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Livin' Thing

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Not to be confused with Living Thing.

"Livin' Thing"
Single by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album A New World Record
B-side
Released
  • 4 October 1976 (US)
  • 13 November 1976 (UK)
RecordedMusicland Studios, Munich; 1976
Length3:32
Label
United Artists (US)
Songwriter(s)Jeff Lynne
Producer(s)Jeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology
"Nightrider"
(1976) 		"Livin' Thing"
(00000006) 		"Rockaria!"
(1977)
Music video
"Livin' Thing" on YouTube
Alternative cover

"Livin' Thing" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and performed by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It appears on ELO's 1976 album A New World Record. Patti Quatro, Brie Brandt, both of Fanny, and Addie Lee sang uncredited vocals, particularly the "higher and higher" parts.[1]

In August 2006, "Livin' Thing" was named by the UK's Q as the number 1 "Guilty Pleasure" single of all time – a list designed to celebrate "uncool" but excellent records, and which received considerable publicity.[2] The original single had the bonus of having "Fire On High" on the flip side, a tune that became the band's most popular instrumental piece. The UK version was released in a blue vinyl format.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1976–77) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[3] 2
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[4] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[5] 8
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[6] 41
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[7] 8
Invalid chart entered Germany2 5
Ireland (IRMA)[8] 6
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[9] 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 4
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[12] 1
Spain (AFE)[13] 11
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14] 17
UK Singles (OCC)[15] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[16] 13
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[17] 36
US Cash Box[18] 10
US Record World[19] 10

Year-end charts

Chart (1976) Rank
Canada (RPM Top 200 Singles)[20] 106
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[21] 85
Chart (1977) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[22] 27
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[23] 25
Canada (RPM Top 200 Singles)[24] 106
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[25] 16
US Billboard Hot 100[26] 77

Jeff Lynne version

"Livin' Thing"
Song

Jeff Lynne re-recorded the song in his own home studio. It was released in a compilation album with other re-recorded ELO songs, under the ELO name.[27]

Covers

In 2001, PFR covered the track on the album Lynne Me Your Ears – A Tribute to the Music of Jeff Lynne.

In 2004, The Beautiful South covered the track for their covers album Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs. It reached number 24 on the UK charts and number 26 on the Irish charts.[28][29]

Livin' Thing – CD1 (Sony Music UK; 6753711)
  1. Livin' Thing [3:17]
  2. I'm Living Good [4:00]
Livin' Thing – CD2 (Sony Music UK; 6753712)
  1. Livin' Thing [3:17]
  2. Lovin' You [2:53]
  3. Another Night with the Boys [3:32]
Chart (2004) Peak
position
Ireland (IRMA)[28] 26
UK Singles (OCC)[29] 24

Uses in other media

The song has appeared on the soundtrack to the 1997 film, Boogie Nights, the 2005 film Tjenare kungen, the 2007 film, Chaos Theory and the 2011 film Hunky Dory.

In 2017, "Livin' Thing" was one of several ELO songs chosen to backdrop Telltale's Guardians of the Galaxy game.[30] The 2017 Guardians sequel of the 2014 original film also contains music from ELO.[31]

References

  1. ^ Quatro, Suzi (2008). Unzipped. Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-93751-8.
  2. ^ "ELO top 'guilty secret' song list". BBC News Online. 2 August 2006. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  3. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970—1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  4. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra – Livin' Thing" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  5. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra – Livin' Thing" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 4446." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  7. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5169a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  8. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Living Thing". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
  9. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Electric Light Orchestra - Thing" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  10. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra – Livin' Thing" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  11. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra – Livin' Thing". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  12. ^ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (E)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  13. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  14. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra – Livin' Thing". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  15. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  16. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
  17. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 79.
  18. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending DECEMBER 25, 1976". Archived from the original on 5 March 2013.. Cash Box magazine.
  19. ^ "Song artist 137 – Electric Light Orchestra". TsorT. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  20. ^ "Top Singles – Volume 26, No. 14 & 15, January 08 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  21. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1976" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  22. ^ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1970s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  23. ^ "Jahreshitparade 1977" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  24. ^ "Top Singles – Volume 28, No. 14, December 31, 1977". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  25. ^ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1977". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
  26. ^ "Top 100 Hits for 1977". The Longbored Surfer. Archived from the original on 28 January 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2014. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ "Mr. Blue Sky – The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra". Elo.biz. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
  28. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Livin' Thing". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  29. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  30. ^ Virtue, Graeme (4 April 2017). "Telltale's Guardians of the Galaxy gets off to a great start". Eurogamer. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  31. ^ Lewis, Rebecca (19 April 2017). "The Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack is full of 70s goodness". Metro. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
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