Time Tour

 

Electric Light Orchestra -- Time Tour

An in-depth look at the 1981/1982 tour


Comments and Observations

The tour in support of the Time album ran from September 1981 to March 1982. It started with a 39 city tour in the USA for September to November then moved to the UK for early December for at least 11 shows. The band enjoyed a Christmas break for the rest of December and took some time off in January 1982, then finished with a tour of Europe in February and early March. The tour was shorter than previous tours, perhaps reflecting Jeff Lynne's desire to stop touring as much. During the December and January break, Jeff likely wrote some additional songs because it is known that the band took some time while on tour in Holland to record some songs for the Secret Messages album.

In early 1981, reports were coming out in various print articles that both the band and ELO management were telling fans not to expect a tour. They were very adamant about it. However, by July, they had apparently changed their minds and announcements of the tour were made.

This was the first Electric Light Orchestra tour without the cello players, with only Mik Kaminski returning on violin and Lou Clark playing the keyboards to fill in for the missing cellos as well as to supplement Richard Tandy's keyboard playing. Dave Morgan also joined on guitar, backing vocals and occasional vocoder. It is perhaps as a result of the backlash over backing tapes from the Out Of The Blue tour, but the band eschewed backing tapes on this tour, only using them for the Prologue that started the show and the intro for Roll Over Beethoven. And it may be that because the band didn't want to use backing tapes, it required as many as four keyboard players (Tandy, Clark, Morgan and Kaminski) to reproduce the sound from the studio.

Louis Clark and Dave Morgan: Louis Clark had been involved with ELO for many years previously by helping to arrange the strings on their studio albums. In the studio, Jeff and Richard worked out the string arrangements (usually on keyboard), then gave them to Louis who then translated these demos to full string arrangements. The strings would then be recorded with the orchestra and added to the existing ELO tracks. So it was natural to have Louis join the band on tour to play the string parts for the band. This was his first time ever touring with the band. Dave Morgan was an old friend of Jeff and Richard's, having been a part of the early Birmingham music scene and playing in The Uglys with Richard Tandy. It was during this tour that Dave met an American woman, Pam, who became his girlfriend and travelled with them on the tour. On May 1982 in Birmingham, Dave took her as his first wife in a ceremony with his ELO mates in attendance.

Fred the Robot Fred the Robot Fred The Robot: The stage show featured an R2-D2 type robot on stage as part of the act. The robot, although never known to have been explicitly named on stage, was affectionately called "Fred" by the band and crew. It's movement was radio controlled by roadies behind the stage. The show would start with a large digital clock reading down to the start of the show. When the clock hit 0:00, the digital readout changed to "ELO" and Fred the robot would roll out onto the darkened stage and a tape of the Time Prologue would play, as if Fred were speaking the robot voice. During this, the band would come onto stage in the dark. This would segue into Twilight when the lights would come up and the audience would see the band performing the song live. Occasionally during the show, Fred would often roll around stage and interact with the band or the audience. During the Roll Over Beethoven finale, Fred would move his arms, as if conducting an orchestra. Finally at the end of the show, after the Roll Over Beethoven finale, Fred would roll back out and a vocoder voice would announce "Thank you and good night from ELO." Unfortunately, as with the spaceship from the Out Of The Blue tour, Fred would often malfunction, and the show would have to go on with an unmoving or missing Fred. Fred even fell off the stage at the October 29th St. Louis, Missouri show; was carried off stage by stagehands; and was not seen for the rest of the show, apparently too damaged to continue that night. Fortunately, on occasions that Fred did malfunction, it did not cause the show to suffer. At an unidentified show in Europe, he was getting signals from an unknown source that caused him to dart across the stage and fall off, cracking the plexiglass dome. The band is reported to have paid 5000 British pounds for the manufacture of Fred. In 2012, it was determined that Fred is still in the possession of Jeff Lynne himself, residing in his Los Angeles home studio.

Fred would show up years later, in the mid-2010s, in promotional images for Jeff Lynne. It was apparently kept by Jeff and is a fixture in his home. It's unclear if Fred still actually works. (Is he still alive, or just a corpse?)

The ELO Hits Medley: For the first time, the band played many of their hits as a long medley, rather than individual songs. It's not entirely clear why this was done, but probably because they had more hits than they could conceivably play fully without the show being too long, it was done as a way of providing more songs in a shorter amount of time. The medley was played shortly after the John Lennon tribute and played many of the ELO hits (and a few popular non-hits) in roughly chronilogical release order. The songs performed in the medley varied during the US leg of the tour from the European leg. The medley included the songs (in order) Showdown, Ma-Ma-Ma Belle, Can't Get It Out Of My Head, Strange Magic (USA shows only), Wild West Hero (European shows only), Fire On High, Turn To Stone, Standin' In The Rain, Mr. Blue Sky, Sweet Talkin' Woman, Shine A Little Love, Last Train To London, Confusion, Do Ya (European shows only) and Rockaria!. Although Do Ya was excluded from the medley during the US performances, it was performed in full later in the show.

John Lennon Tribute: One of the special performances at the concert was a tribute to John Lennon. Lennon was an influence and idol for Jeff and he had been murdered in December of 1980. The tribute came halfway through the show and featured a medley of Lennon's song's, including a short keyboard intro of Imagine by Richard Tandy; a gentle keyboard version of Nowhere Man (again by Richard); a full version of Across The Universe with Jeff on lead vocals and acoustic guitar and Kelly on soaring backing vocals; and finally a full version of A Day In The Life with Jeff on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. At each show, Jeff introduced it as "our tribute to John Lennon" and afterwards Bev Bevan came out from behind the drums to thank the audience and introduce the ELO Hits Medley (except when Bev was out sick, when bassist Kelly Groucutt did the honors).

Mik's Violin Solo: As in previous tours, violinist Mik Kaminski performed a violin solo during the tour. Like previous tours, this was a mostly improvised performance where the last half of the performance featured the band joining in for a song. This last half, the drums, bass and guitar portion, was a 12-bar blues section, which is quite different from previous performances that usually incorporated classical music pieces, In The Hall Of The Mountain King, Orange Blossom Special or Hungarian Dance No. 5. Several fans claim the 12-bar blues section is a cover of the song Hoochie Coochie Man by Willie Dixon, however the truth is that all 12-bar blues songs are basically the same melody, with the song more defined by the lyrics rather than the melody. Thus the blues section is a standard 12-bar blues more than any particular song. There was no cello solo during this tour because there was no cello player on the tour.

