Roy Wood on why he left ELO in 1972

[@cybervision_1]

we are all blessed that ELO survived after the Don Arden era

[@maxwellfan55]

Two of the most innovative British musicians, performers and songwriters.

[@tonywright8294]

One only

[@johnatkinson7126]

@tonywright8294 well yes elo was roy Woods idea after all and but for a phone call to lynne from wood to join him at the move then elo we'd be saying jeff who ?

[@sandraharding2624]

@@johnatkinson7126 Roy is planning on a new tour next year with new musicians. Some new music and some of his old stuff. He was interviewed on the TV the other day. Still can't beat Roy Wood

[@johnatkinson7126]

@sandraharding2624 that's great met him once nice man got time for the fans

[@johnatkinson7126]

I'm getting on a bit so won't be doing the brontasaurus

[@davidpalmer683]

I was fortunate enough to see the original ELO at the University of East Anglia just before Roy left. The support band was Sparks, on their first UK tour.

[@Tellhimhesdead-m1y]

Roy and Jeff, two legends but Don Arden urrrgh! He`s Sharon Osbournes dad - a classic case of the apple doesn`t fall far from the tree.

[@barbarakirk3064]

If that's David Arden, his son, in the office picture standing next to him, I can't help thinking he resembles Ricky Tomlinson when he played Barry Grant in Brookside!

[@PeteBurns-xv2fz]

Bobby grant...and he really does 😂

[@MrCherryJuice]

Sharon (and Ozzy) even walked out on her father, only going to see him when he was on his death bed.

[@leroysimon5692]

👏🏾👏🏾👍🏾

[@crescentfreshbret]

⁠@@MrCherryJuiceShe also once tried to run him over with her car!

[@liamoconnor9487]

I met Roy a few times, over the years. A really down to earth guy...no airs to him, at all. I remember going into the Eagle, on Hill Street, for a pint, one night and seeing Roy, sitting on his own, in the corner, having a quiet drink....and he was number one in the charts, at the time. I can't imagine too many top artists being that 'normal'.

[@captainape6807]

Brummies don't do pretentious. It's physically impossible.😇

[@filtonkingswood]

Ive been a quiet Roy Wood fan for years. Such a talented and down to earth man.

[@MrMjp58]

Very enlightening and very sad. They were both incredibly talented, but together they might have achieved even more, if that was possible.

[@bigblue1972]

he always came across as a right nice bloke Roy ,great musician,,,

[@longjonwhite]

At last the story can be told! Thank God for this video, I’ve been losing sleep over this question for over 5 decades now.

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

Well, off to bed then. You must be tired 😉

[@danmoss2080]

Roy is a total legend

[@RonMcmurry]

He's the man. 😂

[@captainape6807]

With really good hair.👍

[@chrisjohnson3590]

Proper, proper musician, songwriter and legend of British music history.

[@sandraharding2624]

Roy and Jeff are two of the best artists in the World. Every group they performed with were as brilliant as they are

[@plasticweapon]

love roy's work with the move.

[@iansteel5569]

Love Roy, The first record I ever bought was 'Califonia Man' by the move! Check out that tune!

[@apollomemories7399]

with 'Do Ya' on the b-side. Top record.

[@johnatkinson7126]

Yeah do ya was released as the a side in the usa got to 98 in the hot 100​@apollomemories7399

[@johnatkinson7126]

93

[@snoosnoo7054]

Roy and Jeff - two geniuses and the very best of blokes, as ever stuck with the very lowest form of life as a manager. I wonder what Brum's Lennon & McCartney could have achieved together.

[@MrAronRobinson]

Well said, my thoughts completely. Since they were both imaginative, great musicians AND got along very well it would’ve made so much more sense in the long run to keep them together, and ELO would’ve been the Birmingham’s own Bostin’ Beatles.

[@ericspears6342]

Thank you for including Roy because without him there wouldn’t be any Elo

[@ericspears6342]

And he played every instrument 🎷

[@davidmacgregor5193]

Rick Price was in a Birmingham band called Mongrel when Roy recruited him into Wizzard, other Mongrel members who joined Wizzard were Keith Smart on Drums and Charlie Grima on Drums and Percussion. Three other ELO guys left with Roy to form Wizzard, they were, Bill Hunt on keyboards, Hugh McDowell and Trevor Smith on Cello. The Wizzard lineup was completed by Mike Burney on Alto and Baritone Saxophones and Nick Pentelow on Tenor Saxophone, they both came from The Daltons. R.I.P. Mike Burney, Hugh McDowell and Rick Price.

