The Night the Light Went On (In Long Beach) is a 1974 live album by the Electric Light Orchestra recorded at the Long Beach Auditorium in Long Beach, California and its title lampoons The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia by Vicki Lawrence from '73.

History

Although this live album was intended as the follow-up to On the Third Day, the original recording was marred by technical issues both on and off the stage. The problems started when the truck carrying the band's equipment broke down en-route to the venue, and the band did not have enough time to perform a proper sound check before the concert.

Ultimately, both ELO's UK and US labels decided against issuing The Night the Light Went On (in Long Beach). It only achieved "legitimate" release in Germany and a handful of other countries, although it was eventually issued in the UK in 1986. It was never released in the US.

Additionally, vinyl pressings of the album were of such poor quality that ELO's management eventually filed a lawsuit against the production company for compensation. The garish gatefold sleeve of the original album also contributed to its poor reception. The front cover showed a cartoony 50's-era horror film mob running in terror from an unseen source of light, with the album's title scrawled across the sleeve. The inside held distorted photos of the band performing onstage.

Restoration

A 1990s CD remastering and reissue corrected much of the poor sound quality of the original album and restored several songs to their full-length versions. It was discovered that the original LP pressing had been mastered using an inferior copy of the concert (according to the CD's liner notes, the tape used had been marked 'Rough Mix, Do Not Use'), hence the muddy sound. However, the original master tape was discovered in the record company's vault and the album was restored to its intended sound quality.

The album remains one of the few official live recordings of the classic ELO line-up.

Track listing

1. "Daybreaker" (Jeff Lynne) – 5:34
2. "Showdown" (Lynne) – 6:54
3. "Day Tripper" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 6:40
4. "10538 Overture" (Lynne) – 5:44
5. "Mik's Solo/Orange Blossom Special" (Mik Kaminski / E. T. Rouse) – 2:28
6. "In The Hall Of The Mountain King" / "Great Balls of Fire" (Edvard Grieg / Jack Hammer & Otis Blackwell) – 8:35
7. "Roll Over Beethoven" (Chuck Berry) – 4:25

Personnel

• Jeff Lynne - vocals, guitar
• Bev Bevan - drums
• Richard Tandy - keyboards
• Mike de Albuquerque - bass, backing vocals
• Mik Kaminski - violin
• Hugh McDowell - cello
• Mike Edwards - cello