Out Of The Blue LP - 1977.

Out Of The Blue

Released: 28 October 1977

UK Chart Position 4

Single Releases

Turn To Stone - UP36313

UK Chart - 18

Mr Blue Sky - UP36342/Jet 104 - Black & Blue Vinyl

UK Chart - 6

Wild West Hero

Jet 109 & Jet 12 109

Black 7" & Yellow 12"

UK Chart - 6

Sweet Talkin' Woman

Jet 121 & Jet 12 121

Black 7", Purple 7" & 12"

UK Chart - 6

Album Track Listing

Side one
1.Turn to Stone
2.It's Over
3.Sweet Talkin' Woman
4.Across the Border

Side two
5.Night in the City
6.Starlight
7.Jungle
8.Believe Me Now
9.Steppin' Out

Side three

(Concerto for a Rainy Day)
10.Standin' in the Rain
11.Big Wheels
12.Summer and Lightning
14.Mr. Blue Sky

Side four
15.Sweet Is the Night
16.The Whale
17.Birmingham Blues
18.Wild West Hero

Personnel

Jeff Lynne

Bev Bevan

Richard Tandy

Kelly Groucutt

Hugh McDowell

Melvyn Gale

Mik Kaminski

Louis Clark

Re-issue CD Bonus tracks (2007 remaster)

18.Wild West Hero (Alt Version)
19.The Quick and the Daft
20.Latitude 88 North

Latitude 88 North - Download & 500 Ltd-Edition Orange 7" single. From 2007 Remaster CD edition. UK Chart -

Format

Vinyl

Label

Jet Records

Catalogue

UAR 100 / UAS 1100 + UAS 2100

Country

1st Original Issue

Matrix / Runout (A-side): KEV ARTHUR UAS 1100 A-1U

Matrix / Runout (B-side): KEV ARTHUR UAS 1100 B-1U

Matrix / Runout (C-side): KEV UAS 2100 A-1U

Matrix / Runout (D-side): KEV UAS 2100 B-1U

Issued on Greenish/Blue Jet label with white/yellow light beams. Gatefold sleeve with :

Two inner square cut cardboard lyric sleeves
T-Shirt flyer
Band Poster
Press out Space Ship model with code UAR 100

Album sleeve is UAR 100, note label difference between UAR 100 & UAS 1100 + UAS 2100 below.

UAR/UAS issues had Out of the Blue above ELO on the record label. Distributed by United Artists.

The UAR/UAS issue's had a press / cut out cardboard space-ship insert with cat code UAR 100 printed by the multicolours stand push out piece.

Plus the poster has Out Of The Blue in White text.

There is a printing error on the "Out Of The Blue" Side 1 LP lyric inlay sleeve.

The "Across The Border" song title is printed in orange coloured text, where as it should be shown in white coloured text. See images below, under lined with a white line.

This printing error occurs on various UK, Canada, USA, Holland and Europe issues. Some 1980's editions seem to have corrected the error, but the orange text error can be seen again on 1990's Epic Re-issues and even on the Epic 2012 and later issues.

Spotted by Chris Harvey

Out Of The Blue - LP Lyric Sleeve ATB Orange Text

Out Of The Blue - LP Lyric Sleeve ATB White Text

Format

Vinyl

Label

Jet Records

Catalogue

UAS 1100 + UAS 2100 / UAR 100

Country

2nd Original Issue (!)

Matrix / Runout (A-side): KEV ARTHUR UAS 1100 A-1U

Matrix / Runout (B-side): KEV ARTHUR UAS 1100 B-1U

Matrix / Runout (C-side): KEV UAS 2100 A-1U

Matrix / Runout (D-side): KEV UAS 2100 B-1U

This issue has the same Matrix / Run out details as UAR 100 issue above.

Further UAS issues have different Matrix / Run out details including Mastering by "Allen Zentz" rather than "Kev Arthur"

Issued on Greenish/Blue Jet label with white/yellow light beams. Gatefold sleeve with

Gatefold sleeve with :

Two inner square cut cardboard lyric sleeves
T-Shirt flyer
Band Poster
Press out Space Ship model with code UAR 100

Note, album sleeve is UAR 100, but actual vinyl's LP are UAS 1100 & UAS 2100.

