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.

MISS THIS?

They flew under the radar, but boy do these CDs have happy new owners.  Some Abbey Road Studio CDRs turned up eBay last week containing alternate or in some cases totally unreleased content from ELO and related bands.  And there were not many bids.  For instance:

ELO 1
ABBEY ROAD. CD ABBEY ROAD PASTED LABELS.
I HAVE ENCLOSED 2 CD'S, DONE A FEW MONTHS APART, OF 'ELO 1'
SINCE THEY HAVE SLIGHT DIFFERENCES
EACH 12 TRACK CD HAS A SLIP COVER IN A SLIM JEWEL CASE

Price: 13.00 GBP/20.63 USD

ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN take I 8min 16 secs
as above MONO 4min 31 secs
INTRO TO BIGGEST DILDO 31 secs
PROMO CD
Pressed ABBEY ROAD label CD

Price 9.99 GBP/15.85 GBP

ELO 1
ABBEY ROAD. CD ABBEY ROAD PASTED LABELS.
I HAVE ENCLOSED 2 CD'S, DONE A FEW MONTHS APART, OF 'ELO 1'
SINCE THEY HAVE SLIGHT DIFFERENCES
EACH 12 TRACK CD HAS A SLIP COVER IN A SLIM JEWEL CASE
BEAUTIFUL

Price: 13.00 GBP/20.63 USD

KUIAMA -EDIT 9 min 09
KUIAMA -OUT TAKE 3 min 47
The front of the slip cover says
BOX CD 3-NOT REMASTERED
but the two tracks are listed on the back of the slip.
CD ABBEY ROAD Acetate promo in slip cover
Pasted label

Price 8.99 GBP/14.27 USD

ELO
TERD BERHGERLER +JAM
PROMO CD
Pressed ABBEY ROAD label CD
4 min 57 secs

Price: 24.87 GBP/39.46 USD

All Over The World's precursor:

ELO
SHINE ON
20 TRACKS
CD Acetate promo in slip cover
Pressed label

Price: 7.99 GBP/12.68 USD

ELO
TRACKS
ENDLESS LIES
GETTING TO THE POINT
CALLING AMERICA -EXTENDED V1
CALLING AMERICA-EXTENDED V2
Total time
16min 35secs
CD ABBEY ROAD Acetate in slip cover
Pasted label

Price 105.66 GBP/167.66 USD

One from Wizzard:

WIZARD
OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD
18 TRACK CD WITH SLIP COVER
BEAUTIFUL

Price: 206.57 GBP/327.78 USD


Roy Wood:

THE WIZZARD BREW VOL 1
-WITH HIDDEN TRACK
28 SEPT 2005
20 TRACK CD WITH SLIP COVER
ABBEY ROAD

Price: 51.09 GBP/81.07 USD

ELO
ELO 3
13 TRACKS
Auntie -is take 2
also
10538 Overture has after it 'SQ'
JAN 2004
ABBEY ROAD CD Acetate promo-pasted ABBEY ROAD label
OCT 2003

Price 7.99 GBP/12.68 USD

And the pis de resistance:

ELO TROJAN TAPES SESSION ABBEY ROAD These tracks were works in progress and date from June 27th 2001-they have count ins and talk -some are short. The info on the cover lists this as DAT 3 and 4 respectively. CD 1 Symphony part 1 Outtakes As above Symphony part 2 Symphony part 5 or 6 Symphony part 7 –band only Symphony part 7-M So bad Do ya Beach boy Boogie So bad strings only -approx 40 minutes playing time  CD 2 Like a rat T1/ Oh so lovely Like a rat T2 Black as am/ Give me fever T1 Black as am/ Give me fever T2 (M) Untitled 2 (written in it says MR KINGDOM) Untitled 3 Untitled 4 String bits Moog Mellotron intro 12” Supersonic out take Supersonic  -approx playing time 33 min

Price: 262.65 GBP/416.77 USD

OUT OF THE BLUE VINYL 'ctd

Dear Music on Vinyl...

Love the new Out of the Blue on blue vinyl

Signed
#444

AT LAST ctd...

It looks like we have a 1 track promo for At Last.

...and you can own one if you have a spare $200.

Hat Tip: Ehud Efrati