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They asked George Harrison and Paul McCartney on separate occasions what the Beatles may have sounded like had they not broken up. Both of them said 'ELO'.
I'm convinced 'Don't Bring Me Down' is what the Beatles would've sounded like in the '70s.
110%
It is the only song on my Beatles playlist growing up that wasn't actually made by the Beatles, but you couldn't convince me it didn't fit perfectly with their sound.
No Matter What by Badfinger. But I mean, they were basically a Beatles tribute band, that had contributions by Beatles and their associates.
Mr Blue Skye sounds like it’s trying so hard to be A Day In The Life: part 2. I don’t doubt your assessment at all.
I remember when the Traveling Wilburys came out and they said it worked because Jeff Lynne wanted to be George Harrison, Tom Petty wanted to be Bob Dylan, and they all wanted to be Roy Orbison.
Yeah, either George Harrison or Tom Petty had joked "We all just wanted to be in a band with Roy Orbison".
I love this quote/notion
First time some friends played me Mr. Blue Sky I asked what Beatles album it was from. Its mad Beatles vibes for me.
Same, when I was a kid I thought it was a Beatles song.
The Diary Of Horace Wimp also has that vibe
Yeah, that’s ELO
I mean, George Harrison in the late 80s did sound like ELO.
Well, that makes sense as Jeff Lynne did produce Harrison's 'Cloud 9' album. Which is actually in part of how the Traveling Wilbury's came to be.
Yes, exactly. He went from trying to make Beatles music with his own band to trying to make Beatles music with an actual Beatle :)
Jeff also produced the weird Beatles songs released in the 90s! Man was everywhere
That super group’s origin story is so wholesome and wonderful. Just a bunch of famous people needing one more thing from another friend until the 5 of them accidentally made a song too good to be a bonus track.
Lynne ended up producing tracks for every Wilbury except Bob too.
Cloud 9 features the greatest album cover of all time and it's not even close
And Jeff Lynne produced Free As A Bird and Real Love in 1995.
Yep. They both have a definite "ELO-ness" but I love them as much as any "classic" Beatle material.
John said it too.
“Sons of Beatles”
Turns out they were just all saying hello.
I don't know why you say goodbye, I say ELO
It's easy to forget as someone who wasn't alive while they made new music, but the Beatles were regularly progressive and cutting edge in exploring sounds. They reinvented themselves many times over evolving from 50s rock to psychedelic to experimental tape music/musique concrete.
Yeah, like Sgt. Peppers and all the new instruments and sounds that came into play, if you listen to the famous ballads from the start with the fans pulling their hairs out and then you listen to Helter Skelter, you know how vast they could be.
I’ve heard Jef Lynne was directly inspired by the later Beatles, so yeah, that tracks. Probably not a coincidence that Lynne became a Wilbury in the 80s.
He was. He also produced albums for George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty before the Wilburys got together and was actually the one to get them all together to play, and someone invited Bob Dylan lol
I believe the story goes that Harrison specifically wanted Dylan to join.
Tom Petty was a bit of an accident. Harrison had left his guitar at Petty's house, and when he went to get it impromptu asked if he wanted to come record with them in Bob Dylan's garage.
george harrison was the ultimate bob dylan fanboy
Almost, it was Dylan who had left his guitar there.
He produced Real Love and Free As A Bird as well
Everyone else in this thread is going on about the Wilburys and solo Harrison, and I'm amazed that nobody mentioned that Jeff produced ACTUAL Beatles songs.
It's kind of funny, because I had heard Jef Lynne say he wanted to be a Beatle. I also heard the same from Ozzy Osbourne and Elton John. I'm sure 100 other artists have said the same. Their influence is second to none.
Did you see that sweet meeting of Ozzy and Paul - Ozzy was totally struck.
Do you have a link? I'd like to see that...
Lynne worked with every Beatle except John, and Elton was on Harrison’s album Cloud 9 so close enough I suppose.
Listen to the drums on "I Can't Get it Out of My Head" and compare to "Imagine." Very similar if not the same. In my head at least
Came here to say something like this. ELO’s “Time”sounds like an 80s Beatles album. Jeff Lynne has even said that ELO was them “picking up where the Beatles left off.”
Time is my favourite ELO album, pure genius.
Never knew this. Makes sense they’re two of my favorite bands haha
I always thought Evil Woman sounded like a Paul McCartney/Wings song
Yoko Ono singing Xanadu.
tbf when I was young i thought Mr blue sky was by the Beattles
It wasn't until my twenties for me. It took that Volkswagen commercial for me to finally find the truth.
That would have been fan-freakin-tastic
You don’t have to imagine, McCartney II exist.
TEMPORARY
SECRETARY
She could be a neurosurgeon if she's doing nothing urgent!
Simply. Having
A Wonderful
NOPE NOPE NOT HERE
Side by side, hand in hand We all stand together
Wow. I had no idea this existed. So I checked it out and thought it was a spoof, but goddamn, it's actually him. It's so strange and demented, like a sick animal that should be euthanized....but in a good way. I love it.
"You should be put down"
":("
"But in a good way"
":)"
If you like that, give Check My Machine a listen. 9 minutes of vibing.
Secret Friend too.
I love that song so much. I’m glad I’ve seen it performed live a few times!
Temporary Secretary is the kind of song that should be terrible, but is fantastic.
all-time banger tho
I’m glad Lennon couldn’t touch this masterpiece.
Hey,
I enjoy it.
McCartney II is a favourite of mine.
Also the Twin Freaks remix/mashup/electronica album is incredible.
Was going to say they went through it individually, except Lennon of course. Paul dabbled in it but George stayed with his roots.
Roots
Dude is clearly ready to sing about margaritas
No, George went pretty deep into that 80s sound. Cloud Nine, Gone Troppo are huge examples.
I dunno, I Got My Mind Set On You is about as 80s as songs come
Even though it's a cover of a song from the 60s
Didn't know it was a cover, TIL!
But Harrison's version still sounds like is was produced by a Sega Genesis on cocaine.
60s throwbacks were a pretty huge part of the 80s
I will scowl disapprovingly at anyone who speaks ill of this song.
I want to be clear that I do truly love the song, in all its gated 80s glory
I had never heard it before. Its definitely one of the songs thats exists.
edit: enjoy your time off whoever reported me to reddit cares :)
Came here for this. I got my mind set on you is super of its time even if it is a cover. Absolutely 80s sound.
I believe Lennon would have evolves into the eighties sound as well.
Right before he was killed he heard “Rock Lobster” by the B-52s and said it made him want to start writing new types of music again.
John thought the B-52s were the best band around before he died, likely he would have gone that direction
A big chunk of the B-52s was mixing sixties garage rock and pop with Yoko Ono's avant-garde style and vocalizing techniques.
r/beatlescirclejerk is leaking
'Check my machine' slaps as well! Sounds like Gorrilaz