The Rum Brummers

Like in my earlier post on Fleetwood Mac, ELO are another band who's heyday was the mid 70's and who's critical revival is reaching an apex just about now. But certainly more interesting, to me at least, is the myriad of offshoots and precursors to The 'O' who popped up in Britain's 2nd City around the end of the 60's.

I've been quietly in awe of Roy Wood for a few years now. This started when as a student in the early 90's i found a CD of the best of The Move on the floor at my local Woolworths. God had placed it there for me (!) or so i told myself as i slipped it into my coat pocket. The Move and specifically, Birmingham's premier renaissance man Roy Wood should, imho, be mentioned in the same breath as the recognised 60's godlike songwriters like Lennon/McCartney, Jagger/Richards & Ray Davies. Want proof?





C'mon, be honest, you've never heard of The Idle Race have you? And why should you, they've been airbrushed from history by the same (UK) magazines who think it's progressive to only put Bob Dylan, The Beatles and David Bowie on their covers. This obscure freak-beat band were the genesis of ELO (a young Jeff Lynne got his chops here) but should be revered in their own right. MORE PROOF? i have never been less than 100% happy when listening to this song:



psyche-pop majesty alert



and finally, here's the first ELO single i bought, from my local papershop (ex jukebox) for 59p back in 1980. Still sounds bloody cosmic to me.