Rehearsals: In August 1981, before the start of the tour, the band rehearsed the music in the UK at the Jasper Carrott's folk club in Solihull called The Boggery. Following this, they flew to Los Angeles and continued rehearsals with the stage set up and Fred the robot in an unidentified film sound stage. It is in Los Angeles that the band was practicing moving about on a darkened stage between numbers when Kelly Groucutt fell off the stage. The fall was described as a bone-breaking fall, but thankfully he was only just bruised. Just before the start of the European tour starting in February 1982, the band also did a rehearsals in Dave Morgan's home studio in Birmingham.

Hypo-HausThe Stage: Although this tour did not include the elaborate spaceship of the 1978 tour, it did use a multi-tiered stage setup and used rear screen project to produce various futuristic images to match the theme of the Time album. One of the images used was of the futuristic looking Bayrische Hypotheken Bank (popularly known as the Hypo-Haus) building across the street from Musicland Studios (where the Time album was recorded), which was also seen on the inner sleeve of the Time album.

Hall & Oates: The opening band for roughly the second half of the US leg of the tour was the duo of Hall & Oates. Some reports say that this was a "co-headline" show with Hall & Oates as the first performance, but all known ticket stubs show "Electric Light Orchestra" only. Hall & Oates as an opener proved to be an interesting choice for the show opener, being both a challenge and a potential embarrassment for the band. Hall & Oates had just had a USA #1 single with Kiss On My List in April 1981 as well as a USA #5 single with You Make My Dreams in July 1981. During the tour, ELO's Hold On Tight peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in October; in November, Hall & Oates took their Private Eyes single to the #1 position. Clearly Hall & Oates were enjoying much greater chart and radio success in the US during the US leg of the tour, yet they were the opener for ELO. Show attendees may have been there to see either ELO or Hall & Oates, but not both. There are some rumored reports that ELO fans got rowdy during the Hall & Oates set and tried to boo them off the stage during their performances, although this remains unconfirmed.

Bev Bevan's Illness: Just before the February 25, 1982 show in Bremen, Germany, drummer Bev Bevan became ill with kidney stones and was flown back to England for medical attention. Pete King, the drummer for the British band After The Fire, filled in during the February 25 to March 4, 1982 performances. One fan claims that Bev's absence started with the Febuary 20, 1982 Dortmund show. After The Fire was the opening band for some European shows, so it was natural for him to step in and help out. Remarkably a bootleg of the March 3rd Köln performance exists and he clearly did a fine job on drums. Bev was well enough to return to the stage for the final show in Munich on March 5, 1982.

Kelly Groucutt's last tour: This would be bassist Kelly Groucutt's last tour with the band. After the tour was completed and some time in late 1982 or early 1983, Kelly sued the band for a portion of ELO's profits since he had joined the band in 1975. There was an out-of-court settlement to the suit. However, this soured the relationship between the Kelly and Jeff and other than a few promotional appearances in the Secret Messages videos, Kelly was kicked out of the band.

Time Tour Video: Rumors have persisted for many, many years of a video recording existing of a UK Time tour performance. Several fans have reported seeing the full concert on UK broadcast TV. However, several official sources also claim that such a recording does not and has never existed. Proof of such a video recording has never surfaced, bootleg or otherwise, but the rumor persists of such a recording. It remains a mystery if such a video actually exists or several UK fans are suffering a mass delusion.

Band and crew members

The band and crew on this tour were:

Jeff Lynne: vocals, guitar
Bev Bevan: drums (except some late February to early March performances due to illness)
Richard Tandy: keyboards
Kelly Groucutt: bass, vocals
Mik Kaminski: violin, keyboards
Lou Clark: keyboards
Dave Morgan: guitar, vocals, vocoder
Pete King: drums (some late February to early March performances only)
Craig Fruin: Tour manager
Brian Jones: Road manager
Phil Copestake: Personal road manager
Rico Miller: Production manager
Richard Erwin: Sound engineer
Steve Cohen: Lighting director
C.J. Patterson: Monitor engineer
Cathy Sanders: 2nd engineer
Dane Tucker: ELO Stage crew
Gene Lucero: ELO Stage crew
Doug Lacy: ELO Stage crew
Luke Zamperini: ELO Stage crew
Ruke Subourne: Head electrician
Dave Olsen: Head carpenter
Don Arden: Business and personal management
Dave Arden: Business and personal management
Chris ?: Bouncer

Note that Craig Fruin was the tour manager here. Years later he would become Jeff Lynne's business manager (replacing Don and Dave Arden) in the late 1980s.

Tour Dates

This tour ran in from September 1981 to March 1982, with a short break at the end of December 1981 and January 1982.

