Electric Light Orchestra

The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970, by songwriters/multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of Beatlesque pop, classical arrangements, and futuristic iconography. After Wood's departure in 1972, Lynne became the band's leader, arranging and producing every album while writing virtually all of their original material…

This is the long awaited critical review of the music of the Electric Light Orchestra during the Roy Wood era. This unique independent film traces the development of the band from the tail end of the Move era through the creation of the legendary debut album and on to the birth of Wizzard. The original and classic line up of the band featured the combined talents of Jeff Lynne, Bev Bevan and Roy Wood. Drawing on rare footage of the original ELO in performance previously unreleased on DVD, this powerful film features the frank and incisive views of a team of leading critics and working musicians. Essential viewing for every ELO fan this is the definitive retrospective of the birth of a legendary band.

Although ELO quickly became Jeff Lynne's baby, it was launched as a collaboration between Lynne and his bandmates 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…

Although ELO quickly became Jeff Lynne's baby, it was launched as a collaboration between Lynne and his bandmates 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. 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 coloring them, as they do on Lynne's tunes.

ELO Part II were a band formed by Electric Light Orchestra drummer and co-founder Bev Bevan. The band also included former ELO bassist Kelly Groucutt, and violinist Mik Kaminski for most of its career, along with conductor Louis Clark who toured as a guest with ELO in its later years. After Bevan left the band in late 1999, he sold his half of the rights to the Electric Light Orchestra name back to Jeff Lynne, and the band changed its name to The Orchestra. Electric Light Orchestra Part Two is an album released by ELO Part II in 1990. "Kiss Me Red" was originally from Cheap Trick's album, The Doctor. In March 1991 "Honest Men" charted at number 60 on the UK Singles Chart, and 36 on the Dutch Top 40 chart.