''Electric Light Orchestra Part Two'' is the debut album by

ELO Part II ELO Part II were a band formed by Electric Light Orchestra drummer and co-founder Bev Bevan. The band also included former ELO bassist and vocalist Kelly Groucutt, and violinist Mik Kaminski for most of its career, along with conductor Louis ...

, released in 1991. In March 1991, lead single "

Honest Men "Honest Men" is the debut single by ELO Part II. It is the second track on their self-titled debut album. It peaked at No. 36 on the Dutch Single Top 100 and at No. 60 on the UK Singles Chart. Overview A music video of "Honest Men" was first a ...

" charted at number 60 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

, and 36 on the

Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 ( nl, Nederlandse Top 40) is a weekly music chart compiled by ''Stichting Nederlandse Top 40''. It started as a radio program titled "Veronica Top 40", on the offshore station Radio Veronica in 1965. It remained "The Veronica ...

chart. The track "Kiss Me Red" is a cover of the theme to the short-lived TV series ''

Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, alth ...

''. The album would later be reissued in 1991 as ''Part Two: Once Upon a Time''. The album would be reissued again in 2021 by Renaissance Records on CD and LP, with the CD release including bonus tracks.

Background

After

Electric Light Orchestra The Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1970 by songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood with drummer Bev Bevan. Their music is characterised by a fusion of pop, classical a ...

(ELO) was disbanded in 1986, Bev Bevan approached Jeff Lynne to record another album, Lynne declined. So in 1989 Bev Bevan formed a new band with a new lineup under ELO, however Lynne objected to the use of ELO's name. After a lawsuit a compromise was reached, the new name of the band would be ELO Part II. In addition to the new name Lynne would also receive a share of royalties from ELO Part II's sales.

Reception

In 1991, ''

Music & Media ''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...

'' magazine declared in their review that ELO part II …"have succeeded in reviving the old trademark sound of E.L.O." In his retrospective review,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

's Doug Stone noted the album as "a decent fabrication of a begone fab era".

Track listing

Original LP Tracks included on 2021 reissue:

Personnel

Personnel according to the booklet. ;ELO Part II *

Bev Bevan Beverley Bevan (born 25 November 1944) is an English rock musician, who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). After the end of ELO in 1986, he founded ELO Part II. Bevan also was drumm ...

– drums, percussion *

Eric Troyer Eric Lee Troyer (born 10 April 1949) is an American keyboardist, singer, songwriter, and occasional guitarist, best known as a member of ELO Part II and its successor The Orchestra. Troyer was a founding member of ELO Part II, having been rec ...

– keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals (A1, A2, B1, B2, B4) *

Peter Haycock Peter John Haycock (4 March 1951 – 30 October 2013) was an English musician and film score composer. He began his career as lead guitarist, vocalist, and founding member of the Climax Blues Band. Early life and career Haycock was born in Staff ...

– guitars, bass, backing vocals, lead vocals (A4, B5) *Neil Lockwood – lead vocals (A3, A5, B3), backing vocals ;Additional personnel *

Louis Clark Louis Clark (27 February 1947 – 13 February 2021) was an English music arranger and keyboard player. He trained at Leeds College of Music. He is best known for his work with Electric Light Orchestra and '' Hooked on Classics''. Clark started ...

– string arrangements *

Mik Kaminski Michael Kaminski (born 2 September 1951) is an English musician. He is best known for playing violin in the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) between 1973 and 1979 and touring from 1981 to 1986, as well as being a member of Electric Ligh ...

– violin (on "Heartbreaker") *

Jeff Glixman Jeff Glixman is an American record producer. He has produced, mixed or remastered artists such as Kansas, Magnum, Gary Moore, Yngwie Malmsteen, The Georgia Satellites and Black Sabbath. Combined sales of his projects exceed 30 million units. Car ...

– producer *

Don Arden Don Arden (born Harry Levy; 4 January 1926 – 21 July 2007) was an English music manager, agent, and businessman. He managed the careers of rock acts such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Air Supply, Small Faces, The Move, Black Sabbath ...

– executive producer *Mark Derryberry – engineer *Jonathan Miller – engineer *Alison Leaberry-Smith - engineer *John Etchels - engineer *Bob Norberg – editing *Kevin Reeves – editing *Wally Traugott – mastering *Ron McPherson – art, graphics, design

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1991 debut albums ELO Part II albums Albums produced by Jeff Glixman Scotti Brothers Records albums