EVIL WOMAN, TURN TO STONE AND MORE – THE ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRAMay 02 '03 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line The group known as “The Electric Light Orchestra” or “ELO” were formed in October 1971 in Birmingham, England The founding members of the ELO “Jeff Lynne” on vocals and guitar, “Roy Wood” vocals, “Beverly Bevan” on drums, “Hugh McDowell” on cello, “Andy Craig” on guitar and vocals, “Wilf Gibson” on guitar, “Bill Hunt” on french horn and “Richard Tandy” on vocals and keyboards. Roy Wood was originally a member of a local band called “Gerry Levene & The Avengers” and also later a member of another local band called “Mike Sheridan & The Nightriders” in the 60’s. He was also a member of a well know group called “The Move” from 1966 until 1971. Wood had asked his long time friend Jeff Lynne who had played for “Idle Race” to join “The Move” in 1970 and he agreed on the condition that he could also join the new band he was forming dedicated to jazz and free-form music. Wood also recruits Bev Bevan from “The Move” to join his new group and they also add McDowell, Craig, Gibson, Hunt and Tandy. They decide to name their new group “The Electric Light Orchestra” and with the financial backing of their manager “Don Arden” they get a recording contract with “EMI” records. They appear for the first time together at the “Greyhound” pub & bar in Croyden, Surrey, England in April 1972. The group is not received well at all and Roy, Bill and Hugh decide to quit the group and form “Wizard” in July. Andy leaves the group as well and they add “Mike Edwards” and “Colin Walker” both on cello, and “Mike D’Albuquerque” on bass. In August their very first single ? Overture” peaks at #9 on the UK charts. Their 1st album titled “Electric Light Orchestra” peaks at #32 in the UK on “Harvest” records. In the US the title of the album through a strange set of circumstances is instead titled “No Answer” and peaks at #196. From 1972 to 1996 they released a total of 36 singles. These singles are listed later in this review by release date with their highest peak number on the charts. In June 1973 they go on a 40-day US tour and in September “Hugh McDowell” rejoins the group. Also in September, Wilf and Colin leave the group and are replaced by “Mike Kaminski” on violin. In November 1974 Edwards and D’Albuquerque leave the group and are replaced by “Kelly Groucutt” on bass formally of the group “Barefoot” and “Melvyn Gale” on cello. This new line up stays in tack for 5 years without any changes. In December 1979 they decide to cut down the group members to only Lynne, Bevan, Tandy, Groucutt and Gale. In May 1980 Lynne wrote several songs for the Movie and soundtrack for “Xanadu” starring “Olivia Newton-John”. In September 1981 they started using the acronym of “ELO” on all their recordings. Bevan leaves the group in October 1983 to join “Black Sabbath” but returns before ELO starts recording their next album. In March 1986 they sign a contract with CBS “Epic” records and return to using Electric Light Orchestra again. They also make their first concert appearance in four years in Birmingham, England joined on stage by “George Harrison”. In July 1990 Lynne releases his own solo album on “Reprise” records titled “Every Little Thing” that peaks at #9 in the UK. Lynn officially dissolved the group and decides to go totally solo. Through most of the 90’s Lynne would produce for “Joe Cocker”, “Tom Jones”, “Paul McCartney” and would also help with the “Beatles Anthology” series. In 1988 Bevan decides to reform the group but Lynne sues and they are re-christened “ELO II” with Groucutt, Kaminski, “Eric Troyer” on keyboards, “Pete Haycock”, “Louis Clark” and “Neil Lockwood” all on guitar. They would release “Electric Light Orchestra II” on the “Telstar” record label that peaked at #60 in the UK. In 1991 they released a live album featuring new versions of their classic hits. They had released a few albums all to very little notice to include their final album in 1999 “One Night Live In Australia” and they decided to disband. My favorite CD by them is titled “ELO’S GREATEST HITS” that was released originally on “Jet” records in 1979. The songs are listed below in the order as they appear on the CD followed by my rating of each and my overall rating of this CD: 1. EVIL WOMAN – 5 2. LIVIN’ THING – 5 3. CAN’T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD – 4 4. SHOWDOWN – 4 5. TURN TO STONE – 5 6. ROCKARIA! – 3 7. SWEET TALKIN’ WOMAN – 5 8. TELEPHONE LINE – 5 9. MA-MA-MA BELLE – 2 10. STRANGE MAGIC – 5 11. MR. BLUE SKY – 5 TOTAL POINTS: 48 DIVIDED BY 11 = 4.36 OR 4 1/4 STARS RATING KEY: 5 – GREAT 4 – VERY GOOD 3 – GOOD 2 – FAIR 1 – POOR 0 – THIS SONG DOESN’T BELONG HERE! CHARTING SINGLES – PEAK MONTH – PEAK # 1. 10538 OVERTURE – AUG. 1972 #9 UK 2. ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN – FEB. 1973 #6 UK/ 04/28/73 #42 US (Chuck berry cover) 3. SHOWDOWN – NOV. 1973 #12 UK/12/01/73 #53 US 4. MA-MA-MA BELLE – APR 1974 #22 UK 5. DAYBREAKER/MA-MA-MA BELLE – 05/04/74 #87 US 6. EVIL WOMAN/10538 OVERTURE – JAN. 1976 #10 UK/11/15/75 #10 US 7. STRANGE MAGIC – 03/13/76 #14 US/JUL. #38 UK 8. SHOWDOWN (Re-released in US)/DAYBREAKER (Live) – 08/07/76 #59 9. LIVIN’ THING/MA-MA-MA BELLE – DEC. 1976 #4 UK/10/23/76 #13 US 10. DRAMATIC ROCKARIA! – MAR 1977 #9 UK 11. DO YA? – 02/05/77 #24 US 12. TELEPHONE LINE – JUN. 1977 #8 UK/06/11/77 #7 US 13. TURN TO STONE – DEC. 1977 #18 UK/11/19/77 #13 US 14. MR. BLUE SKY – FEB. 1978 #6/UK/06/24/78 #35 US 15. SWEET TALKIN’ WOMAN – 02/18/78 #17 US/OCT. #6 UK 16. WILD WEST HERO – AUG. 1978 #6 UK 17. IT’S OVER – 10/28/78 #75 US 18. SHINE A LITTLE LOVE – JUN. 1979 #6 UK/05/19/79 #8 US 19. THE DIARY OF HORACE WIMP – AUG. 1979 #8 UK 20. DON’T BRING ME DOWN – 08/04/79 #4 US/#3 UK 21. CONFUSION – 10/20/79 #37 US/DEC. #8 UK 22. LAST TRAIN TO LONDON – 12/08/79 #39 US 23. I’M ALIVE – 05/24/80 #16 US 24. ALL OVER THE WORLD – SEP. #11 UK/08/02/80 #13 US 25. XANADU – 08/09/80 #8 US (With Olivia Newton-John) 26. DON’T WALK AWAY – DEC. #21 UK 27. HOLD ON TIGHT – SEP. 1981 #4 UK/07/25/81 #10 US 28. TWILIGHT – NOV. 1981 #30 UK/10/24/81 #38 US 29. TICKET TO THE MOON/HERE IS THE NEWS – JAN. 1982 #24 UK 30. THE WAY LIFE’S MEANT TO BE – (Doesn’t chart in the US or UK) 31. ROCK ‘N’ ROLL IS KING – JUL. 1983 #13 UK/06/25/83 #19 US 32. SECRET MESSAGES – SEP. 1983 #48 UK 33. FOUR LITTLE DIAMONDS – 10/01/83 #86 US 34. CALLING AMERICA – MAR. 1986 #28 UK/02/01/86 #18 US 35. SO SERIOUS – (Doesn’t chart in the US or UK) 36. GETTING TO THE POINT– (Doesn’t chart in the US or UK) 37. HONEST MEN – MAR. 1991 #60 UK (Only single released under ELO II) Billboard Top 40 Albums in the US 1. Eldorado – Peaked at #16 on 11/09/74 2. Face The Music – Peaked at #8 on 11/08/75 3. Ole ELO – Peaked at #32 on 07/17/76 4. A New World Record – Peaked at #5 on 11/13/76 5. Out Of The Blue - Peaked at #4 on 11/26/7 6. Discovery – Peaked at #5 on 06/23/79 7. ELO’s Greatest Hits – Peaked at #30 on 12/15/79 8. Xanadu – Peaked at #4 0n 08/09/80 (Olivia Newton-John on side 1 and ELO on side 2) 9. Time – Peaked at #16 on 08/22/81 10. Secret Messages – Peaked at #36 on 08/20/83 E.L.O. SONG LYRICS TURN TO STONE The city streets are empty now (The lights don't shine no more) And so the songs are way down low. A sound that flows into my mind (The echoes of the daylight) Of everything that is alive (In my blue world). I turn to stone, when you are gone I turn to stone Turn to stone, when you coming home? I can't go on. SWEET TALKIN’ WOMAN I was searching on a one-way street I was hoping for a chance to meet I was waiting for the