DOLBY ATMOS

I fully admit I'm in a love/hate relationship with Dolby Atmos right now.

Frankly, the first set of available (Jeff Lynne-produced) releases sounded awful to me. Maybe it's my connection, maybe I don't have something hooked up correctly.

 

As of late, though, the atmos seems a bit more robust.  (Again, maybe it's hook up correctly now. I don't know...)  And more items are starting to appear.  Sometimes promoted sometimes not.  They're worth another spin because now, it sounds more cohesive and solid - and more like you'd expect to hear when you're having to hear something having atmos-pheric qualities.  

 

I really have no place to track all of the new Atmos releases available to hear now.  But here's what I know you can hear in Dolby Atmos now - and please leave any other Jeff Lynne-related tracks you find in the comments:

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - Greatest Hits

I Won't Back Down

Runnin' Down A Dream

Free Fallin'

Learning To Fly

Into The Great Wide Open

 

The Beatles

Now And Then

 

George Harrison - Cloud Nine

all 11 original tracks

 

George Harrison - Brainwashed

All 12 original tracks

 

Bryan Adams - Get Up

All 9 original tracks

 

Various Artists - Concert For George

Entire performance    

DUANE EDDY

 RIP, Duane Eddy, too.

RICHARD TANDY ctd

 

 

 

It was the VH1 Storytellers taping in New York City in 2001. Excitement filled the air of the Altman Building. So much excitement in fact, that as soon as we got into the studio, I had to ‘nervous pee’ before the performance started. After wandering through this dark unfamiliar place for a few moments, I finally find the restroom. And as I’m practically barging through the door, I almost collide with a man on his way out. That man was Richard Tandy. My first real interaction with any member of ELO and it happens at a restroom door. Go figure. Anyway, he smiled, I said ‘hello - sorry about that…’, he said ‘hello’ back, I smile in embarrassment, then finally we part ways. He went and did his thing, and I did mine.

His ‘thing’. My God, what an enormous talent. When you’re 8 years old and you’re playing these records and you’re really listening to these sounds, mesmerized by it all, you start to wonder even at that age ‘how does someone do all that?’ It was guys like Richard Tandy. He played, he arranged, he sang, the whole nine yards.

Now, we’re all grown adults watching as our legends fade one at a time. Believe me, I’ve recently gotten my ‘reminder’ my life is short too. I’m not thrilled about it at all, but I’ll deal with it like I always do, spin an ELO record.

RIP Richard Tandy. Thank you for sharing your amazing talent with us. You were amazing.

RICHARD TANDY

 

It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of my long-time collaborator and dear friend Richard Tandy. He was a remarkable musician & friend and I’ll cherish the lifetime of memories we had together.
Sending all my love to Sheila & the Tandy family.
Jeff… pic.twitter.com/beOF3JR39E

— Jeff Lynne's ELO (@JeffLynnesELO) May 1, 2024

NEWS: GEORGE HARRISON CATALOG

According to an article in Variety, there's a big change with George Harrison's back catalog.  All of George's LPs are now available to hear in Dolby Atmos.  Yes, among them are Cloud Nine and Brainwashed.  The article suggests more releases are in the future.  Stay tuned.

ELDORADO SUPERVINYL BOX - update

 The 2-LP 45rpm SuperVinyl edition of Electric Light Orchestra's Eldorado is now available to purchase online from Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs.

NEWS: JEFF LYNNE TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME

Jeff Lynne to enter the Songwriters Hall of Fame!

News links:

 Forbes

 Yahoo! Entertainment

Consequence

MSN/People

Associated Press

Stereogum

Planet Rock (with photo gallery)

ANOTHER LONG OVERDUE ACCOLADE ctd

ANOTHER LONG OVERDUE ACCOLADE

I’m very excited about this honor. Songwriting has always been my passion. This means so much to me. Thank you @SongwritersHOF!
Jeff Lynne pic.twitter.com/3GiZAX6lX8

— Jeff Lynne's ELO (@JeffLynnesELO) January 18, 2023

LONG ENDURANCE, BULKY CURTINS ctd

 

Happy birthday, @JeffLynnesELO!@OfficialWilbury pic.twitter.com/fPZBvrFTjH

— George Harrison (@GeorgeHarrison) December 30, 2022

LONG EDURANCE, BULKY CURTINS ctd

 

A Very Happy 75th Birthday, Jeff Lynne!

