ELO The Electric Light Orchestra

ELO are one of the greatest groups ever. I was a fan when I joined 'em and still am! Richard Tandy had been with the band since 1972, and him and I had kicked songs and recordings around for years in between times. Then ELO became monster big and disappeared from the local pub, reappearing at odd times between bouts of fabness. It was during these breaks back in Birmingham that we used to get together and sing Beatle songs. So when the TIME tour was being planned, I got asked to help out with the singing (it's true - the Beatles are to blame for me getting the job with ELO!) We did an extensive tour of America in 1981 and then, of the UK & Europe in 1982. At the same time, Lou Clerk had joined to beef up the orchestral sounds. When I say 'joined' I mean as part of the stage group - Me, Lou Clerk and Mik Kaminski came on board to augment the four 'core' members - Jeff Lynne, Richard Tandy, Bev Bevan and Kelly Groucutt - and make it a seven piece concert band. I played guitar, synth and did some singing (along with Victor the Vocoder, he was a good lad). Mick Kaminski stroked furiously at a violin whilst dancing around like someone with a bad case of St.Elmo's itch. Richard had what looked like a keyboard shop at (our) stage left and well... it was fun. I also got to help out on some ELO recordings, usually singing (but also on the pool table, and once trying for a long time to solve a rubik cube that had been sabotaged by Jeff).

In 1986, ELO ventured onto the footlights again with Martin Smith on bass (replacing Kelly Groucutt). We did a charity concert ("Heartbeat") at the NEC, TV shows in Switzerland and America, and then a short European tour with Rod Stewart heading the bill. ELO played it's last gig in 1986 (Stuttgart, Germany, see foto below). After that, apart from my own projects, I did some recording with Jeff, including on his solo album Armchair Theatre (in 1990), after which Jeff produced a song of mine 'God's Good Time' now on the CALL CD. You may be interested to know that ELO's sound engineer on the 86 tour - Colin Owen, is now a Christian recording artiste.

ELO just before going on stage at Stuttgart for the last gig of the 1986 tour:
Lou Clerk, Richard Tandy, Martin Smith, Dave Morgan, Jeff Lynne, Mik Kaminski and Bev Bevan.

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Copyright © David Scott-Morgan      Last updated 09 June 2000