"Fire On High"
Single by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album Face the Music
A-side
Released29 October 1976 (UK)
February 1978 (US)
Recorded1975
GenreArt rock, progressive rock[1]
Length5:31
4:01 (US single version)
LabelJet/United Artists (UK)
United Artists (US)
Songwriter(s)Jeff Lynne
Producer(s)Jeff Lynne
Face the Music track listing
8 tracks
Side one
  1. "Fire On High"
  2. "Waterfall"
  3. "Evil Woman"
  4. "Nightrider"
Side two
  1. "Poker"
  2. "Strange Magic"
  3. "Down Home Town"
  4. "One Summer Dream"

"Fire on High" is the opening instrumental track from the 1975 Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) album Face the Music.

The song was the UK B-side to the band's worldwide hit single "Livin' Thing", issued in blue vinyl. It was also later included — in an edited form minus the backwards vocals — as the flip side of the United States hit single "Sweet Talkin' Woman" in 1978.

Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian rated it as ELO's 7th best song, saying that "From the song’s creepy opening to the sports-themed glass-sounding mighty guitar riff, it has remained one of the most interesting and exciting Electric Light Orchestra songs in the band’s catalog."[2]

Stereogum contributor Ryan Reed rated it as ELO's 10th best song, saying that it "displays the complexity and widescreen scope of symphonic prog, but with a playfulness that many of the era’s legends often lacked."[3]

Something Else! critic Mark Saleski said called it "a cool song, full of weird orchestration, violently strummed guitar, fusion-esque violin, and even (in the full version) a backwards masked message."[4]

Backmasking

The album version contains an opening with a backwards message; in reverse, a masked heavy voice (that of ELO drummer Bev Bevan) says, "The music is reversible, but time is not. Turn back! Turn back! Turn back! Turn back!" Ostensibly, this was Jeff Lynne's shot at backmasking hysteria, after satanic allegations were made against their song "Eldorado" by fundamentalist Christianity members.[5] Snippets of Messiah by Handel can be heard during the album opening as well.

Despite being almost entirely instrumental, the song's title can be faintly heard near the end of the track by the chanting chorus. During the beginning of the song, the instrumental takes inspiration from the Dies irae.

Other uses

"Fire on High" was used as the opening theme for the CBS Sports Spectacular TV show in the mid-1970s.[2] Currently, it is the opening and closing theme to "The Diner with Lou Simon," a weekly music-related talk show on SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

In 2000, the New Jersey Devils used the song, accompanied by visuals, in the opening ceremony for all their home games. Much of the song was also played prior to every Atlanta Thrashers home game.

A remix of "Fire on High" is played inside the "Astrosphere" at Funtown Splashtown USA in Saco, Maine. The attraction is a Scrambler ride inside a large dome.[6]


References

  1. ↑ Murphy, Sean (27 March 2017). "The 100 Best Classic Progressive Rock Songs: Part 2, 80-61". PopMatters. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
  2. 1 2 Kachejian, Brian. "Top 10 Electric Light Orchestra Songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  3. ↑ Reed, Ryan (7 January 2016). "The 10 Best ELO Songs". Stereogum. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  4. ↑ Saleski, Mark (14 February 2011). "Guilty pleasures: Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra". Something Else!. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  5. ↑ Big Secrets: Chapter 26, pages 200, 203, 204, 205 & 206. 0-688-04830-7
  6. ↑ "Astrosphere". Funtown Splashtown USA.


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