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| During the mid-1970's and into the 1980's, British rock guitarist/singer Jeff Lynne was the guiding force behind Electric Light Orchestra, the band which had begun as anoffshoot of Roy Wood's group The Move. As it happens, Electric Light Orchestra, or ELO as they became known, became more successful in the U.S. than in their home countryand one of the major factors which catapulted them into the Billboard Hot 100 so often was their outstanding choice of hit songs.
Over the years, Jeff emerged as a major songwriter of great contrast. From the wistful, sweeping Idle Race ballads COME WITH ME and PLEASE NO MORE SAD SONGS to such unforgettable,bombastic rock anthems as The Move's DO YA through to his superb collaborations with Tom Petty, particularly I WON'T BACK DOWN and FREE FALLIN' on Tom's solo album "Full Moon Fever"...and that's before dipping into the glorious world of ELO hits which captured all of the Jeff Lynne magic as writer, creator, musician and singer. Thumb thru the list below and you'll find most ofthe ELO showstoppers including EVIL WOMAN, TELEPHONE LINE, DON'T BRING ME DOWN and CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD.
ALL OR NOTHIN’ (Jeff Lynne/Tom Petty/Mike Campbell)
By Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (MCA/UMG: 1991)
ALL OVER THE WORLD (JL)
By ELO (MCA: 1980) US #13 Pop, #46 AC, UK #11
BLOWN AWAY (JL/Tom Petty)
By Jeff Lynne (Reprise/WSP: 1989)
BUILT TO LAST (JL/Tom Petty)
By Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (MCA/UMG: 1991)
CALIFORNIA BLUE (JL/Roy Orbison/Tom Petty)
By Roy Orbison (Virgin: 1989)
By Engelbert Humperdinck (Ariola/BMG)
CALLING AMERICA (JL)
By ELO (CBS Associated: 1986) US #18 Pop, #20 AC, UK #28
CAN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD (JL)
By ELO (UA/Jet: 1975) US #9 Pop
COME WITH ME (JL)
By The Idle Race (Liberty/EMI: 1969)
CONFUSION (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1979) US #37 Pop, #41 AC
CONFUSION (JL)/LAST TRAIN TO LONDON (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1979) double-A side) UK #8
THE DARK OF THE SUN (JL/Tom Petty)
By Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (MCA/UMG: 1991)
DAYBREAKER (JL)
By ELO (UA: 1974) US #87 Pop
DAYS OF BROKEN ARROWS (JL)
By The Idle Race (Liberty/EMI: 1969)
DIARY OF HORACE WIMP (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1979) UK #8
DO YA (JL)
By The Move (UA: 1972) US #93 Pop
By ELO (UA/Jet: 1977) US #24 Pop
By Ace Frehley (Mega Force/Atlantic)
By Todd Rundgren's Utopia (Bearsville/Rhino)
DOIN' THAT CRAZY THING (JL)
By Jeff Lynne (Jet: 1977)
DON'T BRING ME DOWN (JLL)
By ELO (Jet: 1979) US #4 Pop, UK #3
DON’T SAY GOODBYE (JL)
By Jeff Lynne (Reprise/WSP: 1989)
DON'T WALK AWAY (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1980) UK #21
DOWN ON THE BAY (JL)
By The Move (1971)
By Cheap Trick (Epic/Sony)
END OF THE ROAD (JL)
By The Idle Race (Liberty/EMI: 1968)
EVERY LITTLE THING
(JL/William Robinson/Robert Rogers/Marv Tarplin/Warren Moore)*
By Jeff Lynne (Reprise/WSP: 1990) UK #59
EVIL WOMAN (JL)
By ELO (UA/Jet: 1976) US #10 Pop, UK #10
A FACE IN THE CROWD (JL/Tom Petty)
By Tom Petty (MCA: 1990) US #46 Pop
