elo - 'don't bring me down' c or d?

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whilst rooting through some old 7"s, i came across a copy of this that i must have accidentally put in some old n.w.o.b.h.m. sleeve 20 years ago and forgotten all about. in the interim, i know stereo mc's have sampled it and opel bastards have covered it but i haven't heard the original since way back then. it sounds mighty fine to me but i'm not sure whether this is due to nostalgic yearnings for an innocent childhood.

anyhow, even better is the fact that bev bevan keeps such a steady beat throughout the song that i can mix it in it's entirety through some microhouse record. i'm going to try it out at my disco tonight but if you heard this, would you dance with a smile or run to the bar?

― stirmonster, Sunday, 22 September 2002 12:43 (twenty-three years ago)

they ended two LPs with uptempo rock'n'roll style tracks in complete contrast to the rest of the album - this one on the disco-ish 'Discovery', and 'Hold On Tight' on 'Time'.

more recently, i think the drums on Felix Da Housecat's 'Control Freaq' are from this.

probably classic, but i have a huge soft spot for ELO...

― michael (michael), Sunday, 22 September 2002 13:00 (twenty-three years ago)

dance with a smile, without question.

― megan, Sunday, 22 September 2002 13:01 (twenty-three years ago)

Classic classic classic for all the reasons mentioned plus that odd little guitar non-solo and that great big "nonononononononoNO". For some reason the beat reminds me of a chopped-and-channeled version of Sly and the Family Stone's "Dance to the Music", streamlined for maximum dance-pop efficiency. I'm waiting with crossed fingers for Super Furry Animals to do something this great (and they got pretty damn close with "Rings Around the World").

I should probably mention that I used to detest this song. I got better though. And how about a Taking Sides: ELO's "Don't Bring Me Down" vs. the Animals' "Don't Bring Me Down"? (Animals win by a hair 'cos of my fuzz guitar/organ bias.)

― Nate Patrin, Sunday, 22 September 2002 15:02 (twenty-three years ago)

they ended two LPs with uptempo rock'n'roll style tracks in complete contrast to the rest of the album
They did this with the album Secret Messages as well, with the big rockin' hit single at the end, though admittedly there WAS more rock throughout that album than on the others. As for the issue of the song in question, I like it a lot but I have no clue what it's about. And what the hell is the "gross" bit after "Don't bring me down"? I always used to think they were singing "Bruce" (conincidentally my dad's name) and wondered what Bruce had done to bring them down.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Sunday, 22 September 2002 15:05 (twenty-three years ago)

I always used to think they were singing "Bruce"

Yeah, same here. I thought it was some cryptic rant against Bruce Springsteen.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 22 September 2002 16:13 (twenty-three years ago)

BWAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!!!

I had forgotten about ELO!!!

Don't Bring Me Down is the title of my rubbish ex-boyfriend's rubbish Eagles covers band's rubbish album! And they're too young to know!

Oh, the screaming hilarity!

― kate, Sunday, 22 September 2002 17:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Classic. The rest of ELO... eh.

― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 22 September 2002 18:33 (twenty-three years ago)

I always thought that ELO's "Don't Bring Me Down" would have been the perfect song for Love And Rockets to cover.

Maybe for the next When Pigs Fly album...

― Chris Barrus (xibalba), Sunday, 22 September 2002 19:12 (twenty-three years ago)

!!! A brilliant observation, actually!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 22 September 2002 20:09 (twenty-three years ago)

The Super Furries would do an amazing version of said song, too... oh, wait...

― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 22 September 2002 20:12 (twenty-three years ago)

D'oh!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 22 September 2002 20:31 (twenty-three years ago)

I love the drum sound on that song

― brg30 (brg30), Sunday, 22 September 2002 21:23 (twenty-three years ago)

in case anyone is interested - the dancefloor gave a resounding DUD.

― stirmonster, Monday, 23 September 2002 04:19 (twenty-three years ago)

well i liked it, thought it sounded great.

― fonso, Thursday, 26 September 2002 22:16 (twenty-three years ago)

I bought "Discover" when it came out! I liked ELO a lot as a kid; I guess I still do, although I don't really play them. I used to dj (just music, no dance floor), and I used to play their "Ma Ma Ma Bell" every now and then.

― Sean (Sean), Thursday, 26 September 2002 22:28 (twenty-three years ago)

that's "Discovery"...

― Sean (Sean), Thursday, 26 September 2002 22:28 (twenty-three years ago)

but we all know u r a man of taste fonso.

― stirmonster, Thursday, 26 September 2002 22:29 (twenty-three years ago)

stirmonster where do you spin?

(haha your audience are obviously insane!! as this song is great.)

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 26 September 2002 22:30 (twenty-three years ago)

Wait a minute - they aren't saying 'Bruce'?

