Review: Baby Scream [2013 Expanded Edition]

#519: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! Earlier this year in January, ELOBF introduced you to Baby Scream - the musical progeny of Juan Pablo Mazzola. Earlier this week, Yours Truly KJS was pleased and pleasantly surprised to receive a copy of his self-titled album "Baby Scream" in its expanded format just in time for the official release date of Tuesday 2nd April. As mentioned previously here, Juan told me that he was "a huge ELO/Beatles fan, and what [he does] is basically classic power pop!". And a few listens to this expanded version of "Baby Scream" does bare this out. I guess the best way to sum up this enjoyable album is to ask the question: "What 'Do Ya' get if you cross T Rex with David Bowie and throw in a little Tom Petty?" The answer is, of course: BABY SCREAM.

There are also some fine ELO and Beatles [specifically John Lennon] influences here too but this release predominantly oozes Marc Bolan above all, particularly with "Lazy" and "Twenty Seven". "What About You?" is very definitely inspired by Tom Petty and my personal fave track "Jekyll & Hyde" is most surely Bowiesque. The oriental "Nipone" is also of note with "Exile" reminding the listener of both Beatles and ELO inspired song construction and vocal harmonies. "Baby Scream" is one of the most varied yet balanced set of songs that I've listened to in quite a long time. This re-release of the 2010 album includes the original ten [10] tracks plus an additional four bonus tracks that include three [3] alternate mixes and a demo from 2005. The album is released via OK! Records [an independent label based in Oldbury] and will be available either via most digital download sites as of the official release date thus:

okrecordsmusic.co.uk/store   babyscream.bandcamp.com
babyscream.blogspot.com   youtube.com/babyscream

ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] recommends Baby Scream to those enlightened folks who enjoy the music of ELO, Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, The Move, The Idle Race, 'Brum Beat', The Beatles and related artistes.

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 30-March-2013

Caught Live: Too Petty @ The Robin 28/03/13

#518: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! Believe it or not, last nights gig by Too Petty was ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF]'s first of 2013 and the first in over 100 days since Dr. Feelgood visited The Robin 2 back in December 2012. Yet the fifteen [15] week wait was well worth it as this marvellous quartet performed, pitch perfect, practically the whole of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Greatest Hits not only with an uncanny sonic resemblance, but also with the same stage presence, character and commentaries that one would expect from TP and his Heartbreakers themselves.

 The first act on stage Isolated Atoms were an able support band and showed a lot of promise. But, for me, the thrill of the night was hearing [and seeing] those classic Petty songs played live with due respect for Charlie T Wilbury Jr. a.k.a. Muddy Wilbury by these talented musicians who, in part, also perform in another acclaimed tribute act Fleetwood Bac. From the opening "American Girl" through to "Refugee" and then those Jeff Lynne produced [and co-penned] classics including "I Won't Back Down", "Free Fallin'", "Learning To Fly" [acoustic] and "Into The Great Wide Open", the band were utterly professional and totally impressive.

Yours Truly KJS loved their powerful rendition of "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and was literally left speechless by the drum solo by Stan which morphed into a superb "Don't Come Around Here No More". There were plenty more songs to savour on the night including the sublime "Wildflowers" and the closing rouser "You Wreck Me". You can always tell how good a concert is when trying to pick a favourite. This was made just a little easier when Too Petty performed "Handle With Care" as part of their encore. To hear this Traveling Wilburys classic live for the first time indeed, topped the night off for this writer. RIP Roy and George

You can find out more about Too Petty via their official web site and support this welcome and unique Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers tribute band thus:

www.toopetty.co.uk

ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] recommends Too Petty to those enlightened folks who like ELO, Jeff Lynne, The Traveling Wilburys, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Roy Wood, The Move, The Idle Race, 'Brum Beat' and The Beatles and related artistes.

