END NOTES 2012

A few quick notes before we let this year slip away...

First off, for those of you who pledged to the Songs After Sandy benefit album, make sure you check your e-mail... the link to download the 2012 Electric version of Save Me Now was e-mailed to everyone around Dec. 16 or so...

And don't forget, Dave Morgan's new album Across the Divide is now out on CD.  You can check it out and order one at his website.

A heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped contribute to the blog this year. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2013!  Happy New Year, everyone!

LONG ENDURANCE, BULKY CURTAINS ctd...

Happy 65th Birthday, Jeff...

And thank you for all the amazing stuff this year!

SOME HOLIDAY JAMMING

Look who was having some fun at the Troubadour a few nights ago... (hat tip: Neil)

More from Lynn Hoskins at Showdown:

Thursday night at the Troubadour in Los Angeles Jeff Lynne was part of Jonathan Wilson's Merry Minstrel Musical Circus that did a benefit jam-a-thon to raise money for Little Kids Rock and the Tazzy Animal Rescue Fund. Taking turns onnstage were Bob Weir, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, and Jackson Browne, who called Jeff's appearance a 'visitation.'

COMING SOON ON BLUE VINYL

It appears next month will see the release of a new batch of vinyl for Jeff Lynne's Long Wave and Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra - this time on limited edition blue vinyl - Mr. Blue Sky will be on two discs.  They will be limited to 1000 each and are on the schedule for January 28 2013 in the UK.

Preorders also at Amazon:

Long Wave

Mr. Blue Sky

(hat tip: Rich)

ALSO ON ITUNES

Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne & ELO comes to iTunes on Tuesday, but just added and available to buy now are four more ELO videos from back in the day.

The live Wembley version of Sweet Talkin' Woman and the original promo videos for So Serious, Last Train To London and the rare version of Shine A Little Love are now available to buy for $1.99 each.

MR. BLUE SKY: THE STORY OF JEFF LYNNE & ELO

From elo.biz:

The full version (presumably) of Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne & ELO will be available to download starting Tuesday December 18 on iTunes.

A physical release on DVD is still on target for next year.

The trailer:

RECORD COLLECTOR

ELO is the cover story and Jeff Lynne is gracing the cover of the December 2012 Record Collector Magazine in the UK.  Two full articles about ELO - one from Jeff Lynne:

Two albums released on the same day saw Jeff Lynne break a lengthy silence. Terry Staunton meets up with ELO’s head honcho and asks just why he had to hide away for so long. 

The Top 10 albums chart in late October made interesting reading, with a familiar name dominating the list. One of the highest new entries was Long Wave, a collection of vintage oldies from the 50s and 60s refashioned for the 21st century by Jeff Lynne. Just below it was Mr Blue Sky, with Lynne revisiting some of his old band ELO’s best loved songs, re-recording each one from scratch. A few places below those offerings was a catalogue compilation of ELO originals, sales reignited by the buzz surrounding the front man’s return. 

Not that Lynne has ever been away, he’s just been out of the spotlight. Since the demise of ELO in 2001 (having fought and won a legal battle for rights to the name from drummer Bev Bevan’s touring outfit ELO II), Jeff has mostly worn his producer’s hat. He worked on George Harrison’s last album, Brainwashed, continued his long association with Tom Petty, and his name can also be found on the credits of releases by Regina Spektor and Joe Walsh. 

He was involved in the Traveling Wilburys reissue campaign in 2007, which saw the supergroup that also featured Harrison, Petty, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison top the album charts again, but releases with his own name front and centre have been conspicuous by their absence. 

All that changed in the autumn of 2012, …

The other article is on Bev Bevan...

The strings soared, Jeff Lynne delivered the hits, but the foundation was Bev Bevan, driving it all behind the drum kit. Here, he recalls his times with The Move, Black Sabbath and ELO. Matt Eastley snares him for an interview
Sometimes, what looks on paper like the dream ticket simply fails to come off. 

The metamorphosis of Birmingham band The Move into the Electric Light Orchestra and the subsequent failure of the Roy Wood/Jeff Lynne partnership is one of the more curious tales in rock’s annals. 

The Move had been one of the finest bands to emerge in the late 60s, largely driven by the creativity and inventiveness of Wood. 

