Mr. Blue Sky - Kenny MacRobbo cover ELO

[Johnny Robbo]

Another cover from me & Kenny. This always takes me back to my first year at "big" school - first girlfriend, first cigarette, first paper round... Ah, the memories!

I suggested this one to Kenny and it was only when I started to pick it apart that I realised I might have bitten off more than I could chew... it's a ridiculously complicated song, full of jazz chords like altered dominants & minor 9ths as well as changing key all over the place... but you don't get that sense when you listen to it. It's just a great catchy pop song... proof, if ever it were needed that you don;t have to dumb the music down to get a hit record.

Kenny absolutely nailed the vocals on this one, despite having the remnants of a cold.

Here's a bit more detail on how I did the backer if anyone's interested:

https://jrobsonguitar.wordpress.com/2016/02/10/building-a-backing-track-mr-blue-sky-by-e-l-o/

Thanks for listening, chaps!

[bruno]

... (speechless)
Brilliant.
B

[ODH]

Wow, how cool was that?

Huge song, huge performance.

My gob is suitably smacked.  I'm gobsmacked, I mean.

On point all the way through.

Don't know how you did that, to be honest.

...

 

[Pete C]

Wow.. quite an undertaking and what a fantastic achievement.  All the right bits and sounds in all the right places... what a talented pair you are !!

I remember my kid brother having this album and I used to rib him about it. Around '77 I think...I'd discovered punk and anything else was considered to be crap.  39 years on, with hindsight, I have to begrudgingly admit it was a pop classic!

Well done again !

Pete

[Flash Harry]

Delightful! Absolutely delightful.

I know how hard it is to take a song to bits and then put it back togther your own way.

Superb production, singing and playing, and the solo is spot on.

Just delightful.

[SE]

Well got to be one of the best cover I've heard here, the hole thing is there no corners cut, just great playing, production and vocals a cracker! !

[Redler]

I remember ELO!

When listening this, especially the rhythm track, I think it was very tricky to do! Stunning job! Thanks for the details, must get familiar with it!

Marvellous playing and singing, Johnny and Kenny!

[Oldrottenhead]

proof, if ever it were needed that you don;t have to dumb the music down to get a hit record.

yup, i was trying to play along to some buddy holly today and failed miserably.

belter guys, what a team.

[IanR]

I generally only write songs in Gmajor so I know what you mean when you say you steer away from complicated covers. I have been defeated many times and often have to "fake it" to get through them.

But you guys did THE job and it sounds great. Well done.

Ian

[Jean Pierre]

whow just fantastic sound ( and no comments about lead guitar too much good)

and thank you very much for the technical note added with the link...it s very interesting and we must make an similar technical note for all songs we put