Showdown (Electric Light Orchestra song)

Infobox Single
Name = Showdown


Artist = Electric Light Orchestra
from Album = On The Third Day
B-side = "In Old England Town"
Released = 1973
Format = 7"
Recorded = 1973 Air Studios
Genre = Classic rock, R&B
Length = 4:11
Label = Harvest Records
United Artists (USA)
Writer =
Producer = Jeff Lynne
Certification =
Chart position =
* #9
* #12
* #53
Last single = "Roll Over Beethoven"
(1973)
This single = "Showdown"
(1973)
Next single = "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle"
(1974)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Flashback
Type = compilation
prev_track = "10538 Overture"
prev_no = 1
this_track = "Showdown"
track_no = 2
next_track = "Ma-Ma-Ma Belle"
next_no = 3

Showdown is a song recorded by the Electric Light Orchestra. It was the band's last contemporary recording to be released on the Harvest label.

In the US, the song was included on the album "On The Third Day" (1973). The song was a change of pace for ELO, with a funkier backbeat. It was a favorite record of John Lennon's at the time, who dubbed them "Son of Beatles" in a US radio interview.

Jeff Lynne played the lead guitar part using Marc Bolan's Gibson Firebird guitar.

Candi Staton covered the song in the seventies.

The song was covered in 1996 by Asia with would-be ELO II vocalist John Payne.

In the 1996 comedy movie Kingpin, the song was used as background music during a one-on-one bowling tournament. Also that year, the rock band Asia covered the track.

In the 2007 movie "Wild Hogs" the song "Showdown" was used. Shortly after the song stopped playing Ray Liotta stated "At least someone's here to face the music".

External links

* [http://www.jefflynnesongs.com/showdown/ In-depth Song Analysis] at the Jeff Lynne Song Database (jefflynnesongs.com)