[@apollomemories7399]

Why did I think Charlie Grima had been in Resurrection and not Mongrel?

[@davidmacgregor5193]

@@apollomemories7399 You were right, Charlie was also the drummer in the Birmingham progressive rock band The Ghost, when vocalist / guitarist Shirley Kent left The Ghost, the remaining members changed their name to Resurrection. When Charlie left Resurrection, he joined Mongrel.

[@joesophie90]

Thanks for this info! 👏

[@joesophie90]

I can't recall Trevor Smith though on cello - I have read that he appeared as sound engineer on Wizzard Brew album - their first album. I can't recall seeing him on say Top of the Pops, performing in the Wizzard line-up.

[@grahamrock3942]

Roy, thank you so,so much for being YOU...inspirational from the early days, ALL your Songs, however interpreted, will stand the "Test of Time". I will never forget those close encounters at 'La Dolcé Vita' in Smallbrook Queensway and certainly not when I had the privilege of shaking your hand standing on the Forecourt of Davenports Brewery OFF LICENCE, in Bath Row. Wonderful, wonderful times...thank you again...stay safe, Friend G.A.R.

[@eamonmcdermott4032]

Don Arden was a complete gash and his daughter hasn't fallen far from the tree.

[@andywilliams8636]

Roy has a wonderful talent, my first memory of his music was hearing Fire Brigade on the radio, marvellous.

[@robplatt5643]

Wizard and Slade were my favourite groups as a kid. I can't imagine a world without Wizard Or a world without Mr blue sky. Glad to hear they stayed mates.

[@mrbluesky10538]

Hi yes it's what Roy told me in the pub in Glasgow before his gig at the kings 2017 and really nice guy wayted 50 years to meet then again same year at the pavilion. Best year

[@michaelmamp9096]

I loved Roy's work on Annie Haslam's solo album ANNIE IN WONDERLAND...a truly beautiful album!!

[@MrCherryJuice]

Roy and Annie were a romantic item for a while.

[@garyolshan4177]

The Move one of the most underappreciated bands in rock history. Shazam is a masterpiece

[@railwaystationmaster]

Always regarded Roy not only a Wizard but also an honest man so this merely confirms that , it's also probably fair to say that E.L.O. although inventive with Roy , were able to expand their seismic reach beyond the stratosphere after he left . Although in the end the albums did start to sound much same as each predecessor , ELO 2 being my particular favourite , although lacking the commercial success of what was to come.

[@caryheuchert]

I’ve always wished ELO and Wizzard could have done a one-off album together, or at least a concert.

[@chrisjohnson3590]

That would’ve been immense.

[@GreenmanXIV]

Don Arden, what a piece of work he was.

[@janetjordan9462]

Wizzard really had great songs so in hindsight it was meant to be. 🎸💕🎶

[@classicrockfan8034]

ELO became so much better after Roy left. Roy gave a big thank you to Jeff for being inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame. Roy said: " Jeff wrote all the hits". To this day Roy and Jeff are good friends.

[@johnatkinson7126]

And yet jeff lynne couldn't thank roy wood for inviting him to join him at the move then elo after all elo was roy Woods idea lynne was just a founder member along with bev bevan

[@funftyfunf]

@@johnatkinson7126 Jeff Lynne doesn't share.

[@tracyjordan6738]

god bless you roy

[@donwershba2319]

Roy is a certified genius. If you doubt that, just listen to SHAZAM by THE MOVE. Truly one of the greatest albums of all time IMHO

[@Johnno9989]

Personally, I found that ELO wasn't so much the same after Roy Wood - don't get me wrong, I don't hate any of ELO's material from since then. I just feel that Roy's era in the band was more artistic and a little bit less commercial. That being said, both the Move and Wizzard are as awesome as this guy is!

[@RonMcmurry]

Well said.

