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.
Mr Radio
Electric Light Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So glad of your company, your morning music,
My wife she ran away, she left our home,
And though you're here with me, I'm on my own.
Hello, Mr. Radio, you friendly speaker,
You played my request today, request to see her
Your voice comes riding home across the air,
I heard on the news today the world is no good,
But if she returns today mine could be so good
I look into the sky, your waves rush by,
The weather man has lied, it makes me cry.
Hello, Mr. Radio, do I disturb you?
Sometimes I forget my place, I seem to know you
I miss you when you close, you'll never know,
And when your programs go, I'm on my own.
The Electric Light Orchestra's song "Mr. Radio" is a heartfelt ode to the companionship provided by the radio during lonely times. Jeff Lynne sings as a man who has been abandoned by his wife, left to cope with the painful aftermath of the separation. He finds solace in the radio's morning music and friendly voice, and even makes requests to hear songs that remind him of his lost love. The radio serves as a constant presence in his life, a source of comfort and distraction from the pain of his loneliness. The man longs for his wife's return and clings to hope, but finds himself confronted by the bleakness of the world as reported on the news. He feels a sense of connection to the radio, speaking to it as if it were a friend, but ultimately acknowledges that he is still alone when its programs come to an end.
The lyrics of "Mr. Radio" capture the intense emotional impact that music and media can have on people's lives. The radio represents a lifeline for those who are struggling, a source of connection and community even in the face of isolation. It's remarkable how Lynne is able to convey such intense feeling through his lyrics, and his soaring vocals help to drive home the song's poignant message. "Mr. Radio" is a powerful reminder of the importance of music and personal connection in our lives, a song that celebrates the power of the human spirit to endure even the most difficult of circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
Hello, Mr. Radio, you friendly station,
The singer addresses the radio as a person and thanks it for being a cheerful station.
So glad of your company, your morning music,
The singer is pleased with the radio's music because it fills the loneliness he feels after his wife left.
My wife she ran away, she left our home,
The singer's wife abandoned him and their family, leaving him to feel isolated and inconsolable.
And though you're here with me, I'm on my own.
The presence of the radio's music is not enough to make the artist feel less lonely, as he is still isolated without his wife.
Hello, Mr. Radio, you friendly speaker,
The artist addresses the radio again to describe it as a friendly voice.
You played my request today, request to see her
The singer requested a song to the radio, wishing to see his wife again.
Your voice comes riding home across the air,
The radio's voice brightens up the singer's mood and he feels closer to the world outside.
You travel 'round the world, but still you're here.
Although the radio waves travel around the world, the artist feels as if the radio is physically present with him, providing him with company.
I heard on the news today the world is no good,
The artist repeats what he heard from the news about the state of the world, possibly feeling helpless about it.
But if she returns today mine could be so good
Although the world may seem bleak, the return of the artist's wife could make his life a lot better.
I look into the sky, your waves rush by,
As the singer looks up to the sky, he imagines the radio waves traveling towards him.
The weather man has lied, it makes me cry.
The artist feels sad that the weatherman's forecast did not match up with his expectations.
Hello, Mr. Radio, do I disturb you?
The singer wonders if he is bothering the radio with his personal thoughts and feelings.
Sometimes I forget my place, I seem to know you
At times, the singer gets so invested in the radio that he feels like he knows it personally.
I miss you when you close, you'll never know,
The singer feels a sense of loss when the programs end or the radio is turned off, but realizes that the radio will never know how he feels.
And when your programs go, I'm on my own.
When the programs on the radio end, the artist is left alone with his own thoughts and feelings.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
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.