Date City, Country Venue Opening Act(s) Images Comments
North American Tour
September 15, 1981 Austin, Texas, USA Frank Erwin Center The Michael Stanley Band
Photo from the September 15, 1981 show
Photo from the September 15, 1981 show
Photo from the September 15, 1981 show
Photo from the September 15, 1981 show
Photo from the September 15, 1981 show
Photo from the September 15, 1981 show
Photo from the September 15, 1981 show
Photo from the September 15, 1981 show
Tickets for the September 15, 1981 show
Tickets for the September 15, 1981 show
Tickets for the September 15, 1981 show
Tickets for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Print ad materials
Contract cover letter for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract cover letter for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 1 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 1 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 2 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 2 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 3 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 3 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 4 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 4 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 5 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 5 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 6 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 6 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 7 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 7 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 8 for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract page 8 for the September 15, 1981 show
Venue contract
Audit report for the September 15, 1981 show
Audit report for the September 15, 1981 show
Statement of inventory for the September 15, 1981 show
Statement of inventory for the September 15, 1981 show
Statement of inventory for the September 15, 1981 show
Statement of inventory for the September 15, 1981 show
Settlement sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Settlement sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Settlement sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Settlement sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Ticketmaster documentation for the September 15, 1981 show
Ticketmaster documentation for the September 15, 1981 show
Venue layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Venue layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Venue layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Venue layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Venue layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Venue layout for the September 15, 1981 show
Comp ticket requests for the September 15, 1981 show
Comp ticket requests for the September 15, 1981 show
Comp ticket requests for the September 15, 1981 show
Comp ticket requests for the September 15, 1981 show
Replacement ticket requests for the September 15, 1981 show
Replacement ticket requests for the September 15, 1981 show
Replacement ticket requests for the September 15, 1981 show
Replacement ticket requests for the September 15, 1981 show
Comp ticket requests for the September 15, 1981 show
Comp ticket requests for the September 15, 1981 show
Ticket purchase requests for the September 15, 1981 show
Ticket purchase requests for the September 15, 1981 show
Turnstile report for the September 15, 1981 show
Turnstile report for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad sales for the September 15, 1981 show
Ad sales for the September 15, 1981 show
Post-event report for the September 15, 1981 show
Post-event report for the September 15, 1981 show
Turnstile report for the September 15, 1981 show
Turnstile report for the September 15, 1981 show
Crew sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Crew sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Security request for the September 15, 1981 show
Security request for the September 15, 1981 show
Security request for the September 15, 1981 show
Security request for the September 15, 1981 show
Trouble sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Trouble sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Crew sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Crew sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Dressing room data for the September 15, 1981 show
Dressing room data for the September 15, 1981 show
Event information sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Event information sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Letter to production company for the September 15, 1981 show
Letter to production company for the September 15, 1981 show
Letter to Frank Erwin Center for the September 15, 1981 show
Letter to Frank Erwin Center for the September 15, 1981 show
Letter about profits for the September 15, 1981 show
Letter about profits for the September 15, 1981 show
Income and Expenses sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Income and Expenses sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Letter about payment for the September 15, 1981 show
Letter about payment for the September 15, 1981 show
Letter about payment for the September 15, 1981 show
Letter about payment for the September 15, 1981 show
Bill related to the September 15, 1981 show
Bill related to the September 15, 1981 show
Bill related to the September 15, 1981 show
Bill related to the September 15, 1981 show
Paperwork for the September 15, 1981 show
Paperwork for the September 15, 1981 show
Paperwork for the September 15, 1981 show
Paperwork for the September 15, 1981 show
Certificate of insurance for the September 15, 1981 show
Certificate of insurance for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract letter for the September 15, 1981 show
Contract letter for the September 15, 1981 show
Catering (handwritten) 1 for the September 15, 1981 show
Catering (handwritten) 1 for the September 15, 1981 show
Catering (handwritten) 2 for the September 15, 1981 show
Catering (handwritten) 2 for the September 15, 1981 show
Catering (typewritten) 1 for the September 15, 1981 show
Catering (typewritten) 1 for the September 15, 1981 show
Catering (typewritten) 2 for the September 15, 1981 show
Catering (typewritten) 2 for the September 15, 1981 show
Catering (typewritten) 3 for the September 15, 1981 show
Catering (typewritten) 3 for the September 15, 1981 show
Accounting paperwork for the September 15, 1981 show
Accounting paperwork for the September 15, 1981 show
Event information sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Event information sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Event information change sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Event information change sheet for the September 15, 1981 show
Paperwork for the September 15, 1981 show
Paperwork for the September 15, 1981 show
Paperwork for the September 15, 1981 show
Paperwork for the September 15, 1981 show

DOWNLOAD ALL IMAGES

Photos Tickets Frank Erwin Center documents
According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 9,371 out of 11,623 available tickets and earned $99,702.
September 16, 1981 Houston, Texas, USA The Summit The Michael Stanley Band According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 7,216 out of 16,000 available tickets and earned $83,960.
September 17, 1981 Fort Worth, Texas, USA Tarrant County Convention Center The Michael Stanley Band According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 6,463 out of 13,000 available tickets and earned $67,806.
September 19, 1981 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Alladin Hotel Ellen Foley
September 20, 1981 San Diego, California, USA San Diego Sports Arena Ellen Foley
September 23, 1981 Inglewood (Los Angeles), California, USA The Forum Ellen Foley According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 11,466 out of 13,728 available tickets and earned $140,630.
September 24, 1981 Oakland, California, USA Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Ellen Foley There are some reports that Ellen Foley was booed off the stage at this performance. According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 10,435 out of 14,500 available tickets and earned $120,624.
September 27, 1981 Denver, Colorado, USA McNichols Sports Arena Ellen Foley According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 10,150 out of 17,000 available tickets and earned $109,647.
October 1, 1981 Largo, Maryland, USA Capital Centre Ellen Foley This show may have been cancelled due to poor ticket sales.
October 2, 1981 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA The Spectrum Ellen Foley According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 10,525 out of 12,017 available tickets and earned $102,440.
October 3, 1981 Boston, Massachusetts, USA Boston Garden Ellen Foley
October 4, 1981 Binghamton, New York, USA Broome County Arena Ellen Foley
October 6, 1981 Uniondale, New York, USA Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum The Michael Stanley Band
October 7, 1981 Hartford, Connecticut, USA Hartford Civic Center Ellen Foley According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 7,244 out of 16,267 available tickets and earned $73,287.
October 8, 1981 East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA Byrne Meadowlands Arena Ellen Foley According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 13,830 out of 20,000 available tickets and earned $163,968.
October 10, 1981 Buffalo, New York, USA Memorial Auditorium Ellen Foley Apparently Fred the Robot got tangled in his wires during the performance of Roll Over Beethoven at this show and had to be untangled by roadies coming on stage.
October 11, 1981 Cleveland, Ohio, USA The Coliseum at Richfield Ellen Foley According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 11,500 out of 19,500 available tickets and earned $98,891.
October 12, 1981 Charleston, West Virginia, USA Civic Center Auditorium Ellen Foley
October 14, 1981 Roanoke, Virginia, USA Roanoke Civic Center Hall & Oates
October 15, 1981 Greensboro, Greensboro, USA Greensboro Coliseum Hall & Oates Although this has been contested by several sources, there was a report that Hall & Oates were booed off the stage at this show. According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 11,362 out of 11,800 available tickets and earned $113,192.
October 16, 1981 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Civic Arena Hall & Oates According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 12,275 out of 16,500 available tickets and earned $129,041.
October 17, 1981 Annapolis, Maryland, USA Naval Academy Hall & Oates
October 19, 1981 Lexington, Kentucky, USA Rupp Arena Hall & Oates According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 10,326 out of 13,000 available tickets and earned $102,748.
October 20, 1981 Nashville, Tennessee, USA Nashville Municipal Auditorium Hall & Oates According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 6,265 out of 9,546 available tickets and earned $60,975.
October 21, 1981 Atlanta, Georgia, USA The Omni Coliseum The Johnny Van Zant Band
October 23, 1981 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA LSU Assembly Center Hall & Oates
October 24, 1981 Mobile, Alabama, USA Municipal Auditorium Hall & Oates According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 7,764 out of 13,000 available tickets and earned $73,570.
October 25, 1981 Jackson, Mississippi, USA Mississippi Coliseum Hall & Oates
October 26, 1981 Norman, Oklahoma, USA Lloyd Noble Center Hall & Oates According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 7,121 out of 11,000 available tickets and earned $74,771.
October 28, 1981 Kansas City, Missouri, USA Kemper Arena Hall & Oates According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 12,114 out of 17,000 available tickets and earned $130,051.
October 29, 1981 St. Louis, Missouri, USA The Checkerdome Hall & Oates According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 10,799 out of 19,715 available tickets and earned $115,712.
October 30, 1981 Omaha, Nebraska, USA Civic Auditorium Arena Hall & Oates According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 12,000 out of 12,000 available tickets and earned $128,600.
October 31, 1981 St. Paul, Minnesota, USA Saint Paul Civic Center Hall & Oates According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 16,184 out of 16,184 available tickets and earned $172,986.
November 2, 1981 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA MECCA Arena Hall & Oates
November 4, 1981 Detroit, Michigan, USA Joe Louis Arena Hall & Oates
November 5, 1981 Chicago, Illinois, USA Chicago Stadium Hall & Oates Fred apparently broke down at this show and the band played around him.
November 6, 1981 Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Riverfront Coliseum Hall & Oates According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 8,023 out of 16,336 available tickets and earned $81,809.
November 7, 1981 Bloomington, Indiana, USA Assembly Hall (Indiana University) Hall & Oates This was the last show on the North American tour. As was tradition, the roadies pulled some antics on the band. In this case, during the final performance of Roll Over Beethoven, they came on stage and threw pies into the faces of the band as they played.