But come the 70s, the band was struggling for direction and when close mates, mutual admirers and stellar talents Wood and Lynne finally hooked up, they looked set to take the world by storm with a vehicle that would satisfy both their ambitions. 

But as far as the pairing was concerned, it never happened, and within a year, Wood had stunned everyone by upping sticks and leaving to form the complex but often-amusing and parodic Wizzard. 

Watching all this at first hand was drummer Bev Bevan, who had known Wood since the mid 60s. To this day is flummoxed as to why the Wood/Lynne axis did not flourish.

On newsstands in the UK but you can also order one right from Record Collector's website...

WEEKEND READING

While housecleaning this weekend, I came across this nugget from the Philadelphia Inquirer dated February 1, 2003.  It was the first time many of us heard the new remake of Mr. Blue Sky in a Volkswagen Beetle commercial.  The tongue-in-cheek(ish) article's writer has a hard time accepting that bands like ELO are finding a niche in 'hip' movies and TV commercials. Enjoy.

BLU-SPEC CD2

First up in 2013 so far looks to be this: A New World Record, Out of the Blue, Discovery and Time will be released on a new Blu-Spec CD2 "format".  The blurb:

Features the high-fidelity Blu-spec CD2 format (compatible with standard CD players). Part of a 4-album Electric Light Orchestra Blu-spec CD2 reissue series featuring albums "New World Record," "Out of the blue," "DISCOVERY," and "Time." *Blu-spec CD2 is the next generation Compact Disc that employs the Phase Transition Mastering, the technology developed for mastering of Blu-ray discs, to further perfect the acclaimed characteristics of Blu-spec CD. Fully compatible with standard CD players, Blu-spec CD2 completely alters the experience of music.

We'll see... Release date for Japan: March 6, 2013

NOW PLAYING: ADAM CAROLLA PODCAST

The Adam Carolla Show podcast is now available for download...

THE ECONOMIST AND MR. BLUE SKY

The Economist has a nice new article about Jeff Lynne in today's online edition.  It has a small blurb about the upcoming release of Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO.  Pre-orders for the documentary will begin next month on iTunes (for the digital download) followed by the DVD release next year.

NOW STREAMING: SAVE ME NOW 2012

Preorders and pledges are still being taken for Songs After Sandy: Friends of Red Hook for Hurricane Sandy Relief.  But if you put in your $15 pledge now, you can hear a stream of the entire first volume of tracks including Jeff Lynne's new version of Save Me Now.

COMING SOON: SONGS AFTER SANDY

Joe Walsh, Ringo Starr and Jeff Lynne will be among the musicians who are contributing to a new benefit album for people who were affected Hurricane Sandy.

It's called Songs After Sandy : Friends of Red Hook for Hurricane Sandy Relief and an official announcement was made today.

Jeff's contribution:

...is a new version of a song he’d written decades ago. In a statement, he said, “This is a brand new electric version of ‘Save Me Now,’ a song I wrote 22 years ago about this very subject — global warming and the need to listen and be kind to our planet. I wanted to contribute to Songs After Sandy because I feel terrible about what happened, and my heart goes out to all of the people still stuck in it and trying to work through it.”

Here is a direct link to pre-order Songs After Sandy.  It appears it will be available for a $15 donation.  More details as soon as we find them...

LINER NOTES

From Eric Idle:

The story so far. In a fit of egotistical madness Eric Idle has agreed to write the liner notes for Jeff Lynne’s album, but so far he has no idea what to do. He is assembling for dinner with Jeff and Billy at an expensive West Hollywood watering hole, called The Expensive West Hollywood Watering Hole. He has sat with Billy for half an hour and made a bad joke about Shark Infested Waiters at the Peninsular. They are waiting for Jeff. He appears.

His blog picks up the story from there...

MERCY MERCY UK SINGLE

From eBay: A UK 1-track promo CD for Jeff Lynne's Mercy Mercy, the new UK single from Long Wave.

COMING UP...

Don't forget, Jeff Lynne appears on Rockline this Wednesday November 7 at 11:30pm Eastern/8:30pm Pacific.  You can hear it online at Rockline Radio.com.

Plus PaladiaHD is still airing Mr.Blue Sky The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO in case you haven't been able to catch it yet...

