First Time Hearing Electric Light Orchestra - Telephone Line 

The thing about any ELO song from the past is that when they were first released back in the day, they all sounded like they were from the future. And even when you play them today, they still sound like they are from the future. That's how good they are.

One of my all time favorite Jeff Lynne ELO songs. Back in the days when there was no VM or answering machine. He says to the operator “can you just let it ring a little longer longer”. When someone walked out of your life they were gone. No texting or calling their cell phone 5 mins later or checking social media to see they went on vacation. You had no clue about their life or where they were in the future. That’s why the sentimentality of this song hits like a ton of bricks.

There are some songs that MUST be listened to with your eyes closed, so you can immerse yourself in the lyrics and melody. This is one of them.

ELO was (and is) one of my all-time favorite bands. They ARE, as you have pointed out, uniquely ELO. I can't think of another band who comes even close to the complexity of arrangements, harmonies, etc. Telephone Line is one of their very best (IMO). I wonder if you younger folks might be missing some of the references (and sounds). I have always loved music, and had, back in the day, ALBUMS of ELO, the Beatles, the Eagles, Stevie Wonder, Queen, etc. etc. I love watching younger generations discover some of the best music in the world -- it makes me happy that some of the music I loved is actually still greatly appreciated by young people today. If you have a question about anything in this song (or other songs from the late 60s thru the 70s) just shoot me a question via this message. THANKS for loving some of the music I grew up with. PS: Have you reacted to ELO's "Sweet Talkin' Woman" yet? It's one of their bests.

If you haven't seen a live version yet, check out ELO at Wembley Stadium, London in 2017, the overall sound achieved was almost as good as studio production, but with that huge added live vibe. Jeff was about to turn 70, it was simply a masterful performance by everyone.

This was a huge hit ..It came out a year before the iconic (Out Of The Blue record containing Mr Blue Sky ) This record (A New World Record) was released in 1977. Early Jeff Lynn reflected a Prog Rock feel of the earlier 70;s . His vocals were technically different in style in the early years, and reflected the progressive sounds of those earlier times and took on a different feel . They simply decided to capitalize on Jeff's Perfectly intonated voice in the later 70's and on. In short he found the sound he was working for in those early years. The record that came out after this (Out Of The Blue) had several number one hits on it including Mr Blue Sky , and Turn To Stone. By the Way many of the back uo vocals you hear were several of the members of ELO singing Including Jeff tracked a few times over. ALSO . some of the choir parts , especially the more classically inspired choirs in Mr Blue Sky were not human , they were synthetic (simulated human voices) .or a combination of both .They used the Mini Moog in combination with CS-80, Oberheim, Mellotron and ARP 2600 in live concerts .

This IS a classic ELO hit! The background vocals are of course Jeff including the bassist Kelly Groucutt. Glad you've done this one! A New World Record is a great album too.

Thanks for playing one of my fave songs from the album I had. This music was so unusual at the time. It's lovely to see new generations listening to our music

Their album "Time" is a total concept album. That's from 1981. One of their best.

One of many, many brilliant songs that ELO released.

Thanks, Marissa! Thanks, Tyler! ☎ This is one of their really strong ones. Musically, vocally, lyrically, conceptually... it all works for me. #TylerCreatesContent #TCCReacts #ElectricLightOrchestra #ELO #TelephoneLine

This one started it all for me with ELO when I was 13 in 1975 been my favorite group ever since😎✌

You guys appreciate some of the greatest songs ever made.

I remember Jeff talking on the radio about his newest album a few years ago and he stated that he did all the vocals. His work is brilliant.

This song before really listening to the lyrics was a very happy song to me, musically. But after paying attention to the lyrics & the way Lynne sings on the track is actually very melancholic. It's a song I'd play when I am down. It's also featured in the Adam Sandler movie Billy Madison, at least the 50s style shooby-doos.

You have to react to Evil Woman by ELO - one of the greatest songs in popular music

I bought the 45 when it first came out in 1976. It was green vinyl in a day when colored vinyl was rare.

Ah yes! This and "Living Thing"........ The two songs that inspired me to purchase this album back in the day and it was the best thing I ever did. I was completely sold on the Jeff Lynne/ELO sound to this very day. I just looked back on the ELO tracks you have covered and realized you HAVEN'T done "Sweet Talking Woman". You both should redress this oversight sometime in the future.

Jeff Lynne (who comes from my home city of Birmingham, UK) is a musical genius and great producer. E.L.O. had loads of great song. My favourite one being 'All Over The World' which just makes you want to sing and dance. They sound just as good live as they do on the studio versions. Jeff Lynne was also a member of the super group 'Travelling Willbury's which consisted of himself, George Harrison (The Beatles), Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan. Try their 'Handle with Care' and 'End of the Line'.

What a talent Jeff Lynne was and still is. Not many writers can come up with so many amazing melodies, arrange them in a new way, and produce magical records.