operator on the line (She's gone so long) What can I do? (Where could she be?) Don't know what I'm gonna do I gotta get back to you. Slow down, sweet talking woman You got me running You got me searching Hold on, sweet talking lover It's so sad if that's the way it's over Sweet talking woman. I was walking, many days go by I was thinking, about the lonely nights Communication breakdown all around (She's gone so long) What can I do? (Where could she be now?) Don't know what I'm gonna do I gotta get back to you. STRANGE MAGIC You're sailing softly Through the sun in a broken stone age dawn You fly, so high, I get a Strange magic, oh what a strange magic Oh it's a strange magic, got a strange magic, Got a strange magic. You're walking meadows in my mind, Making waves across my time, Oh no, oh no, I get a TELEPHONE LINE Hello - how are you Have you been alright, through all those lonely nights, That's what I'd say, I'd tell you everything, If you'd pick up that telephone. Hey - how you feelin' Are you still the same Don't you realize the things we did were all for real not a dream, I just can't believe They've all faded out of view. I look into the sky And I wonder why Telephone line, give me some time, I'm living in twilight Telephone line, give me some time, I'm living in twilight O.K. so no one's answering, Well can't you just let it ring a little longer I'll just sit tight, through shadows of the night Let it ring for evermore. LIVIN’ THING Sailin' away on the crest of a wave It's like magic Rollin' and ridin' and slippin' & slidin' It's magic And you, and your sweet desire, You took me, higher and higher It's a livin' thing, It's a terrible thing to lose, It's a given thing What a terrible thing to lose Making believed this is what you conceived From your worst day, Moving in line then you look back in time To your first day BONUS ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN Gonna write a little letter, gonna mail it to my local DJ It's a jumping little record I want my jockey to play Roll Over Beethoven Gotta hear it again today. My temperature's rising, the juke box's blowing a fuse My heart's beating a rhythm, singing out rhythm & blues Roll Over Beethoven They're rocking in two by two. Well, if you feel you like it Go get your lover and reel and rock it Roll it over and move on up now Go for cover and reel and rock it Roll it over Roll Over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news. Early in the morning I'm giving you my warning Don't you step on my blue suede shoes Hey, diddle diddle, gonna play my fiddle I ain't got nothing to lose Roll Over Beethoven, tell Tchaikovsky the news. She wiggles like a glow worm, dances like a spinning top She got a crazy partner, you should of seen her reel & rock Long as she got a dime The music will never stop. Roll Over Beethoven, Roll Over Beethoven Roll Over Beethoven, Roll Over Beethoven Roll Over Beethoven, dig these rhythm & blues? JAG’S FINAL THOUGHTS: ELO and their music could be found in the Rock, Pop Rock and Progressive Rock categories. Their sound was theatrical, bouncy, moving, fun, futuristic and entertaining. I owned most of their singles and only 1 album. My favorite songs by them are “Evil Woman”, “Strange Magic” and “Turn To Stone”. Great CD as you can probably tell by my overall rating but I would love to have one with more hits on it. Up next in this series will be a hard choice as I can either do “Gloria Estefan”, “Emerson, Lake & Palmer”, the “Eurythmics” or start on the letter “F”. Any suggestions, requests or recommendations would be greatly appreciated? I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and once again thanks so very much for dropping by and leaving you’re rating and/or comments and GOD BLESS YOU ALL!  |
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