Tuesday, November 06 6:00 PM
Saturday, November 10 10:00 AM
Friday, November 16 12:00 AM
Sunday, November 25 1:00 PM

BIRMINGHAM POST

There's a new interview with Jeff Lynne in today's Birmingham Post.  Much of the stuff we've heard before - but he does discuss the status of his relationship with Roy Wood and Bev Bevan today - plus his favorite non-hit ELO song.

MORE BLUE SKY

KLOS in Los Angeles will be hosting another screening of Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO at The Grammy Museum on Wednesday November 14 at 7pm.  Jeff Lynne will be on hand for a Q&A following the screening.  The press release:

Los Angeles radio station 95.5 KLOS-FM today announced a special screening, Wednesday, November 14 at The GRAMMY Museum in downtown Los Angeles, of the JEFF LYNNE documentary “Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO.” It will be followed by a Q&A with the creative force of ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA and the singularly accomplished British singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer. KLOS DJ Cynthia Fox will host the event, which starts at 7:00 PM, and moderate the Q&A. 

LYNNE‘s illuminating and entertaining documentary “Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO,” written and directed by Martyn Atkins, gets to the heart of who JEFF LYNNE is and how he has had such a tremendous musical influence on our world. The answer–as told by the British artist himself and such distinguished collaborators and friends of JEFF as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty, Joe Walsh, Olivia and Dhani Harrison, Barbara Orbison and Eric Idle–is that LYNNE is a true man of music for whom the recording studio is his greatest instrument. 

In other news, LYNNE recently received a nomination for inclusion in the 2013 Songwriters Hall of Fame. The event will take place June 13, 2013 in New York City. 

LYNNE just released two albums on Frontiers Records on October 9 to critical praise: the solo disc LONG WAVE, a heartfelt and vivid tribute to some of the very songs that originally inspired him, and MR. BLUE SKY–THE VERY BEST OF ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA. For the latter album, LYNNE has artfully revisited and created brand new versions–at his home studio in Los Angeles–of the greatest hits of ELO, actually improving on the gems that catapulted them to sales of 50 million-plus records worldwide. 

The release of the albums marks the 40th anniversary of ELO. Both albums contributed to what Billboard.biz called a “spectacular chart comeback (10/15/12),” with three top-10 albums on the U.K. charts at the same time—LONG WAVE, MR. BLUE SKY—THE VERY BEST OF ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA, and ALL OVER THE WORLD.

MR. BLUE SKY ON THE UKE

Many of you remember Joe Brown from the Concert For George.  He's about to release The Ukulele Album early next month - and has covered Mr. Blue Sky.  It even gets a nod from Jeff on Jeff's official Facebook page:

I've always been a big fan of Joe Brown and so to hear him singing Mr Blue Sky is a treat.
Thanks, mate!
All the best, Jeff Lynne

Also on the album is a cover the Traveling Wilburys' Where Were You Last Night...

100.3 THE SOUND

Reminder for tonight... Jeff Lynne will be the guest DJ at 100.3 FM The Sound in LA tonight - 9PM Eastern (6 PM LA Time) - You can LISTEN LIVE here.

ONE SUMMER DREAMY

Claudia Brucken (from Propaganda and Act) has a new album coming November 5 called The Lost Are Found.  Check out her version of One Summer Dream...

HUFFINGTON POST

Here's a fresh interview with Jeff Lynne by Mike Rogogna on today's Huffington Post Blog...

LONG WAVE IS A #1 ALBUM

The latest charts are out in the UK...

On the UK Top 40 Indie Album Chart:

Long Wave is #1
Mr. Blue Sky is #2

and on The Official UK Top 40 Albums Chart:

Long Wave is #7
Mr. Blue Sky is #8
All Over The World is #10

Long Wave is officially a #1 Album...

JEFF LYNNE APPRECIATION DAY

How 'bout a shout-out to Wild Honey Records in Knoxville, Tennessee.  They had Jeff Lynne Appreciation Day at their store today with some vinyl available to buy...

BACK IN THE UK CHARTS

Not sure the last time this happened, but Jeff Lynne has not one - not two - but three albums in the UK Top 10 album charts this week.  According to BBC Radio 1:

Jeff Lynne's Long Wave debuts at #5
Mr. Blue Sky: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra debuts at #9

And in an effort to capitalize on Jeff Lynne's higher profile in the UK last week, Sony/BMG unleashed another round of All Over The World: The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra CDs last week.  This week, that collection of ELO originals holds steady at #10.