FOUR LITTLE DIAMONDS (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1983) US #86 Pop
FREE FALLIN’ (JL/Tom Petty)
By Tom Petty (MCA/UMG: 1990) US #7 Pop, UK #64
By Stevie Nicks (Atlantic: 1998)
By Tony Hadley (PolyGram/UMG: 1997)
HERE IS THE NEWS (JL)/TICKET TO THE MOON (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1982 double-A side) UK #24
HOLD ON TIGHT (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1981) US #10 Pop, UK #4
I LIKE MY TOYS (JL)
By The Idle Race (Liberty/EMI: 1968)
By Ed 'Stewpot' Stewart (MGM/UMG)
I WON’T BACK DOWN (JL/Tom Petty)
By Tom Petty (MCA/UMG: 1989) US #12 Pop, UK #28
By Johnny Cash (American/Sony: 2000)
I'M ALIVE (JL)
By ELO (MCA/UMG: 1980) US #16 Pop, #48 AC, UK #20
I'M GONE (JL)
By Jeff Lynne (Reprise/WSP: 1989)
IF YOU BELONGED TO ME (JL/Bob Dylan/George Harrison/Tom Petty)
By The Traveling Wilburys (Wilbury: 1990)
IMPOSTERS OF LIFE’S MAGAZINE (JL)
By The Idle Race (Liberty/EMI: 1967)
INSIDE OUT (JL/Bob Dylan/George Harrison/Tom Petty)
By The Traveling Wilburys (Wilbury: 1990)
INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN (JL/Tom Petty)
By Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (MCA/UMG: 1991) US #92 Pop
IT'S OVER (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1978) US #75 Pop
KNOCKING NAILS INTO MY HOUSE (JL)
By The Idle Race (Liberty/EMI: 1968)
By Slade
LAST TRAIN TO LONDON (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1980) US #39 Pop
LAST TRAIN TO LONDON (JL)/CONFUSION (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1979 double-A side) UK #8
LEARNING TO FLY (JL/Tom Petty)
By Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (MCA/UMG: 1991) US #28 Pop, UK #46
LET IT RUN (JL)
By Jeff Lynne ("Electric Dreams" soundtrack) (Virgin: 1984)
LET IT SHINE (JL/Brian Wilson)
By Brian Wilson (Sire/WSP: 1988)
LIFT ME UP (JL)
By Jeff Lynne (Reprise/WSP: 1989)
By Tom Jones (Interscope: 1994)
LIVIN' THING (JL)
By ELO (UA/Jet: 1976) UK #4
By ELO (UA/Jet: 1977) US #13 Pop, #36 AC
By The Wild Flowers (Surf: 1997)
By Anna Oxa (BMG International: 2001)
A LOVE SO BEAUTIFUL (JF/Roy Orbison)
By Roy Orbison (Virgin: 1989)
By Michael Bolton (Columbia/Sony: 1995) UK #27
MA-MA-MA-BELLE (JL)
By ELO (Warner Bros: 1974) UK #22
A MIND WITH A HEART OF IT’S OWN (JL/Tom Petty)
By Tom Petty (MCA/UMG: 1989)
THE MINISTER (JL)
By The Move (Harvest: 1971)
MR. BLUE SKY (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1978) US #35 Pop, UK #6
By Yukio Yung (Little Teddy)
By Jonas (Revolver: 2001)
MY MARGE (JL/Roy Wood)
By The Move (EMI: 1971)
NEW BLUE MOON (JL/Bob Dylan/George Harrison/Tom Petty)
By The Traveling Wilburys
NIGHT CALLS (JL)
By Joe Cocker (Capitol/EMI: 1991)
NOT ALONE ANYMORE
(JL/Bob Dylan/George Harrison/Tom Petty/Roy Orbison)
By The Traveling Wilburys (Wilbury: 1988)
By Adrian Belew (Atlantic/WSP: 1990)
10538 OVERTURE (JL)
By ELO (Harvest/EMI: 1972) UK #9
ONE WAY LOVE (JL)
By Agnetha Faltskog (Epic/Sony: 1985)
OUT IN THE COLD (JL/Tom Petty)
By Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (MCA/UMG: 1991)
PLEASE NO MORE SAD SONGS (JL)
By The Idle Race (Liberty/EMI: 1969)
ROCKABILLY HOLIDAY (JL)
By Duane Eddy (Capitol: 1987)
ROCKARIA! (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1977) UK #9