― James Blount (James Blount), Thursday, 26 September 2002 22:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Groooss!

― Sean (Sean), Thursday, 26 September 2002 23:04 (twenty-three years ago)

here

― stirmonster, Thursday, 26 September 2002 23:06 (twenty-three years ago)

nice! (if probably a bit too "eclectic" for my tastes. but then i'm a fascist like that.)

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 26 September 2002 23:22 (twenty-three years ago)

fuck you spammer%%%

j/k stirry. you ILM much?

― gygax!, Thursday, 26 September 2002 23:49 (twenty-three years ago)

i've been petitioning the oed to ban the word 'eclectic'.

and gygax, i ILM from time to time.

― stirmonster, Thursday, 26 September 2002 23:54 (twenty-three years ago)

stirmonster, that sep 22nd playlist is awesome

and yes, DBMD is a classic. It'll always be "Bruce" they sing as far as I'm concerned...

― Jeff W (Jeff W), Friday, 27 September 2002 09:07 (twenty-three years ago)

What the hell are they saying if not 'Bruce'!? I've thought it was that since childhood!

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Friday, 27 September 2002 16:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Oops, Sean already answered my question, I think. Hard to tell if you're kidding, but your answer makes as much sense as 'Bruce'.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Friday, 27 September 2002 16:56 (twenty-three years ago)

It's definitely "grooosss" according to the liner notes in the album. And yeah, you're right, it doesn't make any more sense..I'd even go so far as to say it makes less.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Friday, 27 September 2002 17:51 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, I always saw it as some sort of sly Springsteen commentary a la Rick Springfield "Don't Call Me Bruce".

― James Blount (James Blount), Saturday, 28 September 2002 10:43 (twenty-three years ago)

elo's drummer, bev bevan, is one of the few drummers that keep time perfectly. karen carpenter does too. strange that. i have too many frightening childhood memories regarding elo. my brother was in the elo fan club, had big posters and badges, i'm not talking about the dinky button ones either, big ones, the size of yr fist. still have a soft spot for out of the blue though. ...must be the cover though. er

― frenchbloke, Sunday, 6 October 2002 07:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Chooka chook koo la lay (that's what they say).

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Sunday, 6 October 2002 20:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Guys named Bev=classic.

― Arthur (Arthur), Sunday, 6 October 2002 20:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, but guys named Bev that try to keep a band going even after the only guy that wrote songs for them takes off = dud.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Sunday, 6 October 2002 20:22 (twenty-three years ago)

I've just discovered the b-side, "Dreaming of 4000", is Classic too. Fabulous proggy nonsense!

― Jeff W (Jeff W), Monday, 7 October 2002 07:37 (twenty-three years ago)

you mean they're NOT saying, "Bruce"? that's fucked up.

and was this the ELO song that used to be in all those eighties coffee commercials (you remember, the ones with Kurt Vonnegut and Bowie and some NFL wide receiver?)

― Tad (llamasfur), Monday, 7 October 2002 07:41 (twenty-three years ago)

they put that on the B-side? that's from an early album 'On the Third Day', which is also great (and from when they still had a huge line-up).

― michael (michael), Monday, 7 October 2002 07:43 (twenty-three years ago)

This is the only song anyone has ever 'downloaded' from my computer, in a rather groovy Jive Bunny-style extended version. Imagine my surprise, etc.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller), Monday, 7 October 2002 08:59 (twenty-three years ago)

grooosss? WTF.. Though I suppose it makes about as much sense as "you're looking good, just like a snake in the grass"

― Kim (Kim), Monday, 7 October 2002 09:58 (twenty-three years ago)

it's the next line that always gets me: "One of these days..." (you're sure the rhyme's gonna be "ass" but...) "...you're going to break your glass".

Huh?

― Jeff W, Monday, 7 October 2002 10:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Breaking your glass is certainly a lot more feasible than breaking your ass.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 7 October 2002 12:48 (twenty-three years ago)

but why 'break' [anything]?

― Jeff W (Jeff W), Monday, 7 October 2002 13:10 (twenty-three years ago)

The liner notes may say "gross", but they are definitely singing "Bruce". Or "groose" maybe, but that wouldn't mean anything, would it?

― Dan I., Monday, 7 October 2002 15:19 (twenty-three years ago)

two months pass...

actually, they are saying "GRUESS" which is what they say in Munich, where it was recorded, as a greeting in Bavaria. Gruess Gott is the phrase, but as they didn't speak German, they got it slightly wrong. It's an in-joke from ELO.

And I wish I'd heard them play it at Optimo. I would have danced. I play it out. It bewilders some, but very good in pubs...

― Ms. Mingo-go, Tuesday, 10 December 2002 01:03 (twenty-three years ago)

I'd like to hear this microhouse bootthing. Could you upload it somewhere, Stirmonster?

