Thanks I always wanted to know what the hell those messages were. I'll tell you this just cause I feel like it if you look on the album cover of 'Secret Messages' in one of the buildings you can see all of the band members looking outside (By band members I mean Jeff, Bev, Richard, and Kelly) I just found that weird because for a number of years The members were never shown on their album covers. Usually it was their starship. I just felt like sharing that with you.
Jeff Lynne said he put some messages in this album as a protest to all the lies people were saying about his music giving satanic messages..he put things like. " Hey whatcha listen this way for the music goin the other way" lol
Excellent job - and I thought I was an ELO fanatic.
The single of Secret Messages was released as a picture disc with a cryptic clue to a lyric from the album. I think the answer was "She probably thinks I was a fool - she's right" from Four Little Diamonds. Can't remember what the prize was, but I do remember not winning it.
On the right of album cover there's a street name. I can't remember what it says after all these years, but I remember puzzling over it at the time. Does anyone know if that is a secret message ?
it says "Welcome to the show" (2x),[33] "Thank you for listening", "Look out there's danger ahead", "Hup two three four", "Time after time", "You're playing me backwards", "Plant a tree" and "..acquire... It's seriously gonna be fun"[3
This concept album, released by ELO in 1983, contains many backwards and hidden messages, both visual and auditory. It was a further response to the Satanic backmasking controversy. The British release contains a parody warning label about the backward messages, but this was deleted by CBS Records for the United States version
The other ELO song credited with Morse on it is Ocean Breakup King of the Universe. The Morse is widely suggested as reading ELO. Again it is just a randomly generated signal to simulate Morse Code. It doesn't actually read or form the letters ELO. Apologies if I am bursting a few bubbles here, but those are the facts.
I hate to burst a few bubbles here but there is no Morse Code on this ELO video.
The sounds that you hear on this video is NOT Morse Code in any way shape or form. It is just an electronic noise generated to go along with the rhythm of the song. It doesn't actually form any letters or figures of the Morse Code.
I served 22 years in the Military on radio intercept. Not a single dit of Morse Code is played on the Album. It is one of the myths that has grown up around the ELO albums.
Excellent work, Lainey. Back in the day, I had Face the Music on vinyl and actually spun it backward. The words are:
"The music is reversible. But time. Turn back, turn back, turn back." Played forward, it sounds like "cob, nuret, cob nuret, cob nuret. imet tub, elbe server see, kisoom eth"
One I discovered recently - not really hidden, just not very clear was the very end of Mr Blue Sky: The vocoder (electronic voice) says what I always thought was "mr Blue Sky eye". In fact it is saying "now please turn over" 'cos of course when you had the original double album, that was the end of side 3.
I didn't realise how many portions of vocals and music Jeff Lynne played backwards on some of his albums until years later. If you listen to Evil Woman at 2:41 to 2:46, its the same piece of music as Nightrider at 3:16 to 3:21,but played backwards. Also "Its over" from the start of the song to 0:14 is the same as "Mr blue sky 4:16 to 4:29, but played backwards. What a Genius!!!
There's something else as well. Some of the orchestra from 4:20 to 5:00 of 'Hello My Old Friend' are played backwards during the creepy intro to the Secret Messages album.
Very impressive work. I remember, one night, my brother and I were Listening to Face the music... And this ghastly voice on Fire on high, we wanted to know what it was saying. So we recorded on tape (And I mean tape, not cassette) and played it backward. In the night , we were both so scared to hear that voice (Bev's I think) telling us : "The music is reversible but time is not... Turn back, turn Back!!!"
Okay, I grabbed the left channel using Audacity, slowed it a bit and tweaked the EQ, listened to it a hundred times as a 6-second loop, and I can confidently say that the line is very close to:
THAT HE ARRIVES ON THIS DAY FOR ALL OF US
(The first two syllables could be DADDY.)
AND THE WORLD STILL REMEMBERS, or
IN THE WORLD HE STILL REMEMBERS.
That may not be it exactly it, but whatever it is it's very close to that. Anyone hear more?
Myself, I always hear it as "As you rise, from this day forward, may the world, be your home." Then again, I thought he was saying "No tourist could support that blow" in "When Time Stood Still".
LOL, Jeff had hidden messages all over all the albums from The Music is Reversible on Fire on High, to Turn me over at the end of MR. Bluesky as a cue to flip the record. But I never honestly knew he threw this many into one album.
For years I have thought, I will have to play that bit of the song backwards and find out what they are saying, but never got round to it. Now I know. THANK YOU!
