Elo Part II were an offshoot band formed by former Electric Light Orchestra drummer Bev Bevan. They are currently known as The Orchestra. In 1988 Elo drummer Bev Bevan approached Jeff Ly . .   Expand    Wikipedia

Elo Part II were an offshoot band formed by former Electric Light Orchestra drummer Bev Bevan. They are currently known as The Orchestra. In 1988 Elo drummer Bev Bevan approached Jeff Lynne wanting to do another Elo album. After Lynne declined to participate, Bevan intended to continue the band without him. Lynne objected and lawyers were soon involved. The legal agreement reached between Lynne and Bevan resulted in Bevan forming a new band in 1989 initially called Electric Light Orchestra Part Two. John Payne was considered for vocalist, but this never came to fruition. He ended up joining Asia instead where he covered Elo's "Showdown". Original Elo co-founder Roy Wood was also approached about joining but turned them down. Bevan recruited longtime Elo string conductor and co-arranger Louis Clark into his new band, along with Eric Troyer (keyboards and vocals), Peter Haycock (guitar and vocals) and Neil Lockwood (guitar and vocals). Elo Part Two released a self-titled album in 1991 which featured former Elo violinist Mik Kaminski on one track. The album was intended to harken back to Elo's classic sound of the mid-to-late 1970s, but opinion is strongly divided as to whether or not it succeeded. The first tour featured the band performing live with The Moscow Symphony Orchestra, (MSO), and was well-received in the UK. Approximately two-thirds of the songs performed were Elo hits. The concert in Elo's home town of Birmingham was captured on video and on the live album with the long-winded title Performing Elo's Greatest Hits Live Featuring The Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Kaminski, former Elo cellist Hugh McDowell, and former Elo bassist Kelly Groucutt were part of the live band, with Groucutt sharing lead and backing vocals with Troyer, Haycock and Lockwood. Kaminski and Groucutt were initially appearing as guest artists from another Elo offshoot band they had formed called OrKestra, but eventually they ended their own band and joined Elo Part II full-time by 1993. McDowell's tenure with the band was short, as some personality conflicts emerged and he was let go. Plans to tour the USA with the MSO were cancelled, as costs became prohibitive.

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