Rhino Factoids: ELO Makes Their Live Debut

43 years ago today, at the Greyhound Pub in Croydon, Surrey, the Electric Light Orchestra made their live debut. The lineup of the band consisted of Roy Wood (vocals / guitar), Jeff Lynne (vocals / guitar), Bev Bevan (drums), Bill Hunt (keyboards), Wilfred Gibson (violin), Hugh McDowell (cello), Mike Edwards (cello), Andy Craig (cello), and Richard Tandy (bass). Sadly, there was no room left for an audience, so no one actually witnessed it.

Just kidding! Of course, there were plenty of people there, and after it was over, there were plenty of people talking about the first-ever concert by this grand new musical collaboration between the frontmen of The Move (Wood) and the Idle Race (Lynne). Interestingly, though, the performance actually took place several months after the release of the band’s self-titled debut, which had hit UK record stores in December of ’71.

What’s also worthy of note is that one of the major methods used by Wood and Lynne to finance their ELO shenanigans was to put out another album as The Move, hence Message from the Country, released in October 1971. Listening to it with the benefit of hindsight, however, it’s pretty clear that Message from the Country is really just a proto-ELO album, which makes complete sense when you realize that the band’s lineup at that point featured Wood, Lynne, and Bevan. And if you can’t pick up on this vibe in the 10 tracks which originally made up the album, then one of the bonus tracks added to the CD and digital reissues will clear things up: a little ditty called “Do Ya.”