ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA
ALBUMS - UK, USA & Europe

Immediately after the fusion of Sony and BMG, a re-release of "ELO's Greatest Hits" was released in 2005 in the USA in a cardboard slipcase with printed sticker and liner notes.

It had the new title "ELO - The Hits." Even the old order code ZK 36310 of the CD release from the year 1986 was taken over by Sony BMG. Thus the song versions are as on the original album.

On 6th June 2005, it happened once again. Sony BMG released an official compilation album in the UK with a large-scale marketing campaign. "All Over The World - The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra," Epic 520129 2, was promoted as a release for the 35 years anniversary of the Electric Light Orchestra.

It was promoted with promo posters, T-shirts, squashable balls, key-rings, ELO-Frisbees and a TV commercial, in which the "Out Of The Blue" space ship was assembled in the orbit and flying in space. The 12-page booklet is held entirely in outer space optics and contains four photo-pages of Jeff and E.L.O..

Four more pages contain new liner notes, which Jeff Lynne had written in April 2005. The UK-release featured a card for mobile ringing tones. For 3 pounds each, one could download 19 of the 20 songs (the title song is missing!). The blue-held label shows the spaceship in orbit. 

​

The collection provides a good cross-section of E.L.O.'s song repertoire. Apart from Can't Get It Out Of My Head, all songs from "ELO's Greatest Hits" are contained. With four songs from "Discovery" and "Out Of The Blue", as well as a song each from "Xanadu," "Time" and "Secret Messages", with Xanadu (New Version) and Alright, for the first time songs from "Flashback "and "Zoom" appear on an official compilation. 

The albums "Balance Of Power", "Eldorado", "ELO II" and "No Answer" were not included. The Diary Of Horace Wimp, Rockaria! and Wild West Hero show that "All Over The World" was clearly oriented on the UK chart hits, as in the overall concept special country releases were planned. Most of the compilation songs are contained in their album versions.

On Mr. Blue Sky the tuning intro is missing, Evil Woman and Strange Magic have no orchestra opening, Shine A Little Love and Rock'n'Roll Is King are single versions, Ma-Ma-Ma Belle is faded at the "doo round-up". Alright is the 3:10-version. "All Over The World" reached # 6 in the UK charts.

The UK edition was released as an European edition with different release dates in Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Poland, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Finland, United States and on 10th October also in Germany. Canada followed about a year later.

The USA edition, EK 94489, was published on 2nd August and lists Can't Get It Out Of My Head on the sticker, although the song is not on the album, because the EU-edition had been exactly used. The CD label lists in addition at the outer edge the song titles. 

The Japanese edition, MHCP 759, was published as a first edition on 20th July 2005 in a white cardboard slipcase decorated with ELO logos, while the second edition from 19th January 2006 was only decorated with an Obi-sleeve. In contrast to the other editions this Japanese compilation opens with Twilight. The track is faded in like on the single version and is faded quieter at the end from 3:34 to 3:37. Since Twilight had been in Japan one of the biggest hits for E.L.O., it couldn't be left off from the release of course. So Wild West Hero was dropped instead.

The other songs follow in the normal sequence and in the same versions, as all songs of the different CD-releases originate from the same master tape. A 24-page black and white booklet is included in addition, with more Liner Notes, in which it is once again stressed that "All Over The World is the beginning of a series of surprises in 2005." The lyrics are reprinted in English and Japanese. 

The Korean edition of 'All Over The World ", 520162 9 SB30041C, takes a step further and deletes three songs from the normal track listing. The Diary Of Horace Wimp, Wild West Hero and Showdown were replaced by the songs Midnight Blue, Getting To The Point and Ticket To The Moon, which were added at the end of the CD.

The big hit in Korea, Midnight Blue, was - as like the other songs - included in his album version. The booklet has a slightly different layout of the liner notes, as the last line from page 4 has moved on to page 7 and their last line is on page 8, which means that the last sentence on that page: "... Magic was always there working with me. " is missing, as page 11 has not been changed. Moreover, another 12-page black and white booklet, in which two pages of liner notes by a Korean pop-journalist in Korean characters and the 20 Lyrics of this edition in English are printed.

The most difficult to get is the Danish edition, Epic 520129 9, as it was only sold in Denmark. On this edition the 15th track Ma-Ma-Ma Belle was exchanged by Last Train To London, which is also featured in his album version. Although the basic idea, to release in each country a specific issue was not fully exhausted, the worldwide chart success generated interest in E.L.O. and paved the way for the continuation of the remaster albums.