[@classicrockfan8034]

ELO became so much better after Roy left. Roy gave a big thank you to Jeff for being inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame. Roy said: " Jeff wrote all the hits".

[@classicrockfan8034]

@@johnatkinson7126 AH get your facts straight. Go listen to Roy Wood’s speech at the Rock Hall Of Fame’s ELO induction. You can’t make this shit up. He said Jeff Lynne’s is responsible for Wood’s induction. I will post you the link of his speech. Stop being a hater old grumpy man 😡

[@classicrockfan8034]

@@johnatkinson7126 Are you talking to yourself senile old man?

[@nollypra2752]

Nothing to do with Jeff lynne! Wood was only there for the first album. The only hit was a jeff lynne song! So as far as ELO was concerned, Roy Wood basically did bugger all!! ​@@johnatkinson7126

[@daverigby23]

Nasty piece of work, Don Arden. That's putting it very mildly

[@jimking3288]

His daughter is worse !!

[@davidmacgregor5193]

Yes, when Roy left ELO and formed Wizzard, Arden got to manage two bands instead of one. I have heard that it was Don Arden's son, David, who was spreading the false shit to Jeff about Roy. The Arden's didn't like Roy's music, it was too experimental and creative for them, they prefered Jeff's radio friendly pop songs over anything that Roy wrote.

[@robertandrew5768]

​​@@davidmacgregor5193 Rod Stewart summed up Don Arden in a word beginning with B after the way he treated the Small Faces in the 60s.

[@impalaman9707]

Its a common thread throughout rock history: People leave bands before they become popular. Some for the financial miscalculation of thinking that they will be more successful in another field altogether (dentistry, for example). Some look back with regret at the success they could have had as the worst decision they ever made in their life, and others don't have any regrets at all. Personally---I feel sorry for ALL those guys!

[@lesterjohnston8888]

Roy you gave us such great music i understood, like flowers in the rain thank you

[@dixgun]

Didn’t know it was because of the potential to earn twice as much with a split. Thanks for this. 🙏

[@finslaw]

Wild how Roy left then had the better chart success up until mid-1975. I think splitting was the best for both of them because they could do their own thing, although both Roy and Jeff showed obviously affinity for old 50's style rock.

[@ChilliCheezdog]

It's the maddest thing in the world that, as a young guy, in 1983, I discovered that the band I was obsessed with came from my home town. It's still funny now. They could have come from Mars, or perhaps a little further.

[@patmckeane6588]

Rick price was a lovely bloke R I P

[@petersanderson1741]

Legend

[@discerntheevidence4273]

"ELO recorded the same song for 20years and made lots of money" 10538 Overture, King of the Universe, Boy Blue, Can’t Get It Out of My head, Eldorado Overture, Dreaming of 4000, Day breaker, Strange Magic, Fire on High, Poker, Mission, Shang-ri-la, Mr Blue Sky, Sweet is the Night, Big Wheels, Concerto for a Rainy Day, 21St Century Man, Bluebird is Dead, Bluebird, Just for Love, All My Life, Alone in the Universe, From out of Nowhere. Just a glimpse of some of the Classic ELO songs from history, certainly not the same songs all unique in their own way. As George Harrison quoted they made some of the best music of the 70s. John Lennon called them Son of Beatles doing things they never did. You can’t beat ELO.

[@ladytron4220]

All great songs!!

[@JonathanSparks-ht4vq]

Roy Wood was actually the mad scientist in the lab that germinated the creation of ELO

[@encoreunefois1X]

Decent songwriters indeed!

[@annabargues8394]

Hi!! I have all the albums and I love Jeff Lynne!! I speak a little English but it's hard for me to understand... would someone be so kind as to give a brief summary...? Thanks a lot!!!!! ❤E.L.O.🎶🔝

[@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx]

Roy Wood left ELO in 1972. The reasons have been unclear. Roy Wood, who was the co-writer with Jeff of their early songs, says that it was their manager Don Arden who persuaded Roy to leave the band so that Don could earn more from two separate musical outfits. He says that Don Arden planted untrue gossip in Jeff Lynne's mind so that Jeff would want Roy to leave.

[@annabargues8394]

@@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx Muchas gracias!!!! Saludos desde Barcelona.

