Note: Those marked in bold indicate the arrival of new members to the Electric Light Orchestra.
January - July 1970: Formation and signing with Apple Records
Roy Wood - vocals, guitar, cello
Jeff Lynne - vocals, guitar
Bev Bevan - drums
Rick Price - bass
Wood, Lynne, Bevan and Price were all members of the group the Move when they first formed the Electric Light Orchestra. Former Move lead singer Carl Wayne did not join the quartet when they signed up to Apple Records.
July 1970 - December 1971: The Electric Light Orchestra
Roy Wood - vocals, guitar, cello, oboe
Jeff Lynne - vocals, guitar, piano, Moog synthesizer
Bev Bevan - drums
Rick Price - bass
Bill Hunt - brass
Steve Woolam - violin
Bill Hunt was the unofficial keyboardist for The Move during this period. Steve Woolam was their violinist for the eponymous debut album prior to his suicide in 1971.
January - July 1972: Promotional tours
Roy Wood - vocals, guitar, cello, saxophone
Jeff Lynne - vocals, guitar
Bev Bevan - drums
Rick Price - bass
Bill Hunt - piano, French horn
Richard Tandy - piano
Wilfred Gibson - violin
Mike Edwards - cello
Hugh McDowell - cello
Unofficial Move bassist Richard Tandy joined ELO at the start of 1972 to play the piano. He was also aided by Wilfred Gibson, replacing Steve Woolam for violin, as well as cellists Mike Edwards and Hugh McDowell. This will mark a big shift in tone for ELO.
August 1972 - July 1973: The Lost Planet
Roy Wood - vocals, guitar, cello, saxophone
Jeff Lynne - vocals, guitar
Bev Bevan - drums
Rick Price - bass
Mike Burney - saxophone, clarinet, flute
Bill Hunt - piano, French horn
Richard Tandy - piano, Moog synthesizer
Mike de Albuquerque - bass, backing vocals
Wilfred Gibson - violin
Mike Edwards - cello
Hugh McDowell - cello
Saxophonist Mike Burney and bassist Mike de Albuquerque joined ELO during the sessions for The Lost Planet. Burney would later become essential to their sound in tracks such as "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday".
July 1973 - December 1974: Hocus Pocus, The Falcons of El Dorado
Roy Wood - vocals, guitar, cello, saxophone
Jeff Lynne - vocals, guitar
Bev Bevan - drums
Rick Price - bass
Mike Burney - saxophone, clarinet, flute
Bill Hunt - piano, French horn
Richard Tandy - piano, Moog synthesizer
Mike de Albuquerque - bass, backing vocals
Mik Kaminski - violin
Mike Edwards - cello
Hugh McDowell - cello
Wilfred Gibson was replaced by Mik Kaminski on violin.
January - August 1975: Face the Music
Roy Wood - vocals, guitar, cello, saxophone
Jeff Lynne - vocals, guitar
Bev Bevan - drums
Rick Price - bass
Mike Burney - saxophone, clarinet, flute
Richard Tandy - piano, Moog synthesizer
Kelly Groucutt - bass, backing vocals
Mik Kaminski - violin
Melvyn Gale - cello
Hugh McDowell - cello
Mike Edwards was replaced by Melvyn Gale on cello, and Bill Hunt and Mike de Albuquerque both departed as well. Kelly Groucutt took over as a new bassist whilst Richard Tandy became the full-time pianist for ELO. This would be the last time that members of the group were replaced.
September 1975 - present: The current line-up
Jeff Lynne - vocals, guitar
Bev Bevan - drums
Richard Tandy - bass, piano, Moog synthesizer
Kelly Groucutt - bass, backing vocals
Mik Kaminski - violin
Melvyn Gale - cello
Hugh McDowell - cello
Roy Wood, Rick Price and Mike Burney all left the Electric Light Orchestra following the sessions to Face the Music to form their own group, Wizzo, and departed from Apple Records by the end of 1975. That September, the classic ELO lineup was born.
Author's Comments
The shifting lineups for ELO were very much based upon the various lineups during the 1970-1975, with the exclusion of cellists Andy Craig (1971-2) and Colin Walker (1972-3). The latter went into teaching after he left ELO in 1973, so I imagine that instead of continuing a career in music in the 1970s, he became a full-time music teacher. On an interesting note, Walker had been considered to play on the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby" but declined to do so, which became his greatest regret.
In addition to Roy Wood, Mike Burney, Bill Hunt, Hugh McDowell and Rick Price all played with Wizzard, and McDowell had left to play with ELO following the release of Wizzard Brew in 1973. Here, since Wizzard doesn't form, Bill, Hugh and Rick never leave ELO. Well, Bill and Rick do eventually leave while Hugh stays, but you get the point.
But where does that leave the remaining Wizzard members - Charlie Grima (drummer), Nick Pentelow (saxophonist), Keith Smart (drummer), and Bob Brady (keyboardist)? Well, since they probably never run into Roy Wood, anything could've gone with them; fall into obscurity, become session musicians, end up dying early on, or some of the above (though all of them dying early on at once is highly unlikely, even for Strawberry Peppers).
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