UAR/UAS issues had Out of the Blue above ELO on the record label. Distributed by United Artists

Out Of The Blue was originally distributed by United Artists Records (UAR) upon it's 1977 release. However UAR was sold to Capitol Records in 1978. Don Arden (ELO Manager and Jet Records owner) wanted a change away from UAR. CBS Records then paid 11 million dollars to get ELO on contract with them.

In retaliation United Artists flooded the market with every single copy they had of "Out Of The Blue" at budget prices with a USA issue version with "cut-out slit" in the cover as a way of devaluing the record. Some independent UK record retailers bought the US cut-out copies and sold them in the UK (and Europe).

This way a record shop could not send any unsold copies back to the record company and request a full price refund/buy back. So USA “United Artists” imported issues ended up in bargain bins at the same time as the full priced CBS issue was being sold.

In the 1970’s no record retailer would have imported an album, which was available as regular release in the UK. Because the price of an un-devalued record from overseas would be very expensive.

So Jet Records came up with the notion to sue UAR for "allegedly selling defective copies“ just to convince the record buyer not to buy the UAR copies.

Jet Records took out a full page advertisement in all of the UK music papers telling people that if they didn't have a CBS record then their copy was defective.

This was a false claim as the UAR version was pressed in higher quality than the CBS issue !

After the change of distribution partner from Jet Records to CBS on 5 May 1978, there were logistical

problems at Jet Records because Jet in the UK had still printed a lot of LP covers, inner covers, posters

and spaceship inserts with the previous order number UAR 100 of the distribution company

United Artists. So the first CBS issues were delivered with JET DP 400 stickers on the UAR 1OO covers.

However, there is no single rule as UAR sleeves may contain Jet DP 400 records,

plus UAR/UAS/Jet DP inner LP slip covers would also be swapped around.

Thru 1978, the inner sleeves, posters and spaceship assembly-kit were then replaced by the correct JET DP 400 covers, inner sleeves, posters and spaceship assembly-kits. On the UK poster the name ‘Out Of The Blue’ was accidentally printed in red instead of white.

The CBS covers were printed by two printers, Shorewood Packaging Co. and Robert Stace, due to high demand. The latter printed the album spine details and order number in yellow, rather than red, and the inner sleeves have full pointed corners rather than being rounded as at Shorewood.

The 1st CBS distributed re-issues used Catalogue Number JETDP 400 / UAR 100 with yellow & white light beams on the label and had the LP title above the ELO name.

From late 1978 there was a updated/new label design with a new text/credits layout. It used Catalogue Number (just) JETDP 400 on the record labels, but still used yellow & white light beams on the label.

There was a further label variation later 1978 or early 1979 that had a different text/credits layout, still with Jet labels with white/yellow light beams.

Mid 1979 saw a new Jet Records label design, now in brighter blue with yellow and pink light

beams shinning from the “Jet Records” tower and a larger Jet Records logo on the rear cover.

Thanks to Patrik Guttenbacher - Face The Music German - for images, info, help and corrections on this page.

Format

Vinyl

Label

Jet Records

Catalogue

JETDP 400 / UAR 100

Re-Issue Year

May 1978

1st CBS distributed issue - 1978 - On Jet label with white/yellow light beams. Gatefold sleeve with two inner lyric cardboard sleeves & a poster.

The first issue of Jet DP400 / UAR 100 issue. Out of the Blue is still above ELO on the record label & UAR 100 is also listed.

UAR sleeves were re-used and a Jet Company sticker listing the new cat number was stuck over the old UAS/UAR cat no.

Gatefold sleeve with:

Two inner square cut cardboard lyric sleeves
Band Poster
Press out Space Ship model with code UAR 100 to use up current stock.

Labels can vary in colour from Green to Dark / Lighter Blue.