MR. BLUE SKY - THE DELUXE EDITION

As it turns out, Mr. Blue Sky - The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra has a deluxe edition available on iTunes.  It has the 12 main tracks plus:

Ma-Ma-Ma Belle
Rockaria!
Steppin' Out  [with Richard Tandy Live 2012 Version]
Can't Get It Out Of My Head  [with Richard Tandy Live 2012 Version]

Available to buy individually and the full album comes with the digital booklet.

PLAYING FAVORITES...

On this momentous release day, The Quietus has a new article with Jeff Lynne talking about his 13 favorite albums.

THE TRAILER...

The 30-second Frontiers Records trailer for today's release of Mr. Blue Sky -The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra and Long Wave by Jeff Lynne...

NOW AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE

Mr. Blue Sky - The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra and Jeff Lynne's new solo album Long Wave are available worldwide starting today.

You can get the digital download of Long Wave from Amazon (US) for $6.99.
Mr. Blue Sky download is $8.99.

5 TRACK PROMO

A 5-track sampler from featuring Mercy, Mercy from Long Wave and four tracks from Mr. Blue Sky is starting to be unleashed.  This one from eBay...

LATER... WITH JOOLS HOLLAND

UPCOMING APPEARANCES

Face The Music has a full, clear list of upcoming radio and TV appearances for Jeff Lynne.

WELCOME TO FACEBOOK.

Jeff Lynne has launched (or resumed) an Official Facebook Page.

THIS WEEK

Get your DVRs, etc ready.  Here's the score for this week, so far:

Tuesday Oct 2:
Later... with Jools Holland
BBC 2 and BBC HD
10:00-10:30pm

Wednesday Oct 3:
Kenny Everett Night on BBC 4
Top of the Pops featuring ELO performing Showdown from 11 Oct 1973
BBC 4
Starting at 8pm
(thanks Jim Hoban at ELO Network)

Friday Oct 5:
Steve Wright in the Afternoon
BBC Radio 2
sometime between 2-5pm

Mr. Blue Sky - The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO, ELO Live at Wembley 1978, Rock Family Trees, and the new Live from Bungalow Palace
BBC 4
Beginning at 9pm

Extended replay of Later... with Jools Holland
BBC 2 and BBC HD
11:50pm

Now PalladiaHD will be airing Mr. Blue Sky - The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO for those of us in the USA:
Sunday, October 07     9:00 PM

Monday, October 08     12:00 AM

Tuesday, October 09    2:00 PM

Tuesday, October 09    10:00 PM

Friday, October 12     7:00 PM

Tuesday, October 16    1:00 AM

Sunday, October 21     9:00 AM

Lynn Hoskins at Showdown, the Official ELO Mailing List confirming that there will at least be a DVD of the Mr. Blue Sky documentary perhaps around Christmas or shortly after.

NOW PLAYING: ONE DAY AT A TIME

Joe Walsh has just unveiled the new promo video for the Jeff Lynne-produced One Day At A Time.

COMING SOON...

Some fans who are receiving their Mr. Blue Sky CD and/or vinyl this week direct from Frontiers Records are also getting this flier.  Picture from Showdown list member Jeff Cooper:

Jeff Lynne's first solo album, Armchair Theatre, is a melting pot of different styles and influences featuring unexpected collaborations with Lynne's heroes and close friends.  This re-issue, unavailable for the last decade, includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks.  Coming Soon!

Unavailable for over 10 years, ELO's last released studio album, Zoom, has been remastered and features two brand new tracks as an added bonus.  Coming Soon! 

Taken from the much-anticipated and critically acclaimed Zoom concert at Los Angeles' CBS Television City, Live! offers fans four tracks that weren't on the original DVD as well as two new, unreleased studio tracks.  Coming Soon!

... AND AGAIN ...

The newly recorded Evil Woman featured in the Season Premiere of Hawaii Five-O...

Entertainment Weekly has a short blurb about the episode and Evil Woman's appearance in it.  (Hat tip: Jeff Reznick)

BILLBOARD Q&A

Mr. Lynne is making the rounds.  There's a fresh Q&A with Jeff at Billboard.com...

