Page 51 - Classic Rock (January 2020)

JEFF LYNNE

ELO headlining BBC Radio 2 Live
In The Park in London’s Hyde
Park on September 14, 2014.

“I think I’m most proud of the fact that

I’m still out there doing it. I haven’t packed

it in yet, because I still love it.”

1988, Shannon in 1990]. But I’ve got so many actually got a recording of him
photos of us together, and the film footage of them saying that. He was a guest DJ on
with me, so it’s always nice to look back now and an American radio show in New
then, just to remind myself of what a lucky bugger York, and he said: “Nice little
I’ve been. group, these. I love this group.” He
got talking about Showdown, and
Was it inevitable that the remaining three said: “I thought this would be
Beatles would turn to you when they needed Number One, but [label] United
someone to co-produce the first two volumes Artists never got their fingers out.”
of the Anthology series in the mid-nineties? It was fantastic.
I’m not sure. Obviously George, Paul and Ringo
were the ones who had to make their minds up. What prompted you to revive ELO in the Maybe. With some of the songs it might just be
Because George and I had already worked together, early noughties? one little tiny thing – maybe the strings could’ve
I think Paul was a bit wary of me. He might have I suppose I was thinking along the lines of: “I’ve been a bit louder or maybe the snare’s too loud,
thought that I’d be in George’s camp and that done it all now. Where can I go from here? I’ve whatever. There’s always a bit of that on every
I would favour whatever he said. But it was never been in the Wilburys and I’ve produced The record I’ve ever made, except for the new one.
going to be like that. They’re all Beatles to me, and Beatles. I might as well do bleedin’ ELO again.” There’s nothing on there that I’ve heard – yet
I wanted to do my best to make it a record that they – that’s made me wince.
were all pleased with. I was staying in a cottage in Would you say you’re a perfectionist at heart?
Paul’s grounds during the recording of Free As A Bird In 2012 you re-recorded the old ELO hits at Looking back at it all, is there something
and Real Love, with George in another part of the home, because you didn’t think the originals you’re most proud of?
house. Every morning he’d shout up: “C’mon, ya were quite good enough. I think I’m most proud of the fact
lazy bugger! Your porridge is ready!” Then it was off I am really a perfectionist, but that I’m still out there doing it.
MAIN: GETTY; INSET: JOSEPH CULTICE/PRESS John Lennon once said that had The [laughs]. It’s never as perfect as I still love it. You can’t ask for more
maybe not a very good one
I haven’t packed it in yet, because
to work on the new Beatles record. It was surreal.
than that.
I would imagine. I try to be one, but
I can never quite get it right.
Beatles carried on, they would have
Jeff Lynne’s ELO’s new album
sounded like ELO. That must have felt like
From Out Of Nowhere is out
a huge compliment?
So you’re never satisfied with
now via Sony.
Oh yeah. I was shocked when he said it. I’ve
your finished product?
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