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| "Last Train to London" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 UK single | ||||
| Single by Electric Light Orchestra | ||||
| from the album Discovery | ||||
| A-side | "Confusion" (UK) | |||
| B-side | "Down Home Town" (US) | |||
| Released | 9 November 1979 (UK) January 1980 (US) | |||
| Recorded | 1979, Musicland Studios, Munich, West Germany | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:31 | |||
| Label | Jet | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jeff Lynne | |||
| Producer(s) | Jeff Lynne | |||
| Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Discovery track listing | ||||
9 tracks
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Last Train to London" on YouTube | ||||
"Last Train to London" is a song from the English rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), the fifth track from their album Discovery.
The song was released in 1979 in the UK as a double A-side single with "Confusion". It peaked at number 8 in the UK Singles Chart.[1] However, in the US the two songs charted separately, with "Confusion" in late 1979 followed by "Last Train to London" in early 1980. It peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100.[2]
Background
There was a certain period when it seemed we spent years on trains going back and forth from Birmingham to the various TV and radio stations in London.
— Discovery remaster (2001), Jeff Lynne
Critical reception
Billboard described the song as having a "catchy pop melody with Beatlesque vocal qualities and a smooth layered sound."[3] Cash Box said that the song has "a frothy pop melody" and "a bouncy R&B-tinged rhythm line," making it sound somewhat like Heatwave's 1977 single "Boogie Nights."[4] Record World said that "The electronic dance beat and lilting vocals are as timely as they are engaging."[5]
Something Else! critic S. Victor Aaron found it to be "more formulaic" than "Shine a Little Love", the other "disco thumper hit from Discovery."[6]
Personnel
According to JeffLynneSongs.com[7]
- Jeff Lynne – vocals, guitar, piano, synthesizer
- Bev Bevan – drums, percussion
- Richard Tandy – grand piano, synthesizer, electric piano, clavinet
- Kelly Groucutt – bass, vocals
Additional personnel
- Louis Clark – orchestra conductor
Chart history
| Chart (1979/80) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart[8] | 9 |
| UK Singles Chart[1] | 8 |
| Canada (RPM)[9] | 28 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[2] | 39 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 Singles | 36 |
Cover versions
- In 2002 British girl group Atomic Kitten sampled the hook of the song in their single "Be with You". The song was released as a double A-side with the song "The Last Goodbye". The single peaked at No. 2 in the UK.[10]
References
- ^ a b "Electric Light Orchestra". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ^ a b "Electric Light Orchestra - Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 1 December 1979. p. 52. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 1 December 1979. p. 20. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 1 December 1979. p. 1. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
- ^ Aaron, S. Victor (14 February 2011). "Guilty pleasures: Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra". Something Else!. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
- ^ "Jeff Lynne Song Database - Song Details". www.jefflynnesongs.com. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 6 March 2013. Enter Electric Light Orchestra in the Search by Artist field, then click Search.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - March 8, 1980" (PDF).
- ^ Van der Kiste, John (2017). Electric Light Orchestra: Song by Song.
External links
