Editing Electric Light Orchestra (section)

=== 1970–1973: Formation and early albums ===
[[File:Electric_Light_Orchestra_publicity_photo_1973.png|left|thumb|[[The Move]]/Electric Light Orchestra in 1972]]
In 1968, [[Roy Wood]]—guitarist, vocalist and songwriter of [[the Move]]—had an idea to form a new band that would use [[violin]]s, [[cello]]s, [[Double bass|string basses]], [[Brass instrument|horns]] and [[Woodwind instrument|woodwinds]] to give their music a [[European classical music|classical]] sound, allowing rock music to "pick up where [[the Beatles]] left off" in a new direction.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Picking up where the Beatles left off ... Jeff Lynne and ELO. Photograph: Andre Csillag/Rex Alan McGee|title=ELO: The band the Beatles could have been |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2008/oct/16/elo-better-than-beatles|access-date=9 December 2014|newspaper=The Guardian |date=16 October 2008}}</ref> The orchestral instruments would be the main focus, rather than the guitars. [[Jeff Lynne]], frontman of fellow Birmingham group [[The Idle Race]], was excited by the concept. When [[Trevor Burton]] left the Move in February 1969, Lynne was asked by Wood to join, only to say no, as he was still focused on finding success with his band. But in January 1970, when [[Carl Wayne]] quit the band, Lynne accepted Wood's second invitation to join, on the condition that they focus their energy on the new project.

On 12 July 1970, when Wood added multiple cellos to a Lynne-penned song intended to be a Move [[B-side]], the new concept became a reality and "[[10538 Overture]]" became the first Electric Light Orchestra song. The original plan was to end The Move following the release of the ''[[Looking On]]'' album at the end of 1970, crossing over to the new unit in the new year. But to help finance the fledgling band, one further Move album, ''[[Message from the Country]]'', was recorded during the lengthy ELO recordings and released in mid-1971. The resulting debut album, ''[[The Electric Light Orchestra (album)|The Electric Light Orchestra]]'', was released in December 1971. Only the trio of Wood, Lynne and Bevan played on all songs, with Bill Hunt supplying the French Horn parts and Steve Woolam playing violin. It was released in the United States in March 1972 as ''No Answer''. The name was chosen after a U.S. record company secretary had tried to ring the UK company to get the name of the album. They were unavailable so she left a note reading "No answer".<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/music/hidden/noanswer.asp Electric Light Orchestra's No Answer]. snopes.com. Retrieved 31 January 2011.</ref> "10538 Overture" became a UK top-ten hit. With both bands' albums in the stores simultaneously, the Move and ELO both appeared on television during this period.

ELO's debut concert took place on 16 April 1972 at the Greyhound Pub in [[Croydon]], Surrey,<ref>{{cite book |last=Bevan |first=Bev |title=The Elo Story|year=1980 |publisher=Mushroom Publishing|isbn=0907394000|page=174}}</ref> with a line-up of Wood, Lynne, Bevan, [[Bill Hunt (musician)|Bill Hunt]] (keyboards/French horn), Andy Craig (cello), [[Mike Edwards (musician)|Mike Edwards]] (cello), [[Wilfred Gibson]] (violin), [[Hugh McDowell]] (cello), and [[Richard Tandy]] (bass). However, this line-up did not last for long.{{failed verification|date=May 2016}} First Craig departed, and then Wood, during the recordings for the band's second LP. Taking Hunt and McDowell with him, Wood left the band to form [[Wizzard]]. Both cited problems with their manager, [[Don Arden]],<ref name=WoodDeparture>{{cite news|title=Roy Wood talks about ELO |publisher=BBC |date=2007}}</ref> who Wood felt failed in his role, and an unsatisfactory tour of Italy. However, Arden would manage Wizzard, despite Wood's negative comments towards Arden.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kielty|first=Martin|title=Why Roy Wood Really Left the Electric Light Orchestra|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/roy-wood-leaves-elo/|access-date=8 June 2020|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=8 June 2017 |language=en}}</ref> Despite predictions from the music press that the band would fold without Wood, who had been the driving force behind the creation of ELO, Lynne stepped up to lead the band, with Bevan, Edwards, Gibson and Tandy (who had switched from bass to keyboards to replace Hunt) remaining from the previous line-up, and new recruits [[Mike de Albuquerque]] and [[Colin Walker (cellist)|Colin Walker]] joining the band on bass and cello, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/epm/7973?q=colin+walker+elo&search=quick&pos=1&_start=1|title=Electric Light Orchestra|last=Larkin|first=Colin|date=20 July 2016|website=Oxford Music Online|publisher=Oxford University Press|access-date=20 July 2016}}</ref>

The new line-up performed at the 1972 [[Reading Festival]] on 12 August 1972. Barcus Berry instrument [[Pickup (music technology)|pick-ups]], now sported by the band's string trio, allowed them to have proper amplification on stage for their instruments, which had previously been all but drowned out by the electrified instruments. The band released their second album, ''[[ELO 2]]'', in early 1973, which produced their second UK top 10 and their first US chart single, an elaborate version of the [[Chuck Berry]] classic "[[Roll Over Beethoven]]" (which also incorporated the first 2 or 3 lines from the first movement of [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]'s own [[Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)|Fifth Symphony]]).<ref name="UK Charts" /> ELO also made their first appearance on ''[[American Bandstand]]''. During the recording of the third album, Gibson was let go after a dispute over money, [[Mik Kaminski]] joined as violinist, and Walker left since touring was keeping him away from his family too much.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} Remaining cellist Edwards finished the cello parts for the album. The resulting album, ''[[On the Third Day]]'', was released in late 1973, with the American version featuring the popular single "[[Showdown (Electric Light Orchestra song)|Showdown]]". After leaving Wizzard, Hugh McDowell returned as the group's second cellist, also in late 1973, in time to appear on the ''[[On the Third Day]]'' cover in some regions, despite not having played on the album.