[@tony713elo]

@annabargues8394 the video can automatically translate. First, turn on the subtitles. Then click on the video settings, then click Subtitles (c), then click auto-translate, and then just choose what language you want.

[@annabargues8394]

@@tony713elo Ooohhh siiii!!!! 😅😂😂😂 I didn't know!!!! Thanks!!😊

[@RA76951]

Watch interviews with the Small Faces, and how Arden was with them......

[@MrCherryJuice]

Yes, Roy with a fretless electric bass in the early 70s would have been unusual. But Bill Wyman with the Stones was playing one about a decade earlier. He removed the frets from his Framus and lacquered the fretboard to create a feel more akin to an upright bass. I believe he had previously played upright bass in jazz bands. Surprisingly Jack Bruce, another jazzer (and classically trained player) didn't do that in his early days. He played upright exceptionally well prior to switching to 6-string electric bass with the Graham Bond Organisation. He later played 4-string, it too fretted. It wasn't until later that he got into 4- and 5-string fretless. He was an absolute maestro on both. And though Pino Palladino is the default reference for fretless thanks to his early 80s success with Paul Young, it was Jaco Pastorious, most notably with Weather Report and then Joni Mitchell that inspired Pino and put the fretless electric on everyone's radar.

[@cliveclive54]

My fave line ever,"Oh Curly where's yur girly where's she gone?" 🙂

[@elodevi]

Thank you Tony ! Would like to have a translation. i will translate the transcription

[@markwojtowycz3760]

A true WIZARD!

[@lawrencevincent1]

Jeff Lynne in a 1990s interview didn't seem happy with Roy Wood when speaking about their musical differences and no doubt disputes gained pace before the actual split. We know that Jeff Lynne is well proven to be in the highest of the genius category in the entire music Industry and will stay in the history books forever.

[@Peremptor]

Damn that sucks but hey he kicked ass solo but man Roy & Jeff... could have been truly legendary.

[@fs.pureblood]

If Roy hadn't left ELO there would be no wizzard. It worked out for the best.

[@misfit2022]

Don Arden - “the Al Capone of pop”

[@brucetindal7399]

Don Arden. Real name Harry Levy. From the tribe. They all changed them back then.

[@stevesullivan4704]

All the wars and evil in the world not just the music business

[@Weenybean.]

@@stevesullivan4704 100%

[@lawrencefeldman7744]

Did they have space lasers,champ? Let's think about music.

[@amosungar5248]

We got the brilliant Wizzard Brew out of it, so it's not all bad. Can't imagine Jeff Lynne would go along with something like "Meet Me At The Jailhouse". Sad that people mostly know the singles.

[@WisdomKeeper11]

Roy is Jeff.

[@avanti6058]

I think it was somewhat predictable as well. While ELO was a band, it was always controlled by Jeff. They were 2 very different types of geniuses and a lot of talent for one room.

[@paulshepherd1348]

Very interesting, I know that Don Arden was a factor in it, not a nice man. Makes you wonder what ELO would have sounded like with two major song writers... I think him an Jeff would have butted heads eventually though.

[@neonfroot]

Yep. Just like Paul and John.

[@paulshepherd1348]

@@neonfroot good comparison yes..

[@martinclail9290]

Arden ran Stan Polley close when they were looking for the worse bollocks involved with band management.

[@sheldonlocke9584]

Wish I had my own words.

[@patrickkelly9178]

Don Arden probably one of the most evil and despicable people in the world of music. Sharon Osborne is no angel by any means but even she hated her father I do believe. I think Roy still lives on his farm down the A5.

[@jiminycrint]

Don Arden was one of the worst of the 60’s rip off merchants who polluted the music industry at the time. It’s no surprise that he’s Sharon Osbornes Dad. Like father like daughter….

[@Mark-td5ux]

If the venues didn't pay up after an ELO concert Arden would beat the manager up.

[@terryharrison5185]

Sharon Arden...🤑🤑🤑

[@mp3bbb]

At least two good bands came out of this.

[@dogpaw775]

neither Wood or Lynne would have achieved their objective's had they been encumbered by the other. equally as credible. the 'bread' heads can fret over the rest.

[@richtensail]

music label management interfering n trying to make money our of ver signed artists- never heard of that b4, cant b rite rite?

