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SHOWDOWN The ELO Mailing List Digest Issue #011 October 27, 1997 In this issue: The Greenwood is back! New Dave Morgan CD How should Jeff "reinvent" himself? Gold Discs (more) Light Years (more) ============================================================ ALL PUBLIC RESPONSES TO ARTICLES ON THIS LIST SHOULD BE SENT TO THE TALK LIST ADDRESS: elo-list@eskimo.com ============================================================ Subject: Don't Wanna Just Gonna Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 18:22:00 +8 From: Stephen Greenwood Hi Gang, Back from the trip of the decade and just downloading the 225 emails from the last 2 weeks. Let me say a quick thanks to all those who helped make this trip so enjoyable and certainly a memorable one. Personal thanks will go out to you all during the next few days. The brains dead after traveling all day, so it's bye for now. ********** Subject: New Dave Morgan CD Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 13:05:36 -0000 From: Euan Wilson Hi all, Here's some information lifted off Dave Morgan's web pages. "Hi... As many of you will know, I've been writing songs since the year dot. In the 80's I was part of the world famous Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) group. Since becoming a Christian in 1988 I write mostly Christian songs (eg. CALL below). I don't have audio available at this site yet, so if you're interested you'll have to buy one. What a sales pitch huh? Anyway here's a short list of my songs... EARTH RISE - Tandy-Morgan. 12-tracks recorded in ELO period The BC Collection - Tandy Morgan Smith. 17-tracks Post-ELO CALL - David Scott-Morgan. 16-track Xian Music released Sep 1997 Sept 97 Prices To the UK: #14 Outside UK: #16 Sterling or US$30 Prices include Postage. VAT invoice available on request (for UK sales). + Free 7" vinyl record of Bethlehem Town: - the record company have given me their stocks of the Bethlehem Town</> Christmas single. So if you send for a CD or Cassette, I can include a signed copy of this while stocks last. For purchasing info, go to my Website." ----- So there you are a place to get CD's with Dave and Richard Tandy on. The track listings of Earthrise and BC Collection have been posted to these Newsgroups / email lists before, if you want more details about who / what / when Etc. I sure one of us has emails we could forward. Call contains some "previously released material", for example, it contains the Jeff Lynne produced God's Good Time. This time its credited to Jeff rather than Otis Wilbury (as it was for the All God's Blessings cassettes) and its nice to have it on CD. Another track appearing on CD (to my knowledge) is the R&D track This is the day, from The Berlin 7". Other tracks are lifted from the All God's Blessings cassettes and its great To have them on CD. There are a number of new tracks. Strong rumours have it of a BC Collection revamp, due to nearly all the initial run having been Sold. It may take the form of the best tracks of BC with some new material or it may be a Complete new set, but this is something for next year. ********** Subject: How should Jeff "reinvent" himself? Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 13:55:02 +0000 From: Lynn Hoskins Maurice wrote: > it has a lot to do with the music press convincing the world that > ELO are crap and that Jeff Lynne is only a producer - funnily enough > whenever you play ELO to people they like it and say Oh I didn't > know that was by them. You get that too, eh Maurice? Every once in a while I'll run into someone who says, "I hate ELO." I'll say, "Do you like that song, 'Can't Get It Out Of My Head'?" And they'll say, "I LOVE that song!" "That's ELO," I'll say. "Really? What else did they do?" Ahem. After we got on the topic of Jeff's shelved second solo album, and Joe suggested that Jeff "reinvent" himself... > It's almost as if Jeff needs to reinvent himself (exactly as Roy > Wood is doing with his new Big Band) as a solo performer and be > willing to do the slog work necessary to get a project like that > off the ground. ...I started thinking about all the various artists who have had a terrible time getting their solo career off the ground. Some of these careers have literally dive-bombed. I'm on the Split Enz/Crowded House list so I mentioned this "reinventing" thing in reference to the upcoming solo album by Neil Finn. A lot of list members strongly objected to change of any kind, but many agreed with the idea. In fact, a gentleman from Denmark felt that proper timing was key, and posted this about Jeff: > And on Jeff Lynne: the analogy is a good one. I bought "Armchair > Theatre" and I really liked it for its laid back and relaxed > atmosphere. For a man who used to be such a "control freak" (sound > familiar?), this one sounded loose and inspired. But who was looking > for a Jeff Lynne solo effort in 1990? Four years after he decided > to split up the band? Maurice, you've been looking for answers. Could this be part of it? Jeff released "Armchair Theater" TOO SOON after leaving ELO? And the record company is delaying the release of his second album to give the public time to forget all the projects Jeff was associated with? Gosh, if that's the case, it's liable to be a *really* long wait. If Jeff were to "reinvent" himself...how should be do it? (And isn't it really sad that the sound and the style that made him such a success all those years with ELO are now haunting him?) Just wondering. ********** Subject: Re: How should Jeff "reinvent" himself? Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 22:28:40 +0000 From: Maurice Dockrell > If Jeff were to "reinvent" himself...how should be do it? (And isn't it > really sad that the sound and the style that made him such a success all > those years with ELO are now haunting him?) Ok where do I begin: 1. Jeff Lynne hates publicity and being a front man - media work. problem to sell records you have to promote yourself. 2. I believe that joe public hasn't a clue who Jeff Lynne is - ELO were a faceless band - oh the guys with the violins syndrome and long hair and long beards and weren't they really ugly. 3. Jeff Lynne - he is the guy who produced the two really crap Beatles songs - so it was his fault wasn't it. 4. The Traveling Wilburys - well Lynne shouldn't have been in them - all he did was produce them. That is the sort of thing you have to contend with. Ok Jeff has produced a lot of the greats - from Harrison, McCartney to Petty and Orbison etc. but he has remained in the background. Critics hate him and savage whatever he does. He is, however, still best known for ELO - so I think he has to be remarketed as the man who was ELO - like remember ELO in the 70's and how good they were - well here is the guy who wrote all that stuff and then mention all the people he has produced - well here is his new album - then Jeff has to go on tour - he has always claimed to like small theatre type venues - he has to get a really good band together with frequent guest appearences by George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr and anyone else he can rake up - Jeff has to promote himself on his record and hope this will do the trick but he has to be willing to go on boring TV interviews and tour the world to get publicity - then the critics won't matter - Armchair Theatre would have done well had it been promoted - it was too laid back to be a big hit without real slog work. It was also too short - the Wilburys had been huge and for once Jeff was getting some psoitive credit - but the album was not promoted enough by Jeff - Well those are my views - he has to do some real work not just put out the album and hope. ********** Subject: Re: How should Jeff "reinvent" himself? Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 21:17:58 -0500 From: Kathy Schauf Gee, has anyone asked Jeff if he even cares? I bet he doesn't. He's got what he wants, recording studio time, a warm place to sleep, his life is good. I'd be happy as a clam if I were him. ********** Subject: Re: How should Jeff "reinvent" himself? Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 13:47:15 +0000 From: Maurice Dockrell what use is a studio and unlimited recording time if no-one is going to hear the stuff - OK somebody ask Jeff- of course he cares he is a very proud man why do you think he is so particular how his songs are used and why he got so upset about ELO Part II - ask any artist they want people to hear their music - it is part of what drives them to write. ********** Subject: Re: How should Jeff "reinvent" himself? Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 07:52:22 +0000 From: Scott Pierson There was too much to "include" from comments before, so I just chucked it all. Please consider this: I do not think the record company is waiting for people to forget about Jeff Lynne's latest involvements. Ask 1,000 people in the U.S. who Jeff Lynne is and AT LEAST 950 will have no clue. **sad** It may be the blood-thirsty people in the business they are worried about. Or it may be that are not really positive they can turn a buck on the thing. I am as big of a Jeff Lynne fan as about anyone I know, but the "common man" doesn't really know who he is and probably won't buy his new release... (and it hurts me to think it!) Just my thoughts... ********** Subject: Re: How should Jeff "reinvent" himself? Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 13:52:43 +0000 From: Maurice Dockrell Hi Scott - that is the whole point isn't it - no-one knows who Jeff is - if you say who he is -the reaction is that they sort of remember ELO and have a copy of out of the Blue somewhere. Hence my comments about Jeff having to go out on the road with a large campaign of reintroducing himself whcih includes reintroducing ELO - he will need to have an all star band as the public won't go just for him. ********** Subject: Re: How should Jeff "reinvent" himself? Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 08:28:02 +0000 From: Scott Pierson Or maybe not include ELO. I mean they are really ancient history to the public. Maybe a tie-in with The Wilburies. Maybe with George or Tom or Bob or Whomever. I don't know. I don't think a tie-in with ELO will sell him any more here in the states. Either way, if his CD has merit, maybe just a good publicity campaign will do the trick... ********** Subject: Re: How should Jeff "reinvent" himself? Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 14:58:22 +0000 From: Maurice Dockrell There is a lot in what you say but I think ELO has to be mentioned - something along the lines of: He wrote the songs for one of the biggest groups in the 1970's(there is a 70's revival on - Saturday Night Fever and all that) - he produced George Harrison, Paul McCartney & Ringo Starr - Lennon admired his music - he created the Traveling Wilburys, produced Tom Petty - Roy Orbison and most recently the Beatles - this is Jeff Lynne here is his new album - I think he has got to do all the interviews and TV shows - a few live shows - I think Jeff is terrified no-one will come - and may be do an MTV unplugged - The trouble lies in getting to do a big publicity campaign - look at Flaming Pie - it got great reviews from critics ready to destroy it - but McCartney made sure the whole world knew of his album. - no record company is going to that for Jeff Lynne unless he can show he is prepared to really promote it - I am sure it will sell if he does but is he prepared to - I get the impression he isn't - done all that with ELO - trouble is I am sure he wants his music to sell- he wins award after award - all this must be stressed to the public. ********** Subject: Re: Gold Discs (was Light Years) Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 16:35:23 +0000 From: Maurice Dockrell Gallandro wrote: > Certainly! I'd agree if it were a "bit" extra that we were talking about. > But I think we're coming at this from different markets. As I said, if > the situation were that I could get gold CDs for only a bit more than > aluminum, that would be great. But when the price doubles, there's a > problem. Ok different markets - or maybe I have been lucky to find Gold Discs at low prices - I jsut got Bat Out of Hell as a remastered Gold Disc and it was only stlg2 more than the regular Bat Out of Hell (revamped) CD - so i was happy to get it. I agree that the CD price structures are in general too high - but maybe in hte UK and Ireland CD prices are already so high that the Gold Disc stuff sells for the same as in the US - they don't bother making it higher here- Unfortunately ELO are a fringe group now - if they weren't Part II would have done a lot better - it has a lot to do with the music press convincing the world that ELO are crap and that Jeff Lynne is only a producer - funnily enough whenever you play ELO to people they like it and say Oh I didn't know that was by them. Also I think since BOP Sony (or whoever is responsible) haven't bothered to market ELO as a great band - some of it is Jeff's fault for refusing to tour - (would welcome views on this - what is really happening with Reprise?) ********** Subject: Re: Light Years Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 16:26:17 +0000 From: Maurice Dockrell Ken Latta wrote: > I was speaking to Rob Caiger at the Derby gig last week, and he > mentioned to me that the tracks on the new 'Light Years' CD had all been > remastered! Maybe Rob can contact the mailing list to reconfirm this? Interesting - some of the tracks certainly sound different - but as I posted the system I am listening to is not the best. Still it will be in my car CD collection as a must. By the way for the car Armchair Theatre is amazing - I changed the track order and added the B sides Borderline, I'm Gone and Sirens (a true work of Lynne genius - why was it left off the CD) and the album imporved dramtaically - I have always had the view that things got a bit samey in the middle - what I did was to change the track listing to the following 1. Don't let go 2. Lift me Up 3. Nobody Home 4. September Song 5. Now You're Gone 6. Don't Say Goodbye 7. Every Little Thing 8. I'm Gone 9. What would it Take 10. Stormy Weather 11. Borderline 12. Blown Away 13. Sirens 14. Save Me Now For me this improved things dramatically as it prevented Don't Say Goodbye and What would it Take from merging into each other. they are too similar to be beside each other. ********** Subject: Re: Light Years Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 16:32:54 +0000 From: Maurice Dockrell Hi - have been listening to Light Years again - sound is very good - must have been remastered. Revelations have included Ma Ma Belle, So Serious, Wild West Hero, Nightrider - just impressions - 10538 Overture - sound is very clean and warm - all in all most tracks have benefitted - some of course more than others - there is a clarity here that has been missing from some of the ELO CD's I have which is very welcome. The collection is better than I originally thought as a result of the sound quality - the BOP songs have really benefitted from the additional warmth which I felt was missing on the original CD - a bit clinical and cold - of course I could be wrong and jsut be hearing what I want to hear. End of Showdown #011 ********************

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