According to uncited sources on Wikipedia, this show sold 13,749 out of 16,500 available tickets and earned $129,590.

U.K. Tour
December 1, 1981 London, UK Wembley Arena Voyager
December 2, 1981 London, UK Wembley Arena Voyager
December 4, 1981 London, UK Wembley Arena Voyager
December 5, 1981 London, UK Wembley Arena Voyager
December 9, 1981 London, UK Wembley Arena Voyager
December 10, 1981 London, UK Wembley Arena Voyager
December 12, 1981 Birmingham, UK National Exhibition Centre Voyager Roy Wood was in the audience for this show.
December 13, 1981 Birmingham, UK National Exhibition Centre Voyager With record weather on London this night, ice and snow shut down most public transportation and power across London. Many could not make it to the show that night, so an additional night was hastily scheduled on Tuesday, December 15th to allow those ticket holders who missed to show to attend. Roy Wood was also in the audience for this show.
December 14, 1981 Birmingham, UK National Exhibition Centre Voyager
December 15, 1981 Birmingham, UK National Exhibition Centre Voyager This performance was a quickly rescheduled performance because inclement weather the on Sunday the 13th prevented much of the ticket holders from attending.
December 16, 1981 Ingliston, Scotland Royal Highland Showground Voyager
European Tour
February 4, 1982 Drammen, Norway Drammenshallen After The Fire
(unconfirmed)
February 6, 1982 Stockholm, Sweden Johanneshovs Isstadion After The Fire
(unconfirmed)
February 7, 1982 Copenhagen, Denmark Bröndby Hallen There was no support act at this show.
February 10, 1982 Rotterdam, Netherlands Rotterdam Ahoy Hallen After The Fire
February 11, 1982 Brussells, Belgium Vorst Nationaal Voyager
February 13, 1982 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Frankfurt Festhalle Messe After The Fire
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Photo from the February 13, 1982 show
Concert photos
February 14, 1982 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Frankfurt Festhalle Messe After The Fire
(unconfirmed)
February 15, 1982 Strasbourg, France Hall Rhenus After The Fire
(unconfirmed)
February 16, 1982 Paris, France Parc des Expositions After The Fire
(unconfirmed)
February 18, 1982 Lyon, France Palais des Sports de Lyon After The Fire
(unconfirmed)
February 19, 1982 Zürich, Switzerland Hallenstadion After The Fire
February 20, 1982 Dortmund, Germany Westfalenhalle After The Fire A fan reports that Bev did not play this show due to his illness, with Pete covering the show. This remains unconfirmed.
February 21, 1982 Dortmund, Germany Westfalenhalle After The Fire
February 23, 1982 Göthenburg, Sweden Scandinavium After The Fire
February 25, 1982 Bremen, Germany Stadthalle Bremen After The Fire Pete King replaced Bev Bevan on drums during this performance.
February 26, 1982 Würzburg, Germany Carl-Diem-Halle After The Fire Pete King replaced Bev Bevan on drums during this performance.
February 27, 1982 Kassel, Germany Eissporthalle Kassel After The Fire Pete King replaced Bev Bevan on drums during this performance.
February 28, 1982 Berlin, Germany Deutschlandhalle After The Fire Pete King replaced Bev Bevan on drums during this performance.
March 2, 1982 Köln, Germany Sporthalle After The Fire Pete King replaced Bev Bevan on drums during this performance.
March 3, 1982 Köln, Germany Sporthalle After The Fire Pete King replaced Bev Bevan on drums during this performance.
March 4, 1982 Saarbrücken, Germany Saarlandhalle After The Fire Pete King replaced Bev Bevan on drums during this performance.
March 5, 1982 Munich, Germany Olympiahalle After The Fire Bev Bevan returned to drums on this, the final night of the tour.

Setlist

Based upon limited bootleg material only (there are no official releases from this tour), the setlist shown below is the most consistently known setlist, although variations did occur. There are some reports that Here Is The News was not played at all US shows, particularly the October 15th show.

The ELO Hits Medley changed slightly when the tour moved from the USA to the UK, replacing Strange Magic with Wild West Hero and adding Do Ya, which was no longer performed in full near the end of the show. Don't Bring Me Down also expanded with an an audience participation part starting with the UK shows.

In the first few shows of the tour, the band performed Ticket To The Moon as a solo performance just after Yours Truly 2095. No audio evidence exists of this performance, but from fan recollections, this consisted of Jeff on stage at the microphone (one fan) or a piano (another fan) with a single spotlight on Jeff and no backing band. It's likely that it was actually Richard on piano.

