lp, album, vinyl, record, 1980s, 80s, Electric Light Orchestra, Secret Messages, ELO, Rock 'n' Roll Is King, Four Little Diamonds, Stranger

DEALS: 10% off your purchase when you order 3+ records. $4.99 flat-rate shipping on orders over $50. Free shipping on orders over $100. *

All of our used records are play-graded and come in a protective outer-sleeve. Catalog Number: QZ-38490

CONDITION DETAILS Still in ORIGINAL SHRINK-WRAP (opened), with HYPE-STICKER. Vinyl plays nicely (play-graded). Cover looks great; a couple creases near edges; no scuffing (front/back). Inner-sleeve is original (lyrics/artwork/credits); one seam partially split. Spine is easy-to-read with very mild-wear. Little shelf-wear along top/bottom-edge; some wear to corners. Opening is crisp with signs of light use and a few divots. (Not a cut-out.)

ABOUT THE RECORD Secret Messages, by Electric Light Orchestra, was the last ELO album with bass guitarist Kelly Groucutt, conductor Louis Clark and real stringed instruments, and the last ELO album to be released on the Jet label. It was also the final ELO studio album to become a worldwide top 40 hit upon release. Secret Messages, as its title suggests, is littered with hidden messages in the form of backmasking, some obvious and others less so. This was Jeff Lynne's second tongue-in-cheek response to allegations of hidden Satanic messages in earlier Electric Light Orchestra LPs by Christian fundamentalists, which led up to American congressional hearings in the early 1980s (a similar response had been made by Lynne on the Face the Music album, during the intro to the Fire on High track). In Britain, the back cover of Secret Messages has the mock notice "Warning: Contains Secret Backward Messages". Word of the album's impending release in the United States caused enough of a furore to cause CBS Records to delete the cover blurb there. The back cover of the record jacket (made to look like the back of a picture frame) also contains Secret Messages in the form of three aged and weathered stickers. One is the track listing and the other two contain mock names of the retailer and manufacturer of the frame. These names are anagrams of the 4 band members: T.D. Ryan (R. Tandy), F.Y.J. Fennel (Jeff Lynne), G.U. Ruttock (K. Groucutt) and E.V. Nabbe (Bev Bevan). The record sleeve also contains a Secret Message. The front and back has a string of dots and dashes that is actually Morse Code and repeats "E L O": E (one dot), L (dot dash dot dot) and O (dash dash dash). The record was originally going to be a double album, but this plan was thwarted by Jet's distributor, CBS Records, claiming that producing a double vinyl album would be too expensive; as a result, leader Jeff Lynne would have to reduce it to a single album. Three singles were released from the album in the UK: Rock 'n' Roll Is King, the title track and Four Little Diamonds. In the US, Rock 'n' Roll Is King, Four Little Diamonds and Stranger were issued. Rock 'n' Roll Is King became the band's last UK Top 20 hit. The song Letter from Spain was used as backing music in commercials for the Games of the XXV Olympiad, held in 1992 in Barcelona. The songs After All and Buildings Have Eyes from the original intended double album concept were released as b-sides to Rock 'n' Roll Is King and Secret Messages respectively. The song Endless Lies was later re-recorded for the band’s subsequently-released Balance of Power album. Three additional songs, Hello My Old Friend, a string-laden eight-minute long tribute to the band's home town Birmingham, Mandalay and No Way Out (along with aforementioned Buildings Have Eyes) appeared on the Afterglow box set released in 1990.
Portions of our "About the Record" section are taken from information gathered from Wikipedia and AllMusic.

TRACK LISTING Secret Messages Loser Gone Wild Bluebird Take Me On And On Four Little Diamonds Stranger Danger Ahead Letter From Spain Train Of Gold Rock 'n' Roll Is King

Important (please read): Our used records are play-tested in their entirety and rated accordingly. We DO NOT necessarily make note of, or take into consideration, any visual imperfections that do not affect the sound while being played on our record players (your record player may give slightly different results). If you would like a visual description of the vinyl itself, please ask, and we will be happy to provide one for you. Please to find other items (and sign-up for our Weekly Newsletter of newly-listed items and specials). If there is another title by the same (or a similar) artist that you don't see listed in our store, please contact us - we take requests!! We usually ship orders three (3) business days, or sooner, after payment is completed (the day of purchase, Holidays and weekends are not business days). Please take note of the estimated delivery date (which is located at the top of the page, beneath the price box). Media mail sometimes takes longer than the estimate shown. If you need your order more quickly, please select an expedited service at check-out. US Protectorates, Hawaii, Alaska, International, APO, and FPO orders can take longer to arrive (sometimes up to several months), but will be shipped in the time stated. Promotional shipping offer: $4.99 flat S&H for orders totaling $60 or more for 2+ albums. For orders under $60, we combine shipping (it will be calculated at check-out or sent through an invoice). * The best coupon is selected for you at checkout. Coupons do not combine with each other. Coupons do not apply when "best offer" is accepted. Applies to sealed old-stock and used vinyl. **NOTE: If multiple copies of the same album are available at the time of your purchase, you will receive the copy listed at the time. Another copy will replace it with different pictures and a different condition description, possibly even a different pressing.

Keywords: lp, album, vinyl, record, 1980s, 80s, Electric Light Orchestra, Secret Messages, ELO, Rock 'n' Roll Is King, Four Little Diamonds, Stranger