Yours Truly 2016: A Year in Review

Jeff Lynne

#1,218: Hello ... Hello ... my old friends ... It's great to see you once again! Trying to fit all the happenings and occurrences in the elobeatlesforever (elobf) universe this year is almost as difficult as trying to swim uphill! Such a lot has happened in 2016 with Yours Truly KJS publishing 35 Caught Live gig reviews, 15 album reviews, 20 recommendations and much more within a total of 182 articles.

Brian Wilson

Top: The Trembling Wilburys ...Roy Orbison & The Traveling Wilburys Tribute Show,
Bottom: The ELO Experience ... Explosive Light Orchestra (ExpLO)

Top: Mike Stevens with Julian Lloyd-Webber ... Bev Bevan's Zing Band
Bottom: Morganisation ... Judie Tzuke

Quill

elobeatlesforever (elobf) hit a million views in June 2016

From the many, there were two top treasured memories for Yours Truly KJS in 2016. The first was finally getting to see Jeff Lynne perform live with Jeff Lynne's ELO for the first time in Liverpool (and on two subsequent occasions in Birmingham) with the sight (and sound) of "Secret Messages" live at The Echo Arena a truly unforgettable and somewhat emotional experience. The other was the day in June when elobeatlesforever (elobf) received its one millionth view.

A trio of Jeff Lynne's ELO gigs were attended by Yours Truly KJS in 2016

Roy Wood Rock 'n' Roll Band @ Rockmas 2016

Bryan Adams

Phil Bates ... Mike & Suzi Sheridan ... Pete Hackett (Cult Of Wedge)

There were more memorable moments in the 366 days that made up 2016, too many to mention in detail. They are either summarized by the photographs included within this article or below thus:

• elobeatlesforever (elobf) reviewed gigs/events by Jeff Lynne's ELO, Roy Wood Rock 'n' Roll Band, Bev Bevan's Zing Band, Bryan Adams, Brian Wilson, The Feeling, Iain Hornal, Mike & Suzi Sheridan, Quill, Mike Stevens, Steve Gibbons, Raymond Froggatt, Phil Bates, Morganisation, Sight 'n' Sound, The 286, Pete Kent, Judie Tzuke, The Tubes, ABC, Wings Over Abbey Road, The ELO Experience, Explosive Light Orchestra, The Trembling Wilburys, Roy Orbison & The Traveling Wilburys Tribute Show
• Jeff Lynne's ELO completed extensive tour dates in the UK, Europe and US, calling in at Glastonbury, Radio City Hall and Hollywood Bowl to widespread critical acclaim
• Jeff Lynne's ELO event announced at Wembley Stadium in June 2017
• Jeff Lynne's ELO Summer 2017 dates in Sheffield, Glasgow and Hull also confirmed
• Electric Light Orchestra (Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood, Bev Bevan and Richard Tandy) were confirmed as Rock 'n' Roll Hall Of Fame inductees for 2017
• 'Very Best Of' compilation "All Over The World" (2005) gave ELO their first UK Album Chart topper in 35 years and is now ELO's longest running chart entry
• "All Over The World" finally issued in 2LP vinyl!
• Roy Wood completed his largest UK tour in many years, continuing into 2017
• Roy Wood's age was confirmed as 69 despite reports to the contrary!
• Roy Wood endorsed elobeatlesforever (elobf) via Twitter!
• Remaining Wilburys Tom Petty and Bob Dylan confirmed UK dates for 2017
• David Bowie, Prince and Leonard Cohen were remembered by elobeatlesforever (elobf)
• The Move's 50th anniversary celebrated by CD and/or vinyl releases of their studio albums
• Stand Up & Rock! confirmed as returning in 2017
• Trevor Burton left The Move who became Bev Bevan's Zing Band
• KJS queued in a blizzard on Record Store Day in April in order to obtain a splattered vinyl copy of "The Idle Race"!
• KJS finally obtained a copy of the 12" black vinyl issue of ELO's "Shine A Little Love" b/w "Jungle" (SJET12144)!
• elobeatlesforever (elobf) celebrated our 7th birthday in February

KJS with Keith Smart ... Fiona & Dave Pritchard ... Mike & Suzi Sheridan

KJS with Iain Hornal ... Mike Stevens

KJS with Dave Scott-Morgan ... Julie Hambleton ... Steve Gibbons ... Roger 'Ollie' Spencer ... Greg Masters

KJS with the Quill ladies ... Judie Tzuke

elobf Record of the Year

elobf have reviewed some great albums in 2016 including "2" by Mudcrutch featuring (of course) Tom Petty and Mike Campbell, "Foreverland" by Neil Hannon and The Divine Comedy, "Sticky Love Songs" by Bubble Gum Orchestra (BGO) and "Bubbles" by Morganisation amongst not a few others. After due consideration, I'm pleased to confirm that the elobf Record of the Year is this year shared between "Sticky Love Songs" and "Bubbles". Both are great albums and well worth a listen with the former another amazing, top class production from the Blue Violin Studio of Michael Laine Hildebrandt with the latter a vibrant, classy reminder of the songwriting prowess of Dave Scott-Morgan and his extended musical family.

elobf Records of the Year 2016: "Sticky Love Songs" (BGO) and "Bubbles" (Morganisation)

Yours Truly KJS would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every visitor and contributor to elobeatlesforever (elobf) during 2016 and to also wish you a Happy, Peaceful, Prosperous if not ELOtastic New Year. See you on the other side folks!

Until next "Time" in the ELO (and related) Universe ... KJS ... 31-Dec-2016