Song Title Arrangement Song comments
Prologue This is not performed live and is a playing tape only. It merges into a live performance of Twilight.
Twilight ... Time album arrangement except a different non-fade ending that uses some descending guitar riffs, no "twilight" vocals, and an abrupt ending. Kelly sings lead on the second half of the first and second verses ("am I awake..." and "inside the image...") and a vocoder is used to sing the main "twilight" lyric of the choruses as well as the "you brought me here..." vocal bridge.
Yours Truly, 2095 ... Time album arrangement, but with several significant changes. It's missing the pinball intro and most of the little twiddly bits. The "I love you, sincerely, yours truly, yours truly" lines are sung by Dave Morgan through a vocoder. Also while Jeff sings the first half of each verse, Kelly Groucutt sings the second half. The fifth verse ("I realize that it must seem so strange...") is not sung at all, but instead Jeff plays a guitar solo. Following the performance of this song, Jeff typically took a few moments to say hello to the audience and introduced the next few songs as "songs you might remember" or "big hits."
Ticket To The Moon ... arrangement is uncertain, but it described as an almost solo effort by Jeff. This song was only performed on a few US dates early in the tour, before it was dropped altogether.
Evil Woman ... Face The Music album version, except the third verse and fourth chorus are completely cut. In addition, it also is without the orchestral intro and has a non-fading ending.
Livin' Thing ... A New World Record album version, but with several interesting changes. First, the violin intro is accompanied by piano and drums. Jeff's "taking a dive" lyrics are cut following the first chorus. Kelly Groucutt sings lead on the first half of the third verse as well as all harmony vocals and female vocal bits. And the song has a non-fading end that adds a repeat of the instrumental part following the first and second chorus before the end.
Telephone Line ... A New World Record LP version, except it cuts the telephone tone intro and the last two choruses and it adds a non-fading ending.
From The End Of The World ... Time album arrangement, but with several significant changes. Mainly, the instrumental bridge is very different. It is missing the lead guitar parts, which are instead played on keyboard, and it is extended to almost twice as long compared to the album version. Also, Jeff's backing vocal bits are missing from the bridge. In addition Kelly Groucutt sings the vocal bridge ("I saw you last night..." to "...got to hand it to you"). Finally, the song's ending is changed, with the notes slowly winding down to a finish similar to album.
Here Is The News ... Time album version, but it is missing the short intro and, of course, there are no news announcer bits. Most significantly is that there are no vocals during the choruses or the repeated ending. In addition, there is a different, non-fading ending. This song was only peformed at the USA and UK concerts. For the European shows, it was replaced with The Way Life's Meant To Be, which was the band's latest single.
The Way Life's Meant To Be ... Time album arrangement, but it cuts the orchestral intro and the entire third verse ("as I wander around..."). This song was only played during the European leg of the tour, replacing Here Is The News, as it was the band's latest single.
Mik's Violin Solo This is a mostly improvised violin performances that sometimes included excerpts from Edvard Grieg's In The Hall Of The Mountain King, before the keyboards, drums, bass and guitar joined in for a 12-bar blues song with more improvised violin performance over the blues part.
John Lennon Tribute This is an original live performance only. It is a medley of John Lennon songs, including a gentle keyboard intro of Lennon's Imagine that blends into Nowhere Man. This leads to the full band joining in on Across The Universe where they perform the first two verses and choruses (with Jeff on lead vocal and Kelly and Dave on backing vocal) although the second verse actually mixes lines from the second and third verses of the original Beatles version. This is followed by a performance of the first two verses and the middle instrumental break of A Day In The Life with Jeff on lead vocals. Bev walked out from behind the drums after this performance to greet the audience and introduce the ELO Hits Medley. At the Köln, Germany concert, Kelly did this task as well as thanking Pete King from After The Fire for filling in for an ailing Bev.
ELO Hits Medley This is the start of a lengthy medley of abbreviated ELO hits. In the UK and European leg of the tour, Strange Magic was replaced with Wild West Hero and Do Ya was added.
*
Showdown ... the first two verses, the first chorus, the guitar solo (with no string interlude), the third chorus and an instrumental ending.
*
Ma-Ma-Ma Belle ... the first two verses and choruses, before a descending guitar part segues into the next song. Kelly sings lead on the second verse parts.
*
Can't Get It Out Of My Head ... the first two verses, the first two choruses and the instrumental bridge.
*
Strange Magic This performance is very short, only using the guitar intro, a single chorus, and part of the repeated ending section. This song was included at the USA performances only.
*
Wild West Hero This performance only the acappella section ("ride the range..." to "...wish I could be") and the long "wish I was a Wild West Hero" section that ends the song. This song was included at the European performances only.
*
Fire On High This performance is very short, only using one sequence of each of the main guitar riff sections.
*
Turn To Stone ... the Out Of The Blue album version, but with the middle part of the song and the third chorus cut. It uses the first half of the second verse (ending with "still glow upon the wall so bright") and goes right to the last half of the third verse (starting with "through all I sit here and I wait"), thus cutting everything in between including the fast vocal bridge.
*
Standin' In The Rain This is a very short performance using the piano intro, the orchestral "rainy day" part, and a few bits from the song's middle.
*
Mr. Blue Sky ... the Out Of The Blue album version, but cuts everything between the first chorus and the fifth verse ("Mister blue, you did it right"), then everything is cut after the fifth verse.
*
Sweet Talkin' Woman ... the Out Of The Blue album version, but only the intro, first two verses and first two choruses and vocoder, followed by a repeat of the "I gotta get back to you" line before merging into the next song.
*
Shine A Little Love ... the Discovery album version, but missing the choral intro and everything after the second chorus.
*
Last Train To London ... the Discovery album version, but everything after the first chorus is cut except for an instrumental bridge section.
*
Confusion ... the Discovery album version, but cuts the second verse and chorus, all the CS-80 keyboard breaks, and the repeated ending is shortened.
*
Do Ya ... the A New World Record album version, but only the first verse and chorus with an extended guitar intro at the beginning. This song was included at the European performances only.
*
Rockaria! ... the A New World Record album version, but Kelly sings all the opera bits and the second verse, the bridge part is extended with a piano solo part, and the fourth verse ("now listen here baby she said to me...") is completely cut.
Hold On Tight ... the Time album version, but an additional verse with the keyboard playing the vocal parts is inserted between the third verse (the French verse) and the second chorus. In addition, there are two additional guitar riffs on the intro.
Don't Bring Me Down ... the Discovery album version, but with several significant changes. It uses a longdrum intro to get the crowd worked up. Verse four was replaced with a guitar solo. Verse five was followed with three "I'll tell you once more before I get off the floor, don't bring me down" lines before ending the song and completely cutting the short piano bridge sections. In addition, Kelly sings harmony vocals throughout the song. On the European part of the tour, the band interrupts the song for an audience participation section. For this section, Jeff stops singing on the last part of verse five ("no, no..." to "don't bring me down"), allowing the audience to sing it. Following this last part, Kelly Groucutt tries to get the audience to sing it louder and they play it again. Claiming he was not satisfied with the audience's performance, Jeff (rather than Kelly) again tries to get the audience to sing even louder and the band plays the part again. Satisfied, the song continues with verse five's "no no no no no no no no no no" line. This audience participation section was not done on the USA part of the tour.
Do Ya ... the A New World Record album version, but it cuts the third verse completely and adds additional guitar riffs on the intro and on the song's bridge. Kelly sings lead vocals on the second verse. This song was performed in full only on the USA part of the tour. For the European part of the tour, it was played only in part during the hits medley section.
Roll Over Beethoven ... generally the ELO 2 UK album version but without the mellotron intro and the second half of Beethoven's Fifth symphony cut from the intro. Also, Kelly sings the first chorus and the instrumental jam throughout most of the middle of the song is very differently arranged.
Thank You and Good Night from ELO This is simply a vocoder saying the words "thank you and good night from ELO" while Fred the Robot rolls around the stage, as if the robot is saying good night.