 And to all of you, a very Happy and Healthy 2023!

SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME 2023

 

Honored to be nominated for the @SongwritersHOF 2023 class! Thank you to my friends and fans for your ongoing support. Very exciting. 🛸 https://t.co/a4VKuzC5hx pic.twitter.com/5c5gxz9vLb

— Jeff Lynne's ELO (@JeffLynnesELO) November 18, 2022

DEL SHANNON - A COMPENDIUM

 

A new Del Shannon 12-CD boxed set has been announced for the beginning of 2023.  Arguably the most complete set of Del's career-spanning recordings to date including 70s/80s output with Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty among others.

 

Stranger In Town: A Del Shannon Compendium will build upon the 90's Anthology set, though unclear whether there's anything new involving Jeff.  But this set includes Distant Ghost, Deadly Game, Cry Baby Cry (though no signs of Alive But I'm Dead), all of 1991's Rock On! album (actually a cut 'n' paste of 2007 re-issue of Rock On!) all in a rather handsome looking package. A 32-page booklet will be included.

Release date appears to be 24 February 2023 and prepare to pay about $100.

 

Edsel's write up:

Del Shannon was, without doubt, one of the most gifted and distinctive of musical talents to emerge in the immediate pre-'British Invasion' era of American Pop. His was a talent that travelled well - indeed, his UK and European fanbase proved far more loyal and his success in those territories of greater longevity than in his native USA. Moreover, he was also much admired by successive generations of musicians, including the likes of George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young. His songs, more often than not, essayed a bleak world of doomed romance, lovelorn disenchantment and existential gloom. Paradoxically, of course, those themes were frequently juxtaposed to surprisingly upbeat and bright-sounding melodies. This 302-track 12 CD set is a compendium of the entirety of Del Shannon's career, from his hits in the early 60s, via his mid-60s recordings with Andrew Loog Oldham, to his 70s and 80s recordings with Tom Petty and Mike Campbell, as well as Jeff Lynne and Dave Edmunds. It also includes all of his mid-80s "Nashville Sessions" recordings, most of which are issued for the first time, plus b-sides, demos and a further eight previously unreleased tracks. The 32 page booklet features photos and ephemera, plus extensive annotation by Alan Robinson. This set contains all of Del's UK hits, eight of which reached the Top Ten, including the #1 hit "Runaway", "Hey! Little Girl" and "The Swiss Maid" (both #2 hits), and "Keep Searchin' (We'll Follow the Sun)", which reached #3. Also included are Del's recordings of two Lennon/McCartney songs ("From Me To You" and "A World Without Love"). Del was the first US act to record a Beatles cover version, and later covered the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb". Also included is his song "Sister Isabelle", later covered by Frank Black & Teenage Fanclub for a John Peel session. 

Pre-orders:  Amazon (full track list)   Wal-Mart   Merchbar

KING OF HEARTS 30TH ANNIVERSARY

 

Hard to believe it's been 30 years since the release of this last Roy Orbison album of original material, but it looks like it'll be a nice re-visiting.

King Of Hearts will re-issued this fall on CD and for the time on vinyl LP pressed on red vinyl.

Legacy Recordings link:

Jeff Lynne produces Heartbreak Radio and I Drove All Night.

Side One
You're the One 3:00
Heartbreak Radio 2:58
We'll Take the Night 4:56
Crying 3:48
After the Love Has Gone 4:40

Side Two
Love in Time 5:32
I Drove All Night 3:46
Wild Hearts Run Out of Time 3:33
Coming Home 4:01
Carless Heart 5:15

 Release date: October 14, 2022

 

MOVE 2022 BOX SET

 

** UPDATE 2** Now 'moved' to 10 November 2022.**

  Still trying to sort this one out, but here's what we know.  There's an 11-CD box set from The Move on the release schedule only in Japan called The Move Complete Collection 1966-1970.  That's the good news.  The bad news is it comes from a distributor named UltraVive, which is rated very poorly from many Japan fans, and that's if we get this box set at all.

