ELO Part II is a musical group formed in 1991 in the issue of breakup of the band Electric Light Orchestra. In 1988 Bev Bevan, the ELO drummer, suggested Jeff Lynne recording a new ELO album. Lynne refused and so Bev Bevan decided to continue the musical creative work of the band without him. Jeff Lynne did support this idea and thus he involved legal experts. The Legal agreement between both musicians developed into the following: Bevan formed a new group that was called Electric Light Orchestra Part Two. Bevan invited Louis Clark (ELO string conductor and co-arranger), Eric Troyer (keyboards and vocals), Neil Lockwood (vocals and guitar) and Peter Haycock (vocals and guitar) in his band.
In 1991 the new band released album “Electric Light Orchestra Part 2”. The band gave a live concert with The Moscow Symphony Orchestra during their first tour. It was a great success in the UK. The band sang about 2/3 of the songs that represented ELO hits. The live performance in Birmingham entered the album under the title “Performing ELO’s Greatest Hits Live Featuring The Moscow Symphony Orchestra”.
The band gave concerts in Germany and the UK in 1992. In 1993 Haycock and Lockwood quit the band. The same year the musicians were replaced by Phil Bates (guitarist and vocalist). In 1993 ELO Part Two undertook a world tour concerts in the USA and Eastern Europe included. In 1994 Electric Light Orchestra released the second studio album that was called “Moment of Truth”. The band continued their tours over the following years. A year later ELO Part 2 recorded a live album with orchestral backing in Australia. It was released as a double album One Night in Germany and in the USA as a single album One Night- Live in Australia. Bates played in the group until 1999. Then he was replaced by Parthenon Huxley. By that time the band reduced the rendering of their original material at concerts. Very often their performances included 90% ELO songs. Bev Bevan was not at all happy with such state of things, especially with the inability to score a great success in the US. In November 1999 Bev Bevan gave his last performance with ELO Part Two at the Sands Hotel in Atlantic City.
As opposed to ELO, where Jeff Lynne (writer and producer) exercised creative control, ELO Part Two was distinguished as a band with more democracy as at different times the band members undertook songwriting and lead vocals. However Bev Bevan remained the leader of the group. In 2000 Bevan announced that ELO Part Two were disbanded. The other members of the band decided to continue its activity. Thus Gordon Townsend was invited and the band that was given a new name The Orchestra continued to give concerts up to 2009.
Tags: Bev Bevan, Electric Light Orchestra, electric light orchestra part two, elo hits, ELO Part 2, elo part two, Jeff Lynne
April 14th, 2011 at 6:22 pm
From the start…I have been a fan. Through it all. I still love to listen to the albums and my kids do too. I blast the early albums outside at the cottage and the odd time when some people go by in their boat …they stop a while, listen and give the thumbs up as they move on. I was there at Maple Leaf Gardens when there was a tech failure with the background music. I was one of the fans that wasn’t dissappointed they were doing that because I think every studio album needs a bit of help during certain venues. It’s great to hear what you bought as an album while you’re seeing it performed on the stage and the bit of assistance the background gives is OK with me. Afterall, some bands shouldn’t even try a live show…Anyway, every time I plug in ELO, it brings back terrific memories at the same time as I wish they were still around.
July 4th, 2011 at 2:09 am
I am looking for a way to get in touch with Richard Tandy. I am his ex wife and just want to say hello and goodbye to him as I am quite ill. He can reach me at the email above.