They incorporated the sounds of string ensembles, vocoders and dub echos into rock songs, thereby creating a very sophisticated studio version of rock. The musical content of ELO songs often went far beyond usual chord structures, mixing pop songwriting with classical romanticism and synthesized sounds. The band claim that their music "picks up where The Beatles' 1967 song I Am the Walrus left off."
Formed in 1970 by Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan (the remaining members of the 1960s rock group The Move). The band used cellos, violin, horns and woodwinds to give their music a classical sound. This was an idea Roy Wood initially had while with The Move, to take rock music in a new direction. In 1970 when Carl Wayne left the The Move, Jeff Lynne, front man with fellow Brum band Idle Race, responded to Wood's second invitation to join the line-up, with the lure of starting the new band. To help finance the fledgling project, two more Move albums were released during the recording of their eponymous first album in 1971 which produced the UK hit 10538 Overture. In the US this album was released with the mistaken title of No Answer, due to a mix-up with an uncompleted telephone call to the American label and subsequent secretarial message.
However, tensions soon surfaced between Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne. With most of the media attention focused on Roy Wood, differences in musical direction, and a disastrous first live outing, it was no surprise when the band went through the first of its many line-up changes as Wood took Hugh McDowell and Bill Hunt with him to form Wizzard. Despite the music press's predictions that the band would fold without Wood, Jeff Lynne stepped up to lead the band, with Bevan remaining on drums, bassist Richard Tandy switching to moog synthesizer, Michael d'Albuquerque on bass, Mike Edwards, Colin Walker (cello) and Wilfred Gibson replacing Steve Woolam on violin. They released ELO 2 in 1973, from which came their first U.S. chart hit, a hugely elaborate version of the Chuck Berry classic Roll Over Beethoven. After their second album, violinist Gibson was dismissed and replaced by Mik Kaminski. They also released On The Third Day in 1973, with Mike Edwards playing all the cello parts due to Colin Walker leaving the band. Later that same year saw the return of Hugh McDowell, who had jumped ship the year previous, to replace cellist Colin Walker.
In 1974 Lynne hired a thirty-piece orchestra, choir and Louis Clark, then began work on the next LP Eldorado, A Symphony, a concept album about dreams, scoring their first U.S. Top Ten hit with Can't Get It Out Of My Head in 1975. Eldorado would become ELO's first gold album.
After the release of Eldorado, bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt and cellist Melvyn Gale joined, replacing de Albuquerque and Edwards respectively.
The band split in 1983. In 1985, Lynne, Tandy and Bevan reunited and recorded the album "Balance of Power". This reunion was short lived and the band split once more in 1986. Bev Bevan and Louis Clark, with the consent of Lynne, toured and recorded as ELO Part II from 1988 until Bevan's retirement in 1999. In 2000, Lynne and Tandy reformed Electric Light Orchestra and released a new record, "Zoom". "Zoom" proved to be a commercial failure, and the duo split once more in 2001.
In 2014, following support from BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans, Lynne and Tandy reunited as a part of BBC Radio 2's "Festival in a Day" to perform under the new billing, "Jeff Lynne's ELO", a name Lynne devised as a response to ELO tributes, imitation bands, and offshoots who used ELO to promote their own tours.
In February 2015, Jeff Lynne's ELO performed at the Grammy Awards with Ed Sheeran, and in September of that year they announced a new album would be released under Columbia Records. Jeff Lynne's ELO - Alone in the Universe was released on November 13, 2015, and was ELO’s first album of new material in almost 15 years.
The second album under Jeff Lynne’s ELO, Jeff Lynne's ELO - From Out of Nowhere, was released on November 1, 2019.
There is more than one artist with the name "ELO". The vast majority of scrobbles to "Electric Light Orchestra" are for the rock band from England.
ELO, is a South Korean singer, who debuted with the album, 8 Femmes, on August 26, 2016.
Alright
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
down to the metal man.
No better time to leave the ground
And maybe try to understand.