Nevertheless, the box set seems to compile its tracks from the 2007-2008 Salvo remasters, the 2016 Esoteric remasters and also The Move Anthology box set from 2008.

It's scheduled for release on July 27, 2022.  This page will be updated as we learn more.

The track list:

Disc 1 

Move (Part 1 - with bonus tracks)
1. Yellow Rainbow
2. Kilroy Was Here
3. (Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree
4. Weekend
5. Walk Upon The Water
6. Flowers In The Rain
7. Hey Grandma
8. Useless Information
9. Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart
10. The Girl Outside
11. Fire Brigade
12. Mist On A Monday Morning
13. Cherry Blossom Clinic
14. Night Of Fear
15. Disturbance
16. I Can Hear The Grass Grow
17. Wave The Flag And Stop The Train
18. Vote For Me
19. You’re The One I Need
20. Winter Song
21. The Fugitive
22. Move Intro
23. Move
24. Don't Throw Stones At Me
25. Simple Simon (take 6, backing track, rough mix)
26. Night Of Fear (alternate take)
27. The Girl Outside (alternate take)
28. Vote For Me (alternate take)
29. Flowers In The Rain (acoustic version, rough mix)
30. Fire Brigade (piano version)
31. Flowers and Lemon Tea


Disc 2 

Move (Part 2 - with bonus tracks)
1. Yellow Rainbow (enhanced stereo)
2. Kilroy Was Here (remix)
3. Here We Go Round The Lemon Tree (remix)
4. Weekend (remix)
5. Walk Upon The Water (stereo)
6. Flowers In The Rain (remix)
7. Useless Information (Stereo)
8. Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart (remix)
9. The Girl Outside (alternate take, stereo)
10. Fire Brigade (remix)
11. Mist on a Monday Morning (remix)
12. Cherry Blossom Clinic (remix)
13. Night of Fear (remix)
14. I Can Hear The Grass Grow [enhanced stereo]
15. Kilroy Was Here (enhanced stereo)
16. Here We Go Round The Lemon Tree (stereo)
17. Weekend (stereo)
18. Flowers In The Rain (stereo)
19. Zing Went The Strings of My Heart (stereo)
20. Fire Brigade (enhanced stereo)
21. Mist on a Monday Morning (enhanced stereo)
22. Cherry Blossom Clinic (enhanced stereo)
23. Night of Fear (vocal session)
24. Disturbance (undubbed version)
25. I Can Hear The Grass Grow [full-length version]
26. Fire Brigade (Undubbed version)
27. Cherry Blossom Clinic (long version, stereo)
28. Fire Brigade (instrumental version)
29. Cherry Blossom Clinic (long version, mono)


Disc 3 

Move (Part 3 - bonus tracks/radio sessions)
1. Is It True
2. Too Many Fish in the Sea
3. Respectable
4. Don't Hang Up
5. I Can't Hear You No More
6. You Better Believe It Baby (BBC Sessions, 1967)
7. Night of Fear (BBC Sessions, 1967) 8. stop and get
8. Stop and Get A Hold Of Myself (BBC Sessions, 1967)
9. Kilroy Was Here (BBC sessions, 1967)
10. Interview with Carl Wayne (BBC sessions, 1967)
11. I Can Hear The Grass Grow [BBC Sessions, 1967] (BBC Sessions, 1967)
12. Walk Upon The Water (BBC Sessions, 1967)
13. Morning Dew (BBC Sessions, 1967)
14. Interview with Carl Wayne (bbc sessions, 1967)
15. Stephanie Knows Who (bbc sessions, 1967)
16. Flowers In The Rain (BBC Sessions, 1967)
17. So You Want To Be A Rock ’n’ Roll Star (BBC Sessions, 1967)
18. Hey Grandma (bbc sessions, 1967)
19. Cherry Blossom Clinic (bbc sessions, 1967)
20. Fire Brigade (BBC Sessions, 1968)
21. Weekend (BBC Sessions, 1968)
22. It'll Be Me (BBC Sessions, 1968)
23. Walk Upon The Water (BBC Sessions, 1968)
24. Useless Information (BBC Sessions, 1968)
25. Move (alternate edit)
26. Is It True (alternate version)
27. I Can Hear The Grass Grow [alternate version]
28. Here We Go Round The Lemon Tree (alternate mix, mono)
29. Fire Brigade (alternate mix, mono)
30. Kilroy Was Here (alternate mix)