:o)# Makes me want to go to a second hand store and get my hands on that beauty! I have an ELO sampler with some of the songs and I absolutely <3 ELO. seggasem terces..... Welcom to the show!
I'll be able to clear up one of the backwards messages here 'Laineycrusoe'(Great job by the way!!). I've been an E.L.O fan since..well YEARS and I have an interview with Bev from the 'Smash Hits' in 1983 and he says that Jeff wanted to put really simple 'backwards' messages on the album to put two fingers up to all the people who thought he was putting satanic messages in. So, as Bev says, they put in messages like 'You're playing me backwards' and 'PLANT A TREE' which is what it is, not 'clap.
i bought this album and slaved away at it up in my room for days, found the obvoius ones, then turned my attentions to the cover....great job posting this vid
You did the right thing by checking the album cover because it has messages on it as well. On the back, there are some 'adverts' which display these names:
T.D. Ryan, F.Y.J Fennel, G.U. Ruttock and E.V. Nabbe.
These are anagrams. If you rearrange these names and you get:
T.D. Ryan - R. Tandy
F.Y.J. Fennel - Jeff Lynne
G.U. Ruttock - K. Grocutt
E.V. Nabbe - Be. Bevan
Also, the paper bag (and the booklet in the 2001 reissue cd) has morse code spelling out "ELO"
that was pretty interesting. Jeff's so talented writing the songs normally, but to invest even more time to hide those messages that some people might not ever hear is so cool. nice vid.
you are playing me backwards is right EINSTEIN
The1chihira 3 months ago
in morse code it says, look at m i have an afro
toasterkid123 5 months ago
what does the morse code say?
bbhrupp 7 months ago
@bbhrupp There is no Morse Code. It is just electronic noises as part of the music. Some bands do use real Morse Code in their music, but not ELO.
Tomteeejay 5 months ago
Thanks I always wanted to know what the hell those messages were. I'll tell you this just cause I feel like it if you look on the album cover of 'Secret Messages' in one of the buildings you can see all of the band members looking outside (By band members I mean Jeff, Bev, Richard, and Kelly) I just found that weird because for a number of years The members were never shown on their album covers. Usually it was their starship. I just felt like sharing that with you.
blazefire159 10 months ago
Jeff Lynne said he put some messages in this album as a protest to all the lies people were saying about his music giving satanic messages..he put things like. " Hey whatcha listen this way for the music goin the other way" lol
mreloo 10 months ago
4:11-4:17 of hello old friend is to me"this shit iz gonna be fun"
fweefwee91 1 year ago
fascinating
MsAutobodyman 1 year ago
Excellent job - and I thought I was an ELO fanatic.
The single of Secret Messages was released as a picture disc with a cryptic clue to a lyric from the album. I think the answer was "She probably thinks I was a fool - she's right" from Four Little Diamonds. Can't remember what the prize was, but I do remember not winning it.
chilly1963 1 year ago
On the right of album cover there's a street name. I can't remember what it says after all these years, but I remember puzzling over it at the time. Does anyone know if that is a secret message ?
Drenov 1 year ago
@Drenov It says Royal St.
rojavida 1 year ago
it says "Welcome to the show" (2x),[33] "Thank you for listening", "Look out there's danger ahead", "Hup two three four", "Time after time", "You're playing me backwards", "Plant a tree" and "..acquire... It's seriously gonna be fun"[3
brainpinkey 1 year ago
@brainpinkey
This concept album, released by ELO in 1983, contains many backwards and hidden messages, both visual and auditory. It was a further response to the Satanic backmasking controversy. The British release contains a parody warning label about the backward messages, but this was deleted by CBS Records for the United States version
brainpinkey 1 year ago
Es fascinante la manera en que insertan los mensajes subliminales
TheGabrielVelez 1 year ago
Es fascinante la manera en que insertan los mensajes subliminales
TheGabrielVelez 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Es fascinante la manera en que insertan los mensajes subliminales
TheGabrielVelez 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Es fascinante la manera en que insertan los mensajes subliminales
TheGabrielVelez 1 year ago
Es fascinante la manera en que insertan los mensajes subliminales
TheGabrielVelez 1 year ago
The other ELO song credited with Morse on it is Ocean Breakup King of the Universe. The Morse is widely suggested as reading ELO. Again it is just a randomly generated signal to simulate Morse Code. It doesn't actually read or form the letters ELO. Apologies if I am bursting a few bubbles here, but those are the facts.
TE3EJ 2 years ago
Some bands do use Morse Code in their songs, but sadly not ELO. For example Kraftwerk use Morse Code in their song Radioactivity.