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 29-March-2013

ELOBF Gig Guide [11]: Q2 2013

#517: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! Spring into Summer 2013 is full to bursting point with some great ELOBF related gigs to look forward to. Here are some selected dates and general links [with more to follow when confirmed] for you to consider checking out between April and June [Q2] 2013:

Saturday 5th April
Off The Ground @ The White Hart, Bilston
Free entry
www.facebook.com/pages/Off-The-Ground

Thursday 11th April to Thursday 30th May
Made In Brum: A brand new live show featuring Jasper Carrott, Bev Bevan, Trevor Burton, Geoff Turton, Danny King, Joy Strachan-Brain and The Bev Bevan Band [Phil Tree, Tony Kelsey, Abby Brant] will be touring the Midlands during April and May.
Ticket prices vary by venue

www.brianyeates.co.uk/Touring-Shows/Made-In-Brum/638

Friday 10th May

Explosive Light Orchestra [Symphonika] @ The Gate Arts & Community Centre, Cardiff

Tickets: £15.00 each
www.thegate.org.uk/book-tickets

Sunday 12th May to Saturday 18th May

Pugwash UK Tour with Matt Berry or Farrah

Ticket prices vary by venue

ELOBF/pugwash-announce-may-2013-uk-tour-dates

Friday 17th May
Off The Ground @ The Claregate, Wolverhampton
Free entry
www.facebook.com/pages/Off-The-Ground

Sunday 19th May

The 286 @ The Cavern [International Pop Overthrow Festival], Liverpool

Free entry

www.facebook.com/events/ipo/the-286

Tuesday 21st May
David Myhr @ The Betsy Trotwood, London
Tickets: £7.50 each
www.wegottickets.com/event/209867

Saturday 1st June

Fay & Latta [Album Launch] @ The Exchange ArtsCentre, Keighley

Tickets: £4.00 each

www.exchangearts.co.uk/events/fay-and-latta

Monday 3rd June

Trevor Burton's 'Walk Of Fame' Gig @ The Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

Tickets: £7.75 each

www.theticketsellers.co.uk/hare-and-hounds/trevor-burton-walk-of-fame-gig

Friday 7th June
Quill @ The River Rooms, Stourbridge
Tickets: £8.00 each
www.theriverrooms.com/Quill.html

Wednesday 12th June
Quill [Acoustic] @ The Queen's Head, Wolverley
Free entry
www.quill-uk.com/GigGuide.htm

Saturday 22nd June

The Bridge Inn Beer and Blues Festival @ Brewood; South Staffordshire

Tickets: £17.50 each

www.brewoodmusicfestival.com/tickets.html

Friday 28th June

The Orchestra [former members of ELO & ELO Part II] @ Grassington Festival, Yorkshire

Tickets: £25.00 each

www.grassington-festival.org.uk/events/the-orchestra-elo-former-members

The ELO Experience @ Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton

Tickets: £20.00 each

www.wolvescivic.co.uk/index/the-elo-experience

The Orchestra

Former members of ELO and ELO Part II: Mik Kaminski, Louis Clark, Eric Troyer, Parthenon Huxley, Glen Burtnik and Gordon Townsend continue to tour the world extensively. Find out where on their excellent web site here:

www.theorchestra.net

The Move

The Move featuring Bev Bevan, Trevor Burton, Neil Lockwood, Phil Tree, Tony Kelsey [and occasionally Julian Crook] will be performing regularly at various venues in the Midlands in 2013. Find out where on their web site thus:

www.themove-live.com/dates.html

Trevor Burton Band

Trevor Burton will be performing regularly at various venues in the Midlands in: The Trevor Burton Band with Pez Connor and Bill Jefferson. Find out where on their web site thus:

www.thetrevorburtonband.co.uk

The ELO Experience
This fantastic Hull based ELO tribute band have established themselves nationally as they reproduce those classic Electric Light Orchestra hits and more.
 www.elotribute.com

 Off The Ground

Off The Ground - who feature Craig Whale and Adam Willetts from The BeatBack Brothers plus Ian Hammond from The Lemuns - will be performing regularly at various venues in the Midlands thus:

www.facebook.com/pages/Off-The-Ground 

The BeatBack Brothers

The BeatBack Brothers - who feature Craig Whale and Adam Willetts from Off The Ground - will be performing regularly at various venues in the Midlands thus:

www.myspace.com/beatbackbrothers

The Lemuns

The Lemuns - who feature Ian Hammond from Off The Ground - will be performing regularly at various venues in the Midlands thus:

www.myspace.com/thelemuns

Paul Parker & All The Right Friends

Paul Parker & All The Right Friends will be performing regularly at various venues in Shropshire and beyond thus:

www.paulparkerandfriends.co.uk/Gigs-2013.html

ELO Again

A new South Wales based Electric Light Orchestra tribute act who are now spreading their wings across the UK to faithfully recreate live those ELO hits we all know and love.

