FEATURE:
Strange Magic
Fifty Years of the Electric Light Orchestra
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THERE are some bands that do not…
IN THIS PHOTO: Jeff Lynne (centre) and ELO
really get as much respect and appreciation as they deserve. Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), I guess, are seen as a bit uncool by some corners, yet I think the music the band have put out since the 1970s is among the finest ever. Led by the remarkable songwriter and producer Jeff Lynne, Electric Light Orchestra formed in 1970 in Birmingham, and the original line-up consisted Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood and Bev Bevan. Wood departed the band in 1972, and Lynne, Bevan and keyboardist Richard Tandy formed the initial line-up. I think one of the reasons Electric Light Orchestra were sort of written off or dismissed is because of the influence of The Beatles. Listen to classic cuts like Mr. Blue Sky and Telephone Line, and one can compare these songs to the work of The Beatles. Although Jeff Lynne was a big fan of The Beatles – he would join Beatle George Harrison in the Traveling Wilburys in the 1980s -, I think the two bands are very different and, if there is some crossover, it works in Electric Light Orchestra’s favour. I love the compositions and the polished production. Evil Woman, Don’t Bring Me Down and Livin’ Thing are some of my favourite tracks, and I think any band that has been operational for fifty years demands props! Although Electric Light Orchestra/ELO are now Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Jeff Lynne is still taking these classic songs on the road – I believe the band have tour dates booked for the autumn (let’s hope that they are able to play by then). During Electric Light Orchestra’s original fourteen-year period, they managed to sell over fifty-million records worldwide. Between 1972 and 1986, ELO accumulated twenty-seven top-forty songs on the UK Singles Chart, and fifteen top-20 songs on the US Billboard Hot 100. In 2017, the ELO line-up of Wood, Lynne, Bevan and Tandy were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In hour of the band’s five decades of innovation and success, I will end with a career-spanning playlist of Electric Light Orchestra gold. Enjoy some classic moments from a…
TRULY fantastic band.