Rockaria!

"Rockaria!" is a song by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), written by Jeff Lynne. It was the third track on the band's successful 1976 album, A New World Record and was the second single from the album. On some CD pressings of A New World Record, it appears without the exclamation mark.

"Rockaria!"
Single by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album A New World Record
B-side"Poker"
Released19 February 1977 (UK)
Recorded1976 at Musicland Studios, Munich
Length
LabelJet
Songwriter(s)Jeff Lynne
Producer(s)Jeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology
"Livin' Thing"
(1976)		 "Rockaria!"
(1977)		 "Do Ya"
(1977)
A New World Record track listing
9 tracks
Side one
  1. "Tightrope"
  2. "Telephone Line"
  3. "Rockaria!"
  4. "Mission (A World Record)"
Side two
  1. "So Fine"
  2. "Livin' Thing"
  3. "Above the Clouds"
  4. "Do Ya"
  5. "Shangri-La"
Music video
"Rockaria!" on YouTube

Recording

Featuring the operatic voice of Mary Thomas during the introduction, on the first recording take, she mistakenly started the vocals too early. However, Lynne elected to use the take (complete with her interjection, "Oops!") anyway (although some later pressings of the album are missing this part). During live performances, the 'aria' was provided by the band's bassist Kelly Groucutt, illustrating his wide-ranging vocal talents.

Released as a single in early 1977, it reached the Top Ten in the UK Singles Chart. AllMusic noted that the track "is rightly considered to be one of Jeff Lynne’s finest achievements on record".[1][2]

B-side

"Poker" is a song written and performed by Electric Light Orchestra.

The song first appeared on the band's LP, Face the Music as the fifth track. At 3:34, it is the shortest song in length on the Face the Music LP. During recording, Kelly Groucutt sang most of the song's lyrics. (Normally, Lynne sang the vocals).

The song twice appeared as a B-side, first in the UK then in 1979 as the flip side of the US single version of "Confusion".

"Poker rocks along with murderous intent, despite corn ball lyrics." – John Ingham (1975 – from a transcribed UK Face the Music album review of unknown origin)

Chart positions
Chart (1977) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] 10
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] 7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] 26
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[6] 28
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[7] 23
UK Singles (OCC)[8] 9

Jeff Lynne version
"Rockaria!"
Song by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album
  • Mr. Blue Sky
  • The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra (Deluxe Edition)
Released
  • 8 October 2012 (UK)
  • 9 October 2012 (US)
Recorded2001–2012 Bungalow Palace
Length3:13
LabelFrontiers
Songwriter(s)Jeff Lynne
Producer(s)Jeff Lynne

Jeff Lynne re-recorded the song in his own home studio. It was released in a compilation album with other re-recorded ELO songs, under the ELO name,[9] as an iTunes Store exclusive bonus track.[10]

References
  1. "Rockaria! - Electric Light Orchestra | Song Info | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  2. "rockaria | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  4. "Austriancharts.at – Electric Light Orchestra – Rockaria!" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  5. "Ultratop.be – Electric Light Orchestra – Rockaria!" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  6. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Electric Light Orchestra - Rockaria" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  7. "Dutchcharts.nl – Electric Light Orchestra – Rockaria!" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  8. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  9. "Mr. Blue Sky – The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra". Elo.biz. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  10. "Mr. Blue Sky - The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra (Deluxe Edition) (Rerecorded) by Electric Light Orchestra". iTunes. Apple Inc. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
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