eloagain.co.uk

Symphonika [The Explosive Light Orchestra]

Not only an ELO tribute act but an original, independent artiste in their own right - Symphonika [a.k.a. The Explosive Light Orchestra] - have reproduced the exciting works of ELO at packed theatres and live music venues around Europe.

elotribute.symphonika.co.uk/Explosive_Light_Orchestra.html

All of the above artistes and shows are recommended by ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF]. The above gig listing may be amended periodically, as applicable. Interviews by Yours Truly KJS for ELOBF with some of the above artistes are also planned. See you there?

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 23-March-2013

Recommended: Trevor Burton's Walk of Fame Celebration

#516: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! Judging by the number of gigs that will be included in the forthcoming ELOBF Gig Guide [11] during the second quarter of 2013, life in the ELOBF universe is about to get busy! And one of the highlights of that period will be the long overdue [local] recognition of Trevor Burton when he follows Toyah Wilcox in receiving his Kings Heath 'Walk Of Fame' award on Monday 3rd June.

Trevor, who will have just completed the sell-out Made In Brum tour with Bev Bevan and Jasper Carrott [amongst not a few others] at that time, made this statement on Radio WM 95.6 when interviewed by Adrian Goldberg yesterday [Thursday 21st March]:

"To have been chosen to be given a star on the Kings Heath 'Walk Of Fame' is fantastic and I would like to thank all those involved for making it happen. It's over 40 years from when I first played at the Ritz Ballroom in Kings Heath with The Move and I remember it as being one of the top gigs on the Birmingham circuit. It's great that it's being remembered as it will bring back a lot of memories for people who rocked there back in the sixties."

Bev Bevan, friend, band mate and fellow co-founder of The Move also added:

"Trevor is a fantastic blues guitar player. He left The Move to pursue his love of blues music and went on to play with Jimi Hendrix and many other great musicians. His star is a great reward for all his amazing guitar playing."

The gig to celebrate Trevor's 'Walk Of Fame' award will be held at The Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath [7:30PM start] with an opening set by The Move featuring Bev Bevan and Trevor Burton followed by The Trevor Burton Band themselves. Tickets for the event can be purchased via this link thus: www.theticketsellers.co.uk/hare-and-hounds/trevor-burton-walk-of-fame-gig

ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] recommends The Trevor Burton Band and The Move featuring Bev Bevan and Trevor Burton to those enlightened folks who enjoy the music of ELO, Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, The Idle Race, 'Brum Beat', The Beatles and related artistes.

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 22-March-2013

The Trembling Wilburys: Here Comes The Sun

#515: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! Last Sunday [17th March], a ceremony took place, hosted by The Heritage Foundation, at the former Beatles Apple store in Baker Street, London to unveil a new blue 'Musical Heritage' plaque commemorating both John Lennon MBE [1940-1980] and George Harrison MBE [1943-2001]. The original building was demolished and re-built in 1974. The previous plaque only cited John but the new blue plaque ensures that George is mentioned alongside him.

The reception was held at The Marriott Hotel in Regents Park, London and featured a headline performance by ELOBF recommended The Trembling Wilburys. Their live performances of "Here Comes The Sun" [see above], "Not Alone Anymore" and "What Is Life" were filmed at the event. The amazing vocal and physical likeness of Dave Collison [as Roy Orbison] and Glen Knowler [as George Harrison] - particularly on "Here Comes The Sun" - lends much credit to this talented group. Indeed, bands like The Trembling Wilburys give tribute acts legitimacy due to the care and attention they pay to the songs they perform in respect of the the original artist[s].

You may also recall that back in October last year, I had the great pleasure of interviewing Dave Collison for ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] and you can read that interview HERE

ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] recommends The Trembling Wilburys to those enlightened folks who enjoy the music of ELO, Jeff Lynne, The Traveling Wilburys, Roy Wood, The Move, The Idle Race, 'Brum Beat', The Beatles and related artistes.

