The Beatles set an impossible standard for any new band making waves in the industry from the moment they ended their reign of supremacy at the close of the prosperous 1960s. Only one band received approval from John Lennon, who referred to them as “the sons of The Beatles,” despite numerous attempts to emulate their success and aspirations to take the limelight they left behind.
A few bands were more brazen than others when it came to trying to emulate The Beatles. The band might have been over, but their influence had just begun. Thanks to their distinctive songwriting styles, extensive use of orchestration, and innovative studio techniques.
Electric Light Orchestra, fronted by Jeff Lynne, appeared to be the most inspired group. After having a musical epiphany in response to the Fab Four inviting him and his previous band, The Idle Race, to an Abbey Road session for The White Album, Lyne went on to form ELO. That was the turning point for the soon-to-be adored producer.
Later, Lynne spoke to Classic Rock about the encounter that changed her life, saying, “I was blown away.” “I was actually listening to it being made in Abbey Road, even though no one had heard it yet. After maybe 30 minutes, I decided it would be courteous to leave since you get kind of icky in that company. I returned to the location where The Idle Race was filming, and naturally, it didn’t sound quite so good.
Following his departure from The Idle Race, Lynne had a brief romantic liaison with The Move, a band from Birmingham. But after that brief visit to Abbey Road two years earlier, he graduated onto the project he knew was his destiny later, and ELO was born in 1970.
Electric Light Orchestra prioritised album creation and studio time above all else in order to preserve The Beatles’ spirit. Lynne accomplished more than he had set out to, even obtaining the blessing of his dreams.
John Lennon chose to play “Showdown” by the ELO during a 1974 appearance on the New York radio station WNEW. He introduced the song by saying, “I thought ‘Showdown‘ was a great record and I was expecting it to be at the top, but I don’t think United Artists [UA] really pulled out all the stops.” And it’s a nice group, which I refer to as the “Son of Beatles”. Though they are obviously doing things that we never did.
The praise is more than noteworthy, especially since the former Beatles were so enthusiastic about the group. He shared a lot of praise for his previous band. “I remember a statement they made when they first formed was to carry on from where the Beatles left off with ‘Walrus,'” Lennon said. He added even more praise to his statement. This is a gorgeous rendition of Lou Christie’s “Lightnin’ Strikes” and Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” enhanced with a hint of “I Am The Walrus.”
Famously, Lennon wasn’t the only Beatle with feelings for Lynne. George Harrison eventually joined him on the creative team after agreeing to join The Travelling Wilbury’s.
Harrison’s focus returned to The Beatles when the remaining members reunited for the Anthology in the 1990s. This followed the breakup of the supergroup. They also hired Lynne as their producer and made the decision to revive two long-lost Lennon recordings. The singer later stated of “Free As A Bird,” “The amazing thing is that it even exists.” “I had to turn John’s little cassette tape into a Beatles album. You couldn’t tell the voice was thin and scratchy. We recorded it straight from a Walkman on top of a piano. The work was truly industrial.
The statement continued, “Paul, George, and Ringo hadn’t been in the same room for possibly twenty-five years. They exclaimed, “Wow!” Hugs and kisses were exchanged, and sitting down to remember the good old days was the epiphany. The gravity of the situation then set in. That was the most difficult thing I ever did.
After Lynne spent that momentous afternoon in the studio with The Beatles during the recording of The White Album—an event that would prove to be the first step towards his inauguration as one of their own, and an honorary Beatle—the butterfly effect came to life.
