68 – Story of a Rock and Roll Band – Randy Newman – 1979 and 76 - Diary of Horace Wimp – ELO - 1979

                The Story of a Rock and Roll Band 

                Diary of Horace Wimp        

                        “The Story of a Rock and Roll Band” is Randy Newman’s homage to ELO, a parody/history of how they came to be. It was on 1979’s “Born Again”, from which #65, “It’s Money That I Love” also came.

They were six fine English boys
Who knew each other in Birmingham
They bought a drum and guitar
Started a rock-roll band

And Johnny played little violin
And Bobby Joe played the big violin
The one that stands on the floor
They were all in the rock-roll band

Their first song sounded like this
Please get me a witness
Please get me a witness

Right off, they needed a name
Someone said, "How 'bout the Renegades ?"
Johnny said, "Well I don't know.
I prefer E.L.O."

I love their "Mr. Blue Skies"
Almost my favorite is "Turn to Stone"
And how 'bout "Telephone Line"?
I love that E.L.O.

Yes, they were from Birmingham, but the rest of the story is made up. There was no “Johnny” who played the little violin, nor a “Bobby Joe” who played the big violin, “…the one that stands on the floor.” I also don’t think they were ever called the Renegades; ELO was created from the Move, by Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne.

            The first ELO song (10538 Overture) also didn’t have any lyric like…”please get me a witness,” 

            Newman’s production mimics that of Jeff Lynne, who took over ELO from Roy Wood, which is on display in the other song, ELO’s “Diary of Horace Wimp”, which is from 1979’s “Discovery”, when ELO was starting to get away from actual strings and beginning to use synthesizers (though in the accompanying video, the violin and cellos can be seen and heard).

            1979 was a pretty good year for music and you can read  #6-1979 to see what was going on in my life then.