Releases

No performance from this tour has seen official release. Several bootlegs of the various shows exist, all of them including the unique John Lennon Tribute performances. None feature the rare live performance of Ticket To The Moon.

The known bootlegs are:

Date Location Source Quality Comments
October 8, 1981 East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA Audience Poor
November 2, 1981 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA Audience Fair
November 5, 1981 Chicago, Illinois, USA Audience Poor
December 1, 1981 London, UK Audience Good This bootleg is missing part of the intro for Last Train To London
December ?, 1981 London, UK Audience Poor This bootleg is known to be from December 1981, but as there are multiple shows at that time, it's unknown which show it is. It's not the December 1 show as that one is known and this is not it.
December 16, 1981 Ingliston, Scotland Audience Fair This bootleg is missing a porton of Confusion during the ELO Hits Medley, which consists of everything between the the first half of the first chorus and the second half of the second chorus.
February 10, 1982 Rotterdam, Holland Audience Very Good
February 13, 1982 Frankfurt, Germany Audience Fair This bootleg is cuts the everything after the start of the second verse of Ma-Ma-Ma Belle and the piano intro and the first half of the first verse of Can't Get It Out Of My Head.
February 18, 1982 Lyon, France Audience Fair
February 26, 1982 Würzburg, Germany Audience Fair
March 3, 1982 Köln, Germany Audience Good
March 4, 1982 Saarbrücken, Germany Audience Fair
March 5, 1982 Munich, Germany Audience Fair
Opening Acts

During the USA leg of the tour, duo Hall & Oates opened many of the shows. Some promotion materials appear to state that the shows were a co-headline act, but always Hall & Oates opened the show and several concert ticket stubs only list Electric Light Orchestra as the act on the bill. Ellen Foley, a former backup singer for Meat Loaf, is known to have opened at least one show in Buffalo, New York.

At the UK shows, a band called Voyager opened all the shows. And for the European shows, After The Fire is presumed to have opened most if not all shows. It was because of this that the After The Fire drummer, Pete King, was recruited to help fill in during Bev Bevan's illness.

Promotions

Tour program letterThere were apparently plans for an elaborate tour program, featuring many advertisers, as was seen with the tour programs for the 1978 tour. The evidence for this was a letter, sent by Rainbow Productions to various businesses in early 1981. These plans obviously never came to be as the tour programs that were eventually published and sold at the shows had no such advertising. It's uknown how or why this did not happen.

Photos

ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1) ELO in concert in London (December 1) ELO in concert in London (December 1) ELO in concert in London (December 1) ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in London (December 1)
ELO in concert in Dortmund
ELO in concert in Dortmund
ELO in concert in Munich
ELO in concert in Munich
ELO in concert in London (December 1) ELO in concert in London (December 1) ELO in concert in London (December 1) ELO in concert in Dortmund ELO in concert in Munich
ELO in concert in Munich
ELO in concert in Munich
ELO in concert
ELO in concert
ELO in concert
ELO in concert
ELO in concert
ELO in concert
Fred the Robot
Fred the Robot
ELO in concert in Munich ELO in concert ELO in concert ELO in concert Fred the Robot
March 28, 1981 Record Mirror article denying there would be any tour
March 28, 1981 Record Mirror article
denying there would be any tour
July 11, 1981 Record Mirror article talking about the upcoming tour
July 11, 1981 Record Mirror article
talking about the upcoming tour
Backstage pass for North American tour
Backstage pass for North American tour
Backstage pass for UK tour
Backstage pass for UK tour
Backstage pass for UK tour
Backstage pass for UK tour
Ticket stub for September 15, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 15, 1981 show
March 28, 1981 Record Mirror article denying there would be any tour July 11, 1981 Record Mirror article talking about the upcoming tour Backstage pass for North American tour Backstage pass for UK tour Ticket stub for September 15, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 16, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 16, 1981 show

Ticket stub for September 16, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 16, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 16, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 16, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 17, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 17, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 17, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 17, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show

Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show

Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show

Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show

Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show

Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show

Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show

Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 20, 1981 show

Ticket stub for September 23, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 23, 1981 show
Los Angeles Times review of September 23, 1981 show (published September 25)
Los Angeles Times review of September 23, 1981 show (published September 25)
Ticket stubs for September 16, 1981 show Ticket stub for September 17, 1981 show Ticket stubs for September 20, 1981 show
First image kindly provided by Barb Wernert
Ticket stub for September 23, 1981 show Los Angeles Times review of September 23, 1981 show (published September 25)
Herald Examiner review of September 23, 1981 show (published September 26)
Herald Examiner review of September 23, 1981 show (published September 26)
Ticket stub for September 24, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 24, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 24, 1981 show
Ticket stub for September 24, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 2, 1981 show

Ticket stub for October 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 2, 1981 show

Ticket stub for October 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 2, 1981 show

Ticket stub for October 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 4, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 4, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 6, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 6, 1981 show

Ticket stub for October 6, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 6, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 6, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 6, 1981 show

Herald Examiner review of September 23, 1981 show (published September 26) Ticket stub for September 24, 1981 show Ticket stubs for October 2, 1981 show Ticket stub for October 4, 1981 show Ticket stub for October 6, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 7, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 7, 1981 show

Ticket stub for October 7, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 7, 1981 show
Ticket stubs for October 8, 1981 show
Ticket stubs for October 8, 1981 show

Ticket stub for October 8, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 8, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 8, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 8, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 8, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 8, 1981 show
Newspaper ad for October 8, 1981 show
Newspaper ad for October 8, 1981 show
New York Times review for October 8, 1981 show
New York Times review for October 8, 1981 show
The Record review for October 8, 1981 show
The Record review for October 8, 1981 show
Ticket stubs for October 7, 1981 show Ticket stubs for October 8, 1981 show Newspaper ad for October 8, 1981 show New York Times review for October 8, 1981 show The Record review for October 8, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 10, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 10, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 11, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 11, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 14, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 14, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 14, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 14, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 15, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 15, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 19, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 19, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 10, 1981 show Ticket stub for October 11, 1981 show Ticket stubs for October 14, 1981 show Ticket stubs for October 15, 1981 show
Image kindly provided by Malcolm M. Henderson
Ticket stub for October 19, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 20, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 20, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 21, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 21, 1981 show
Ad for October 23, 1981 show
Ad for October 23, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 23, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 23, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 24, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 24, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 20, 1981 show Ticket stub for October 21, 1981 show Ad for October 23, 1981 show Ticket stub for October 23, 1981 show Ticket stub for October 24, 1981 show
T-shirt for October 24, 1981 show
T-shirt for October 24, 1981 show
T-shirt for October 24, 1981 show
T-shirt for October 24, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 26, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 26, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 28, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 28, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 29, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 29, 1981 show

