Olé ELO

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Olé ELO
Greatest hits album by
Electric Light Orchestra
ReleasedJune 11th, 1976
Recorded1971–75
Genre
Length49:22 (US United Artists original pressing)
43:49 (subsequent issues)
LabelUnited Artists, Columbia/Jet
ProducerJeff Lynne (all tracks), Roy Wood (track 1)
Electric Light Orchestra chronology
Face the Music
(1975)		 Olé ELO
(1976)		 A New World Record
(1976)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star[1]
Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStar[2]
MusicHound3/5[3]
The Rolling Stone Album GuideStarStarStar[4]

Olé ELO is a compilation album by the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) covering their early years. Released in 1976, this LP was originally compiled by United Artists Records as a promotional album for American radio stations, but when copies of the LP started selling to fans "underground" United Artists decided to release it in the US to capitalize on the band's growing popularity.

Track listing

Original US United Artists pressings of the album contained the full-length versions of "Kuiama" and "Roll Over Beethoven", as included in the album Electric Light Orchestra II. Original promotional copies were pressed on gold vinyl. An extremely limited run of white, blue & red vinyl promotional pressings was also made. Later US releases and CBS/Jet reissues have included edited versions of these two songs. "Kuiama" was shortened to 9:08, and the single edit of "Roll Over Beethoven" was used, which was 4:31.

Side one
# Title Writer Album Length
1 "10538 Overture" Jeff Lynne The Electric Light Orchestra (1971), issued in the US in 1972 under the title No Answer 5:25
2 "Kuiama" Jeff Lynne ELO 2 (1973) 11:10
3 "Roll Over Beethoven" Chuck Berry / Ludwig van Beethoven ELO 2 (1973) 8:02
Side two
# Title Writer Album Length
1 "Showdown" Jeff Lynne 1973 non-album single, later included in the US version of the album On the Third Day (1973) 4:12
2 "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle" Jeff Lynne On the Third Day (1973) 3:35
3 "Can't Get It Out of My Head" Jeff Lynne Eldorado (1974) 4:26
4 "Boy Blue" Jeff Lynne Single edit; full version included on Eldorado (1974) 4:12
5 "Evil Woman" Jeff Lynne Face the Music (1975) 4:15
6 "Strange Magic" Jeff Lynne Face the Music (1975) 4:05

Charts

Chart (1976) Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[5]64
US Billboard 200[6]32
US CashBox Top 100 Albums[7] 24

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[8] Platinum 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. Olé ELO at AllMusic
  2. Larkin, Colin, ed. (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th edn). London: Omnibus Press. p. 916. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  3. Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 383. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  4. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian, eds. (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th edn). New York, NY: Fireside/Simon & Schuster. p. 274. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  5. "Top RPM Albums: Image 4283b". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 8 March 2025.
  6. "Electric Light Orchestra Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  7. "CashBox Top 100 Albums" (PDF). CashBox. Vol. XXXVIII #13. United States. 14 August 1976. p. 61. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  8. "Canadian album certifications – Electric Light Orchestra – Ole". Music Canada.
  9. "American album certifications – Electric Light Orchestra – Ole' ELO". Recording Industry Association of America.