Disc 4 

Something Else From The Move (with bonus tracks)
1. Move Bolero
2. It'll Be Me (stereo)
3. Too Much In Love (Stereo)
4. Flowers In The Rain
5. Fire Brigade
6. Stephanie Knows Who (Stereo)
7. Something Else (Stereo)
8. So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star (Stereo)
9. The Price of Love
10. Piece Of My Heart (stereo)
11. Your Love Keep Lifting Me Higher and Higher (Stereo)
12. Sunshine Help Me (unedited version, stereo)
13. So You Want To Be A Rock 'n' Roll Star
14. Stephanie Knows Who
15. Something Else
16. It'll Be Me
17. Sunshine Help Me
18. Piece of My Heart
19. Too Much in Love
20. Your Love Keep Lifting Me Higher and Higher
21. Sunshine Help Me (Unedited Version)
22. The Price of Love (take 1, backing track)


Disc 5 

Blackberry Way: Singles 1968-1969 bonus tracks
1. Wild Tiger Woman (UK single version)
2. Omnibus
3. Blackberry Way
4. Something
5. Curly
6. This Time Tomorrow
7. Second Class (backing track)
8. Wild Tiger Woman (Stereo)
9. Omnibus (Full Length Version)
10. A Certain Something (stereo)
11. Curly [early version]
12. Second Class part 1
13. Second Class part 2
14. Wild Tiger Woman Blues (Undubbed Version)
15. A Certain Something [Italian version]
16. This Time Tomorrow (demo)
17. That Certain Something [demo]
18. Wild Tiger Woman
19. A Certain Something (piano version, rough mix)
20. Omnibus (enhanced stereo)
21. Blackberry Way [enhanced stereo]
22. Curly (enhanced stereo)
23. Blackberry Way [short version]
24. Blackberry Way [2011 version]


Disc 6 

Live at the Fillmore 1969 pt 1
1. Open My Eyes
2. Don't Make My Baby Blue
3. Cherry Blossom Clinic Revised
4. Last Thing On My Mind
5. I Can Hear The Grass Grow


Disc 7 

Live at the Fillmore 1969 pt 2
1. Fields of People
2. Goin' Back
3. Hello Suzie
4. Under The Ice
5. Introduction
6. Don't Make My Baby Blue
7. Cherry Blossom Clinic Revised
8. Last Thing on My Mind
9. open my eyes (alternate take)
10. Recollections of Bev Bevan


Disc 8 

Shazam part 1: original LP with bonus tracks
1. Hello Suzie
2. (Dialogue)
3. Beautiful Daughter
4. Cherry Blossom Clinic Revised
5. Fields of People
6. (Dialogue)
7. Don't Make My Baby Blue
8. Last Thing On My Mind
9. Beautiful Daughter (Reduced Mix)
10. Hello Suzie (Abridged US Single Version)
11. Beautiful Daughter (alternate version)
12. Hello Suzie (Abridged)
13. Beautiful Daughter (Reduced Mix, Stereo)


Disc 9 

Shazam part 2: radio sessions
1. Interview with Carl Wayne (bbc sessions, 1968)
2. Your Love Keep Lifting Me Higher and Higher (BBC Sessions, 1968)
3. Kentucky Woman (bbc sessions, 1968)
4. Interview with Bev Bevan (BBC Sessions, 1968)
5. Wild Tiger Woman (BBC Sessions, 1968)
6. Long Black Veil (BBC Sessions, 1968)
7. Piece of my Heart (BBC Sessions, 1968)
8. Goin' Back (BBC Sessions, 1968)
9. Blackberry Way [BBC Sessions, 1968]
10. California Girls (bbc sessions, 1968)
11. Christian Life (BBC Sessions, 1968)
12. Bev Bevan Interview (BBC Sessions, 1969)
13. Beautiful Daughter (BBC Sessions, 1969)
14. Goin' Out of My Head (BBC Sessions, 1969)
15. Evil Woman (BBC Sessions, 1969)
16. Carl Wayne Interview (bbc sessions, 1969)
17. Curly (BBC sessions, 1969)
18. Sound of Silence (BBC Sessions, 1969)
19. Abraham, Martin and John (BBC sessions, 1969)
20. Open My Eyes (BBC Sessions, 1969)
21. Hello Suzie (BBC Sessions, 1969)
22. Walk Right Back (BBC Sessions, 1969)
23. Fields of People (BBC Sessions, 1969)