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Tuesday, 10 December 2002 11:24 (twenty-three years ago)

i didn't record it - it was just a live mix i did.

― stirmonster, Tuesday, 10 December 2002 12:36 (twenty-three years ago)

five years pass...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTjy_LW8DGM

this video would be classic just for the dancing neon chick with the fat thighs -- baby got back!

― Eisbaer, Monday, 10 December 2007 07:03 (eighteen years ago)

three months pass...

I always thought that ELO's "Don't Bring Me Down" would have been the perfect song for Love And Rockets to cover.

Probably. As it turns out, Don't Bring Me Downis a pretty good song for The New Pornographers to cover.

― Daniel, Esq., Tuesday, 11 March 2008 22:15 (eighteen years ago)

three months pass...

c c c c c

so epiccccc

dont bring me down - BRUCE!

― deeznuts, Monday, 23 June 2008 21:10 (seventeen years ago)

ya ba*stard.
now i'll have that looped in my head all night and not be able to sleep.
still despite my forthcoming sleepless night, its a total classic.

― mark e, Monday, 23 June 2008 21:12 (seventeen years ago)

yeah this song is deadly no doubt

has there ever been a higher rate of hooks/per second in any song ever?

― deeznuts, Monday, 23 June 2008 21:14 (seventeen years ago)

I don't like this song that much. "The Diary Of Horace Wimp" is ace though.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 23 June 2008 23:51 (seventeen years ago)

geir i thought u wuz supposed to love love love this song based on the stereotype of you i has in mind?

this horace wimp one is sounding a little too corny for even my tastes

― deeznuts, Tuesday, 24 June 2008 00:56 (seventeen years ago)

Isn't this song too bluesy for Geir?

Anyways, yeah, totally kills.

― call all destroyer, Tuesday, 24 June 2008 01:33 (seventeen years ago)

is it possible Geir is solely trying to take the piss out of us with his comments? to Geir: no offense intended.
i guess dbmd is a classic. but my question is: can a classic also suck?

― outdoor_miner, Tuesday, 24 June 2008 01:38 (seventeen years ago)

seriously geir is there any better single moment in pop music history than "dont bring be down, BR-R-R-UCE!"

cuz id love to see you try to troll me on that one

― deeznuts, Tuesday, 24 June 2008 02:29 (seventeen years ago)

just listened to this for the first time in a while yesterday and was struck by how ready for the dancefloor it is.

great track

― gr8080, Tuesday, 24 June 2008 02:34 (seventeen years ago)

This song rules.

― Raw Patrick, Tuesday, 24 June 2008 07:43 (seventeen years ago)

i love this one, but when we played it out at a club it killed the dancefloor :-( :-(

― the next grozart, Tuesday, 24 June 2008 08:01 (seventeen years ago)

No wonder with the ploddy beats of top Tory drummer Bev "Bev" Bevan to contend with.

The first ELO hit without strings, and true to form the string players received their P45s shortly thereafter.

― Dingbod Kesterson, Tuesday, 24 June 2008 10:23 (seventeen years ago)

one year passes...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctxLMTjS3HY

cheerleader chick w/ thunderthighs ...

o_O

― Getting My Volcano On (Eisbaer), Friday, 16 April 2010 03:23 (sixteen years ago)

Would put this in my top 100 singles of all time. It's so HUGE.

I did a cover of this one time where for some reason I sang the lyrics from "Junior's Farm" by Wings instead. I think basically the lyrics could be anything and this would still work.

― Doctor Casino, Friday, 16 April 2010 03:34 (sixteen years ago)

yeah, this is a crazy question. CLASSIC, obv. i love when the new pornographers cover this song.

― Daniel, Esq., Friday, 16 April 2010 03:36 (sixteen years ago)

Jeff Lynne is a genius (also see my minutes ago Roy Orbison revive, just loving his whole thing these days.) what's he do these days anyway?

― Stormy Davis, Friday, 16 April 2010 03:39 (sixteen years ago)

doctor casino, i once covered this on acoustic but changed it to a minor key - completely different feel to the song.

― village idiot (dog latin), Friday, 16 April 2010 09:48 (sixteen years ago)

best song

― call all destroyer, Friday, 16 April 2010 13:33 (sixteen years ago)

Around this time, I found that a lot of ELO singles were nicked off the Beatles.

This one is nicked off the Pretty Things. (The title is off the Beatles too)

― Mark G, Friday, 16 April 2010 13:37 (sixteen years ago)

57 varieties of awesome

― aarrissi-a-roni, Friday, 16 April 2010 23:03 (sixteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7B47goFj3M

― Hideous Lump, Saturday, 17 April 2010 03:23 (sixteen years ago)

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