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Electric Light Orchestra, or ELO, is an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood, with drummer Bev Bevan. The band's lineup changed over the years, with Lynne, Richard Tandy and Bevan remaining constant members. Other members included Bill Hunt, Steve Woolam, Andy Craig, Hugh McDowell, Mike Edwards, Wilfred Gibson, Mike de Albuquerque, Colin Walker, Mik Kaminski, Kelly Groucutt and Melvyn Gale. ELO's music is characterised by a fusion of pop and classical arrangements with futuristic iconography. The band has had over 50 million worldwide sales and 27 UK Top 40 singles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founding members | Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, Bev Bevan |
| Other members | Richard Tandy, Bill Hunt, Steve Woolam, Andy Craig, Hugh McDowell, Mike Edwards, Wilfred Gibson, Mik Kaminski, Kelly Groucutt, Melvyn Gale, Christian Schneider, Eric Troyer, Pete Haycock, Neil Lockwood, Phil Bates, Parthenon Huxley, Chereene Allen, Mike de Albuquerque, Colin Walker, Louis Clark, Dave Morgan, Martin Smith, Rosie Vela, Peggy Baldwin, Sarah O'Brien, Gregg Bissonette, Matt Bissonette |
| Year formed | 1970 |
| Genre | Rock, Symphonic rock |
| Origin | Birmingham, Warwickshire, England |
| Record sales | Over 50 million worldwide |
| Number of UK Top 20 songs | 20 |
| Number of US Billboard Top 20 songs | 15 |
| Number of UK Top 40 singles | 27 |
| UK Singles Chart ranking of debut single "10538 Overture" | Number 9 |
| UK Albums Chart ranking of debut album "The Electric Light Orchestra" | Number 32 |
| Number of platinum awards for "Out of the Blue" and "A New World Record" | 9 |
| Year of disbandment | 1986 |
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Founding members
Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) was formed in Birmingham in 1970 by Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, and Bev Bevan. They were joined by Richard Tandy, Bill Hunt, Steve Woolam, Andy Craig, Hugh McDowell, Mike Edwards, Wilfred Gibson, and Mike de Albuquerque.
Lynne and Wood were multi-instrumentalists and songwriters, while Bevan was a drummer. The band was an offshoot of Wood's previous band, The Move, of which Lynne and Bevan were also members. Wood had a vision to form a new band that would use violins, cellos, string basses, horns, and woodwinds to give their music a classical sound, allowing rock music to "pick up where the Beatles left off" in a new direction.
The orchestral instruments would be the main focus, rather than the guitars. Lynne, the frontman of another Birmingham group called The Idle Race, was excited by the concept. When Trevor Burton left The Move in February 1969, Lynne was invited to join, but he initially declined as he was focused on his own band. However, in January 1970, when Carl Wayne quit The Move, Lynne accepted Wood's second invitation, on the condition that they focus on the new project.
On July 12, 1970, Wood added cellos to a Lynne-penned song intended to be a Move B-side, and "10538 Overture" became the first Electric Light Orchestra song. The original plan was to end The Move after the release of their album "Looking On" at the end of 1970 and transition to the new band in the new year. However, to finance the fledgling band, one more Move album, "Message from the Country," was recorded during the lengthy ELO recordings and released in mid-1971.
ELO's debut album, "The Electric Light Orchestra," was released in December 1971. Only Wood, Lynne, and Bevan played on all songs, with Bill Hunt supplying French horn and Steve Woolam playing violin. The band's lineup would fluctuate over the years, but Lynne, Tandy, and Bevan remained constant members.
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Former members
The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) has had 14 members over the years, including its founding members. The band was formed in 1970 in Birmingham by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood, and drummer Bev Bevan.
Roy Wood (1970-1972)
Wood was a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the band. He left ELO in 1972, after which Lynne became the sole leader of the band.
Jeff Lynne (1970-1986, 1988-1989, 2000-2001, 2013-present)
Lynne was a songwriter, vocalist, guitarist, and multi-instrumentalist for ELO. He was the band's sole leader from 1972 onwards and is currently the only official member of the band, performing under the name "Jeff Lynne's ELO".
Bev Bevan (1970-1986, 1988-1999)
Bevan was the drummer for ELO and remained a consistent member of the band until their disbandment in 1986. He then continued as ELO Part II, initially without any other former ELO members, but later recruited Mik Kaminski, Kelly Groucutt, and Hugh McDowell. He retired in 1999.
Richard Tandy (1972-1986, 2000-2001)
Tandy played keyboards and provided vocals for ELO. He reunited with Lynne several times after the band's disbandment, including for performances in 2013 and 2014.
Bill Hunt (1971-1972)
Hunt played keyboards and the French horn for ELO.
Steve Woolam (1971-1972)
Woolam was a violinist for the band.
Andy Craig (1972)
Craig played the cello for ELO.
Mike Edwards (1972-1975)
Edwards was a cellist for the band until 1975. He died in 2010 in a vehicle accident.
Wilfred Gibson (1972)
Gibson was a violinist for ELO but was let go after a dispute over money during the recording of their third album.
Hugh McDowell (1972-1973, 1979)
McDowell was the band's original cellist but left to join Wizzard. He later returned to replace Colin Walker.
Mike de Albuquerque (1972-1973)
De Albuquerque was a bassist and vocalist for ELO but left the band during recording sessions to spend more time with his family.