OOTB%20Blue%20Vinyl%20Inner%20Sleeve%20S

Out Of The Blue - Jet DP400 Space Ship Code

Format

Vinyl

Label

Jet Records

Catalogue

JETDP 400 / UAR 100

Re-Issue Year

Late 1978

Updated/new label design with a new text/credits layout, distributed by CBS on Black Vinyl -- On Jet label with white/yellow light beams. Gatefold sleeve with two inner lyric cardboard sleeves & a poster.

Out of the Blue is now below ELO on the record label & UAR 100 is still listed on UAR style labels.

The first editions came with a UAR 100 gatefold sleeve with JETDP400 sticker over the rear cover UAR 100 code. UAR 100 inner sleeves were also still used.

The Poster was Jet DP 400 but could be also UAR 100, the cardboard space ship could be UAR 100 or Jet DP 400 or be totally missing !

Jet Records wanted to use up their paid stock of UAR 100 sleeves, inners, posters, and spaceships until the stocks ran out.

So there might be a wide variety of “mixed” packages !

Eventually new gatefold sleeves were printed with just Jet DP400 on the rear, distributed by CBS. along with:

New inner sleeves with rounded bottom corners and angle cut top corners paper lyric sleeves.
Newly printed JET DP400 band poster.
Press Out Space Ship model with JET DP 400 codes now printed on them at the bottom corner by the ELO logo.

Out Of The Blue - Orange and Blue Vinyl Issues

In December 1979 Jet Records decided "to commemorate 12 months in the charts, Jet is pressing ELO's double album, Out Of The Blue, in blue vinyl which will be available at the normal price over the Christmas" - see Music Weekly article below.

The first test pressings were made in November 1978 in Orange Vinyl. We believe that the marketing department of Jet Records thought those orange vinyl issues would be great for the “12 month Charts commemorate edition”. And so they test pressed 12 copies in orange.

It could have been a good idea because there was already a blue vinyl pressings of Out Of The Blue from 1977, JT-LA 823 L2, in the USA. But all who saw these test pressed orange vinyl copies, voted for blue vinyl, and so the decision was made to press them in blue vinyl.

They came with the cut out space ship, gatefold sleeve with two cardboard inner lyric sleeves.

The record label on side 3 did not match sides 1, 2 + 4 labels, a different/variation design was used on side 3.

One sold on eBay in 2020 for nearly £1,000.

Missing From My Collection

Out Of The Blue - Orange Vinyl Sides 1+3

Out Of The Blue - Orange Vinyl Sides 2+4

There is also a rare early Promotional Limited Edition in a Blue "Artic Light" slip case. Is also had a "Three Light Years" Box set flyer included along with the cut out space ship and band poster. The main album as in a gatefold sleeve with two cardboard inner lyric sleeves, being the same JetDP400 / UAR 100 Blue Vinyl as below.

Out of the Blue Jet DP400 Blue Vinyl Artic Blue Cover

Out Of The Blue in "Artic Light" Slip Cover

Out Of The Blue JETDP400 / UAR 100 Blue Vinyl - Missing "Made In England"

Out of the Blue Jet DP400 / UAR 100 Blue Vinyl

Format

Vinyl

Label

Jet Records

Catalogue

JETDP 400 / UAR 100

Re-Issue Year

December 1978

1st CBS distributed issue on Special Edition Blue Vinyl - Jet label with white/yellow light beams, gatefold sleeve with two cardboard inner lyric sleeves.

The first “Blue Vinyl” editions from December 1978 came with a UAR 100 gatefold sleeve with JETDP400 sticker over the rear cover UAR 100 code. UAR 100 inner sleeves were also still used.

There was a "Music Week" article from November 1978 detailing the 3 Light Years Box set issue and the Blue Vinyl issue of Out Of The Blue.

"to commemorate 12 months in the charts, Jet is pressing ELO's double album, Out Of The Blue, in blue vinyl which will be available at the normal price over the Christmas" - see article below.

The Poster was Jet DP 400 but could be also UAR 100, the cardboard space ship could be UAR 100 or Jet DP 400 or be totally missing !

Jet Records wanted to use up their paid stock of UAR 100 sleeves, inners, posters, and spaceships until the stocks ran out.

So there might be a wide variety of “mixed” packages !

