Song of the Day 5/19: ELO, “Mr. Blue Sky”
This isn’t the original recording from “Out of the Blue.” This is the title track from Jeff Lynne’s 2012 album of re-recorded ELO classics, the release of which was accompanied by this trippy animated video produced by USC film students. So set the replay to full screen, enjoy your favorite consciousness-expander and get ready for a field full of singing, marching flowers.
The song was released as a single in 1977. It reached only No. 35 in the U.S., but has enjoyed a long afterlife in movie soundtracks, most recently the second “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie.
This song was unfairly shunted out of the way in 1977 by the other hits on “out of the Blue”. I only really became aware of it and fell in love with it when it was used in a VW add a few years ago.