Colin Walker
Walker was a member of ELO but there is limited information about his role in the band.
Mik Kaminski (1973-1979)
Kaminski was a violinist for ELO and is considered the best-known violinist of the band. He also performed live with ELO until 1986.
Kelly Groucutt (1974-1983)
Groucutt joined ELO as a bassist and vocalist. He left the band during the recording of "Secret Messages" after suing Lynne over royalty payments. He died from a heart attack in 2009.
Melvyn Gale (1975-1979)
Gale was a cellist for ELO.
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ELO Part II
Bevan initially recruited ELO's main orchestra conductor, Louis Clark, as well as Eric Troyer, Pete Haycock, and Neil Lockwood. Mik Kaminski, Kelly Groucutt, and Hugh McDowell, who were at the time working in a group called OrKestra, joined the group for their first tour in 1991. Groucutt and Kaminski became full-fledged members, while McDowell's tenure was brief. In 1994, Haycock and Lockwood left the band and were replaced by guitarist and vocalist Phil Bates.
In November 1999, Bevan played his last show with the band, and ELO Part II disbanded. Due to Bevan selling his rights to the ELO name to Lynne, the remaining members recruited drummer Gordon Townsend and continued as The Orchestra.
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Jeff Lynne's ELO
ELO's music is characterised by a fusion of pop and classical arrangements with futuristic iconography. The band's sound was influenced by Roy Wood's desire to use violins, cellos, string basses, horns, and woodwinds to give their music a classical sound. Jeff Lynne, who was previously the frontman of another Birmingham group called The Idle Race, was excited by this concept.
During their first run from 1970 to 1986, Lynne and Bevan were the group's only consistent members, with Lynne writing nearly all of their original material. Over the years, however, various other musicians joined the band, including Bill Hunt (keyboards/French horn), Andy Craig (cello), Mike Edwards (cello), and Mik Kaminski (violin).
In 1986, Lynne lost interest in the band and disbanded the group. However, in 2014, Lynne reformed the band with longtime member Richard Tandy as Jeff Lynne's ELO. This new iteration of the band has received acclaim, with some considering them the best live classic rock band in the world.
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Band characteristics
The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970, by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood, and drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop and classical arrangements with futuristic iconography.
During their first run from 1970 to 1986, Lynne and Bevan were the group's only consistent members. The band's lineup would fluctuate throughout its original incarnation, although Richard Tandy was also a constant member. They incorporated the sounds of string ensembles, vocoders and dub echoes into rock songs, creating a sophisticated studio version of rock. The musical content of ELO songs often went far beyond usual chord structures, mixing pop songwriting with classical romanticism and synthesized sounds.
The band's debut album, 'The Electric Light Orchestra', was released in December 1971. Their first single, '10538 Overture', reached Number 9 in the UK charts. By the time of their debut concert in April 1972, Bill Hunt, Andy Craig, Mike Edwards, Wilfred Gibson, Hugh McDowell and Richard Tandy had all joined the group. However, it wasn't meant to be, as Roy Wood, Andy Craig, Bill Hunt and Hugh McDowell all quit to form another group, leaving Jeff Lynne to front the band.
Mike de Albuquerque and Colin Walker joined the band ahead of the release of ELO's second album, 'ELO 2'. Their second single, 'Roll Over Beethoven', rose to Number 6 in the UK. The band then went on to release a multi-platinum-selling album, the double LP 'Out of the Blue', in 1977. 'Out of the Blue' featured the hit singles 'Turn to Stone', 'Sweet Talkin' Woman', 'Mr. Blue Sky', and 'Wild West Hero'. The band then set out on a nine-month, 92-date world tour, with an enormous set and a hugely expensive spaceship stage with fog machines and a laser display.
In 1989, Bev Bevan continued as ELO Part II, initially without any other former ELO members. However, Mik Kaminski, Kelly Groucutt and Hugh McDowell, then working in a group called OrKestra, joined the group for their first tour in 1991. In 1994, after the departure of two members, the remaining five members of ELO Part II recorded 'Moment of Truth' with their newest member, singer-songwriter and guitarist Phil Bates.
In 2000, Lynne and Tandy reformed Electric Light Orchestra and released a new record, 'Zoom'. 'Zoom' proved to be a commercial failure, and the duo split once more in 2001. In 2014, following support from BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans, Lynne and Tandy reunited as a part of BBC Radio 2's 'Festival in a Day' to perform under the new billing, 'Jeff Lynne's ELO'.
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Frequently asked questions
Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) was formed in Birmingham in 1970 by Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, and Bev Bevan. Richard Tandy was also a founding member according to some sources.
Over the years, there have been 11 additional members of the Electric Light Orchestra, including Bill Hunt, Steve Woolam, Andy Craig, Hugh McDowell, Mike Edwards, Wilfred Gibson, Mike de Albuquerque, Colin Walker, Mik Kaminski, Kelly Groucutt, and Melvyn Gale.
The Electric Light Orchestra disbanded in 1986. Bev Bevan and Jeff Lynne reformed the band as ELO Part II in 1988 or 1991. The final lineup of ELO Part II included Bev Bevan, Eric Troyer, Pete Haycock, Neil Lockwood, Mik Kaminski, Kelly Groucutt, and Phil Bates.
Jeff Lynne is currently the only official member of the band. He tours with additional musicians under the name Jeff Lynne's ELO.
