In December 1982, Jeff Lynne, "alma mater" of the "Electric Light Orchestra", E.L.O; He moved to the Dutch studios of Wisselord, inaugurated in 1978, which by then were reputed to have the latest advances in technology, for the recording of new themes. So between the months of December and January 1983, recorded a series of songs for his next album: "Secret Messages" ,title put with all the intention, since Jeff Lynne was more than tired of hearing that in his works used to intersperse hidden messages, some of them of satanic origin.
Hence this name so decisive and enlightening, it is more, on the back cover of the album placed a warning: "Warning: contains secret backward messages" ,and it was no joke, because the album It was full of them, even in Morse. I will mention some, in "stranger", you can hear: "You're playing me backwards".
Two acetates were made, or discs of tests of how the final album should be, this time in Allen Zentz Studios; one dated March 11 and another on April 3, when the final "line-up" was delivered to CBS Records, the label advised Jeff Lynne to reduce it to only one, since production costs, say .., due to the consequences that still dragged from the Second Oil Crisis, they did not make it advisable.
So of the 18 songs that made up the original version, I quote them following the order of the acetatos: "Secret messages; Loser gone wild; Bluebird; Take me on and on; Stranger; No way out; Beatles forever; Letter from Spain; Danger Ahead; Train of gold; Mandalay; Endless Lies; Hello my old friend; Four little dreams; Building have eyes; Time after time; After all; Rock'n'Roll is King "; only eleven of them appeared in the commercial version.
Five others were B-sides and two were unpublished. One of them, the famous "Beatles Forever", song that is still not published officially, at least until the date I write this. In this reconstruction is included as a "bonus track" , because it´s a "Rou
Side A: (19:22)
1.Secret Messages.(4:43)
2.Loser Gone Wild.(5:27)
3.Blue Bird (4:13)
4.Take me on and on.(4:57)
Side B: (17:54)
5.Stranger.(4:27)
6.No way out.(3:28)
7.beatles forever.(4:14)
8.Letter from Spain.(2:51)
9.Danger Ahead.(3:52).
Side C:(19:08)
10.Four Little Diamonds.(4:05)
11.Train of Gold.(4:20)
12.Endless Lies.(3:26)
13.Buildings have eyes.(3:56)
14.Rock´n´Roll is king.(3:19)
Side D: (17:53)
15.Mandalay.(5:18)
16.Time After Time.(4:01)
17.After All (edit).(0:41)
18.Hello My Old Friend.(7:51)
Bonus tracks:
1. After All (full lenght version).(2:23)
Finally, on June 1 Jet Records, whose main distributor was CBS Records, released the penultimate album of the ELO, under a climate of tension, desertions within the band, such as bassist Kelly Groucutt and cancellation of the promotional tour . Four singles were extracted from it: "Rock'n'Roll is King"; "Secret Messages" "Four Little Dreams &" Stranger ". Another theme "Letter from Spain" was used as part of the promo of the Olympic Games of Barcelona´92.
The "artwork", it´s the original of the 18-track version.Ok.., for now it's all, here you have a good album, not the best one, of the Electric Light Orchestra, but it does not detract, especially the theme that closes the double album.Bit.ly/sMeL82 This is the alternative from the original line-up of the unpublished version of "Secret Messages":