SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED

REPLAY: CHRIS EVANS BREAKFAST SHOW

Here's the replay of this morning's Chris Evans Breakfast Show.

CHRIS EVANS BREAKFAST SHOW

Post by Jeff Lynne.

REVEALED: THE ART OF MCCARTNEY

A new web site has launched for The Art of McCartney - and includes release date and full track list.   The Art of McCartney will be available as:

standard CD (£11.99)
CD/DVD set (£14.99)
3LP gatefold (£24.99)
digital download (£11.99)
vinyl box set (£64.99)
and for £149.99, the rather swanky deluxe box set

UK Release date is 17 November 2014.  And now here's the track:

Maybe I'm Amazed - Billy Joel
Things We Said Today - Bob Dylan
Band On The Run - Heart
Junior's Farm - Steve Miller
The Long And Winding Road - Yusuf/Cat Stevens
My Love - Harry Connick, Jr
Wanderlust - Brian Wilson
Bluebird - Corinne Bailey Rae
Yesterday - Willie Nelson
Junk - Jeff Lynne
When I'm 64 - Barry Gibb
Every Night - Jamie Cullum
Venus And Mars/Rock Show - KISS
Let Me Roll It - Paul Rodgers
Helter Skelter - Roger Daltrey
Helen Wheels - Def Leopard
Hello Goodbye - The Cure Featuring James McCartney
Live And Let Die - Billy Joel
Let It Be - Chrissie Hynde
Jet - Robin Zander & Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick
Hi Hi Hi - Joe Elliot
Letting Go - Heart
Hey Jude - Steve Miller
Listen To What The Man Said - Owl City
Got To Get You Into My Life - Perry Farrell
Drive My Car - Dion
Lady Madonna - Allen Toussaint
Let ‘Em In - Dr. John
So Bad - Smokey Robinson
No More Lonely Nights - The Airborne Toxic Event
Eleanor Rigby - Alice Cooper
Come And Get It - Toots Hibbert with Sly & Robbie
On The Way - B.B. King
Birthday - Sammy Hagar

BLUE SKY SNAPS

BBC Radio 2 wants your Mr. Blue Sky selfies!  Take a picture of yourself with friends, family, pets, whatever - just make sure it has "Mr. Blue Sky" somewhere.  Your selfie may be used on the big video board before Jeff Lynne's ELO takes the stage.

Here's the Radio 2 website with all of the specifics. Email pics to chris.evans@bbc.co.uk or post to Twitter or Instagram with hashtag #R2BlueSky

Be creative and enjoy!  You have until midnight Saturday September 13 to submit.

KINDA OT: GEORGE HARRISON - THE APPLE YEARS

 

Announced this week: a new 8-disc box from George Harrison titled The Apple Years 1968-75 - the companion box to the Dark Horse Years box released in 2004.

The set gathers George's albums Wonderwall Music, Electronic Sound, All Things Must Pass, Living In The Material World, Dark Horse, Extra Texture and a DVD of related footage from the era. Release date is 22 September 2014 and will be available as a CD/DVD box set, individual albums and digital download.

FTM CONVENTION -- GERMANY

There will be gathering of ELO fans in Frankfurt, Germany on 18 October 2014 at the Hotel Columbus.  Face The Music Germany is holding the event and has reserved rooms for the convention at a discount rate.  You can find out much more information and connect to the organizers by going to the FTM Germany website - In English and German.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND

With the Hyde Park concert now a week away, I wanted to share some little bits that are helping me get into the spirit of things.  From time to time, I enjoy creating my own wallpapers and background images for my smartphone, iPad and computer.  Plus, my job requires me to keep some basic Photoshop skills sharp.  So, during some off-time, I've been combing through and scanning some various ELO and related promos and memorabilia I've amassed over the years.

Below are some images you are welcome to save and use if you'd like.  The tablet/iPad-shaped images are dark on purpose so your icons can still pop on the screen.  Just click on the image, and save the larger version.  It helps to have a retina display or equivalent quality.

This was my favorite of the bunch.  These are old hype stickers from some original vinyl LPs - with the background coming from one of the many ELO compilations released during the 90s.

