Telephone Line (Electric Light Orchestra song)

"Telephone Line"
Single by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album A New World Record
B-side	"Poor Boy (The Greenwood)" (US) "Poor Boy (The Greenwood)" and "King of the Universe" (Double B-side UK only)
Released	21 May 1977 (UK) May 1977 (US)
Format	7" single
Recorded	1976 at Musicland Studios, Munich
Genre	Progressive pop
Length	4:39 (Album/UK single version) 3:56 (US single edit)
Label	Jet (UK) United Artists (US)
Songwriter(s)	Jeff Lynne
Producer(s)	Jeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology
"Do Ya" (1977) "Telephone Line" (1977) "Turn to Stone" (1977)
"Do Ya" (1977) "Telephone Line" (1977) "Turn to Stone" (1977)
A New World Record track listing
9 tracks  Side one "Tightrope" "Telephone Line" "Rockaria!" "Mission (A World Record)" Side two "So Fine" "Livin' Thing" "Above the Clouds" "Do Ya" "Shangri-La"

"Telephone Line"
Song by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra
Released	8 October 2012 (UK) 9 October 2012 (US)
Recorded	2001–2012 Bungalow Palace
Length	4:30
Label	Frontiers
Songwriter(s)	Jeff Lynne
Producer(s)	Jeff Lynne
Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra track listing
12 tracks  "Mr. Blue Sky" "Evil Woman" "Strange Magic" "Don't Bring Me Down" "Turn to Stone" "Showdown" "Telephone Line" "Livin' Thing" "Do Ya" "Can't Get It Out of My Head" "10538 Overture" "Point of No Return"

"Telephone Line" is a song by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).

The song is track two on their 1976 album, A New World Record, and was the final single to be released from the album until September 2006, when "Surrender" was released from the expanded reissue of the album. It became their biggest single success in the US and was their first UK gold award for a single. With ELO's continuing success in America it seemed obvious to Jeff Lynne to use an American ring tone during the song. Writer/guitarist, Lynne explained:

The song charted in the Top Ten in both the UK and the US, peaking at number 8 in the UK and number 7 in the US. The tune was on the Hot 100 for 23 weeks, nearly a full month longer on that chart than any other ELO tune. Billboard ranked it as the No. 15 song of 1977. In 1977, the song would reach number 1 in New Zealand and Canada. "Telephone Line" and Meri Wilson's "Telephone Man" were back-to-back on Hot 100's top 40 for two non-consecutive weeks in the summer of 1977.

As was the norm, many ELO singles were issued in different colours, but the US version of this single was the only green single ELO issued. It became the band's first single to achieve Gold sales figures.

"Telephone Line" is the theme song of the 1977 film Joyride starring Desi Arnaz, Jr., Robert Carradine, Melanie Griffith, and Anne Lockhart, directed by Joseph Ruben. The song is also featured in the movie Billy Madison when Billy (Adam Sandler) phones a former high school classmate, played by Steve Buscemi, to apologize for picking on him.

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Wikipedia