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 20-March-2013

Recommended: Bridge Inn Beer & Blues Festival

#514: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! You may recall that ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] covered the local Brewood Music Festival last year, which featured The Move and many other fine artistes. We can now look forward this Summer to The Bridge Inn Beer & Blues Festival - to be held once again in Brewood - on Saturday 22nd June.

Yours Truly KJS recommends this great local festival is because it is being headlined by the elder statesman of 'Brum Beat' who is Steve Gibbons - and, of course, his band - whose career resume reads like a who's who of the Birmingham music scene in the Sixties with spells in The Uglys [who also included Dave Morgan, Richard Tandy and Keith Smart at various times], Balls [with Trevor Burton, Mike Kellie, Keith Smart and Denny Laine] and The Idle Race [post Jeff Lynne] before it morphed into The Steve Gibbons Band.

He went on to achieve a UK Top 20 hit single in 1977 with "Tulane" [#12] and continues to successfully tour to the present day. Steve Gibbons will be supported by a plethora of talented local acts [and beers] on the day, as can be evidenced by the above poster. Tickets  can be purchased from Monday 25th March either in person and/or by contacting The Bridge Inn on [01902] 851999 and/or by emailing bridgeinnbrewood@gmail.com and/or via these links thus:

www.brewoodmusicfestival.com/tickets.html
www.villagetimes.co.uk/brewoodblues.htm

ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] recommends The Bridge Inn Beer & Blues Festival and to those enlightened folks who enjoy the music of ELO, Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, The Move, The Idle Race, 'Brum Beat', The Beatles and related artistes. See you there?

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 19-March-2013

ELO & Jeff Lynne: Digital Samples Now Stateside

#513: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! Digital samples of tracks from the new ELO & Jeff Lynne albums "Live", "Zoom" and "Armchair Theatre" can now be heard over at amazon.com to whet the appetite of North American fans in advance of their release.

The previously unreleased and live bonus tracks are: "Borderline" and "Forecast" [from "Armchair Theatre"], "One Day" and "Turn To Stone [Live]" [from "Zoom"] plus "Secret Messages [Live]", "Out Of Luck" and "Cold Feet" [from "Live"].

Yours Truly KJS and ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] have been assured by amazon.co.uk that the aforementioned trio of new ELO & Jeff Lynne albums will be listed in digital format soon.

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 14-March-2013

Pugwash Announce May UK Tour Dates

#512: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! Yours Truly KJS and ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] are pleased to announce that Pugwash have just announced details of their septet of UK dates during May 2013. The Dublin band - who comprise Thomas Walsh, Tosh Flood, Joe Fitzgerald and Shaun McGee - will be supporting Matt Berry and The Maypoles for six gigs plus a date at Brixton headlining with fellow LoJinx artistes Farrah thus:

Sunday 12th May
The Fleece, Bristol
Tickets: £13.00 each

Monday 13th May
sub 89, Reading
Tickets: £12.50 each

Tuesday 14th May
The Kazimier, Liverpool
Tickets: £14.00 each

Wednesday 15th May
The Ruby Lounge, Manchester
Tickets: £14.00 each

Thursday 16th May
Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
Tickets: £12.00 each

Friday 17th May
The Windmill, Brixton with Farrah*
Tickets: £4.00 each [advance] or £5.00 each [door]

Saturday 18th May
The O2 Academy, Islington
Tickets: £18.00 each

ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] recommends both Pugwash and Farrah to those enlightened folks who enjoy the music of ELO, Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, The Move, The Idle Race, 'Brum Beat', The Beatles and related artistes. See you there?

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 13-March-2013

Ticket Sales Boom for Made In Brum

#511: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! Tickets are selling out fast for the much anticipated debut Midlands tour of Made In Brum featuring Bev Bevan, Jasper Carrott, Trevor Burton, the legendary Danny King, Geoff Turton, Joy Strachan-Brain [from Quill] and The Bev Bevan Band [Tony Kelsey, Phil Tree and Abby Brant].