Video ending
v=kXD6Gtinvbc
TE3EJ 2 years ago
I hate to burst a few bubbles here but there is no Morse Code on this ELO video.
The sounds that you hear on this video is NOT Morse Code in any way shape or form. It is just an electronic noise generated to go along with the rhythm of the song. It doesn't actually form any letters or figures of the Morse Code.
I served 22 years in the Military on radio intercept. Not a single dit of Morse Code is played on the Album. It is one of the myths that has grown up around the ELO albums.
TE3EJ 2 years ago
It was great to find this video!
Napriz1 2 years ago
Comment removed
eurekayes 2 years ago
congratulations for a brilliant job pal.
endrizo 2 years ago
lol youre playing me backwards thats funy
laphonda239 2 years ago
Excellent work, Lainey. Back in the day, I had Face the Music on vinyl and actually spun it backward. The words are:
"The music is reversible. But time. Turn back, turn back, turn back." Played forward, it sounds like "cob, nuret, cob nuret, cob nuret. imet tub, elbe server see, kisoom eth"
starwriter23 2 years ago
glad you had the time to do this. As a child growing up in the late 70's and 80's I always loved this band.
unholyimage 2 years ago
hey thanks realy interesting i`he been always love the elo and every time you discoverred new think no matter how many time has been passed
regards
gsdsmith20031 2 years ago
And the art work on the cover.... look at in the mirror.
rOck On
equipt4sound 2 years ago
One I discovered recently - not really hidden, just not very clear was the very end of Mr Blue Sky: The vocoder (electronic voice) says what I always thought was "mr Blue Sky eye". In fact it is saying "now please turn over" 'cos of course when you had the original double album, that was the end of side 3.
trossachs2003 2 years ago
the one that if u slow it down it sounds like it says hello wasup
snipengkicker 2 years ago
Don't Forget The One Everyone Knows... At The Beginning Of "Fire On High"
DoubleS0312 2 years ago
I didn't realise how many portions of vocals and music Jeff Lynne played backwards on some of his albums until years later. If you listen to Evil Woman at 2:41 to 2:46, its the same piece of music as Nightrider at 3:16 to 3:21,but played backwards. Also "Its over" from the start of the song to 0:14 is the same as "Mr blue sky 4:16 to 4:29, but played backwards. What a Genius!!!
talos124 2 years ago 2
There's something else as well. Some of the orchestra from 4:20 to 5:00 of 'Hello My Old Friend' are played backwards during the creepy intro to the Secret Messages album.
laineycrusoe 2 years ago
lol you wont be leave this but the morse code is
"i want to be with you" over and over
adamski895RS 2 years ago
wow!
Very well done mate!
dokkie2 2 years ago 2
I could've sworn i heard a possible message in "Train of Gold" when i was listening to it yesterday...? I'll try to get the time.
PepsiBoy3000 2 years ago
Don't shout at me but i'm still not sure what is said at the end of Mr. Blue Sky.
Eltoniobonio 2 years ago
It says "Please turn me over".
laineycrusoe 2 years ago 2
hey the possibly sped up message you slowed down and made no sense. did you try to reverse it after slowed down?
thepianoaddict 2 years ago
Thanks.
Eltoniobonio 2 years ago
Very impressive work. I remember, one night, my brother and I were Listening to Face the music... And this ghastly voice on Fire on high, we wanted to know what it was saying. So we recorded on tape (And I mean tape, not cassette) and played it backward. In the night , we were both so scared to hear that voice (Bev's I think) telling us : "The music is reversible but time is not... Turn back, turn Back!!!"
ericlouet44 2 years ago
AWESOME WORK!
TREOL 3 years ago
some of this sounds damn scary..:P
MetalAddicted666 3 years ago
On this same note, does anyone know what is being said in the background of ELO's last song from the Time album, "Epilogue?"
It doesn't sound like a backwards message...a bit more subliminal....but it is sure hard to pick up.
jukeboxhero26 3 years ago
I think it says:
"You should be so happy"
"You should be so glad"
"21st century man"
Though you ride on the wheels of tomorrow,
You still wander the fields of your sorrow
(I'm not sure what this bit says. Parts of this bit say "Let me..." and "The world still...")
Time, time, time etc.
laineycrusoe 3 years ago
I've always thought he said "and the world still remembers". At least that's how I sing it!
lionsdensurvivor7 3 years ago
You typed in the beginning that there were origionally 18 songs. what are the bonus songs?
