"10538 Overture"
Single by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album The Electric Light Orchestra No Answer
B-side(s)	"First Movement (Jumping Biz)"
Released	July 1972
Format	7"
Recorded	1970-1971 Phillips Studios
Genre	Classic rock, Prog Rock
Length	5:32 4:04 (Single edit)
Label	Harvest Records
Writer(s)	Jeff Lynne
Producer(s)	Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne
Chart positions
#9
Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology
	"10538 Overture" (1972)	"Roll Over Beethoven" (1973)
Flashback track listing
	"10538 Overture" (1)	"Showdown" (2)

"10538 Overture", released in 1972 (see 1972 in music), was the first song to be recorded by Electric Light Orchestra. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... ELO redirects here. ... The Electric Light Orchestra is the debut LP by Electric Light Orchestra. ... Electric Light Orchestra is the debut LP by Electric Light Orchestra. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... A vinyl EP from Crop Circles. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Classic rock was originally conceived as a radio station programming format which evolved from the album oriented rock (AOR) format in the early-1980s. ... The progressive rock band Yes performing in 1977. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Harvest Records was a record label, formed by EMI in 1969 to promote progressive rock music and to compete with Philips Vertigo label and Deccas Deram labels. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Jeff Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English rock songwriter, singer, guitarist and record producer. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Roy Adrian Wood (sometimes erroneously thought to be born as Ulysses Adrian Wood, from a offhand interview comment in the 1960s) (born 8 November 1946 in Birmingham), is a songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. ... Jeff Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English rock songwriter, singer, guitarist and record producer. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ... ELO redirects here. ... Roll Over Beethoven is a 1956 hit single by Chuck Berry // The song is notable as one of the earliest definitive rock and roll recordings. ... Flashback is a box set compilation by Electric Light Orchestra. ... Showdown Was a Hit Single by the Electric Light Orchestra Lifted from the Album On The Third Day 1973. ... See also: other events of 1972 list of years in music 1970s in music // January 17 - Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed Elvis Presley Blvd January 20 - Pink Floyd debuts Dark Side of the Moon during a performance at The Dome, in Brighton, but due to technical difficulties... ELO redirects here. ...

Song history

The song, written by Jeff Lynne, was intended to be a B-side on one of The Move's singles. Rick Price of the Move played bass on the track originally but was never credited, apparently with all the overdubs and layers that were added to the track the bass line 'got lost' in the mix and Roy Wood laid down a new bass line. Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne shared vocal duties on the song much like their previous single California Man, (as The Move). The song is about a condemned prisoner but Jeff Lynne wanted to give the character in the song a number as opposed to a name when he chanced upon the number 1053 on the mixing desk. Roy Wood suggested adding number eight to fit the melody better. The song was still to be a new song by The Move, until Wood added some cello riffs and after many cello layers were added using overdubbing, the 'Overture' and the Electric Light Orchestra were born. It was during the singles chart run that Roy Wood dramatically exited the ELO line up and returned later in the year with yet another new band called Wizzard. Jeff Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English rock songwriter, singer, guitarist and record producer. ... In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles have been released since the 1950s. ... The Move were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s from Birmingham, England. ... Roy Adrian Wood (sometimes erroneously thought to be born as Ulysses Adrian Wood, from a offhand interview comment in the 1960s) (born 8 November 1946 in Birmingham), is a songwriter, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. ... California Man is a song by The Move Released in 1972 as a maxi single with Do Ya and Ella James, this was The Moves swan song exit, as the Electric Light Orchestra had already been launched with the first ELO single 10538 Overture released only a month after... Jeff Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English rock songwriter, singer, guitarist and record producer. ... The Move were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s from Birmingham, England. ... The violoncello, almost always abbreviated to cello, or cello (the c is pronounced as the ch in cheese), is a bowed stringed instrument, the lowest-sounding member of the violin family. ... Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously taped musical recording. ... ELO redirects here. ... This article refers to the 1970s rock and roll band. ...

In 2006 the song was covered by rock band Def Leppard on their album Yeah!. For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Def Leppard are a hard rock band from Sheffield, England, who formed in 1977 at the time of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. ... Album by Def Leppard with cover versions of 70ties rock hits. ...

In March 2007 the song was used in the closing credits of an episode of Life on Mars (TV series). 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the Anno Domini (common) era. ... Life on Mars is a British television drama series, which was first shown on BBC One in January and February 2006. ...

An almost identical opening riff can be heard in the songs "Moneytalks" by AC/DC and "The Changingman" by Paul Weller, which also samples "In Old England Town (Reprise) from ELO's second album. This article is about the band. ... Paul Weller (born John William Weller, 25 May 1958, in Stanley Road, Woking, Surrey) is an English singer-songwriter. ...

Quotes

"10538 Overture was an idea that Jeff (Lynne) brought along to the studio which was originally to be a Move track. After recording the basic backing track, the other guys went home, leaving Jeff and myself to run riot with the overdubs. At the time, I was very keen on collecting instruments, and had just acquired a cheap Chinese cello. After we had finished overdubbing the guitars, I sat in the control room trying out this cello and sort of messing around with Jimi Hendrix type riffs. Jeff said, 'That sounds great, why don't we throw it on the track.' I ended up recording around fifteen of these, and as the instrumentation built up, it was beginning to sound like some monster heavy metal orchestra. In fact, it sounded just Bloody Marvellous."

– Roy Wood , March 28, 2006 - No Answer Remaster

I had this guitar track, like a real big riff on a guitar. I laid it down in the studio and Roy Wood got his cello, his Chinese cello, and he overdubbed about fifteen cello riffs, just double tracking all the time-- and it sounded fantastic. We thought, it was like 'Wow!' and we just sat round playing it for days.

– Jeff Lynne , July 31 2006 - The Harvest Years 1970-1973 liner notes