In fact, the ticket sales have been so good that additional dates at The Arts Complex in Solihull [Sunday 14th April], The Garrick Theatre in Lichfield [Thursday 9th May] and The Concordia Theatre in Hinckley [Saturday 20th April] have been added to the touring show. Add to that the fact that seven out of the twenty one dates have already sold out and it looks as if Made In Brum is going to be a roaring success! Here are all the tour dates at the time of writing thus:

Thursday 11th April

TOWN HALL, DUDLEY

Tel. [01384] 812812

Friday 12th to Sunday 14th April

ARTS COMPLEX, SOLIHULL

*** SOLD OUT ***

Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th April

GARRICK THEATRE, LICHFIELD

*** SOLD OUT ***

Saturday 20th to Sunday 21st April

CONCORDIA THEATRE, HINCKLEY

*** SOLD OUT ***

Wednesday 24th April

PALACE THEATRE, MANSFIELD

Tel. [01623] 633133

Thursday 25th to Friday 26th April

ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM

Tel. [0844] 871 3011

Sunday 5th May

THEATRE SEVERN, SHREWSBURY

Tel. [01743] 281281

Thursday 9th May

GARRICK THEATRE, LICHFIELD

Tel. [01543] 412121

Wednesday 15th to Thursday 16th May

PALACE THEATRE, REDDITCH

Tel. [01527] 65203

Saturday 18th May

ROSES THEATRE, TEWKESBURY

Tel. [01684] 295074

Thursday 23rd May

OPERA HOUSE, BUXTON

Tel. [0845] 127 2190

Friday 24th May

CIVIC HALL, BEDWORTH

Tel. [02476] 376707

Saturday 25th May

GRAND THEATRE, WOLVERHAMPTON

Tel. [01902] 429212

Thursday 30th May

TOWN HALL, SUTTON COLDFIELD

Tel. [0121] 464 8990

ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] recommends Made In Brum to those enlightened folks who enjoy the music of ELO, Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, The Move, The Idle Race, 'Brum Beat', The Beatles and related artistes. See you there?

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 11-March-2013

Review: Sunlight In Nightmares [River City Portrait]

#510: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! When Groucutt & Haynes unexpectedly re-branded themselves under their new name River City Portrait back in February 2012, with the promise of a new album to follow, it created a sense of anticipation as ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] wondered what musical direction Rob Groucutt [son of Kelly] and Dan Haynes would take next after their impressive "Another Good Reason" album had garnered many plaudits.

Just released on Monday 4th March, "Sunlight In Nightmares" is an eleven [11] track collection of original, quirky folk and blues songs which are not only pleasing to the ear but also relay the sonic kinship of these two [2] talented singer/songwriters and musicians. Indeed, there is an expansion evident in the musical styles on display here with opener "Pull Me Down" having a definite Fleetwood Mac influence, if not that of Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Their duo of singles to date - "Paralysed" and "Living On The Inside" - are strong numbers. Yours Truly KJS expects that they will be crowd faves when the band perform them live ... soon! "You Might As Well" has a thumping Sting-like bass hook and "Life" is an anthemic, autobiographical song from the heart. "Made It Through The Last Time" is instantly likeable with its Latino feel and the wonderful ballad that is "Fake", replete with chorale like vocal backing, closes this creditable album by this "modern day Simon and Garfunkel".

All the songs are driven by intricate acoustic guitar work but what strikes me about this album are the powerful lyrics, the impressive production values and the lovely harmonies that Rob and Dan exhibit. Harmonies that the late, great Kelly would be proud of, I'm sure. This is a much more pacey and up-tempo album overall but it also comes across as a set of compositions that leave the hearer in no doubt of the growth in maturity of Messrs. Groucutt and Haynes. I'm reminded a lot of the early material by Jars Of Clay when I listen to this album and, after a few listens, "Sunlight In Nightmares" leaves the listener nicely chilled out - and impressed.

You can purchase "Sunlight In Nightmares" by River City Portrait [including the aforementioned singles] as well as earlier Groucutt & Haynes releases via their official web sites thus:

www.rivercityportrait.com
rivercityportrait.bandcamp.com

ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] recommends "Sunlight In Nightmares" by River City Portrait to those enlightened folks who enjoy the music of ELO, Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, The Move, The Idle Race, 'Brum Beat', The Beatles and related artistes.

