LIVE IN HYDE PARK, ctd

The Head of Music at BBC Radio 2 (and 6) writes about some of the wheeling and dealing that resulted in that tremendous evening in Hyde Park.

By the way, the Hyde Park show will re-air on BBC Four this weekend after a fresh airing of Mr. Blue Sky: The Story of Jeff Lynne and ELO.

FROM THE GUARDIAN...

If you can cut through all the ads and 20 other things on the page trying to get your attention, there's a fresh new interview with Jeff in today's online version of The Guardian including a brief mention of his recent work with Take That.

NEWS: TAKE THAT III

Take That announced their new album today, titled III.  According to some reports out of the UK, Jeff Lynne is one of the album's 4 producers.

Track list from the Deluxe Edition on iTunes:

These Days 

Let In The Sun

If You Want It

Lovelife

Portrait

Higher Than Higher

I Like It

Give You My Love

Freeze

Into The Wild

Flaws

Get Ready For It

Believe

Amazing

Do It All For Love

And 3 extra tracks exclusive to Google Play

Fall Down At Your Feet

If It's Not Love

These Days (Steve Pitron & Max Sanna Club Mix)

The album's first single, These Days, will be getting its first play tomorrow - that track is produced by Greg Kurstin.

III is slated for a December 1st release in the UK.

A "Signed Super Deluxe Box Set" is being made available.  Their blurb:

This is the first time Take That have written and recorded as a three and with that new dynamic has come a new sound; this time around choosing an eclectic mix of producers to work on the album:Greg Kurstin (Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence, Lykke Li - I Never Learn, Katy Perry - Prism), John Shanks (Take That- Beautiful World, The Circus), Stuart Price (Take That - Progress, Madonna - Confessions on a Dance Floor, The Killers - Day & Age) and Jeff Lynne(ELO, Paul McCartney - Flaming Pie, Regina Spektor - Far, Tom Petty - Into The Great Wide Open, Travelling Wilburys - Travelling Wilburys Vol.1).

ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN LIVE FROM HYDE PARK

Jeff Lynne's ELO - Mr Blue Sky at Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park 2014

LIVE IN HYDE PARK ctd

Post by BBC Radio 2.

LIVE IN HYDE PARK

The set list:

All Over The World
Evil Woman
Ma-Ma-Ma Belle
Showdown
Livin' Thing
Strange Magic
10538 Overture
Can't Get It Out Of My Head
Sweet Talkin' Woman
Turn To Stone
Steppin' Out
Handle With Care
Don't Bring Me Down
Rock 'n' Roll Is King
Telephone Line
Mr. Blue Sky
Roll Over Beethoven

So, what was your favorite?!

HOW TO WATCH AND LISTEN

BBC Radio 2 online stream

Here's how you can watch and listen to BBC Radio 2's Festival in a Day 2014.

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.