Posted on: July 23rd, 2008 Fake Bands: ELO
Back in the crazy 70’s a band came up with the idea of combining pop rock with classical music, this thing
then morphed into ELO, short for Electric Light Orchestra. Now Jeff Lynne was the studio wiz behind all this
from the second album on. He wrote, sang and produced all of their albums. Now you might remember them for their sick logo, which is hands down one of the best logo’s in all of rock. Remember when bands had logo’s, ahh the good ol’ days. So from 73-79, ELO had probably a million hit singles, I’m exaggerating but not by much. Turn To Stone, Evil Woman, Strange Magic and many more they ruled the radio waves as well as concert arenas. The line-up consisted of an ever changing roster, too many to name, too little time to actually care. The only constant members were Lynne and drummer Bev Bevan(now there is a classic rock name, if I ever heard one).
By 83, the magic was indeed over, as the bands record sales declined and Bev joined Black Sabbath on the skins. So Jeff Lynne and a cast of who knows who, made one final album, in 86, which tanked. Now Jeff Lynne, did what any talented person would do, realized one phase of his life was done, move on. Which is exactly would he did, he became a mega producer, producing albums for George Harrison, The Traveling Wilbury’s, even unearthed Beatles tracks. But this being classic rock, it can never end with any class. So in 88 Bev, in need of some rent money asks Lynne to reform the band, Lynne finding success on his own declines, Bev goes ahead and enter the lawyers. ELO is disbanded and Bev gets to use the name ELO Part 2. Now any band with a Part 2 in it’s name is bound to suck goat balls. Now I dig drummers, don’t get me wrong, but c’mon, when the only original band member is the drummer and he didn’t even sing, get real. You knew this experiment in nonsense was bound to fail. So these jokers recorded 2 albums, which no one bought and toured on and off for a decade, usually playing bars or barbeques. I think I hired them once to do my block party. Well by 99 Bev was frustrated and decided to end the band.
Whew. It’s over right? No so fast, more insanity to follow. So Bev sold his share and the name Electric Light Orchestra Part 2 back to Jeff Lynne. Now here is the kookiest part, the other guys who were in ELO Part 2, who had no connection what so ever to the original band still wanted to continue on as ELO Part 2. I mean what the fuck??? Are you kidding me? By this time my mailman and my cat were in the band. These guys have balls. So now Lynne files a lawsuit claiming he owns the name and bars them from using ELO Part 2.
So they then decide to call themselves “The Orchestra” featuring members of ELO Part 2. I mean titling your band “featuring members of ELO is sad”, but “featuring members of ELO Part 2” is so pathetic I need to make up a new classification of loser for these guys. You just can’t make this stuff up. So if you see anything with
featuring ELO or ELO Part 2 playing a bar or bodega near you stay far far away.