ELO - Out of the Blue

I am in an ELO phase at the moment.  This is ELO's double studio album Out of the Blue, from 1977.  It is considered ELO's most commercially successful studio album.    I went to play this record last night found out that I am missing one of the disks.  I bought it for fifty cents, so - oh well.  I have the disk with sides I and II.  The disk I am missing has Concerto for a Rainy Day, which is side III.  Jeff Lynne is a rock genius.  I loved him in the Traveling Wilburys, and  also seeing him (on video) at The Concert for George a few years ago.  I also have their record called OLE' ELO, which I think is a greatest hits record.  Added bonus: had to show you the inner album gatefold photo, below.  I searched the record jacket and could not find who did this fabulous artwork.

Leon (and Mary) Russell - The Wedding Album

Before we dig in, as a reminder, you can always click on the title of this post (and all other post titles) and you will land on a YouTube clip of Leon and J.J. Cale doing Going Down. It is a great example of the Tulsa Sound, referenced below. Leon Russell is an musician that has been off my radar screen. I've confused him with Leon Redbone.  He and Mary, from Sly and the Family Stone, collaborated on this record, The Wedding Album, from 1976. Leon Russell has played with just about everybody: Jerry Lee Lewis, Joe Cocker, George Harrison, Delaney Bramlett, Ringo Starr, Elton John, B.B. King, Freddie King, Eric Clapton, Bill Wyman, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Willie Nelson, Badfinger, The Tijuana Brass, David Gates, Frank Sinatra, The Band, Marc Benno, Edgar and Johnny Winter, Glen Campbell, and The Rolling Stones. His group The Starlighters, included Cale, Chuck Blackwell and Johnny Williams, and are credited with creating "the Tulsa Sound." You can hear why Clapton was drawn to this music.

Anthology of the Twelve String Guitar

The back of this record jacket comes right out and says, there is not much out there written about the history of this unique and impressive insturment.  Allow me to use a 3rd party source for more.  Quoting directly from an excellent record source, Village Records in Mission, KS, "This is the legendary 1963 album from the Tradition label. It offers up some of the best instrumentalists in the business showing their stuff on that magical of magical guitars: the twelve string. Where would rock music be without it and its chiming sounds? Those strutting their stuff [on this records] include James [later Roger] McGuinn of Byrds fame, Glen Campbell, jazz great Howard Roberts, Mason Williams, and Joe Maphis. Country super-pickers Bob Gibson, Joe Maphis, Mason Williams of “Classical Gas” fame and Twang legend Billy Strange. You don’t have to be a guitar player to appreciate what’s going on here. You just have to love music.  Click on post's title for a nice clip.