Ticket stub for October 29, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 29, 1981 show

Ticket stub for October 29, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 29, 1981 show
Promotional item for October 29, 1981 show
Promotional item for October 29, 1981 show
T-shirt for October 24, 1981 show Ticket stub for October 26, 1981 show Ticket stub for October 28, 1981 show Ticket stubs for October 29, 1981 show Promotional item for October 29, 1981 show
Editor's Note: I'm really not sure what this is!
Ticket stub for October 31, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 31, 1981 show

Ticket stub for October 31, 1981 show
Ticket stub for October 31, 1981 show
Newspaper review for November 2, 1981 show
Newspaper review for November 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 4, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 4, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 4, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 4, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 5, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 5, 1981 show

Ticket stub for November 5, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 5, 1981 show

Ticket stub for November 5, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 5, 1981 show

Ticket stub for November 5, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 5, 1981 show

Ticket stub for November 5, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 5, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 6, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 6, 1981 show
Ticket stubs for October 31, 1981 show Newspaper review for November 2, 1981 show Ticket stubs for November 4, 1981 show Ticket stubs for November 5, 1981 show Ticket stub for November 6, 1981 show
Poster for November 6, 1981 show
Poster for November 6, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 7, 1981 show
Ticket stub for November 7, 1981 show
Poster for November 7, 1981 show
Poster for November 7, 1981 show
Ad for London shows
Ad for London shows
Ticket stub for December 1, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 1, 1981 show
Poster for November 6, 1981 show Ticket stub for November 7, 1981 show Poster for November 7, 1981 show Ad for London shows Ticket stub for December 1, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show

Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show

Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show

Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 2, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 4, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 4, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 4, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 4, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 5, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 5, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 9, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 9, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 9, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 9, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 10, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 10, 1981 show
Ticket stubs for December 2, 1981 show Ticket stub for December 4, 1981 show Ticket stub for December 5, 1981 show Ticket stubs for December 9, 1981 show Ticket stub for December 10, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 12, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 12, 1981 show

Ticket stub for December 12, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 12, 1981 show

Ticket stub for December 12, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 12, 1981 show

Ticket stub for December 12, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 12, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 12, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 12, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 12, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 12, 1981 show
Ticket stub front for December 13, 1981 show
Ticket stub front for December 13, 1981 show

Ticket stub front for December 13, 1981 show
Ticket stub front for December 13, 1981 show

Ticket stub back for December 13, 1981 show
Ticket stub back for December 13, 1981 show
Ticket stub back for December 14, 1981 show
Ticket stub back for December 14, 1981 show

Ticket stub back for December 14, 1981 show
Ticket stub back for December 14, 1981 show

Ticket stub back for December 14, 1981 show
Ticket stub back for December 14, 1981 show

Ticket stub back for December 14, 1981 show
Ticket stub back for December 14, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 15, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 15, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 16, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 16, 1981 show

Ticket stub for December 16, 1981 show
Ticket stub for December 16, 1981 show
Ticket stubs for December 12, 1981 show Ticket stub for December 13, 1981 show Ticket stubs for December 14, 1981 show Ticket stubs for December 15, 1981 show Ticket stubs for December 16, 1981 show
Tour schedule for European tour
Tour schedule for European tour

Ticket stub for February 7, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 7, 1982 show

Poster for the February 11, 1982 show
Poster for the February 11, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 13, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 13, 1982 show

Ticket stub for February 13, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 13, 1982 show

Ticket stub for February 13, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 13, 1982 show

Ticket stub for February 13, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 13, 1982 show

Ticket stub for February 13, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 13, 1982 show

Ticket stub for February 13, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 13, 1982 show
Poster for the for February 13, 1982 show
Poster for the for February 13, 1982 show
Poster for the for February 13, 1982 show
Poster for the for February 13, 1982 show
Tour schedule for European tour Ticket stub for February 7, 1982 show Poster for the February 11, 1982 show Ticket stubs for February 13, 1982 show Poster for the February 13, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 14, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 14, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 15, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 15, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 16, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 16, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 20, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 20, 1982 show

Ticket stub for February 20, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 20, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 21, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 21, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 14, 1982 show Ticket stub (?) for February 15, 1982 show Ticket stub (?) for February 16, 1982 show Ticket stub for February 20, 1982 show Ticket stub for February 21, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 23, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 23, 1982 show
Unknown newspaper review for February 21 and 22, 1982 show
Unknown newspaper review for February 21 and 22, 1982 show

Unknown newspaper review for February 21 and 22, 1982 show
Unknown newspaper review for February 21 and 22, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 26, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 26, 1982 show
Magazine ad for the German leg of the tour
Poster for the German leg of the tour
Poster for the German leg of the tour
Poster for the German leg of the tour
Ticket stub for February 23, 1982 show Unknown newspaper reviews for February 21 and 22, 1982 shows Ticket stub for February 26, 1982 show Magazine ad for the German leg of the tour Poster for the German leg of the tour
Poster for the German leg of the tour
Poster for the German leg of the tour
Poster for the French leg of the tour
Poster for the French leg of the tour
Promo booklet for After the Fire (mentioning ELO) for the European tour
Promo booklet for After the Fire (mentioning ELO) for the European tour
Ticket stub for February 25, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 25, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 25, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 25, 1982 show
Poster for the February 26, 1982 show
Poster for the February 26, 1982 show
Poster for the German leg of the tour Poster for the French leg of the tour Promo booklet for After the Fire (mentioning ELO) for the European tour Ticket stubS for February 25, 1982 show Poster for the February 26, 1982 show
Poster for the February 27, 1982 show
Poster for the February 27, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 27, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 27, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 28, 1982 show
Ticket stub for February 28, 1982 show
Ticket stub for March 4, 1982 show
Ticket stub for March 4, 1982 show
Ticket stub for March 5, 1982 show
Ticket stub for March 5, 1982 show

Ticket stub for March 5, 1982 show
Ticket stub for March 5, 1982 show
Ticket stub for March 5, 1982 show
Ticket stub for March 5, 1982 show
Poster for the February 27, 1982 show Ticket stub for February 27, 1982 show Ticket stub for February 28, 1982 show Ticket stub for March 4, 1982 show Ticket stubs for March 5, 1982 show
Backstage pass for European tour
Backstage pass for European tour
Backstage pass for European tour
Backstage pass for European tour
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front
North American Time tour t-shirt front
North American Time tour t-shirt front

