Thread: The Electric Light Orchestra ...... Zoom tour live

For some reason found myself humming an ELO tune the other day and couldn't get it out of my head. A you tube search found this and I have to say I had forgotten just how good they were ............. brilliant !

Started watching this concert with the intention of listening to just one tune but found it compulsive viewing, both nostalgic and entertaining. Even Ms Bangyai liked it at first listening.

Enjoy and remember......... where were you back then ?

Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are a British rock group from Birmingham, England, who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones. After Wood's departure following the band's debut record, Lynne wrote and arranged all of the group's original compositions and produced every album.
Despite early singles success in the United Kingdom, the band were initially more successful in the United States, billed as "The English guys with the big fiddles".[1] They soon gained a cult following despite lukewarm reviews back in their native United Kingdom. By the mid-1970s, they had become one of the biggest-selling acts in music. From 1972 to 1986, ELO accumulated 27 Top-40 hit singles in both the UK and the US. The group also scored 20 Top 20 UK hit singles, as well as 15 Top-20 hit singles in the US (as charted by Billboard magazine). The band also holds the record for having the most Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hits of any group in US chart history without ever having a number one single.[2]
ELO collected 19 CRIA, 21 RIAA and 38 BPI awards,[3][4] and sold over 50 million records worldwide during the group's active period of recording and touring .

I'd forgotten that I'd seen ELO previously. They looked a lot different to the line-up in the above clip. There were no female members back in February 1978 at the Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne.

I believe Jeff Lynn had always been overlooked as a magnificent composer [except within industry circles] by the mainstream...

Fantastic group.
Used to have all their albums

Originally Posted by palexxxx

I'd forgotten that I'd seen ELO previously. They looked a lot different to the line-up in the above clip. There were no female members back in February 1978 at the Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne.

The backing vocal singer with the curly hair ( Rosie Vela ) was an ex model turned musician who was Lynnes girlfriend at the time.

Just found this. Roy Orbisons influence ( at least in dress ) coming through :

I've just converted this show off youtube, watched it last night. Really great quality.

I found myself humming a few ELO tunes as well, it's easily done!

Christian fundamentalists warned that ELO 's Eldorado when played backwards had satanic messages. I heard this crap long before the internet (around 1980's)

Just awful....... The exact reasons why punk was so necessary....

Originally Posted by Bobcock

Just awful....... The exact reasons why punk was so necessary....

Not really the same thing though so can't really compare. Punk was never meant to be ' music ' as evidenced by the fact the very little skill on a musical instrument or knowledge of musical theory was required . Just some in your face sound and lyrics to blow away conventionalism.

Nopt required but many had it..... but the point was stamping out boring, self indulgents cvnts like ELO, Yes and Pink Floyd....

I was a Move fan and thought ELo quite interesting, for the time. Saw them twice in Toronto 73, 74 and the concerts were great. I think it was Lennon who said that ELO were probably what the Beatles would have sounded like in the era. Prog rock blew itself apart, punk wasn't necessary for that. although it contributed. Punk was more a statement from the disenfranchised youth on the socio-economic times.

Originally Posted by steevee

Punk was more a statement from the disenfranchised youth on the socio-economic times.

I diasgree, it sure bacame that, but the early Punks had close to zero political motivation. It was originally more of a rejection of the mind numbing dullness of many of the bands at that time. Nothing political about the Damned, the early Clash, even the Pistols songs were just words as Lydon always says, he didn't really have much in the way of politics until later on.

Sure it changed 18 months down the road and 5 years later in the USA particularly it was a totally different beast.