You gotta hold on to somethin' that you believe,
Hold on to somethin' that makes you feel alright.
You always tried to be the one,
And now the times have made you wonder
If you ever knew what was goin' on.
You gotta hold on to somethin' that you believe,
Hold on to somethin' that makes you feel alright....
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright.
(background) Alright ... alright ... alright
No use thinkin' about what you ain't got,
Just makes you bitter.
And as you speak, everything that you say
Goes out on the big transmitter.
You gotta hold on to somethin' that you believe,
Hold on to somethin' that makes you feel alright....
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright.
You gotta hold on to somethin' that you believe,
Hold on to somethin' that makes you feel alright....
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright.
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright.
The central theme of Electric Light Orchestra's song 'Alright' seems to be about holding onto something that gives you hope and faith in difficult times. The opening lines describe a gold verandah, possibly symbolizing luxury and comfort, disappearing into darkness and a possible reference to the fleeting nature of material possessions. The "metal man" could represent a robotic figure, devoid of any human emotion or life, and perhaps reflective of the overwhelming feelings of isolation and sorrow.
The chorus urges the listener to hold onto something they believe in - something that will make them feel alright. It's a message of hope, encouraging people to find the strength to carry on even when everything seems bleak. The second verse also emphasizes the need to let go of negativity and bitterness rather than dwelling on what we don't have. Instead, the song suggests that our thoughts and feelings are like a "big transmitter" that broadcasts out into the world, and therefore, we should endeavor to remain optimistic and positive.
Overall, 'Alright' seems to be a song about resilience and perseverance; the need to hold onto hope in the face of adversity. The repeated refrain of "alright" throughout the song is perhaps symbolic of this message - assuring us that even in the darkest of times, everything will eventually be alright.
Line by Line Meaning
The gold verandah in the dark has gone down to the metal man.
The bright and gleaming balcony in the darkness has been lowered to the machinery that moves it.
No better time to leave the ground
And maybe try to understand.
There is no time better than now to depart from the earthly plane and attempt to comprehend the mysteries of life.
You gotta hold on to somethin' that you believe,
Hold on to somethin' that makes you feel alright.
You must cling to a belief or an ideal that brings you peace and contentment, something that makes you feel okay.
And through the darkest times of your life
You always tried to be the one,
And now the times have made you wonder
If you ever knew what was goin' on.
Despite experiencing tough times in life, you always attempted to be the one in control, but current circumstances may have made you ponder if you ever understood what was happening.
No use thinkin' about what you ain't got,
Just makes you bitter.
And as you speak, everything that you say
Goes out on the big transmitter.
It is futile to dwell on things that you lack since such thoughts only bring negativity. Furthermore, every word uttered by one is transmitted for others to perceive.
Alright, alright, alright, alright, alright.
Things are okay, everything is fine, no need to worry.
Alright ... alright ... alright.
An affirmation that all is well, repeated as an echo in the background.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JEFF LYNNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Robert Cochran
on State of Mind
An overlooked album which more people should listen to
Rodney
on Rockaria!
Weit in die Ferne , man hört, man hört die Musik
Philip Kassabian
on Starlight
A nice ELO song.
Philip Kassabian
on Starlight
A lovely ELO song.
Philip Kassabian
on Wild West Hero
An absolutely beautiful song.
Philip Kassabian
on Last Train to London
Never heard this ELO song before.
Philip Kassabian
on All Over the World
An ELO song that surprisingly few people know about. To me this rivals Mr. Blue Sky.
Philip Kassabian
on Ticket to the Moon
A song about a person being utterly confused in a difficult situation. He can't even fathom the journey he's about to take to the moon. It's surreal to him.
Philip Kassabian
on Strange Magic
A very mysterious and awe inspiring song. Definitely one of ELO's better songs.
Philip Kassabian
on Livin' Thing
It's a great song and to me it symbolizes the meaning of loss and how absolutely devastating it can be for a person.