‘A NEW WORLD RECORD AT 50’

 There’s already ‘A New World Record’ on black vinyl among the half dozen items on the official website.

NEW GEORGE HARRISON JAPANESE MINI-LP SLEEVES

In honor of the 60th Anniversary of George Harrison's appearance with The Beatles and the 35th Anniversary with George's tour of Japan with Eric Clapton in 1991, Japan will get a fresh set of Mini-LPs of everything in George's main catalog including both Traveling Wilburys LPs.

Cloud Nine:

Five years after its predecessor, George's 11th album was made with ELO's Jeff Lynne as co-producer and features irresistible songs, including the first single "Got My Mind Set on You," a huge hit that topped the US chart and reached No. 2 in the UK, and the second single "When We Was Fab," a deliberate return to a Beatles-esque sound. It became a triumphant comeback that satisfied George fans everywhere.

Released in 1987. Newly remastered for 2026 from 192kHz/24bit files freshly transferred from the UK original master tapes. SHM-CD. Type A double cardboard sleeve jacket. Comes with newly written liner notes (Isao Inubushi), lyrics, and Japanese translations.

 

 Brainwashed:

A year after the news of his death sent the world into mourning, George's son Dhani Harrison and Jeff Lynne selected from songs he had been recording since his previous album and assembled them into this final, posthumous record. From "Any Road," recorded as far back as 1988, to the very end, it is filled with the guitar playing and vocals unmistakably his own.

Released in 2002. Newly remastered for 2026 from 192kHz/24bit files freshly transferred from the UK origina

l master tapes. SHM-CD. Type A double cardboard sleeve jacket. Comes with newly written liner notes (Shun'ichi Otaka), lyrics, and Japanese translations.

 

 Traveling Wilburys Volume One:

George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne: the first album from this masked supergroup of five towering British and American names was a huge hit, its sound drawing on classic Americana styles, including "Handle with Care," originally recorded for the B-side of one of George's singles, and "End of the Line," also led by George.

Released in 1988. Newly remastered for 2026 from 192kHz/24bit files freshly transferred from the UK original master tapes. SHM-CD. Type A double cardboard sleeve jacket. Comes with newly written liner notes (Kenta Hagiwara), lyrics, and Japanese translations.

 Traveling Wilburys Volume 3:

Two years after its predecessor, and overcoming the sudden death of Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne reunited as a foursome for this second Traveling Wilburys album, which was well received for following a similar path to its predecessor, including "She's My Baby" with guest Gary Moore, the accessible "Inside Out," and the upbeat R&R-styled "Wilbury Twist."

Released in 1990. Newly remastered for 2026 from 192kHz/24bit files freshly transferred from the UK original master tapes. SHM-CD. Type A double cardboard sleeve jacket. Comes with newly written liner notes (Kenta Hagiwara), lyrics, and Japanese translations.

 

 Expected to drop in Japan 21 October 2026

EARLY LIVE ON VINYL, AGAIN...

 (Just to make the point that bootleggers are way outpacing the official labels as of late.)  Expensive Woodland Records is issuing two 2-LP sets of ELO's live material from 1972 and 1973 on standard black vinyl.

 The material here is all but exactly the same as other recent releases of old BBC material.  But here ya go:

 Electric Light Orchestra - Before Blue Skies - Live 1972

SIDE A:
1. 10358 Overture 4:24
2. Nellie Takes A Bow 4:55
3. Battle Of Marston Moor 6:00

SIDE B:
4. Kuiama 11:05

SIDE C:
5. Roll Over Beethoven 7:41
6. Queen Of The Hours 4:03
7. Jeff's Boogie No.2 6:28

SIDE D:
8. Whisper In The Night 4:53
9. Great Balls Of Fire 5:29
10. 10358 Overture 2:24

 

Electric Light Orchestra - Roll Over Beethoven - Live 1973 

SIDE A:
1. Momma 6:55
2. From The Sun To The World 7:18

SIDE B:
3. In The Hall Of The Mountain King 5:41
4. From The Sun To The World 11:38

SIDE C:
5. Kuiama 10:26

SIDE D:
6. In The Hall Of The Mountain King 8:09
7. Roll Over Beethoven 5:05


They are slated to drop 17 September 2026

INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN

 

 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 'Into The Great Wide Open' turns 35 today.  To this day, still in my top 3 of all time...

