ELO Studio & Live Albums, First Issued on CD in UK / Europe
The first original CDs issued from 1983, had no bar codes on the rear covers and were all made in Japan, (for Japan, Europe, UK and USA) because at that time there were only two CD pressing plants in the world, Japan & Germany.
The Japanese plant pressed CBS/Sony Artists, and the Germany plant (run by Phillips) for all other artists of the world. The discs were shipped to Holland where the sleeves were printed and packed in to the Jewel Cases and delivered to all over Europe including the UK (so there were no “only issued” in the UK CDs at the start).
After 1992 all UK/European ELO CDs were manufactured in Austria (because Sony opened a brand new pressing plant there and chooses to manufacturer all the CD’s there) but still printed the sleeves in Holland.
The UK did issue it's own CD releases of "Face The Music" as a "Collectors Choice 982648 2" issue in 1991 and "A New World Record" in 1990 EPC 902198 2.
ELO studio LPs were issued in the UK/Europe on CDs in what seems to have been no order and in various years. I have tried to list below the first UK high street shop sold CDs (Some USA & Japan issues were sold in the UK via webshops like Amazon, these are not included.)
Studio Albums, Compilations & Live Album CDs
1983 - Discovery / Secret Message, issued on Jet label.
1986 - A New World Record / Out of The Blue / ELO Greatest Hits, issued on Jet label.
1988 - Time / On the Third Day, issued on Epic label.
1989 - Eldorado, issued on Epic label.
1991 - Face The Music, issued on Epic label, Collectors Choice.
1998 - Xanadu / The Night The Light Went On In Long Beach, issued on Epic label.
1992 - ELO Greatest Hits Volume Two, issued on Epic label.
2001 - Zoom, issued on Epic label.
2012 - Mr. Blue Sky, issued on Frontiers Records.
2013 - Electric Light Orchestra - Live, issued on Frontiers Records.
2015 - Alone In The Universe, issued on Columbia Records.
2017 - Wembley Or Bust, issued on Columbia Records
2019 - From Out Of Nowhere, issued on Columbia Records
Harvets Remaster Series:
1999 - ELO II, issued on Harvest label.
2001 - ELO I, issued on Harvest label.
Jet/Epic Remaster Series:
2001 - Discovery / Time / Secret Messages remastered on Epic label for UK/Europe issue.
2006 - On The Third Day / Eldorado / Face The Music / A New World Record re-mastered on Epic label for UK/Europe issue.
2007 - Out of The Blue / Balance of Power remastered on Epic label for UK/Europe issue.
Credit to Partrik Guttenbacher from FTM Germany for the above info.
Album - The Electric Light Orchestra
Country
UK / Europe
Cat No.
7243 5 33372 0 9
Label
Harvest
1st issue year
2001
Notes
Released in 2001 in the UK as a two disc set. Disc one contains the original ELO album plus bonus tracks and an interactive CD-ROM feature, while disc two features the oldest surviving Live ELO material.
Album - ELO 2
Country
UK / Europe
Cat No.
7243 5 21196 22
Label
Harvest
1st issue year
1999
Notes
1st UK CD Issue - Digital remasters
Album - On The Third Day
Country
UK / Europe
Cat No.
EPC 460728 2
Label
Epic
1st issue year
1988
Notes
First UK/Europe issue on CD, on Epic label. CD made in Japan.
Album - On The Third Day
Country
UK / Europe
Cat No.
EPC 32397
Label
Epic
1st issue year
1989
Notes
First UK/Europe issue on CD made in Japan on Epic label. Incorrect spelling of "A Symphonie" on the spine & CD.
Album - Face The Music
Country
UK Only
Cat No.
982648 2
Label
Epic
1st issue year
1991
Notes
1st UK CD Issue. Epic/Collectors Choice. Distributed by Pickwick Group
Album - A New World Record
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
CDJET 200
Label
Jet
1st issue year
1986
Notes
1st UK/Europe CD issue - miss print on CD and rear cover, "Above The Clouds" is missing... the track is on the CD.