MR. BLUE SKY ANIMATED

From Frontiers Records: a new animated video for Mr. Blue Sky now available to view on Vimeo..  (hat tip: Adam Bonich)

Made by students at USC School of Cinematic Arts.

... AND 'LATER...'

Another DVR alert: Jeff Lynne will be appearing on Later... With Jools Holland Tuesday October 2 on BBC Two and BBC HD. From their web site:

And ELO frontman Jeff Lynne is in the studio to chat with Jools about his new album and 40 years of the band.

MR. BLUE SKY U.K. PREMIERE

Plus, a 30 minute special featuring Jeff Lynne and Richard Tandy performing in Jeff's home studio, Bungalow Palace.  From the Showdown ELO Mailing List and Radio Times:

BBC Channel 4 - Friday October 5, 2012: 

9pm-10pm - Mr Blue Sky: The Story Of Jeff Lynne and ELO
The life and career of singer-songwriter Jeff Lynne, from his early days in the Birmingham rock scene to his success with Electric Light Orchestra during the 1970s and stint as a member of the Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and George Harrison. Featuring contributions by the artist himself, along with his friends and colleagues, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Joe Walsh, Barbara Orbison and Eric Idle. 

10pm-11pm - ELO Live At Wembley
The Electric Light Orchestra perform a memorable 1978 concert at Wembley Arena, featuring a pioneering laser display that set a precedent for stadium concerts for decades to come. Songs include Turn to Stone, Tightrope, Telephone Line, Rock Aria (sic), Wild West Hero, Showdown, Sweet Talkin' Woman, Standing in the Rain and Night in the City. 

11pm-11:50pm - Rock Family Trees: The Birmingham Beat
Music Journalist Pete Frame explores the careers of musicians including Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood and Denny Laine, whose roots in the Birmingham rock scene led to the creation of some of Britain's best-known bands, including the Move, ELO and the Moody Blues 

11:50pm-12:20am - Jeff Lynne Acoustic: Live From Bungalow Palace
The singer-songwriter performs acoustic versions of his greatest hits alongside long-time collaborator Richard Tandy at his studio in Los Angeles. Featuring Electric Light Orchestra tunes including Evil Woman, Telephone Line and Showdown.

NOW PLAYING: MERCY MERCY

From Rolling Stone.com:

INTERVIEWS

elo.biz now has an 'Interviews' section in Videos - and features one short clip about Mercy, Mercy.

NOW STREAMING: POINT OF NO RETURN

NOW STREAMING: MERCY, MERCY

From Soundcloud:

NEW PROMO SHOTS

Some nice new promo shots of Jeff now up at elo.biz...

SONG OF THE WEEK

USA Today now listing Mercy, Mercy the new USA single from Jeff Lynne's Long Wave as Song of the Week:

How would '60s Southern R&B have sounded with Jeff Lynne helming the production? Much like the Traveling Wilburys, if his remake of Don Covay & the Goodtimers' 1964 R&B chart-topper is any indication. The first single from covers album Long Wave, out Oct. 9, has that distinctive Lynne production: the gated snare drum, the raspy stacked vocals. And just wait till you hear what he does with Bobby Darin's Beyond the Sea and Etta James' At Last.

THE MUSIC SECTION...

The music section of elo.biz is now live.

We're genuinely curious to see if there's any intention of promoting Long Wave on elo.biz or any other professional website for that matter.  It's three weeks away now.

I WANT MY MMTV

Manda Mosher, a talent herself, attends Wednesday's Mr. Blue Sky screening at the Grammy Museum in LA.  She shot this brief account of the evening (and some interesting audio) using an iPhone.

AIN'T THAT TWEET...

Joe Walsh on Facebook and Twitter tonight:

Hanging with my pals at Jeff Lynne's documentary screening at the Grammy museum... — with Benjie Merza Bernadas, Iris Victoria Friedheim, Iris Victoria Friedheim andRobert Ledoux.

LONG WAVE SHORT CLIPS

Amazon.com now listing the digital download edition of Jeff Lynne's new album Long Wave - and including preview clips of all 11 songs.

