Wild West Hero

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1978 single by Electric Light Orchestra

"Wild West Hero"

Single by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album  Out of the Blue
B-side| "Eldorado"
Released| 26 May 1978[1]
Recorded| 1977
Studio| Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany
Genre| Art rock
Length| 4:41
Label| Jet
Songwriter(s)| Jeff Lynne
Producer(s)| Jeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology
| "Sweet Talkin' Woman"
(1978)  | "Wild West Hero"
(1978)  | "It's Over"
(1978)

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"Wild West Hero" is a song by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), and the closing track and third single from the album Out of the Blue. The song was written reputedly by lead singer Jeff Lynne in four minutes while on holiday. Melvyn Gale, normally the band's cellist, provided the Western-style piano for this track.

It entered the UK Top 40 at No. 31 in June 1978 but fell to number 36 the following week. Thanks to a rush-release in 12" format on yellow vinyl, its fortunes were reversed a week later, and within six weeks it had risen to a peak position of number 6.[2] Coincidentally this was also the highest UK position achieved by the group's previous single, "Mr. Blue Sky", and the next two, "Sweet Talkin' Woman" and "Shine a Little Love".

The chorus of the song has the same chord progression as Pachelbel's Canon's but transposed from D to G, which is the tonality of "Wild West Hero". The only exception is the 7th chord of the chorus, which is A instead of C.

## Chart history

[edit]

Chart (1978)  | Peak
position

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Irish Singles Chart[3] | 9
UK Singles Chart[2] | 6

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Music Week" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 27 May 1978. Retrieved 6 March 2022.
2. ^ a b "Electric Light Orchestra". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
3. ^ "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". Irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 6 March 2013. Enter Electric Light Orchestra in the Search by Artist field, then click Search.

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Electric Light Orchestra

* Jeff Lynne

* Bev Bevan
* Roy Wood
* Richard Tandy
* Mike Edwards
* Wilfred Gibson
* Hugh McDowell
* Mike de Albuquerque
* Colin Walker
* Mik Kaminski
* Kelly Groucutt
* Melvyn Gale

Studio albums|

* The Electric Light Orchestra (No Answer)
* ELO 2 (Electric Light Orchestra II)
* On the Third Day
* Eldorado
* Face the Music
* A New World Record
* Out of the Blue
* Discovery
* Time
* Secret Messages
* Balance of Power
* Zoom
* Alone in the Universe
* From Out of Nowhere

Live albums|

* The Night the Light Went On in Long Beach
* Live at Wembley '78
* Live at Winterland '76
* The BBC Sessions
* Live at the BBC
* Electric Light Orchestra Live
* Wembley or Bust

Soundtracks|

* Xanadu

Compilations|

* Showdown
* Olé ELO
* The Light Shines On
* Three Light Years
* The Light Shines On Vol 2
* ELO's Greatest Hits
* A Box of Their Best
* Four Light Years
* Afterglow
* ELO's Greatest Hits Vol. 2
* The Very Best of the Electric Light Orchestra
* Strange Magic
* Light Years
* Definitive Collection
* Friends & Relatives
* Flashback
* The Ultimate Collection
* The Essential Electric Light Orchestra
* All Over the World
* Ticket to the Moon
* The Essential Electric Light Orchestra (2 CD Edition)
* Mr. Blue Sky

Singles|

* "10538 Overture"
* "Mr. Radio" (withdrawn)
* "Roll Over Beethoven"
* "Showdown"
* "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle"
* "Can't Get It Out of My Head" / "Illusions in G Major"
* "Boy Blue" / "Eldorado"
* "Evil Woman"
* "Strange Magic"
* "Nightrider"
* "Strange Magic"
* "Livin' Thing" / "Fire On High"
* "Rockaria!"
* "Do Ya"
* "Telephone Line" / "Poor Boy (The Greenwood)"
* "Turn to Stone" / "Mister Kingdom"
* "Mr. Blue Sky" / "One Summer Dream"
* "Sweet Talkin' Woman"
* "Wild West Hero"
* "It's Over"
* "Shine a Little Love"
* "The Diary of Horace Wimp"
* "Don't Bring Me Down"
* "Confusion"
* "Last Train to London"
* "I'm Alive"
* "Xanadu" (with Olivia Newton-John)
* "All Over the World"
* "Don't Walk Away"
* "Hold On Tight"
* "Twilight"
* "Here Is the News" / "Ticket to the Moon"
* "Rain Is Falling"
* "The Way Life's Meant to Be"
* "Rock 'n' Roll Is King"
* "Secret Messages"
* "Four Little Diamonds"
* "Stranger"
* "Calling America"
* "So Serious"
* "Getting to the Point"

Videography|

* Out of the Blue: Live at Wembley (1980)
* Fusion – Live in London (1990)
* Zoom Tour Live (2001)
* ELO – Total Rock Review (2006)
* Live: The Early Years (2010)
* Jeff Lynne's ELO: Live in Hyde Park (2015)
* Wembley or Bust (2017)

Tours|

* Jeff Lynne's ELO Tour 2019
* The Over and Out Tour (2024–25)

Touring members|

* Louis Clark
* Dave Morgan
* Gregg Bissonette
* Matt Bissonette
* Marc Mann
* Rosie Vela

Related articles|

* Discography
* Members
* Song list
* The Move
* Wizzard
* ELO Part II
* The Orchestra
* Violinski
* Earthrise
* L.E.O.
* Juliana Hatfield Sings ELO

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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