Tyler & Marissa, I think this was the best overall reaction video you've done as a pair to an ELO song. Several keen insights from you both. Well done. :) Now, to address the question you guys wondered about, which was how much later was this song versus the other ELO songs you've been listening to. Well, this from the 1976 album, A New World Record, and actually, of the 35 or so ELO reactions you've done so far, only a few songs are older, and the large majority are newer. Here are the older songs you've reacted to, and the years in which they were released. 1971 - "10538 Overture" from their first album, No Answer 1974 - the first 5 tracks from their 4th album, Eldorado 1975 - "Fire On High", "Strange Magic", and, "Nightrider", each from their 5th album, Face The Music ps~Tyler, I think you made the right decision regarding these interim ELO reactions, by doing songs that you've already reacted to but Marissa has not. I hope you will continue with that by having her react to: *"Shangri-la", "Livin' Thing",* and, *"The Diary of Horace Wimp".* (I noticed she was looking at you blankly tonight when you were mentioning Horace Wimp to her as though she knew the song. I guess you forgot that you reacted to that one alone. But she should definitely react to it, along with, "Shangri-la", and, "Livin' Thing".) pps~Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Tyler, will you be posting the, "Poor Boy (The Greenwood)", Aftershow soon? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was a major hit and this album was perhaps their best. Mr Blue Sky was kind of considered a lightweight pop song not in the same league with earlier releases- at least for most hard core ELO fans. That’s my recollection of the times. All in all - great song.

Great video as always, such a classic song. One of ELO's greatest hits. I suggest "Don't Bring Me Down" from Discovery 1979 as the next one, that is a fantastic song, a megahit. Jeff Lynne wrote songs for two pop goddesses Olivia Newton-John and Agnetha from ABBA, Xanadu from the film Xanadu and One Way Love for Agnetha from her 1985 album, definitely worth listening to.

secret messages.....four little diamonds......bluebird.....stranger.......are ELO songs you should try

Girl, if that song doesn't give you a smile, which one will?

Keep on with ELO reactions. Although i love theire earlier stuff it was not until theire "Discovery" album i dicovered them in my early youth, and oh my how I fell in love with theire sound. So thats my favourite ELO album. Then they released "Time" and yet again i was blown away. I really loved the concept of that album, and yes...."Rain is falling" is just sooo beautiful. I do think that album is quite underrated in theire amazing catalogue. Jeff Lynne and ELO will go down in history as some of the greatest there has ever been.

DON'T WALK AWAY (longer version) ... the most underrated ELO song ... be unique, be the first ones to cover it.

Another nice review. I don’t believe it was the case that Jeff wasn’t confident with his voice prior to this period, just that he was moving from prog-rock to more commercial pop-rock productions and changed his singing style to suit his different musical direction. Once you get to the end of Eldorado I believe you’ll see how confident he was with his vocals - I’ll say no more 😀 By the way the phone tone was recorded by ringing a number in America and taping the sound. The story goes that they tried to synthesise it but couldn’t get the right sound.

Telephone Line was my introduction to ELO. Now i have everything by Jeff Lynne, including The Move, Idle Race, and Traveling Wilburys.

Yes, Jeff Lynne does some of the backing vocals. But drummer Bev Bevan and bassist Kelly Groucutt also provided backing vocals. Kelly also sang lead or co-lead on some songs. Down Home Town from their 1975 album Face The Music features Kelly on the lead vocal. He's got a nice voice, but maybe not Lynne's range or expression.

The phone ringing in the song 😍

Here you are sunshine get your lugs around this "10cc - I'm Not In Love (1975)"

Electric Light Orchestra had been moving toward that new style - and away from over-the-top songs like "First Movement" - since the departure of Wood, who led the group on its debut album. “When we first started ELO, there was a lot of pretentiousness with the music," Lynne admitted in a 1977 interview. "I was doing stuff that I didn’t really want to do but doing it all the same. I thought I should do it because it was cool, man. It was experimental, but there was no direction to it."

Thanks for share 💐❤🙏🏼❤🎉

ELO is the best band ever Musically!

I bought that as a .45 soo many years ago. Still love it.

Este hit fue suceso mundial para ELO. Fue #7 en US ,#8 en UK, Top10 en muchos países del Mundo en 1976, hoy 2023 un Clásico. Buena reacción!! Otro éxito mundial de ELO de ese año puede ser 'Livin Thing" #4 en UK.

Bassist Kelly Groucutt's backing vocals really add depth to this song. RIP Kelly.

This was kind of standard radio fare for the 1970's. It may sound familiar to ya, guys, cause this sound is just so epic. I loved a lot of ELO songs as a kid. Still do. Big shoutout, guys, from this old, longhaired, hippy dude in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I am liking your style. I think it is wicked cool seeing your generation discovering our music and sharing it. I hope all goes well with your channel. Good luck with it. Bless you. Go with God. Much peace, love, and happiness to you and yours. Be seeing ya on the next. Later, y'all.

Keep smilin'. Hey, Jeff Lynne was in the Traveling Willburys with George Harrison and Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. Oh yea, and George was a Beatle. Mmmm? Elo was great. No doubt.

