Biography
The Electric Light Orchestra’s ambitious yet irresistible fusion of Beatlesque pop, classical arrangements, and futuristic iconography rocketed the group to massive commercial success throughout the 1970s. ELO was formed in Birmingham, England in the autumn of 1970 from the ashes of the eccentric art-pop combo the Move, reuniting frontman Roy Wood with guitarist/composer Jeff Lynne, bassist Rick Price, and drummer Bev Bevan. Announcing their intentions to “pick up where ‘I Am the Walrus’ left off,” the quartet sought to embellish their engagingly melodic rock with classical flourishes, tapping French horn player Bill Hunt and violinist Steve Woolam to record their self-titled debut LP (issued as No Answer in the U.S.). In the months between the sessions for the album and its eventual release, the Move embarked on their farewell tour, with Woolam exiting the ELO lineup prior to the enlistment of violinist Wilf Gibson, bassist Richard Tandy, and cellists Andy Craig and Hugh McDowell; despite the lengthy delay, Electric Light Orchestra sold strongly, buoyed by the success of the U.K. Top Ten hit “10538 Overture.” Although ELO quickly became Jeff Lynne’s baby, it was launched as a collaboration between Lynne and his band mates in the Move, multi-instrumentalist Roy Wood, and drummer Bev Bevan.
Indeed, the label on ELO’s first album reads “Move Enterprises Ltd. presents the services of the Electric Light Orchestra,” and most histories claim that the initial idea for the spin-off group combining rock and classical music was Wood’s, not Lynne’s. http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-electric-light-orchestra
Album & Cover
Wood and Lynne split the songwriting duties on Electric Light Orchestra, much as they did on late-period Move albums, but it seems like their visions of what ELO was were widely divergent. Wood’s songs are clearly more classically influenced, with the string and horn sections driving the songs rather than merely colouring them, as they do on Lynne’s tunes. The difference between Wood’s baroque “Look at Me Now” and Lynne’s hard rocking “10538 Overture” is obvious, and Lynne never wrote anything as purely classical as Wood’s “The Battle of Marston Moor (July 2nd, 1644)” in his entire career. (The Gershwin-like piano jazz of “Manhattan Rumble (49th Street Massacre)” is Lynne’s equivalent piece, and suggests an intriguing avenue he unfortunately never explored further.) This dichotomy makes Electric Light Orchestra in some ways much more interesting than later ELO albums.
According to Aubrey Powell, the Maurer lamp cost more than the fee for the picture…
Cover Location: Function Room in the Horse Guards Parade, London, UK
Who Did What: Design [Lamp] – Ingo Maurer. Photography – A. Powell
Label: Harvest SHVL797(UK), United Artists UAS5573(US)
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell
Tracklist
| Side One 10538 Overture Look At Me Now Nellie Takes Her Bow The Battle Of Marston Moor (July 2nd, 1644) |
Side two First Movement (Jumping Biz) Mr. Radio Manhattan Rumble (49th Street Massacre) Queen Of The Hours Whisper In The Night |
Credits
Drums, Percussion – Bev Bevan
French Horn, Horn [Hunting] – Bill Hunt
Producer – Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood
Violin – Steve Woolam
Vocals, Cello, Oboe, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Double Bass [String Bass], Bassoon, Clarinet, Recorder, Guitar [Slide], Percussion – Roy Wood
Vocals, Piano, Electric Guitar, Percussion, Bass – Jeff Lynne
