Eldorado Overture

"Eldorado Overture"
Song by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album Eldorado
Released 1974
Recorded De Lane Lea Studios
Genre Symphonic rock
Length 2:11
Label Jet, United Artists, Columbia
Songwriter(s) Jeff Lynne
Producer(s) Jeff Lynne
Eldorado track listing
10 tracks
Side one
  1. "Eldorado Overture"
  2. "Can't Get It Out of My Head"
  3. "Boy Blue"
  4. "Laredo Tornado"
  5. "Poor Boy (The Greenwood)"
Side two
  1. "Mister Kingdom"
  2. "Nobody's Child"
  3. "Illusions in G Major"
  4. "Eldorado"
  5. "Eldorado Finale"

"Eldorado Overture" is the opening track on Electric Light Orchestra's 1974 concept album Eldorado.

It was a new experience for Jeff Lynne to use a full orchestra and choir for the band's songs. The opening starts with haunting sounds provided by Richard Tandy on the synthesizer. A deep voice (Peter Forbes-Robertson) speaks out the first lyrics of the entire album.

The dreamer, the unwoken fool,

In dreams, no pain will kiss the brow.
The love of ages fills the head.
The days that linger there in prey of emptiness,
Of burned out dreams.
The minutes calling through the years.
The universal dreamer rises up above his earthly burden.
Journeys to the dead of night.

High on a hill in Eldorado...

The words fade into an orchestra that opens the concept of the LP from 1:11 to 2:11, an excerpt from Edvard Grieg's piano concerto. The orchestra slows and segues into the next track "Can't Get It Out of My Head". Since the two tracks fit together well, they were performed together until the Time tour in 1981.

Personnel

Additional musicians

  • Peter Forbes-Robertson–spoken word
  • Louis Clark–orchestral arrangements, conductor

Reviews

"The first actual experience of having a great big orchestra was the Eldorado Overture and it blew me away. I never write the words to my songs until after I've finished the music. In this case, I wrote the spoken introduction for the actor in the van on the way to the studio." Jeff Lynne (2000 - Flashback)

"This was the first time I'd ever used a big orchestra on a record. Until then it had been two cellos and a violin double-tracked a few times. I was thrilled when the 30-piece struck up on the big intro." Jeff Lynne (2001 - Eldorado Remaster)


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