Scotsman707 2 years ago
The bonus songs are:
- No Way Out
- Beatles Forever (the only unreleased song from Secret Messages)
- Endless Lies (slightly different to the version on Balance of Power)
- Buildings Have Eyes (b-side of 'Secret Messages' instead)
- Mandalay
- Time After Time (not on the LP, but it is on the casette and CD releases)
- After All (b-side of 'Rock n Roll is King')
- Hello My Old Friend
All the bonus songs have been released on CD.
laineycrusoe 2 years ago
Okay, I grabbed the left channel using Audacity, slowed it a bit and tweaked the EQ, listened to it a hundred times as a 6-second loop, and I can confidently say that the line is very close to:
THAT HE ARRIVES ON THIS DAY FOR ALL OF US
(The first two syllables could be DADDY.)
AND THE WORLD STILL REMEMBERS, or
IN THE WORLD HE STILL REMEMBERS.
That may not be it exactly it, but whatever it is it's very close to that. Anyone hear more?
steveasat2 2 years ago
Myself, I always hear it as "As you rise, from this day forward, may the world, be your home." Then again, I thought he was saying "No tourist could support that blow" in "When Time Stood Still".
steveasat2 3 years ago
LOL, Jeff had hidden messages all over all the albums from The Music is Reversible on Fire on High, to Turn me over at the end of MR. Bluesky as a cue to flip the record. But I never honestly knew he threw this many into one album.
Deviceroy 3 years ago
There was a backwards message on the very first Album on the track Mr. Radio
ELONut 3 years ago
Yeah you're right. It's at about 1:57 and it says "hello Mr Radio".
laineycrusoe 3 years ago
Honestly I missed that one now I have to dig out my no Answer LP lol
Deviceroy 3 years ago
Thanx for the effort and thank you very much for posting it !!
natogemelli 3 years ago
For years I have thought, I will have to play that bit of the song backwards and find out what they are saying, but never got round to it. Now I know. THANK YOU!
taupinb 3 years ago
Hi from France...I really appreciated this effort well spent on hidden messages of a great record!
brunomarmone 3 years ago
...EREHT TUO SI HTURT EHT :O*
Keijz74 3 years ago
:o)# Makes me want to go to a second hand store and get my hands on that beauty! I have an ELO sampler with some of the songs and I absolutely <3 ELO. seggasem terces..... Welcom to the show!
Keijz74 3 years ago
The Morse code fitting WITH THE MUSIC is pure genius!
ZotDudot7 3 years ago 4
@ZotDudot7 Its not actually true morse code
ukorganist 1 year ago
This is awsome, what a genius that man is
Balloonatic97 3 years ago 3
It's so awesome that they hid all of those.
FunkyShoe 3 years ago 2
I really appreciated this - effort well spent on unravelling the intrigue of a great record!
elohead 3 years ago 3
I'll be able to clear up one of the backwards messages here 'Laineycrusoe'(Great job by the way!!). I've been an E.L.O fan since..well YEARS and I have an interview with Bev from the 'Smash Hits' in 1983 and he says that Jeff wanted to put really simple 'backwards' messages on the album to put two fingers up to all the people who thought he was putting satanic messages in. So, as Bev says, they put in messages like 'You're playing me backwards' and 'PLANT A TREE' which is what it is, not 'clap.
Omegaman69 3 years ago
The inner sleeve of the original vinyl album also has morse code cutting across it at angles, don't know what it translates too though !!
mart2164 3 years ago
The morse code spells out "ELO"
laineycrusoe 3 years ago
i bought this album and slaved away at it up in my room for days, found the obvoius ones, then turned my attentions to the cover....great job posting this vid
csishadow 3 years ago
You did the right thing by checking the album cover because it has messages on it as well. On the back, there are some 'adverts' which display these names:
T.D. Ryan, F.Y.J Fennel, G.U. Ruttock and E.V. Nabbe.
These are anagrams. If you rearrange these names and you get:
T.D. Ryan - R. Tandy
F.Y.J. Fennel - Jeff Lynne
G.U. Ruttock - K. Grocutt
E.V. Nabbe - Be. Bevan
Also, the paper bag (and the booklet in the 2001 reissue cd) has morse code spelling out "ELO"
laineycrusoe 3 years ago
Absolutely awesome job lainey. 25 years of curiosity answered!
pleasedtojoin 3 years ago 2
Turn me on, dead man!
crinklewing 3 years ago
thanks for your efforts lainey!
nomen 3 years ago
jaja to the begining it's made me feel afraid!! jajajaja. interisting!!!
tuit06 3 years ago
that was pretty interesting. Jeff's so talented writing the songs normally, but to invest even more time to hide those messages that some people might not ever hear is so cool. nice vid.
Catey85 3 years ago 2