Jungle Electric Light Orchestra

Jungle Album: Out of the Blue (1977)
by The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO)

The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are a band formed in Birmingham England in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop and classical arrangements with futuristic iconography. After Wood's departure in 1972, Lynne became the band's sole leader, arranging and producing every album while writing nearly all of their original material. For their initial tenure, Lynne, Bevan, and keyboardist Richard Tandy were the group's only consistent members.

Out of the Blue is the seventh studio album, released on 28 October 1977. Written and produced by ELO frontman Jeff Lynne, the double album is among the most commercially successful records in the group's history, selling about 10 million copies worldwide by 2007.

" Jungle " is a song written by Jeff Lynne which first appeared as an album track from the 1977 album Out of the Blue. According to the band members' opinions, recording Jungle was a lot of fun owing to the various types of sound effects, the upbeat tune, and the jungle animal noises provided by Lynne, Bev Bevan, and Kelly Groucutt.

The album had 4 million pre-ordered copies and quickly went multi-Platinum upon release. Out of the Blue spawned five hit singles in different countries, and was ELO's most commercially successful studio album. It was also the first double album in the history of the UK music charts to generate four top twenty hit singles. Lynne considers A New World Record and Out of the Blue to be the group's crowning achievements, and both sold extremely well, reaching multi-platinum according to RIAA Certification. Capital Radio and The Daily Mirror Rock and Pop Awards (forerunner to The Brit Awards) named it "Album of the Year" in 1978. Lynne received his first Ivor Novello award for Outstanding Contributions to British Music the same year.

The US release of Out of the Blue was originally distributed by United Artists. This changed after United Artists Records was sold by Transamerica Corporation to an EMI Records-backed partnership, which triggered Jet Records' change of control clause in its distribution contract, and Jet shifted to CBS Records as its new distributor. American cut-out copies of Out of the Blue soon became widely available at discounted prices in record shops in the US and Canada shortly after the album's release, affecting the album's sales and triggering lawsuits by CBS and Jet. The suits were ultimately unsuccessful in stopping the discounted sales.

Jungle
Electric Light Orchestra
Written by: Jeff Lynne
Album: Out of the Blue
Released: 1977

I was standin' in the jungle, I was feeling alright
I was wanderin' in the darkness in the middle of the night
The moon began to shine, I saw a clearing ahead
But what's that goin' on? I think I'm out of my head

(Chooka-chooka, hoo la ley)
(Looka-looka, koo la ley)

A hundred animals were gathered 'round this night
And they were singin' out a lovely song under the pale moonlight
I stood and stared for quite a while
Then a lion sang to me and smiled
"Come join us if you so desire"

They sang
(Chooka-chooka, hoo la ley)
That's what they sang
(Looka-looka, koo la ley)
And then turned away
(Chooka-chooka, hoo la ley)
That's what they sang
(Looka-looka, koo la ley)

I said, "Now, please, explain the meaning of this song you sing"
("Wondrous is our great Blue Ship
That sails around the mighty Sun
And joy to everyone that rides along")

Oh, they sang
(Chooka-chooka, hoo la ley)
That's what they sang
(Looka-looka, koo la ley)
Oh, that's nice
And they danced

Pretty soon I knew the tune
And we sat and sang under the moon
And the jungle rang in joyful harmony

They sang
(Chooka-chooka, hoo la ley)
That's what they sang
(Looka-looka, koo la ley)
And then turned away
(Chooka-chooka, hoo la ley)
That's what they sang
(Looka-looka, koo la ley)

Wondrous is our great Blue Ship
That sails around the mighty Sun
Joy to everyone that rides along