ROCK 'N' ROLL IS KING (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1983) US #19 Pop, #36 AC, UK #13
RUNNIN’ DOWN A DREAM (JL/Tom Petty/Mike Campbell)
By Tom Petty (MCA/UMG: 1989) US #23 Pop, UK #55
SAVE ME NOW (JL)
By Jeff Lynne (Reprise/WSP: 1989)
SEA OF DREAMS (JL)
By The Idle Race (Liberty/EMI: 1969)
SECRET MESSAGES (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1983) UK #48
SHINE A LITTLE LOVE (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1979) US #8 Pop, #40 AC, UK #6
SHOWDOWN (JL)
By ELO (Harvest/EMI: 1973) UK #12
By ELO (United Artists: 1974) US #53 Pop
By ELO (UA/Jet: 1976 re-release) US #59 Pop
SLIPPING AWAY (JL)
By Dave Edmunds (Columbia/Sony: 1983) US #39 Pop, UK #60
S.O.S. (JL)
By Dave Edmunds (RCA/BMG: 1993)
THE STORY OF ME (JL)
By The Everly Brothers (Mercury/UMG: 1984)
STRANGE MAGIC (JL)
By ELO (UA/Jet: 1976) US #14 Pop, #24 AC, UK #38
STRANGER (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1983) US #33 AC
SWEET TALKIN' WOMAN (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1978) US #17 Pop, UK #6
By Five Iron Frenzy (5 Minute Walk: 1998)
TELEPHONE LINE (JL)
By ELO (UA/Jet: 1977) US #7 Pop, UK #8
THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES (JL/George Harrison/Gary Wright)
By George Harrison (Dark Horse: 1987)
THEME FOR SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT (JL)
By Duane Eddy (Capitol: 1987)
THIS IS LOVE (JL/George Harrison)
By George Harrison (Dark Horse: 1988) UK #55
TICKET TO THE MOON (JL)/HERE IS THE NEWS (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1982 double-A side) UK #24
TIME MENDS A BROKEN HEART (JL/Kiki Dee)
By Bonnie Tyler (Atlantic/WSP)
TURN TO STONE (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1977) UK #18
By ELO (Jet: 1978) US #13 Pop
By J. Church (Damaged Goods: 1998)
TWILIGHT (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1981) US #38 Pop, UK #30
VIDEO! (JL)
By Jeff Lynne ("Electric Dreams" soundtrack) (Virgin: 1984)
WALK AWAY (JL/Tom Petty/Del Shannon)
By Del Shannon (Silvertone: 1991)
WHAT? (JL)
By The Move (Fly/Cube: 1970)
WHAT WOULD IT TAKE (JL)
By Jeff Lynne (Reprise/WSP: 1989)
WHEN WE WAS FAB (JL/George Harrison)
By George Harrison (Dark Horse: 1988) US #23 Pop, UK #25
WILD TIMES (JL/Michael Kamen)
By Jeff Lynne ("Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves" soundtrack)
(Morgan Creek: 1993)
WILD WEST HERO (JL)
By ELO (Jet: 1978) UK #6
THE WORDS OF AARON (JL)
By The Move
By Magnetic Gliding (Disturbance: 1995)
XANADU (JL)
By Olivia Newton-John & ELO (MCA: 1980)
US #8 Pop, 3#2 AC, UK #1
By The Lounge-O-Leers (Lounge: 1998)
YER SO BAD (JL/Tom Petty)
By Tom Petty (MCA/UMG: 1989)
YOU GOT IT (JL/Roy Orbison/Tom Petty)
By Roy Orbison (Virgin: 1989) US #9 Pop, #1 AC, UK #3
By Bonnie Raitt ("Boys On The Side" soundtrack)
(Arista/BMG: 1995)
By Whoopi Goldberg ("Boys On The Side" soundtrack)
(Arista/BMG: 1995)
YOU TOOK MY BREATH AWAY
(JL/Bob Dylan/George Harrison/Tom Petty)
By The Traveling Wilburys (Wilbury: 1990) All the original Jet and UA/Jet masters are now controlled by Sony. *EVERY LITTLE THING featured a sample of the Motown song "Going To A Go-Go".
Biography courtesy of Alan Warner |
Alan Warner
