ELO was formed in 1970 by songwriters/multi-instrumentalists Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, and drummer Bev Bevan directly from their previous band, The Move, with Bill Hunt (keyboards) and Richard Tandy (bass) and a quartet of string players rounding out the group. Now, many may not consider ELO to be Prog at all, what with their string of decidedly pop-style hits of the Seventies and early eighties, but at the beginning, they were definitely a Progressive Rock band. So, here is the Electric Light Orchestra. I had a few more European bands I wanted to feature before we moved back to Britain, but after that long break between posts, I wanted to come back with something strong (and more popular than more relatively obscure bands). And here I continue my featured look at Progressive Rock in the '70's and beyond.
Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra Rarities Full Control OfWith Jeff Lynne now in full control of the band, the songs and style moved more towards Beatlesque pop-rock, but the strings and classical influences were also still evident. In ELO, Richard Tandy moved over to keyboards and Mike de Albuquerque (bass) and some new string players were added for their next album, and On the Third Day was released in late 1973. However, Roy Wood did not stay long, and left during the recording sessions for the 2nd album, ELO 2, in 1972, taking keyboardist Hunt and a cello player with him, to form his next band, Wizzard. And those early ELO records are definitely 'progressive rock', with long meandering songs with extended instrumental sections and clashes between the classical and rock influences. Jeff Lynne joined The Move in 1970 precisely because he was interested in pursuing that new musical direction and the creation of ELO. ELO was formed from Wood's concept of combining strings and a classical sound and style with hard-driving guitars and rock n roll.Even greater success followed in subsequent albums, but less and less of the classical bravado was evident and more just great pop melodies continued, making them into the pop sensation they became, but not much left of their more progressive origins. More success followed with Face the Music (1975), producing more hits and (one of my favorites) the sensational instrumental 'Fire on High'. The single 'Can't Get it Out of My Head' became their first top ten hit in the US, and the album also cracked the top 20. On this album, the small string section of the band was not enough and Lynne brought in a full orchestra for the full and lush arrangements needed for the album.Unfortunately, the version of 'Roll Over Beethoven' played here does not include the classical Beethoven's 5th Intro, but we'll get another shot at that next time (in the next post).FLAC - ELO_1973-74_London BBC Recordings_FLAC.rarMp3 - ELO_1973-74_London BBC Recordings_mp3.rarThis site respects and supports artists and artist rights. This is the next best thing, a pair of BBC radio shows in 1973 and early 1974, featuring songs primarily from their third album, On The Third Day, and definitely belonging in the category of Progressive Rock. Unfortunately, no decent recordings exist from the Roy Wood days with the band.The music linked here is presented for sampling and evaluation purposes. This music is meant to supplement (and not replace) the currently available official releases for fans that want to explore deeper into an artists repertoire than is possible through official releases only (through demos, outtakes, alternate versions, and concert recordings). The music files, information, and downloads linked here represent unreleased recordings that are not available through any official channels. Photos turn on live photo for macBut if there are other things not related to specific posts, or that you don't want available for all to see, by all means send an email to the blog. Of course, for comments directly related to particular posts, please use the individual post comments (and I would love to get more comments on the posts, not just to get thanks, but to get more feedback on just what people think about the various music offered here). If anyone has any other questions, comments, or information you would like to send me or the blog via email, here is the address. If any artists or representatives of the artists object to anything I have posted here, please send me an email (address below) letting me know and I will promptly remove it (I only request that you contact me directly rather than pursuing any DMCA notification or legal action). I hope you find new music to enjoy here. All music files linked here are freely available elsewhere on the internet and no music files are stored at this site. Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) - 1973-74 - London. Electric Light Orchestra - Flint, MI
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