ACTION!

 

DISCOVERY ON RED ctd

At this point, I'd be nitpicky about it, but this is certainly a step in the right direction, Legacy.  Thank you!

FACE THE MUSIC AT 50 (OR 50.5) AND MORE

DISCOVERY - RED VINYL ctd

 ...and probably same deal as with (the rather disappointing and 'here's your green vinyl' and 'we couldn't even be bothered to go to Etsy to make a hype sticker') Face The Music's 50th Anniversary.  Seriously, not even a hype sticker to indicate you're holding green vinyl.

...and same deal as the aforementioned Face The Music vinyl, there's a standard black vinyl on the way as well:

Amazon

Townsend 

We're in the era of 50th Anniversary releases and I keep circling back to the same question: Why is there next to no attention to ELO??  Remixes and Dolby Atmos and Blu-Rays and box sets seemingly for everyone else.  But ELO?  Nothing.  This will be a nice colored vinyl to add to our collection but if it's anything like FTM50, it'll land with a thud - and it doesn't have to be that way.  Rant over. For now.

Release day: 29 May 2026

DISCOVERY - RED VINYL

NOW ON DARK HORSE RECORDS

Listen to @OfficialWilbury here - https://t.co/k6U2EucIcP - now on Dark Horse Records.@GeorgeHarrison | @bobdylan | @tompetty | @ROYORBISON | @JeffLynnesELO pic.twitter.com/RxfK0egZ7I

— darkhorserecords (@darkhorserecs) February 19, 2026

'FACE THE MUSIC' RE-ISSUE TODAY

The limited-edition Face The Music green anniversary vinyl is out now ⚡️Shop it and the exclusive album merch at https://t.co/rIo7NmhDRc pic.twitter.com/lKIUqy7pOX

— Jeff Lynne's ELO (@JeffLynnesELO) January 9, 2026

JEFF LYNNE EXPLAINS THE TRUE SOUND OF ELO

This unseen interview with Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan from 1986 is up on YouTube now.

LONG ENDURANCE, PORKY CURTAINS ctd

Happy birthday, Otis Wilbury!@JeffLynnesELO pic.twitter.com/s2WPfqcHvh

— Traveling Wilburys (@OfficialWilbury) December 30, 2025

LONG ENDURANCE, PORKY CURTAINS ctd...

 

A very Happy 78th Birthday, Jeff Lynne!

Thanks to all of you who have been slogging along with the blog for all this time.  Onward we go!  Here's to yet another year of begging record companies to release something... really anything in relation to Jeff Lynne. [For God's sake, why, in 2025, there's no basic vinyl box set of ELOs albums yet? Anyway, I digress.]

Happy New Year, everyone!

FROM JEFF LYNNE TO YOU

From Jeff Lynne to you 🛸 pic.twitter.com/mO4ewojHmv

— Jeff Lynne's ELO (@JeffLynnesELO) December 23, 2025

FREE AS A BIRD - A SONG REBORN

From the official Beatles YouTube:

 

FREE AS A BIRD/REAL LOVE 2025 - CD SINGLE ctd

How nice is this?

FREE AS A BIRD/REAL LOVE 2025 - CD SINGLE

 

 Looks like there's also now a Japanese CD single of The Beatles - Free As A Bird/Real Love 2025 mixes.  Not much other info yet other than it's 2-track SHM-CD.

GEORGE HARRISON

Remembering George. pic.twitter.com/Irwujcdmfa

— George Harrison (@GeorgeHarrison) November 29, 2025

SONY/EPIC/LEGACY, I'M JUST SAYING... ctd

 No, seriously... These are 3500x3500-sized scans of the inner sleeves in case you're still looking.  Just right-click and save it - and print these suckers up on some semi-glossy paper in the next month and add them to this 50th Anniversary edition.  How much can it add to the cost?  I mean, c'mon.