Eventually new gatefold sleeves were printed with just Jet DP400 on the rear, distributed by CBS. along with:

New inner sleeves with rounded bottom corners and angle cut top corners paper lyric sleeves.
Newly printed JET DP400 band poster
Press Out Space Ship model with JET DP 400 codes now printed on them at the bottom corner by the ELO logo.

Some early pressings missed off "Made In England" from the 4 LP labels. - Credit to Max Cawthray for this spot!

Early issues had an advert flyer for "Three Light Years" LP box set included .

Some releases also used a more basic colour vinyl sticker, as shown below.

3 Light Years Box set & Out Of The Blue "Blue Vinyl" issue details - Music Week 11 Nov 1978

Out of the Blue Jet DP400 Blue Vinyl - Sticker 2

Format

Vinyl

Label

Jet Records

Catalogue

JETDP 400

Re-Issue Year

Late 1978 / Early 1979

Label variation with JUST JETDP 400 on the label and a different text/credits layout, distributed by CBS on Black Vinyl on Jet label with white/yellow light beams.

Gatefold sleeve with:

Two angle cut top corners paper lyric sleeves
Newly printed band poster in in red/pink text.
Press Out Space Ship model with JET DP 400 codes now printed on them at the bottom corner by the ELO logo.

This issue JUST lists Jet DP400 as cat number, but is still on older style UAR record label.

Early issues had an advert flyer for "Three Light Years" LP box set included .

New inner sleeves and main gatefold sleeve was with Jet DP400 on the rear.

Or still as above, sometimes UAR sleeves were used and a Jet Company sticker listing the new cat number was stuck over the old UAS/UAR cat no. Plus UAR inner sleeves, Poster and Space Ship could be used.

So there might be a wide variety of “mixed” packages !

Format

Vinyl

Label

Jet Records

Catalogue

JETDP 400

Re-Issue Year

Late 1978 / Early 1979

VERY RARE label variation with JUST JETDP 400 on the label and a different text/credits layout, distributed by CBS on Blue Vinyl on Jet label with white/yellow light beams.

Gatefold sleeve with:

Two angle cut top corners paper lyric sleeves
Newly printed band poster in in red/pink text.
Press Out Space Ship model with JET DP 400 codes now printed on them at the bottom corner by the ELO logo.

This issue JUST lists JET DP400 as cat number, but is still on older style UAR record label.

Some issues still had an advert flyer for "Three Light Years" LP box set included .

New inner sleeves and main gatefold sleeve was with Jet DP400 on the rear.

So there might be a wide variety of “mixed” packages !

OOTB Blue JETDP400 New Lable Rear Cover.

Format

Vinyl

Label

Jet Records

Catalogue

JETDP 400

Re-Issue Year

Mid 1979 onwards

New Jet Records label design, now in brighter blue with yellow and pink light beams shinning from the “Jet Records” tower.

Gatefold sleeve with:

Two totally square paper lyric sleeves
Newly printed band poster in in red/pink text.
Some issues had the Press Out Space Ship model with JET DP 400 codes now printed on them at the bottom corner by the ELO logo.

Everything was now fully designed, printed and distributed by CBS records.

Missing From My Collection or May NOT Exist

Format

Blue Vinyl

Label

Jet

Catalogue

JETDP 400

Notes

On Blue Vinyl with Yellow/Pink Light Beams on Jet Label.

Format

Double CD

Label

Jet Records

Catalogue

JETCD 400 / CDJET 400

Re-Issue Year

1986

Notes

Rare 2 CDs in fatbox. 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 it was re-issued on one single cd for the UK / Euro market.

Manufactured by CBS/Sony in Japan for UK/Europe.

DIDP-10499 is printed in the centre clear ring.

CDs are JET CD 400 & the box is CDJET 400!

Format

Label

Jet Records

Catalogue

JETCD 400

Re-Issue Year

1987

Notes

1st UK / Euro issue in a Single CD format.

The first issue single CD was Made in Japan, the booklet was printed in Holland.

The CB price code is 801 under the Jet Logo on the rear cover.

Some copies came with a clear inlay tray as the rear cover is printed inside with a blue star field.

Note different CD Rim text.