This is the artwork for the US Promo CD of George Harrison's This Is Love - inverted and re-arranged.

From the original 7" artwork for ELO's Rock 'n' Roll Is King

Using artwork from ELO's Greatest Hits

Here is a tablet version of the hype sticker collage

Using some different elements from ELO's Hold On Tight 7" and the Time Tour book.

Artwork from the original promo CD single for Tom Petty's I Won't Back Down.

I'm not claiming any copyright to these images - and frankly, I fully expect to be ordered to remove them. But until then, feel free to save the images and use them as backgrounds on your phone, tablet or computer.

HYDE PARK REHEARSALS

Back in the bosom of the TT band for Jeff Lynne /ELO rehearsals.... nice.... pic.twitter.com/KYNMHxKMZJ
— Mick Wilson (@mickwilsonmusic) September 2, 2014

MIDNIGHT SPECIAL

StarVista Entertainment and Time Life have a new DVD box set with 10+ hours of performances from The Midnight Special.  ELO features on two of the set's 11 discs.

Disc 2: Evil Woman, Strange Magic
Disc 3: Can't Get It Out Of My Head

It retails for around $100 if you get it through StarVista/Time Life and begins shipping September 8.  There is also a one-disc edition of this Midnight Special box set out September 9 but no track list on it yet.

THE FUTURE'S A BIT FISHY. WE'VE GOT A HAND IN IT.

Here's an interesting bit of ELO trivia.  Hag's Photography provided the photo used on the cover of ELO's Secret Messages.  The title of the picture?  The Future's A Bit Fishy.  We've Got A Hand In It.  Hag's Photography is making prints of the original photographs available for higher-end purchase. They're offered as Original Prints and Digital Print Sales.

In two versions: a color hand tinted version:

And the original black and white version:

Their description:

1983
(6 negatives) 

Original version LP cover for Electric Light Orchestra. ‘Secret Messages’. The foreground contained figures from classical paintings and was hand tinted by Kim Harris 

One time I left my umbrella at a gallery opening – it started to drizzle and I had to go back. It changed my life. Casual decisions can have a dramatic effect on our experience. The future is unknown, the past we quantify for our own satisfaction. It’s not that the grass is greener, it’s that it’s green. 

This version commissioned for a calendar entitled ‘The Future’ but the art director didn’t like the old car which I said I would cover up putting my hand over it which I later added. He was a little surprised.

KICKSTART FOR TERRY

Post by Jeff Lynne.

BRYAN ADAMS: (NOT) THIS TIME

Pre-order links are beginning to appear for Bryan Adam's next album, Tracks Of My Years. Although Jeff revealed back in March they were working on material, this project does not appear to involve him.

During a Bryan Adams interview from earlier this year:

Q: What’s new on the music front?

A: There are hopefully three albums coming out in the next year. I’m signing with Verve records in America for a couple of albums and I’ll be releasing my first album of cover songs. Secondly, I’ll be releasing a “Reckless – 30th Anniversary Album” with a few unreleased songs. And finally, sometime at the beginning of next year, I’ll release an album of new songs produced by Jeff Lynne.

NOW PLAYING: THE INFINITE MONKEY CAGE

.@ProfBrianCox and @robinince join @EricIdle as he sings new theme song for @themonkeycage: http://t.co/haPvcQvdgo pic.twitter.com/Xc28QoK2J4
— BBC Radio 4 (@BBCRadio4) June 30, 2014

This past April, Eric Idle tweeted about recording a new theme for The Infinite Monkey Cage with Jeff Lynne.

Now, there's a link to watch the end result.
(hat tip: Neil)

NEWS: BBC RADIO 2 LIVE IN HYDE PARK

From Jeff Lynne's Official Facebook Page and ELO-Showdown, the surprise official announcement was made today. General admission tickets already sold out.

JEFF LYNNE'S ELO TO HEADLINE BBC RADIO 2 LIVE IN HYDE PARK

BBC Radio 2 Breakfast show presenter, Chris Evans, today (Friday 13 June) announced that Jeff Lynne's iconic ELO will headline this year’s BBC Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park on Sunday 14 September. 

