ELO Discography Tube Map Art Print

Why this ELO discography tube map art makes a gift fans keep

A discography gift for ELO fans who have never heard of Ted Blight, because this runs all 16 albums with every credited musician as their own line. They already own the records, and one line on this map leads to a cellist Jeff Lynne appears to have invented.

Giclée on 230gsm premium fine art paper, textured matte, archival and acid-free. Produced unframed or framed. Deeply researched and designed by me in East Sussex.

I plot these in CAD software. Every credited musician becomes a transit line, every album becomes a station, and anyone who appears only once gets a branch line of their own.

The stations run chronologically from the 1971 debut, through A New World Record and Out of the Blue, to From Out of Nowhere in 2019.

A band built on strings and studio craft leaves a very particular trail: cellists and violinists arriving in threes, an orchestral arranger running for a decade, and one credit that turns out to be a joke.

Two Beatles also appear, something most ELO fans wouldn't tell you. It rewards every closer look.

Contributing musicians on the map

Jeff Lynne is the only line running the entire length. Richard Tandy's keyboards cover almost all of it, and Bev Bevan drums from the debut through Balance of Power.

Roy Wood, who co-founded the band, appears on the first two albums and no further, playing cello, bass and a list of woodwinds that runs to krumhorn on the debut alone.

On the Third Day credits a cellist named Ted Blight on the UK pressing. He appears to have been a figment of Lynne's imagination, which makes him the only line on any of my maps that leads nowhere at all.

Marc Bolan of T. Rex plays guitar on ELO 2 and again on On the Third Day, and Carl Wayne of The Move sings lead on three tracks of ELO 2.

The string section becomes the band's backbone: Mik Kaminski on violin, Hugh McDowell, Mike Edwards and Melvyn Gale on cello, with Louis Clark arranging the orchestra and choir across most of the classic run.

Xanadu in 1980 is the strangest station on the print. Olivia Newton-John shares the record, Cliff Richard sings a duet, four members of The Tubes play on one track, and Gene Kelly takes a co-lead vocal.

Zoom in 2001 quietly puts two Beatles on an ELO album. George Harrison plays slide guitar on two tracks, and Ringo Starr drums on two others.

Print Specifications:

Each one is a Giclée on 230gsm premium fine art paper with a textured matte finish, archival and acid-free, so the colours hold for years. Choose A2 or A1, unframed or framed, ready to hang in a hallway, living room or studio.

FAQ

Who is Ted Blight?
A cellist credited on the UK pressing of On the Third Day, and by most accounts, a name Jeff Lynne made up. He appears on the map exactly as credited.

How many albums does Roy Wood appear on?
Two. He co-founded the band and played on the 1971 debut and ELO 2 before leaving to form Wizzard.

Is Marc Bolan on the map?
Yes, playing guitar on "ELO 2" and "On the Third Day".

Are there Beatles on an ELO record?
Two, on Zoom in 2001. George Harrison plays slide guitar, and Ringo Starr plays drums, on separate tracks.

What happens on Xanadu?
It sits on the map as a split station shared with Olivia Newton-John, and brings in Cliff Richard, Gene Kelly and four members of The Tubes.

What are the framing options?
Unframed, or supplied framed and ready to hang.

Related Music Maps

Browse the full range of gifts for music fans at the Gifts for Music Fans collection and the Prog Rock collection at mikebellmaps.com.

Because George Harrison and Ringo Starr both play on Zoom, the George Harrison Discography Map Art Print is a natural companion piece, alongside the ABBA Discography Map Art Print.