42DP-479 is printed in the centre clear ring.

Credit to Max Cawthray for this info.

Format

Label

Jet Records

Catalogue

JETCD 400

Re-Issue Year

1988

Notes

2nd UK / Euro issue in a Single CD format

This second issue single CD was Made in Austria, the booklet was printed in Holland.

The CB price code is 782 under the Jet Logo on the rear cover.

Note different CD Rim text.

JETCD-400 (DIDP 479) is printed in the centre clear ring.

Credit to Max Cawthray for this info.

Format

Vinyl

Label

Epic - Nice Price

Catalogue

JETDP 400

Re-Issue Year

May 1987

Notes

RARE Re-issue in 1987, in gatefold double LP sleeve, code DP 400 with large Jet logo on rear cover.

With paper or cardboard inner sleeves.

This was the last Jet DP400 issue, so the pressing/packaging plants would utilise inner sleeves that were left over in stock.

So each one maybe a different style or shade of blue.

Out Of The Blue - 450885 1 - Version 1

Out Of The Blue 45085 LP Label Side 1 V1.jpg

Out Of The Blue 45085 LP Label Side 3 V1

Out Of The Blue 45085 LP Label Side 2 V1

Out Of The Blue 45085 LP Label Side 4 V1

Out Of The Blue - 450885 1 - Version 2

Out Of The Blue 45085 LP Label Side 2 V2

Missing From My Collection

Out Of The Blue - 450885 1 - Version 3

Out Of The Blue 45085 LP Label Side 1 V3

Out Of The Blue 45085 LP Label Side 3 V3

Out Of The Blue 45085 LP Label Side 2 V3

Out Of The Blue 45085 LP Label Side 4 V3

Out Of The Blue - 450885 1 - Version 4

Format

Vinyl

Label

Epic - Nice Price

Catalogue

450885 1

Re-Issue Year

1987 + 1990 ?

Notes

Re-Issue in 1987 and further years, maybe 1990 - Double LP in a Single cover.

With two Nice-Price Inner-sleeves and featured a 4-page 11” lyric insert with black background and white lyrics and stars.

There 4 different issues / versions:

1st version 1987 :
• May or may not have a "Nice Price” sticker on the sleeve
• The nice price inners text starts with the words "Timeless albums…"
• The legal lettering on the label rim ends with the words "EPIC & (Epic Logo) CBS INC."
• Rear cover has Red text info box and red spine text
• With a Lyric booklet
• PA text box under the bar code of the rear sleeve
• The matrices on all 4 sides are small text printed and end with A5 B2 C4 & D3

2nd version 1987 :
• May or may not have a "Nice Price” sticker on the sleeve
• The nice price inners text starts with the words "Timeless albums…"
• The legal lettering on the label rim ends with the words “Made In England”
• "EPIC & (Epic Logo) CBS INC." is at the bottom of the label rim.
• Rear cover has Red text info box and Red spine text
• Should be With a Lyric booklet
• PA text box under the bar code of the rear sleeve
• The matrices on all 4 sides are small text printed and end with A5 B2 C3 & D3.

3rd version 1990 :
• May or may not have a "Nice Price” sticker on the sleeve
• The sleeve artwork is a bit washed out / lighter
• The nice price inners are a different design and the text starts with the words "Hundreds of Great Value…"
• The legal lettering on the label rim ends with the words “This Recording Prohibited”
• There is No "Made in England" reference anywhere on the label
• "EPIC & (Epic Logo) CBS INC." is at the bottom of the label rim.
• Rear cover has Red text info box & Orange spine text
• No Lyric booklet
• PX text box under the bar code of the rear sleeve
• This version is a different pressing from 1990

The matrix on side 1 is exactly the same as the other 2 issues above (small text printed and ending with A5), but the matrices on other 3 sides are all written with a scribe which indicates that the stampers could've been damaged during the production run and they had to cut new ones. They are as follows - side 2 (4508851 B3), side 3 (4508851 C5) and side 4 (4508851 D4).