Album - Out Of The Blue
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
JETCD 400
Label
Jet
1st issue year
1986
Notes
First rare unique pressing for UK & parts of Europe
The reason for the 2 disc version was probably because the first generation cd-players could not play discs longer then approximately 60 mins.
One year later they put everything on one cd for the UK/ Euro market.
Manufactured by CBS/Sony in Japan for UK/Europe.
CDs are JET CD 400 & the box is CDJET 400!
Album - ELO Greatest Hits
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
CDJET 525
Label
Jet
1st issue year
1986
Notes
1st UK/Europe CD Issue.
Album - Discovery
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
CDJET 500
Label
Jet
1st issue year
1983
Notes
ELO's 1st ever UK/Euro CD issue by Jet Records. Later issues had a barcode on the rear cover and different CD text layout.
Album - Xanadu
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
EPC 486620 2
Label
Epic
1st issue year
1998
Notes
1st issue on CD in Europe/UK on Epic label
Album - Time
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
EPC 460212 2
Label
Epic
1st issue year
1988
Notes
1st issue on CD in Europe/UK on Epic label
Album - Secret Messages
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
CDJET 527
Label
Jet
1st issue year
1983
Notes
1st issue on CD in UK/Europe. Secret Messages album was digitally recorded and was to have been ELO's first original issue CD, until CBS made Jeff reduce the it to a single album
Album - Balance Of Power
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
EPC 26467
Label
Epic
1st issue year
1986
Notes
1st issue on CD in Europe/UK on Epic label
Album - ELO Greatest Hits Vol. Two
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
EPC 471956 2
Label
Epic
1st issue year
1992
Notes
1st issue on CD in UK/Europe on Epic label
Album - The Night The Light Went On in Long Beach
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
EPC 491103 2
Label
Epic
1st issue year
1998
Notes
1st issue on ELO Live Album issued on CD in UK /Europe on Epic label. Taken from a cleaner master tape than the LP issue in 1985
Album - Zoom
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
EPC 502500 2
Label
Epic
1st issue year
2001
Notes
1st issue on CD in UK/Europe on Epic label
Album - Mr.Blue Sky
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
FR CD 570 E
Label
Frontiers
1st issue year
2012
Notes
1st issue on CD in UK/Europe, released as hard cover booklet.
Album - Electric Light Orchestra - Live
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
FR CD 595E
Label
Frontiers
1st issue year
2013
Notes
Issued in UK, made in the EU. Came in in a hard cover booklet. ELO Live 2001. All tracks except Out Of Luck and Cold Feet recorded live at CBS Television City, Los Angeles in 2001.
Album - Alone In The Universe
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
88875164642
/ 88875145112
Label
Columbia
1st issue year
2015
Notes
1st issue on CD in UK/Europe in two versions in a Gatefold Cardboard cover and a "Delux Edition" with hologram cardboard gatefold cover and two extra tracks
Album - Wembley Or Bust
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
8 89854 92220 1
/ 1 90758 007427
Label
Columbia
1st issue year
2017
Notes
1st issue - Double CD of the concert in a 3 fold cardboard slip case. Was also issued in a standard jewel case and with a DVD & Blu-Ray of the concert in a portrait cardboard slip case.
Album - From Out Of Nowhere
Country
UK/Europe
Cat No.
19075987112
/ 19075987102
Label
Columbia
1st issue year
2019
Notes
1st issue - CD Deluxe Edition, Embossed Gatefold card sleeve with the spaceship raised off the front of the cover. There was also a edition issued in a standard jewel case.
A list of ELO websites. Fan sites and official sites.
ELO Beatles For Ever - http://elobeatlesforever.blogspot.co.uk/
ELO Discovery - http://www.elodiscovery.com/all-over-the-world.html
Face The Music - http://ftmusic.com/
Jeff Lynne / ELO Song Database - http://www.jefflynnesongs.com/
Jeff Lynne's ELO - http://elo.biz/
Horace Wimp ELO Forum - http://jefflynneselo.proboards.com/
Jeff Lynne & Related Blog - http://unofficialjefflynne.blogspot.co.uk/
ELO Spain - http://www.elosp.com/
Out of the Blue Artifacts - http://outoftheblueartifacts.com/category/elo-singles/
