On the Third Day
On the Third Day is the third studio album by Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). It is the first album made after Roy Wood left the band and contributed no input. It was released in the United States in November 1973 by United Artists and in the United Kingdom on December 14, 1973 by Warner Bros. From this album onward the band dropped the word The from their name on releases (except for the live album The Night the Light Went On in Long Beach). The album was reissued on September 12, 2006.
Side two was recorded during or just after the sessions for ELO 2. The album has shorter songs than the previous album, but the four songs on side one form a continuous suite. Violinist Mik Kaminski made his debut on side one, replacing Wilfred Gibson (Gibson plays on side two and the bonus tracks). Cellist Colin Walker left the band, leaving Mike Edwards as the lone cellist.
“Showdown” was originally intended as a single and, because it belonged to Harvest in the UK, did not appear on the UK Warner Bros. issue. It was included on the US version because the band was still with United Artists there. Some copies placed “Showdown” as the last track on side one.
The US front cover photo, taken by Richard Avedon, shows the band with their navels on display; Hugh McDowell appears on the cover but did not record on the album.
All tracks were written by Jeff Lynne. The album runs 39:34, was produced by Jeff Lynne, and is listed as containing progressive rock and progressive pop. Labels were Warner Bros. in the UK and United Artists in the US.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 12:36 (CET).