In 1970 the band was involved in an automobile accident which claimed the life of Nick Pantas, whom the band decided not to replace. After recovering from his injuries, Doug Thaler quit the band, and was replaced by Micky Lee Soule. (Upon leaving in 1972, Thaler moved to New York and got a job as a booking agent — Elf was one of the bands he booked. In 1983, he became co-manager of Mötley Crüe. Present day he works at Metropolitan Talent as an artist manager, working with artists such as Art Garfunkel, Bruce Hornsby & Ratdog).
Cover of Elf's debut self-titled album was produced by Deep Purple members Roger Glover and Ian Paice, who happened to see Elf auditioning in 1972. For the next few years, the band enjoyed mild success as an opening act for Deep Purple.
Dio both sang and played the bass guitar until, in 1973, bass player Craig Gruber was asked to join. The same year saw Feinstein quit the band, to be replaced by Steve Edwards. Feinstein formed a band called The Rods, which met with a moderate amount of success, touring with groups such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, as well as Metallica, before finally retiring from the music industry. He would not return to the music scene until 2004, when his band, Feinstein, released the album Third Wish on the Magic Circle Music label.
In 1974, Dio was asked by Glover to sing on his solo album The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast. Dio's rich, soulful voice gained the attention of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore who had just left Deep Purple and was looking for musicians for his first solo album, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. He decided to use Elf for this album, and the band Rainbow was thus formed, with Blackmore replacing Edwards. After they finished recording the album, however, Driscoll, Gruber, and Soule were replaced by Cozy Powell, Jimmy Bain and Tony Carey, who played with Dio and Blackmore during the subsequent tour. In early 1975 percussionist Mark Nauseef joined Elf, but the group disbanded shortly afterwards
for the Slime singer's project see ELF.
L.A. 59
Elf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey big train you're eating up the ground
Thunder and rain pushing the train that I’m on again
Got to get me back to L.A. fifty nine
Remember it well and oh could I tell you about it all
But you know about heaven, so lord I’m going to leave it there
Now the ladies are good but nobody could be as good as you are
And it’s, hello, hello, sunshine
It's a good day in L.A. it's all right
Well, Hello, hello, sunshine
My, It's a good day in L.A. fifty nine
All right
Thunder and rain pushing the train that I’m on again
Get me back to L.A. fifty nine
Hello, hello, sunshine
It's a good day in L.A., all right
And it's hello, hello sunshine, oh my sunshine
And it's a good day in L.A., all right
And I talk about it, hello, hello, sunshine
Oh yes, yes, such a good day in L.A., it's all right
Get me back, I sing, hello, hello, sunshine, shine on me
It’s such a good day in L.A., it's all right, right, right
I sing hello, hello, sunshine, my close friend
Such a good day in L.A., it's all right, right, right
I sing hello, hello, sunshine, get me back, get me back
Such a good day in L.A., it's all right
The song "L.A. 59" by Elf is an ode to the city of Los Angeles, which the singer longs to return to. The lyrics depict the singer's journey on a train, which is being pushed forward by thunder and rain, as he thinks about his love back in L.A. The lyrics suggest that it is the singer's love for the city that is getting him back on the road again. He talks about the good times he has had in L.A. and the special connection he has with his lover there.
The chorus of the song is all about the sun shining and how it makes for a good day in L.A. The repetition of the phrase "hello, hello, sunshine" reinforces the idea of happiness, warmth, and positivity that the singer associates with L.A. The song creates a mood of nostalgia and longing, and the simple and repetitive lyrics convey a sense of hopefulness and optimism.
Overall, the song "L.A. 59" is about love, longing, and the special connection one can have with a place. It speaks to the idea that a place can hold a lot of meaning for us, and that the memories we create there can stay with us forever.
Line by Line Meaning
It's thinking of you that's getting me back to the road again
Thoughts of a special someone are driving me to get back on the road
Hey big train you're eating up the ground
The train is moving swiftly and covering lots of ground
Thunder and rain pushing the train that I’m on again
The train is moving through disruptive weather but continues on
Got to get me back to L.A. fifty nine
The destination is Los Angeles, specifically the year 1959
Remember it well and oh could I tell you about it all
The memories of that time are vivid and worthy of sharing
But you know about heaven, so lord I’m going to leave it there
The experiences were so heavenly, it's best to not share too much
Now the ladies are good but nobody could be as good as you are
The singer has moved past other women and realizes that nobody compares to his special someone
Oh, get me back to L.A. fifty nine
The singer is eager to return to Los Angeles in 1959
And it’s, hello, hello, sunshine
The sun is out and the day is bright and happy
It's a good day in L.A. it's all right
The singer is enjoying the warm California weather and feeling content
My, It's a good day in L.A. fifty nine
The singer is reminiscing about how great it was to be in Los Angeles in 1959
Thunder and rain pushing the train that I’m on again
The train is still moving through bad weather but the singer is determined to reach his destination
Hello, hello, sunshine
The singer is still reveling in the bright and happy day
And it's hello, hello sunshine, oh my sunshine
The singer is addressing the sunshine as if it's a close friend or lover
And it's a good day in L.A., all right
The singer continues to enjoy the warm and sunny California day
And I talk about it, hello, hello, sunshine
The memory of this day brings the singer joy and he talks about it a lot
Oh yes, yes, such a good day in L.A., it's all right
The singer is affirming that this day in Los Angeles was truly wonderful
Get me back, I sing, hello, hello, sunshine, shine on me
The singer wants to return to this happy memory and bask in the sunshine again
It's such a good day in L.A., it's all right, right, right
The singer can't get enough of reminiscing about how great it was to be in Los Angeles on this day
I sing hello, hello, sunshine, my close friend
The singer continues to address the sunshine as a close and comforting companion
Get me back, get me back
The singer is desperate to relive this happy memory
Such a good day in L.A., it's all right
The singer is still reflecting on how great it was to be in Los Angeles on this day
Contributed by Nolan Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.