You should check out the live version of this from Wembley Stadium UK. It’s fantastic with a brilliant light show to go with it. Also you should react to Wild West Hero..another of my favourites along with Telephone Line 😊

You should of done "Jeff Lynne's ELO - Telephone Line (Live at Wembley Stadium)"

Love the whole album. You can't go wrong...

She's probably heard the oh, oh telephone line part before because I'm pretty sure it was used in a commercial. Good reaction.

I love to see your face, there is some "What the hell is happening here??" when you hear the intro and then you're blowing away about the strings, the choir and all of that what ELO means. ;) Well done, thanks for discovering ELO back catalogue.

This is my second favorite ELO song. 👍

Don't forget to listen to "Night in the City" off their OUT OF THE BLUE album. It's their most underrated song ever!

I was going to write a long comment with a few interesting things about this song and its production choices, but every time I try to contribute to a ELO topic, a certain person (who apparently thinks he is the ELO police), will "correct" me in some way. This does not promote discussion and has severely dampened my interest in contributing.

Telephone Line had feels… still does.

Did the phone ringing sound like it was from the Dark Ages? There were times back in the day when you’d have to ask an operator to put a call through.

It's the second verse that's the killer in this song

Man, love this song, love his voice here...I always come back to ELO. PD.: Btw the song was released in 1977 Pd2: Oh, u already searched :D

Ah, those days before mobile phones!

Excellent reaction, guys. Love your analysis. You might like Tightrope from the same album - one of the coolest intros to a song ever.

Tyler Hi , She is Beautiful . She is a QUEEN .

I love this song. Lush and layered. there were actual back up singers in the music video.

Hell, yeah. Thank you TylerCreatesContent. Wise choice. Legit. Jeff Lynne is the FIFTH BEATLE.

I love the into on this song. How it starts off with the vocals a bit tinny and then becomes more clear as the song progresses. 😅

Good discussion after your listening. This is the era of the band when I got into them. The album this is from, A New World Record, from 1976, is still my favourite. Though their best is probably Out Of The Blue from 1978, which includes Mr Blue Sky. Certainly a great album. I saw the band live only once, 1981 on the Time tour. Really good!

I was 15 when they Sucker punched me out of Left Field!Sure Got My Attention!!

Check out Standin In the rain-the polar opposite of Mr. Blue sky-outstanding track.

Rockaia is a female opera singer, another great song

Are either of you old enough to know what a "telephone line" is? 😂 I'm joking (mostly), but I really enjoyed her experiencing this song for the first time. If you want to hear ELO a little heavier, "Ma Ma Ma Belle" is awesome! (Assuming you're both not already familiar with it.) I agree with you that "Mr. Blue Sky" is the gold standard for ELO. BTW, Aurora finally finished her long tour and announced she's working on a new baby (album)! That's my way of segueing into letting you know that I"d love to see more Aurora reactions (and not waiting for the new album). 😉

Hola, saludos desde chile, pueden hacer un video de reacción del tema Mission A NEW RECORD, ahi claramente podemos ver que Jeff Lynne es de otro planeta.

Great choise with ELO. I saw you enjoy it If you want to be happy check live concert in Wembley Stadium .Telephon line Evil woman, Last train to London , Don't let me down , all in a fabulous production and high level sound. It's gonna blow your mind. Keep on rocking Thanks for your honest reactions.❤ Excuse my english. Greetings from Barcelona !!!

Missión (a world record) very very very.....muy muy muy bonita is beatiful 🇨🇱

🤘🤘😝😝🤘🤘

I'm shocked that you're only getting to this song now. One of ELO's very, very, very best. It's a beautifully sad song that always gets to me.

You kids probably never talked to a telephone operator, trying to reach someone in a distant city. The expression "my love is on the line" explains the feeling.

There is more than ABBA, ELO and Madonna out there. Why not try some serious stuff like "Suzanne" or "Famous blue raincoat" by Leonard Cohen or "Jubilee Street" or "Where the wild roses grow" or "Do you love me? / Do you love me) (part 2)" by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds?

At last 😀❤

Jeff and the band were great from the beginning right on through to their Out of The Blue album.This song blows away Mr. Blue Sky which is nice just not at this level.

Listen to "Beatles forever" - it's not the best song, but the song with the most Beatles quotes ever done.

Ooops, I forgot. Bob Dylan.

its an early hit 4 elo, tink 74?

Roll over Beethoven

This song is from a beautifully produced album - A New /World Record. Although it's my least favourite song on that album.

ack! firsties! 😀[maybe i don't know how accurate and frequently updated youtube is with the stats it shows.... anyway hi furry version of a look-alike to my past friends o/ ]

I've seen more reactions from a store mannequin than she showed to this song.

The sound of that fan in the back ground man is a real pain 👎🏻

Need more Madonna’s reactions

The girlfriends is a bit of a zombie

Is there something wrong with Tyler’s head? It’s all over the place and not bobbing to anything like the beat of the song. Very off-putting

Nodding head makes this unwatchable

Thanks for playing one of my fave songs from the album I had. This music was so unusual at the time. It's lovely to see new generations listening to our music