MR. BLUE SNIPPETS

Excerpts from all 12 tracks on Mr. Blue Sky - The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra are available to hear now at elo.biz

MR. BLUE SKY: THE STORY OF JEFF LYNNE AND ELO ctd...

The official press release for Jeff Lynne's upcoming appearance at the Grammy Museum on Wednesday:

JEFF LYNNE–one of rock’s most iconic figures–will make a special appearance at The Grammy Museum in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday,September 12 in advance of the October 9 release of two albums on Frontiers Records: the solo disc LONG WAVE, a heartfelt and vivid tribute to some of the very songs that originally inspired him, and MR. BLUE SKY–THE VERY BEST OF ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA. The evening’s programwill consist of a screening of “Reel to Reel: Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO” and a discussion about the film, moderated by Vice President of the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares, Scott Goldman. 

LYNNE‘s illuminating and entertaining documentary “Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO” gets to the heart of who JEFF LYNNE is and how he has had such a tremendous musical influence on our world. The answer–as told by the British artist himself and such distinguished collaborators and friends of JEFF as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty, Joe Walsh, Olivia and Dhani Harrison, Barbara Orbison and Eric Idle–is that LYNNE is a true man of music for whom the recording studio is his greatest instrument 

The release of LONG WAVE and MR. BLUE SKY–THE VERY BEST OF ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA mark the 40th anniversary of ELO. LYNNE’s legacy will further be celebrated with releases in 2013 including ELO Live! plus expanded reissues of the ELO’s 2001 album Zoom and LYNNE’s first solo album in 1990, Armchair Theater. For up to date info on all things JEFF LYNNE and ELO, go here: www.elo.biz 

LONG WAVE powerfully celebrates the music of a time when LYNNE’s lifelong passion for music began, evoking an era back when old standards were just giving way to rock & roll. He somehow makes pre-rock standards like “Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered,” “Smile” and “Love Is A Many Splendored Many Thing”–along with a few of his favorite gems from the Sixties such as the first single “Mercy, Mercy,” “Let It Rock” and “So Sad”–his own with these loving versions. LYNNE’s deeply felt and musically brilliant one-man-band takes add up to an inspired love letter to music itself–and an exquisite reflection of the way songs grace and change our lives. 

MR. BLUE SKY–THE VERY BEST OF ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA is a powerful testament to LYNNE’s enduring artistry and his singular desire to get things right once and for all. Featuring such classics as “Evil Woman, “Don’t Bring Me Down,” “Livin’ Thing” and “Mr, Blue Sky,” the result is, in effect, a kind of showdown between JEFF LYNNE today and his extremely illustrious past, and thanks to improved technology and recording artistry, LYNNEsomehow comes out on top again. It’s a fresh chance to hear these extraordinary songs sounding sharper and clearer than the old versions. “There was a big reason I wanted to re-record these ELO songs,” says LYNNE. “When I listen to the old versions they don’t sound the way I thought they did when I first wrote and recorded them. I wanted to use the experience I’ve gained producing records ever since and have a completely new try at them. I’m not saying the old versions aren’t good; I like them very much. We were doing our best, but experience and technology also play a big a big part, and these new ones sound much more solid and tight.”

MR. BLUE SKY - THE STORY OF JEFF LYNNE AND ELO

Coming to the Grammy Museum:

REEL TO REEL: MR. BLUE SKY: THE STORY OF JEFF LYNNE AND ELO
THIS PROGRAM IS SOLD OUT 

Wednesday, September 12, 2012; 7:30pm 

As the creative force behind Electric Light Orchestra and a singularly accomplished singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer, Jeff Lynne is one of rock's most iconic—yet mysterious—figures. Please join us as we help celebrate his return to make some new waves and shed a little electric light with a screening of Lynne's illuminating and entertaining documentary, Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO. Not just your standard "rock doc," it's also a mystery movie that, once and for all, explains: who is this man, Jeff Lynne, and how has he had such a tremendous musical influence on our world? The answer—as told by Lynne himself and such distinguished collaborators and friends of Jeff as Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Tom Petty, Joe Walsh, Olivia and Dhani Harrison, Barbara Orbison and Eric Idle —is that Lynne is a true man of music for whom the recording studio is his greatest instrument. After the screening, Lynne will participate in a discussion about the film, moderated by Vice President of the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares, Scott Goldman, and will take audience questions.