Do Ya (The Move song)
 |
| "Do Ya" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| A-side | "California Man" |
"Do Ya" is a song written by Jeff Lynne and recorded by The Move, that became a hit for the Electric Light Orchestra (led by Jeff Lynne, ELO originally being a side project of The Move) in 1976.
Original version by The Move
Written by Jeff Lynne in 1971, it was one of two songs featured on the B-side of the UK hit "California Man" credited to The Move (the other was Roy Wood's "Ella James"). In the United States the B-side proved to be more popular than the A and so the song became The Move's only hit in the U.S. albeit a minor one (#93 on the Hot 100 chart). The song was originally titled "Look Out Baby, There's a Plane A-Comin'" (which is sung by Roy Wood at the end of the song). The song was later included on the 2005 remastered version of the Message from the Country album, in both the original single version and an alternate take.
The song was recorded on the same multireel tapes alongside the ELO tracks "From The Sun To The World" and "In Old England Town", the two songs that Roy Wood appeared on from the ELO 2 album.
The song inspired Tom Petty to write the US hit single "Change of Heart" in 1982.
Covers
- 1975 - Todd Rundgren's Utopia - on the Another Live album
- 1976 - Mike Sheridan - on the Elmer Goodbody, Jnr. album
- 1989 - Ace Frehley - on his third solo album Trouble Walkin'
- 1997 - Matthew Sweet - on the various artist compilation Live From 6A: Late Night with Conan O'Brien
- 2001 - Moods for Moderns - on the Slacker Ways E.P.
- 2001 - Jason Falkner - on the Jeff Lynne tribute album Lynne Me Your Ears
- 2005 - Parthenon Huxley - on his album Homemade Spaceship: The Music of ELO
- 2008 - Neil Nathan - featured on his The Distance Calls Album and the Californication Season 2 Soundtrack
Electric Light Orchestra version
| "Do Ya" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Nightrider" |
Electric Light Orchestra began to perform "Do Ya" live with Lynne on lead vocals during 1973-75, and they recorded it in the studio for inclusion on their 1976 album A New World Record. In a 1978 interview for Australian radio stations 2SM and 3XY, Bev Bevan stated the reason for the re-recording was that after ELO had added the song to their live performances a music journalist asked the band their opinion of the original version by Todd Rundgren. Bevan did not name the journalist but stated the "guy was a professional". He said they decided to re-record it as ELO in order to "let everyone know that it's a Jeff Lynne song".
In 2000, Lynne found an unedited alternative mix for the song, also recorded in 1976, that he decided he preferred over the album cut. A digital remaster of the track is included on the compilation box set Flashback.
In 2002, Tallboy Records released a tribute disc to "Do Ya" in the form of a 7" extended-play single, featuring renditions of the song by Kenny Howes and the Yeah!, Parallax Project, Einstein's Sister, and Linus of Hollywood.
- Chart positions
| Chart (1977) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| German Media Control Singles Chart | 42 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 20 |
| U.S. Cash Box Top 100 Singles | 16 |
| U.S. Record World Singles | 25 |
Jeff Lynne version
Jeff Lynne recently rerecorded the song in his own home studio. It is set to be released in an upcoming compilation album with other rerecorded ELO songs.
In other media
The ELO version has been used in commercials for Monster.com and in trailers for the movies The 40-Year-Old Virgin and I Love You, Man.
External links
- In-depth Song Analysis at the Jeff Lynne Song Database (jefflynnesongs.com)
References
