole on Tight
Here Is The News
Rock N Roll Is King
Also in 1993, Bellaphon released in Germany the licensed "The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra - The Chart Singles Collection", 288 07 237, as CD and cassette.
Almost all songs are featured in their album version. On Do Ya, the first riff is missing; Telephone Line is faded-out from 4:14 to 4:26. Mr. Blue Sky has the station-search and is faded-out in the concert outro at 3:41. Shine A Little Love and Rock 'n' Roll Is King are included in their single version, Don't Bring Me Down misses the 'doorslam' and Hold On Tight is faded-out about 4 seconds earlier.
A 4-page booklet lists the chart placing of the songs and has a biography in German and English. The cover backside shows portraits of Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan, Richard Tandy and, for whatever reason, Hugh McDowell!
Title
First Issue Date
First Label Issue
Format & Country
Track List
The Very Best Of ELO
1993
Sony Music Italy /
LP - Italy
CD - Italy
Evil Woman
Livin' Thing
Can't Get It Out Of My Head
Twilight
Rock And Roll Is King
Showdown
Last Train To London
Turn To Stone
Telephone Line
Calling America
Shine A Little Love
Roll Over Beethoven
Tightrope
Confusion
Sony Italy also released another compilation album in 1993 under the Sony Music Special Marketing banner. "The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra" (Epic EPC saw a release as CD and LP and is to be regarded the last officially released LP by E.L.O. til 2012 on vinyl.
All songs on this compilation are featured in their album versions with album intro and outro. Only Evil Woman looses it's orchestral intro and Twilight starts with faded-in beginning. The later ends with the intro to Yours Truly, 2095. The version of Roll Over Beethoven is the single version. At first sight, the track listing looks like the usual suspects, but after a closer look one realises that a track from every E.L.O. album mentioned in the discography of the LP-back cover or the CD-booklet is featured. Sad to see that songs from "Xanadu" and "The Electric Light Orchestra" are missing.