[@lesleyadams4279]

Arden not a nice guy at all. I heard a very long time ago that he was a control freak

[@CapAnson12345]

It's too bad he couldn't have contributed to a song or two or played the occasional show with ELO over the years though.

[@mikecaldwell4442]

the incident of disrespect......intolerable if you are a artist.....untenable

[@koleberdinoch926]

So they never fell out. But he did storm off in a huff.

[@stevesullivan4704]

Another 'Alan Klein' Effing dues!

[@CotswoldCreative]

Do I see 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@timkis64]

not too much good ever came from don arden, INCLUDING sharon osbourne.a true ripoff artist at heart.

[@Cosmo-Kramer]

Sharon created the Eldorado album cover, one of the best album covers in an era of great album covers!

[@ricko3k]

Arden was a twat, not that fond of his daughter.

[@walesdad]

Roy Wood was always a pioneer, Arden was always a snake.

[@bluedeskfan2754]

What an evil manager. And what a cynical calculations. Good thing they didn't have involvement with The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Queen or they wouldn't have lasted long.

[@mickb44]

nice one roy of the offerings after you left elo, much prefer your stuff ,ELO recorded the same song for 20years and made lots of money

[@Paul-ci4gq]

What utter nonsese

[@garymacdonald7165]

Thank christ Roy left ELO or we wouldnt have heard all those magical Jeff Lynne screamers!

[@lhpl]

And maybe we would have had something even more magical. Nobody will know - it's just hypothetical. It doesn't really matter at all. Roy has made some great music too!

[@marcushinton772]

No disrespect but it's over fifty years ago, get over it

[@nicholasprotz4297]

Arden equals 😈

[@expressoevangelism80]

I will always remember ‘Step into Christmas’ as one of my favourite seasonal songs. Thank you Roy.

[@allanstack7016]

Elton John 😮

[@bobdavis4848]

Don't you mean "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day"? Why attribute an Elton John song title to Roy Wood?

[@tango22ah]

Is it me or is it like pulling teeth listening to Roy tell this story

[@MrMjp58]

He’s a magnificent writer/performer, but not the world’s greatest raconteur.

[@tango22ah]

@@MrMjp58 oh I love Roy but I was pulling my hair out.

[@Weenybean.]

He's getting on a bit y'know

[@garymitchell5899]

Like it's over 50 years ago get over it

[@donyoung7874]

He was asked a question and provided an answer. Doesn't sound like Roy is harboring any ill will at all.

[@garymitchell5899]

​@@donyoung7874The video starts with Roy speaking and we have no idea what prompted it. Could be a question could be he's not over it.

[@donyoung7874]

@@garymitchell5899 Even though the very first thing he says is, 'The reason I left ELO is through pressure from Don Arden...' So what's to get over? It would be safe to assume his response was prompted by the question, 'Why did you leave ELO?'

[@garymitchell5899]

​@@donyoung7874Well yeah if we're making stuff up then surprise surprise it fits. Firstly, we don't know there was a question at all. Could have been in the middle of another response. Secondly, could have been a question like, how's it gone since you left the band? Then the way he gets into minute and irrelevant details just seems weird after 50 years.

[@donyoung7874]

@@garymitchell5899 Not making anything up. Interviewers usually ask the interviewee to include part of the question in their response so that when edited, the audience has an idea about the context of the answer. That way, without the question being included, you know what they're talking about. I worked in video production for 25 years but it also makes good common sense. Now as to why you assume Roy has 'to let it go 50 years later' like he was kicked out of ELO or something. Talk about making things up.

[@heraldeventsandfilms5970]

Roy Wood is a far-right r.sole. a pal of Farage and although he is a fine musician, he's an r.sole as a person.

[@sicksquid3258]

Bampot.

[@apollomemories7399]

By that description you've given, he sounds like a really level headed and reasonable bloke. That must be why so many of us really like him. Oh, and you can do one.

[@heraldeventsandfilms5970]

@@apollomemories7399 Oh look, another of Farage's losers, an EDL see you enn tee. People like you don't matter.

[@sempereadem54eadem64]

Ah bless a 🤡

[@Weenybean.]

anothe hitler right? 🙄🙄