Jeff Lynne has experienced global success as one of the founding members of the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) and creator of ELO’s music, as well as a solo artist, composer, producer and song-writer but this will be the first time that he has performed as ELO at any festival since 1986. He was also a co-founder and member of The Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. 

The crowds at Hyde Park will be able to witness the hit music of ELO accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra. This combination highlights the diverse range of musical collaboration Radio 2 is able to curate. 

Jeff Lynne said:
"I haven't performed live in quite some time, and I know the fans have asked for it a lot over the years. It's very exciting to come to Hyde Park with Radio 2 and do something this big, and I’m very much looking forward to playing my ELO songs for everyone." 

Chris Evans said:
"I'm a huge fan of ELO and Jeff Lynne and am excited beyond words that he's going to be performing at BBC Radio 2 Live at Hyde Park. What a line-up. The audience is in for a real treat!" 

Jeff Lynne's ELO is the latest addition to an already impressive line-up of top names which includes music legend Blondie, illustrious lead singer of The Pretenders Chrissie Hynde, 80s favourite pop and soul star Billy Ocean, double platinum songstress Paloma Faith, Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist/songwriter Gregory Porter, eleven-piece contemporary folk band Bellowhead and 2014 Academy of Country Music Album of the Year Award winner Kacey Musgraves. 

Jeff Smith, Head of Music, Radio 2 and 6 Music, said:
"It's our privilege that Jeff has chosen Radio 2 Live In Hyde Park to bring back ELO to the live stage. We’re very excited to have him play some of the greatest hits including Mr Blue Sky and Livin' Thing as we know our audience loves this music. To hear these songs live and in the atmospheric surroundings of Hyde Park will be a unique moment for all of us. ELO and our already impressive line-up promises to deliver a glorious day of late summer entertainment." 

Now in its seventh year, Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park is the live highlight of the Radio 2 musical calendar. So far this year Radio 2 In Concert has featured Kylie Minogue and Elbow, as well as the recent Friday Night is Music Night D-Day special from Royal Albert Hall which was live on Red Button as well as screened at cinemas around the UK.

Coverage of the event, including full sets and performances from the day, will be available to watch on the BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer and the Radio 2 website, which will also feature exclusive backstage footage, acoustic sessions and interviews from the event. 

Tickets are now available for the event with details on how to purchase them available via bbc.co.uk/radio2:

NOW AVAILABLE: MYSTERY GIRL DELUXE

The rather amazingly well-done 25th Anniversary editions of Roy Orbison's Mystery Girl are now available.

YOU GOT IT

Post by Roy Orbison.

CALIFORNIA BLUE (STUDIO DEMO - 2014)

From Roy Orbison's VEVO page, the new studio demo and (we believe) newly-made official video for California Blue.  Enjoy.

RECORD STORE DAY 2014

On this Record Store Day, we have a fresh new LP edition of The Birthday Party by The Idle Race.  It went on sale today.

This "Record Store Day Exclusive" on Parlophone is pressed on gold vinyl and (according to several retailers) limited to 1,000 copies.

Description:

The band that served as a springboard forJeff Lynne. Reissued on gold vinyl, with stereo audio and the original UK gatefold artwork.

COMING SOON: THE ART OF MCCARTNEY

A release of that Paul McCartney tribute disc we learned about back in 2012 will finally come to be.  Arctic Poppy Records made the announcement today.  Jeff Lynne is among the many performers who contributed a track.

From their web site:

A celebration of one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century and possibly the largest selling composer of all time. Sir Paul McCartney has written many of the world’s best-known songs, and the project features some of the biggest stars in the music industry performing his and the Beatles’ greatest tracks alongside McCartney’s own backing musicians. 

The double album is set to be one of the stand out releases of 2014. Box set and collectors editions will be available in summer 2014, with the album scheduled for release in the autumn.

The tracks listed so far (without performer line-up):

Live and Let Die
Let It Be
When I'm 64
Yesterday
Drive My Car
All My Loving
Things We Said Today
The Long And Winding Road
Hello Goodbye
Hey Jude
Let Me Roll It
PS I Love You
Listen To What The Man Said
Every Night

More as we find it.