| Out of the Blue Live at Wembley | ||||
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| Video by Electric Light Orchestra | ||||
| Released | 1980 (VHS) 1989 (VHS) 1998 (DVD) 2006 (DVD) |
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| Recorded | June 1978 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Label | An MGM/CBS Home Video Presentation (VHS) Eagle Rock Entertainment (DVD) |
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| Director | Mike Mansfield | |||
| Electric Light Orchestra video chronology | ||||
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Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley is a concert film by The Electric Light Orchestra.
In 1978 the band played the Wembley Arena for a record eight appearances. The opening night (a charity Gala event) was filmed in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the band were introduced by US actor Tony Curtis.[1]
| “ | Your royal highnesses, ladies and gentlemen, children. And to those of you who are not highnesses or ladies or gentlemen. All who are here. I bid you welcome. And peace and happiness to all of you. For the disabled children. And for this great, great honor that's been presented to me. To present to you, the most outstanding rock group in the world today. My friends... The Electric Light Orchestra. | ” |
The stage was a huge flying saucer with hydraulic lifts, the 'roof' would open up to reveal the band. The concert was one of the first examples of lasers used at a live rock concert. Due to the nature of the sound acoustics on the huge metal and fiberglass flying saucer shaped stage the band had difficulty hearing their monitors and keeping time, so backing tapes were used that only the band were supposed to hear. The original TV broadcast edit in mono sound was poorly mixed from the concert and used some of the backing tapes used by the band pushed high in the mix which (unfairly) appeared to make the band look like they were lip-synching.[2]
The Out of the Blue Tour or Big Night tour as it was known in the United States became the highest grossing concert tour ever up to that point. This concert, along with The Face the Music Tour 1976, were released as live compact discs in 1998
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It has also been released previously on Betamax and VHS in 1980, VHS again in '89, then in '98 as a DVD and VHS coupled with their music video album produced for the Discovery album (for which the band never toured). As previously mentioned, the sound quality of the Wembley concert contained in some of these early releases is relatively poor, and elevates the prominence of the studio backing tapes on many tracks. In 2006, the DVD was remastered and the sound mix was fully restored and presented in DTS sound, at last presenting the sound that was heard by the audience. A new DVD release of the concert has been scheduled with bonus material and new packaging according to the ELO website http://www.ftmusic.com/news/index.html
Below is the entire set from the concert. Seven of the songs that night have never been released on video or compact disc, songs marked Live at Wembley are the same songs that appear on the DVD.