In my last couple of years at school I spent far too much time in a café just up the road from school, often on my own or with a couple of other serial absconders waiting for the girlies to turn up at lunchtime. The only cash I ever had was my school dinner money but once I’d bought the standard ten fags I barely had enough for a coffee. But no matter because in the end I was spending so much time in there that the woman who ran it agreed to pay me in munch and drink to wash up as and when required.
The reason I’m telling you all this is because the café had a pretty cool jukebox. Lots of old Stones, The Who, Kinks, all the top 30, and one thing it did have in abundance was every ELO single on release day. And I guess that’s where my unnatural liking for the bearded goons comes from. Well, that and my brother who as soon as he was able bought all their albums and played them in rotation through every waking hour until he moved onto Michael Schenker. But that’s a different story altogether.
01 10538 Overture / Electric Light Orchestra December 1971
02 Mama / Electric Light Orchestra II February 1973
03 Ma-Ma-Ma Belle / On The Third Day December 1973
04 Dreaming Of 4000 / On The Third Day December 1973
05 Can’t Get It Out Of My Head / Eldorado October 1974
06 Illusions In G Major / Eldorado October 1974
07 Eldorado / Eldorado October 1974
08 Waterfall / Face The Music October 1975
09 Nightrider / Face The Music October 1975
10 One Summer Dream / Face The Music October 1975
11 Mission / A New World Record October 1976
12 Do Ya / A New World Record October 1976
13 Shangri-La / A New World Record October 1976
14 It’s Over / Out Of The Blue November 1977
15 Across The Border / Out Of The Blue November 1977
16 Night In The City / Out Of The Blue November 1977
17 Birmingham Blues / Out Of The Blue November 1977
18 Midnight Blue / Discovery June 1979