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 10-March-2013

Pre-order Info: ELO & Jeff Lynne CD/2LP Albums

#509: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! The forthcoming triple CD releases of the trio of new ELO/Jeff Lynne album trio "Live", "Zoom" and "Armchair Theatre" in the UK on Monday 22nd April can now be pre-ordered via these links thus:

Plastic Head
www.plastichead.com/armchair-theatre
www.plastichead.com/zoom   www.plastichead.com/elo-live

amazon.co.uk
www.amazon.co.uk/armchair-theatre
www.amazon.co.uk/zoom   www.amazon.co.uk/elo-live

amazon.com
www.amazon.com/armchair-theatre
www.amazon.com/zoom   www.amazon.com/elo-live

Don't forget that all three albums are to be also released in double album format on Monday 27th May by Let Them Eat Vinyl via Plastic Head with an initial limited edition coloured vinyl run of 1,000 pressings, as advised here recently by ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF].

Track listings for the vinyl editions are now known but Yours Truly KJS remains somewhat surprised that both "Zoom" and "Armchair Theatre" [with 15 and 13 tracks respectively] have just two short tracks listed on the fourth side of both records leaving a rather large run out. In my experience of buying vinyl, this is most unusual! Please find below recent ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] articles about the April/May CD and 2LP releases by ELO/Jeff Lynne for your perusal thus:

APRIL RELEASE FOR ELO & JEFF LYNNE ALBUM TRIO
JAPANESE JEWELS: ELO & JEFF LYNNE BONUS TRACKS
MAY VINYL RELEASE FOR ELO & JEFF LYNNE 2LP ALBUMS

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 06-March-2013

Jeff Lynne: Inheritance Tracks

#508: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! Earlier today [Saturday 2nd March], BBC Radio 4 aired an eight minute episode of their "Inheritance Tracks" series which featured Jeff Lynne "... from ELO [who chose] "If I Loved You" from "Carousel'"by Rodgers and Hammerstein and "Only The Lonely" by Roy Orbison" for his own personal 'inheritance tracks'. There are no surprises in Jeff's dialogue but it is an interesting monologue all the same. You can download and hear the whole programme [podcast] for yourselves by clicking on the link below thus:

downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/radio4/it/it_20130302-1122a.mp3

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 02-March-2013

May Vinyl Release for ELO & Jeff Lynne 2LP Albums

#507: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! Following their successful vinyl releases of "Long Wave" and "Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best Of Electric Light Orchestra", Plastic Head will again [via Let Them Eat Vinyl] follow the issue of the trio of new ELO/Jeff Lynne releases by Frontiers Records/Big Trilby Records in April - namely: "Electric Light Orchestra Live", "Zoom" and "Armchair Theatre" - by releasing them as 2LP albums on Monday 27th May.

ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] understands that the first 1,000 of each title will be issued in limited edition coloured vinyl with the remainder in black vinyl. All three double albums can be pre-ordered via Plastic Head who are also taking orders for the April CD releases.

"Electric Light Orchestra Live" [#LETV098LP], "Zoom" [#LETV097LP] and "Armchair Theatre" [#LETV096LP] can be pre-ordered from Plastic Head via these links thus:

www.plastichead.com/electric-light-orchestra-live/LETV098LP
www.plastichead.com/electric-light-orchestra-zoom/LETV097LP
www.plastichead.com/jeff-lynne-armchair-theatre/LETV096LP

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 01-March-2013

Recommended: Telephone Line [Aslan]

#506: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! Whereas I'm sure that much better informed ELO [and related artistes] web sites than ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] have already mentioned the superb cover of the 1976 ELO classic "Telephone Line" by Irish band Aslan, as released on their 2009 album "Uncased", this writer only discovered it in January this year and thinks it a creditable effort, both live and in the studio thus:

The live performance by Aslan also features the actual ELO promo video for "Telephone Line" playing in the background. You may also recall that Yours Truly KJS featured another classy cover of this great Jeff Lynne penned song by Jack & White ft. Fitz last year. In actual fact, there are at least three fantastic covers of "Telephone Line" out there if we also include the superb live version by Pugwash live on RTE in 2011 [click here to view].

The measure of the greatness of a song is not only in how many times it is covered, but also in how many ways it is re-interpreted. And so it is with "Telephone Line".

ELO Beatles Forever [ELOBF] recommends "Telephone Line" by Aslan to those enlightened folks who enjoy the music of ELO, Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, The Move, The Idle Race, 'Brum Beat', The Beatles and related artistes.

Until next "Time" in the ELO [and related] Universe ... KJS ... 01-March-2013