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Turn to Stone (Electric Light Orchestra song)

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"Turn to Stone"
Single by Electric Light Orchestra
from the album Out of the Blue
B-side"Mister Kingdom"
Released14 October 1977[1]
StudioMusicland, Munich, Germany
Genre
Length3:47
LabelJet
Songwriter(s)Jeff Lynne
Producer(s)Jeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology
"Telephone Line"
(1977) 		"Turn to Stone"
(1977) 		"Mr. Blue Sky"
(1978)
Music video
"Turn to Stone" on YouTube

"Turn to Stone" is a 1977 song by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO).

The song is the opening track to the double album Out of the Blue. It was the first song released as a single from the LP. The single reached No. 18 in the United Kingdom charts[2] and spent twelve weeks on the chart. Out of four singles from the album, "Turn to Stone" was the only song not to reach the top ten in the United Kingdom singles charts. The song reached No. 13 in the United States[3] and number nine in Canada in early 1978.[4]

The song was composed in Switzerland during Jeff Lynne's two-week writing marathon for his double album. Lynne played the Moog bassline of the song.

Lynne has called "Turn to Stone" one of his favorite songs, saying "It’s just so primary and simple, but yet very evocative. I love the shuffle beat."[5] Lynne has also said "There’s a part in the middle where I talk super fast. I just felt like it needed something simple in the middle of the song. I often used to put a funny little piece in a song just in case I get bored with it. I’d go, 'Well, maybe this is going on too long. I’ll think of something daft to put in there.'"[5]

On 4 November 2008, Lynne was awarded a BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) Million-Air certificate for "Turn to Stone" for having one million airplays.

Reviews

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AllMusic reviewer Zachary Curd called the song "Essentially a love song, 'Turn to Stone' is orchestrated, computerized, epic rock music courtesy of Jeff Lynne."[6] The song was also reviewed by Donald A. Guarisco who stated "This dynamic opener from the Out of the Blue album is a good example of Electric Light Orchestra's skill for mixing string-laden pop hooks with driving rock and roll." He also stated "It also works in an array of swirling string lines that dart in and out of the mix and some dazzling falsetto harmonies that interact with Lynne's lead vocal in call and response style".[7]

Billboard called "Turn to Stone" a "driving, high energy rocker" with a "demonic cello [setting] the pace."[8] Record World said of it that "Echoes of a dozen pop hits resonate through [the song], yet the record clearly bears the Jeff Lynne stamp."[9]

Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci rated it ELO's 5th best song, saying that it "comes with a Godzilla-size hook that stomps over everything in its way" and that the symphony of strings on the refrains is "awesome."[10]

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada — 75,000[25]
United Kingdom (BPI)[26] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[27] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Jeff Lynne solo version

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Jeff Lynne re-recorded the song in his home studio. It was released in a compilation album with other re-recorded ELO songs, under the ELO name.[28]

References

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  1. ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 54.
  2. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  3. ^ a b "Electric Light Orchestra – Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  4. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5458a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  5. ^ a b Potter, Jordan (6 December 2023). "The ELO song Jeff Lynne calls a favourite: "It's just so primary and simple"". Far Out. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  6. ^ Curd, Zachary. "Turn to Stone". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 4 January 2011.
  7. ^ Guarisco, Donald A. "Turn to Stone – Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
  8. ^ "Billboard's Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 19 November 1977. p. 98. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 19 November 1977. p. 1. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
  10. ^ Gallucci, Michael (30 December 2014). "Top 10 Electric Light Orchestra Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  11. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra – Turn To Stone" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  13. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra – Turn To Stone" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  14. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 49, 1977" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  15. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra – Turn To Stone" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  16. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra – Turn To Stone". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  17. ^ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (E)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  18. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  19. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra – Turn To Stone". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  20. ^ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JANUARY 21, 1978". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012.
  21. ^ "The Singles Chart" (PDF). Record World. 22 January 1978. p. 45. ISSN 0034-1622. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  22. ^ "Top 200 Singles of '78". RPM. Vol. 30, no. 14. Library and Archives Canada. 30 December 1978. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  23. ^ "Top 100 Hits for 1978". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  24. ^ "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1978". Cash Box. Archived from the original on 26 August 2012.
  25. ^ "Singles Still Sell At RCA" (PDF). Billboard. 1 April 1978. p. 75. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  26. ^ "British single certifications – Electric Light Orchestra – Turn to Stone". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  27. ^ "American single certifications – Electric Light Orchestra – Turn to Stone". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  28. ^ "Mr. Blue Sky – The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra". Elo.biz. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2013.
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