Number 384 - ELO

Number 384

ELO

"Showdown"

(1973)

.

.

................Genre: Rock...............

art by route64

I have completed/updated Definitive 1000 as a Google Doc spreadsheet. Fun task that was, not. But it will have a usefulness, no doubt. Inside the Google Doc, I have hyperlinked the page URL, music video and even the wikipedia link for each of the featured artist and songs. This will allow the "Time pushed phobes" to select what they want to read without going through the site page by page. I will udate the spreadsheet for each new entry, by the way if you see me live in the spreadsheet ... say hello.

Update ~ for what i previously wrote on entry Number 386 "Save The Crowbarred from recession before he looses his house Foundation" the total amount of donations currently stands at $0.00, ack.

We're all the "fifth Beatle!"

Electric Light Orchestra's third album showed a marked advancement, with a fuller, more cohesive sound from the band as a whole and major improvements in Jeff Lynne's singing and songwriting. This is where the band took on its familiar sound, Lynne's voice suddenly showing an attractive expressiveness reminiscent of John Lennon in his early solo years, and also sporting a convincing white British soulful quality that was utterly lacking earlier. The group also plugged the holes that made its work seem so close to being ragged on those earlier records. "Showdown" and "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" (the latter featuring Marc Bolan on double lead guitar with Lynne) became AM radio fixtures while "Daybreaker" became a concert opener for the group and, along with "In the Hall of the Mountain King," kept the group's FM/art rock credentials in order. ~ [Bruce Eder, All Music Guide]

Showdown [grab ya pistols]

ELO vs Aguilera[?]

It was the band's last contemporary recording to be released on the Harvest label. In the US, the song was included on the album On The Third Day (1973), however in the UK the song was omitted from the album and would later be featured on their first compilation album , also called Showdown a year later instead. In 2006 the remastered issue of On the Third Day would feature the song on the album on both sides of the Atlantic for the first time. The song was a change of pace for ELO, with a funkier backbeat. It was a favourite record of John Lennon's at the time, who dubbed them "Son of Beatles" in a US radio interview. Jeff Lynne played the lead guitar part using Marc Bolan's Gibson Firebird guitar.

* ~ In the 1996 comedy movie Kingpin, the song was used as background music during a one-on-one bowling tournament.

* ~ In the 2007 movie Wild Hogs the song "Showdown" was used. Shortly after the song stopped playing Ray Liotta stated "At least someone's here to face the music". ~ [Source: Wikipedia]

For John Lennon see Number 492 & #639

For Marc Bolan see Number 389

For more ELO see Number 790

For Beatles see Number 489, #587, #894 & #947

For related Jeff Lynne see Number 416, #585, #806, & #969

What does RS think of ELO?

"Showdown" applies their formula of thematic eclecticism to pop music (instead of classical), pulling riffs from "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," an early John Mayall song called "All Your Love," and even Del Shannon's "Stranger In Town." It's a heavily produced, commercial record on a par with Stories' "Brother Louie," and the extra effort shows. It stands out here, like a refugee from some apocryphal ELO album containing ten such blockbuster tracks. It's approached only by "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle," a rather blatant plagiarism of Mott the Hopple's "Jerkin' Crocus" of recent vintage. Its pounding chords and heavy-metal blaze are somewhat out of character for ELO, although they come close to the power of the original. But they fall short, in both lyrics and delivery, in their total lack of humor about themselves and the music, a fault that may one day prove their downfall. ~ [Source: RS 153]

For Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" see Number 611

For Del Shannon see Number 813

For Mott The Hoople see Number 457

Rolling Stone magazine deemed their '384th Song of all Time' was "Ticket to Ride" by The Beatles. The Beatles have appeared in The Definitive 1000 @ #489, #585, #806, #969

Other songs with reference to ELO #557, #658, #735, #958, #985

Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (5th Beatle Indeed!) and the Album ranked at (Off with his head for treason!)

This song has a Definitive 1000 rating of 79.4 out of 108

ELO - Showdown (Live TOTP 1973)
Uploaded by newcanadian. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Lyrics to the song . Please report broken vid

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