Editing Electric Light Orchestra (section)

===1983–1986: ''Secret Messages'', ''Balance of Power'', disbanding===
[[File:Electric Light Orchestra (1986).jpg|thumb|right|ELO performing in 1986 (Jeff Lynne and Richard Tandy pictured)]]

Jeff Lynne wanted to follow ''Time'' with a double album, but CBS blocked his plan on the grounds that a double vinyl album would be too expensive and not sell as well as a single record, so as a result, the new album was edited down to a single disc and released as ''[[Secret Messages]]'' in 1983; many of the out-takes were later released on ''[[Afterglow (box set)|Afterglow]]'' or as B-sides of singles. The album was a hit in the UK reaching the top 5, but its release was undermined by a string of bad news that there would be no tour to promote the LP. Lynne, discouraged by the dwindling crowds on the ''Time'' tour, CBS's order to cut ''Secret Messages'' down to one disc, and his falling out with manager Don Arden, decided to end ELO in late 1983.{{citation needed|date=November 2022}}

Drummer Bevan moved on to play drums for [[Black Sabbath]], and bassist Groucutt, unhappy with no touring income that year, sued Lynne and Jet Records in November 1983, eventually resulting in a settlement for the sum of £300,000 (equivalent to '''£1,004,913''' in 2025). While ''Secret Messages'' debuted at number four in the United Kingdom, it subsequently performed poorly in the charts, with a lack of hit singles (though "[[Rock 'n' Roll Is King]]" was a sizeable hit in UK, the US and Australia) and a lukewarm media response.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

That same year, Lynne moved into production work: having already produced two tracks for the [[Dave Edmunds]] album ''[[Information (Dave Edmunds album)|Information]]'', he would go on to produce six cuts for his next, ''[[Riff Raff (album)|Riff Raff]]'' in 1984, and one cut on the [[Everly Brothers]] reunion album ''[[EB 84]]''. He also composed a track for former [[ABBA]] member [[Agnetha Fältskog]]'s 1985 album ''[[Eyes of a Woman]]''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Jeff Lynne The Electric Light Orchestra |last=Van Der Kiste |first=John |year=2015 |publisher=Fonthill Media}}</ref>

Lynne and Tandy went on to record tracks for the 1984 ''[[Electric Dreams (soundtrack)|Electric Dreams]]'' soundtrack under Lynne's name; however, Lynne was contractually obliged to make one more ELO album. So Lynne, Bevan and Tandy returned to the studio in 1984 and 1985 as a three-piece (with Christian Schneider playing saxophone on some tracks and Lynne again doubling on bass in addition to his usual guitar in the absence of an official bass player) to record ''[[Balance of Power (album)|Balance of Power]]'', released early in 1986 after some delays. Though the single "[[Calling America]]" placed in the Top 30 in the United Kingdom (number 28) and Top 20 in the [[United States|States]], subsequent singles failed to chart. The album lacked actual classical strings, which were replaced once again by synthesizers, played by Tandy and Lynne. However, despite being a 3-piece, much of the album was made by Lynne alone, with Tandy and Bevan giving their additions later.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/electric-light-orchestra-balance-of-power/ |title=35 Years Ago: Electric Light Orchestra Blow Apart On "Balance of Power" |last=Deriso |first=Nick |date=17 February 2021 |website=Ultimate Classic Rock |access-date=29 March 2021}}</ref>

The band was then rejoined by Kaminski, Clark and Morgan, adding Martin Smith on bass guitar, and proceeded to perform a small number of live ELO performances in 1986, including shows in England and Germany along with US appearances on ''[[American Bandstand]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erY78_dwlH0| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/erY78_dwlH0| archive-date=11 December 2021 | url-status=live|title=ELO – Calling América AB 5 Jul 1986|date=31 May 2011|work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> ''[[Solid Gold (TV series)|Solid Gold]]'', then at [[Disneyland]] that summer.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn9s5RZFJgE| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Dn9s5RZFJgE| archive-date=11 December 2021 | url-status=live|title=ELO – Disney's Summer Vacation Party (TV Show – 1986)|date=17 October 2012|work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> ELO performed at the [[Heart Beat 86]] charity concert organised by Bevan in the band's hometown of Birmingham on 15 March 1986;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTNzKdM99Jo| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/LTNzKdM99Jo| archive-date=11 December 2021 | url-status=live|title=Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) Concert at Birmingham NEC 1986 – Heartbeat 86|date=28 May 2013|work=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> a hint of Lynne's future was seen when [[George Harrison]] appeared onstage during the encore, joining in the all-star jam of "[[Johnny B. Goode]]". ELO's last performance for several years occurred on 13 July 1986 in [[Stuttgart]], Germany, opening for [[Rod Stewart]]. With Lynne no longer under contractual obligation to attend further scheduled performances, ELO effectively disbanded after that show, but there was no announcement made of it for the next two years, during which George Harrison's Lynne-produced album ''[[Cloud Nine (George Harrison album)|Cloud Nine]]'' and the pair's follow-up (with [[Roy Orbison]], [[Bob Dylan]] and [[Tom Petty]] as [[Traveling Wilburys]]) ''[[Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1]]'' were released.