Awesome Elo

As we’ve seen in recent videos, AI technology is getting very good at creating art. SolarProphet has been using the AI tech Midjourney to create images based on song lyrics and posted this great sequence of digital art based on the ELO classic Mr. Blue Sky. Not every image lines up perfectly, but it’s still really well done.

The ELO track Mr. Blue Sky has turned up in a variety of movies and cover versions over the years. Now, The Muppets join that list with a joyful rendition of the tune by Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. The performance is part of the Dear Earth special, celebrating our planet and helping to raise awareness about climate change.

The Electric Light Orchestra song Mr. Blue Sky is one of the most joyful tunes out there. So it’s no wonder that filmmakers have used it so often to bring a little light into their movies. Editor Jovi Prata compiled this montage of movie scenes that featured the track, from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to Paul Blart: Mall Cop.

Music technologist and producer Jay Harrison built this machine he calls an Electromechanical Lithophone. It uses a series of servos and hammers to strike metal plates and play music. Sit back and enjoy as it performs Paul Simon’s You Can Call Me Al, along with ELO’s Mr. Blue Sky.

You know, it’s basically impossible to listen to a Pomplamoose performance without it bringing a smile to your face. We were certainly grinning here as we listened to their bright and cheerful cover of Mr. Blue Sky that both nods to Electric Light Orchestra, and makes it their own.

From its wild popularity in the 1970s to its appearance in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Electric Light Orchestra’s joyfully symphonic classic Mr. Blue Sky is an indelible part of our cultural history. Polyphonic dives into Jeff Lynne’s inspiration for the track, and how it fits into the bigger picture of Out of the Blue.

While it’s not as awe-inspiring as 28 people playing Bohemian Rhapsody, musicians Christopher Bill and Seb Skelly’s all-brass cover version of ELO’s 1977 classic Mr. Blue Sky is sonically spot-on, and the perfect pick-me-up for a grey and dreary day.

Puddles Pity Party masterfully performs a smoosh-up of Electric Light Orchestra’s classic Telephone Line and Adele’s hit Hello, applying his smooth and buttery voice to two tracks about reaching out and touching someone.

Jeff Lynne has continued to produce and create music since the heyday of Electric Light Orchestra, and he’s still got it. His latest single is a reflection on his own childhood dreams, and Warren Fu’s video is a love letter to Lynne himself. From the album Alone in the Universe.