One of those records I bought on a whim. As much as I liked ELO (or so I claim, having just sold my entire ELO CD collection to a guy who, well, asked me if I had any ELO on CD for sale; I didn’t…and I did), I would have never been able to pick this guy out of a band line-up. But outside of Jeff Lynne, I could probably say that for every member of ELO. And there were a number of members along the way.
Groucutt entered the picture around 1974, appearing on 1975’s “Face The Music” as both the band’s bassist and co-vocalist alongside Jeff Lynne. Nice timing, as the band was already heady with hits on both sides of the Atlantic at this point. Groucutt hung around for quite a while, making it through, I think, 1981’s “Timeless”. By that time, the “orchestra” was shrinking, the musical direction had changed somewhat (for the worse) and Lynne pretty much took over most of, well, all aspects of the band, including all vocals and bass duties.
His role in ELO completely diminished, Groucutt assembled most of the band that was not named Jeff Lynne and recorded this 1982 self-titled solo record. It was the only record Groucutt would record under his own name, deciding that despite his acrimonious split with the ELO (it actually ended with a lawsuit), he was apparently better served financially by playing Lynne’s songs rather than his own. I guess as long as Lynne wasn’t actually in the band, it worked out. His post-ELO life found him playing with another former ELO bandmate, Mik Kaminski, in OrKestra before both hooked up with longtime ELO-er Bev Bevan in Electric Light Orchestra Part II. Ugh.
All that duly noted, I know nothing about this record. Musically, that is. I can only assume it has some faint likenesses to a ELO record for which Jeff Lynne wrote none of the songs. If that makes sense. Outside of a score of Rod Stewart and John Mellencamp (Johnny Cougar!) records, you’d be hard-pressed to recall another artist that recorded for Riva Records. If it ever comes up in trivia, you know have Kelly Groucutt in your back pocket. Grocutt passed away two years ago at the age of 63 after suffering a heart attack.
Sealed w/ custom sticker and the tiniest saw-cut ever. $25.
Musicstack…http://www.musicstack.com/item/64693373
Gemm…http://www.gemm.com/item/Groucutt-c—Kelly/Kelly/GML1456775667/
graypunk 