Disc 10 

Looking On part 1: original LP with bonus tracks
1. Looking On
2. Turkish Tram Conductor Blues
3. What?
4. When Alice Comes Back To The Farm
5. Open Up the World at the Door
6. Brontosaurus
7. Feel To Good
8. The Duke of Edinburgh's Lettuce
9. Lightnin’ Never Strikes Twice
10. Brontosaurus (edited version, mono)
11. Looking On part 1 (take 3, rough mix)
12. Looking On part 2 (take 12, rough mix)
13. Turkish Tram Conductor Blues (take 5, rough mix)
14. Open Up Said The World At The Door (take 4, rough mix)
15. Feel Too Good (take 11 extract, rough mix)
16. The Duke of Edinburgh's Lettuce (take 2, rough mix)
17. Brontosaurus (edited version, stereo)
18. Feel To Good (radio edit)


Disc 11 

Looking On part 2: radio sessions/bonus tracks
1. She’s A Woman (BBC Sessions, 1970)
2. Interview with Bev Bevan (BBC Sessions, 1970)
3. Brontosaurus (BBC Sessions, 1970)
4. Falling Forever (BBC Sessions, 1970)
5. Lightnin’ Never Strikes Twice [BBC Sessions, 1970]
6. Looking on (BBC Sessions, 1970)
7. When Alice Comes Back To The Farm (BBC Sessions, 1970)
8. Bev Bevan and Roy Wood Interview (BBC Sessions, 1970)
9. She's A Woman (BBC Sessions, 1970)
10. Looking On (take 3 & take 12)
11. Lightnin’ Never Strikes Twice [alternate version]
12. Turkish Tram Conductor Blues (alternate version)

ELDORADO ON MOFI

 

Thank you, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab!  The new Eldorado vinyl and SACD have arrived and are amazing.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  Every ELO album deserves this level of treatment.

Look, the 2001, 2006-2007 digital remasters are still great, but this is a quality that can only be best explained by Tom Petty's high resolution releases from a few years ago.

The vinyl is in a gatefold cover now.  The original inner sleeve is on the gatefold, and the vinyl is stored in specialty clear plastic.  The SACD is presented in a mini-LP style.  No frills, no extras.  Just a beautifully sounding and flawless studio album.

ROCK ON RECORD STORE DAY 2022

 

UPDATE 2/25: Rock On! will be on 180g red vinyl.

  Record Store Day 2022 is this coming April 23 to independent record stores.  On the list of LPs seeing release is Del Shannon's 1991 album Rock On!, produced (individually and collaboratively) by Jeff Lynne and Mike Campbell.  The Record Store Day Exclusive LP is limited to 2500 copies on Demon Records.

HAPPY (POST) SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, EVERYONE...

You how Super Bowl LVI's halftime show always shakes up the music charts after the performance?  Well, the commercials are nothing to sneeze at either, of course.  Check out how well ELO's Showdown fared after airing in a Michelob Ultra ad.  This is iTunes Top Songs chart in the hours after Super Bowl LVI:

HAPPY SUPER BOWL SUNDAY, EVERYONE!

The Superior Bowl’s jukebox only has one song. #ULTRABOWL https://t.co/nRyY5ZDls0

— Michelob ULTRA (@MichelobULTRA) February 8, 2022

LONG ENDURANCE, BULKY CURTINS ctd

 

A still from George Harrison's My Sweet Lord official video

Happy 74th Birthday, Jeff Lynne!

I hope everyone has a happy and joyous new year.  Bring on 2022!