Jeff Lynne On What Led Him Back On Tour
Landing today (November 17) is Wembley Or Bust, a live CD and home video from the Jeff Lynne’s Electric Light Orchestra concert during June in the famed London stadium.
The 23-song set features plenty of hits, including “Evil Woman,” “Showdown,” “Mr. Blue Sky,” “Don’t Bring Me Down” and ELO’s remake of the Move‘s “Do Ya,” as well as “Handle With Care” from Lynne’s tenure with the all-star Traveling Wilburys and “When I Was A Boy” from ELO’s most recent album, 2015’s Alone In The Universe.
Lynne had put ELO to bed back in 2011, but he tells us the decision to rekindle the group name as an active band came after playing another London show, in Hyde Park, during the summer of 2014:
“It came to be the fact that I wanted to make it after doing this show in Hyde Park in London…We played to like 50,000 at this festival. That’s what really set me off on it. It was such a thrill doing that show. They were so great, the people were. The audience was fantastic and I was bowled over by it. It was just amazing to have such love and warmth coming off all the people. It was great. And that’s what kind of started it off, really.”
ELO was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year, and Lynne’s ELO has announced a 10-date North American tour for the summer of 2018 — its first in some 37 years — starting August 2 in Oakland, Calif.
Gary Graff is an award-winning music journalist who not only covers music but has written books on Bob Seger, Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen.