4th version 1990 :

• May or may not have a "Nice Price” sticker on the sleeve
• The sleeve artwork is a shade lighter
• The nice price inners are a different design and the text starts with the words "Hundreds of Great Value…"
• The legal lettering on the label rim ends with the words “Made In England”
• "EPIC and Epic Logo CBS INC." is at the bottom of the label rim.
• Rear cover has Orange text info box & Red spine text
• No Lyric booklet
• PX text box under the bar code of the rear sleeve
• This version is a different pressing from 1990

The matrix on side 1 is exactly the same as the other 2 (small text printed and ending with A5), but the matrices on other 3 sides are all written with a scribe which indicates that the stampers could've been damaged during the production run and they had to cut new ones. They are as follows - side 2 (4508851 B3), side 3 (4508851 C5) and side 4 (4508851 D4).

The actual record labels for Versions 2 & 4 are identical.

See more info on the "Nice Price" issue range HERE

Credit to Max Cawthray for spotting these 4 issues

Format

Label

Epic

Catalogue

450885 2

Re-Issue Year

1987/1988 + 1992 + 1995 - Holland / Europe / UK

Notes

CD Issue 450885 2 from 1987/1988 was also available in the UK, there was three issues on single CD.

The first with the song titles / list on the back cover on the left hand side.

Re-issued 1992 as 450885 2 with the song titles / list on the back cover now put over the space ship in the middle, with black & red CD trays.

Part of CBS Nice Price Range.

Re-issued as 450885 2 in 1995 with a clear inside tray New artwork was printed and put below the CD under the clear tray. Song titles / list on the back cover still in the middle.

Each issue comes with a with full colour booklet with lyrics and the band members pictures from the LP poster.

The first 1987 issue CD has the matrix number on the CD itself as JETCD-400 31, from the Japan original master. Plus "BIEM/STEMRA" is on the CD.

The 1992 & 1995 re-issues edition had for the first time a new Glass Master S0247848410-0102 51 and only "BIEM" on the CD.

Format

Label

Epic

Catalogue

450885 9

Re-Issue Year

1998

Notes

Re-issue 1998 - in 3 Tri-Cover fold out digipack, limited edition. No booklet, inside is a information and notes on the album from Rob Caiger.

Out Of The Blue - SVLP 101 Simply Vinyl Rear Cover

Format

Vinyl

Label

Simply Vinyl

Catalogue

SVLP 101 / 4508885 1

Re-Issue Year

1999

Notes

Epic/Simply Vinyl, 180G - Black Vinyl from 1999. Issued in a clear plastic protection cover, including a 4 page lyric booklet with black text on white background.

Came with plain white inner sleeve with a "Simply Vinyl" Catalogue booklet.

The first shipped out copies came with a Bob Dylan lyric booklet/sheet by mistake !

Format

Label

Epic

Catalogue

EPIC ‎– MILLEN3 ‎– 495215 2000

Re-Issue Year

1999

Notes

Millennium Edition in a hard glossy gatefold sleeve with PVC outer cover.

With lyric / credit inserts, first part is on a inner cd sleeve, second side is on a separate card insert.

Track listing printed on back of gatefold sleeve is incorrect; it mirrors the track swap of "Jungle" and "The Whale" from their respective vinyl sides to better fit on the original cassette issue.

The tracks on the disc follow the proper running order.

Format

Label

Epic

Catalogue

82796942722

Re-Issue Year

Feb 2007

Notes

Re-Master Issue - 30th Anniversary

with bonus tracks in normal CD jewel case and expanded booklet notes and pictures.

Rare And Unseen Photographs New Sleeve Notes By Jeff Lynne

There is a "Out Of The Blue - Revised" Promo CD-R, it may be fake as it splits Mr Blue Sky into two tracks. (unfortunately the CD itself is unplayable) - Credit & thanks to Euan Wilson

Format

Label

Epic

Catalogue

88697053232

Re-Issue Year

Feb 2007

Notes

Re-Issue - ReMaster with bonus tracks - 30th Anniversary Limited Edition packaged in gatefold card sleeve Deluxe 24 Page Booklet... Plus ELO Spaceship!

Rare And Unseen Photographs New Sleeve Notes By Jeff Lynne