North American Time tour t-shirt back
North American Time tour t-shirt back
North American Time tour t-shirt front
North American Time tour t-shirt front

North American Time tour t-shirt back
North American Time tour t-shirt back
North American Time tour t-shirt front and back
North American Time tour t-shirt front and back
North American Time tour t-shirt front
North American Time tour t-shirt front

North American Time tour t-shirt back
North American Time tour t-shirt back
UK Time tour t-shirt front
UK Time tour t-shirt front
UK Time tour t-shirt front
UK Time tour t-shirt front
UK Time tour t-shirt front
UK Time tour t-shirt front
Backstage pass for European tour Time tour t-shirt front North American Time tour t-shirt front and back North American Time tour t-shirt front and back UK Time tour t-shirt front
UK Time tour t-shirt front
UK Time tour t-shirt front
European Time tour t-shirt front
European Time tour t-shirt front
UK Time tour sweatshirt front
UK Time tour sweatshirt front
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front

Time tour t-shirt back
Time tour t-shirt back
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front

Time tour t-shirt back
Time tour t-shirt back
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front

Time tour t-shirt back
Time tour t-shirt back
European Time tour t-shirt front European Time tour sweatshirt front Time tour t-shirt front and back Time tour t-shirt front and back Time tour t-shirt front and back
Time tour t-shirt front for October 10 show
Time tour t-shirt front for October 10 show

Time tour t-shirt back for October 10 show
Time tour t-shirt back for October 10 show
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front

Time tour t-shirt back
Time tour t-shirt back
Time tour t-shirt back
Time tour t-shirt back
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front

Time tour t-shirt back
Time tour t-shirt
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front

Time tour t-shirt back
Time tour t-shirt
Time tour t-shirt front and back for October 10th show in Buffalo, New York Time tour t-shirt front and back Time tour t-shirt front Time tour t-shirt front Time tour t-shirt front and back
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front for October 10 show
Time tour t-shirt front for October 10 show

Time tour t-shirt back for October 10 show
Time tour t-shirt back for October 10 show
Time tour t-shirt front for German leg of tour
Time tour t-shirt front for German leg of tour

Time tour t-shirt back for German leg of tour
Time tour t-shirt back for German leg of tour
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front

Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front

Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front

Time tour t-shirt back
Time tour t-shirt back

Time tour t-shirt front Time tour t-shirt front and back for October 10th show in Buffalo, New York Time tour t-shirt for German leg of tour front and back Time tour t-shirt for tour front and back Time tour t-shirt
Time tour t-shirt front
Time tour t-shirt front

Time tour t-shirt back
Time tour t-shirt back

Time tour t-shirt (probably bootleg)
Time tour t-shirt (probably bootleg)

Time tour t-shirt for September 9, 1981 show
Time tour t-shirt for September 9, 1981 show

Time tour scarf sold at UK show
Time tour scarf sold at UK show

Time tour scarf sold at UK show
Time tour scarf sold at UK show

Time tour scarf sold at UK show
Time tour scarf sold at UK show

Time tour scarf sold at UK show
Time tour scarf sold at UK show

Time tour scarf sold at UK show
Time tour scarf sold at UK show

Time tour scarf sold at UK show
Time tour scarf sold at UK show

Time tour scarf sold at UK show
Time tour scarf sold at UK show
Ad for October 6 & 8, 1981 shows
Ad for October 6 & 8, 1981 shows

Time tour t-shirt Time tour t-shirt
probably bootleg
Time tour t-shirt for September 19, 1981 Time tour scarves sold at UK shows Ad for October 6 & 8, 1981 shows
Guest pass for Sepember 23, 1981 show
Guest pass for Sepember 23, 1981 show

Guest pass for Sepember 23, 1981 show
Guest pass for Sepember 23, 1981 show

Guest pass for Sepember 23, 1981 show
Tour program front cover Tour program page 1 & 2 Tour program page 3 & 4 Tour program page 5 & 6
Tour program page 7 & 8 Tour program page 9 & 10 Tour program page 11 & 12
Tour program page 13 & 14 Tour program page 15 & 16 Tour program page 17 & 18 Tour program back cover
UK and European tour program
No other photos from this tour are currently available. If you have any to share, please contact me at the email address at the bottom of this page.

Fan Comments

Enter comments only about this tour. (Inappropriate comments will be removed.)


There were actually two shows in Dortmund. Living nearby I remember trying to get tickets for 20th February, but is was sold out already. Later on an extra show on 21 February was announced and I was lucky to get my tickets finally. Without any doubt Bev Bevan played the drums that unforgettable evening. By the way you can find the tickets of both Dortmund shows inside the photo section.

I was in Saarbrücken, Germany on March 4th.

Coolest band ever

I can't remember the actual date of the tour, but it was Wembley, London. I felt the elo sound suffered without real strings. Keyboards didn't quite cut it. Other than that a great show.

i was at the october 31st, 1981 show in st paul, mn @ st paul civic center. kelly really got the crowd interacting. trouble with audio in the beginning but quickly fixed.

I was at the December 13 show in Birmingham: Jeff was audibly choked that so many had made it despite the weather.

Most noticeable, though, was during the medley - which was superb - Jeff missed his cue for the vocals, so we a few extra bars whilst he recovered his composure and the rest of the band teased him without anyone missing a beat.

Kelly was great for getting the audience up on its feet.

A great gig.


Just a note on opening bands…

The September 16, 1981 show in Houston, The Paul Stanley band opened for the show.

It was an awesome show! ELO did a tribute to John Lennon in that show, with several Lennon / Beatles tunes. They did a great job, and the crowd (Myself included) loved it! Fred opened the ELO show.

I also saw them in September ’78 in Houston with the saucer. I’ve been to MANY concerts since then, but I can’t think of any other show I enjoyed more than that ’78 “Out of the Blue” show.

Love your site!

It brings back some awesome memories. x2018-04-27 13:31:18


I saw them at the Boston show on 10/3/81 and they did play "Ticket to the Moon". It was the same as the album version except that they ended the song with a repeat of the bridge i.e. "Fly, Fly through a troubled sky, up to a new world shining bright wo ho woh"

I was at the concert in Denver at McNichols Arena, 3rd row. Don't see much mentioned about it. Would love to see a ticket stub or something else related to the concert.

Hi, can I make a correction please? It's regarding the Time Tour dates in December at the NEC. It states that Roy Wood was in the audience at the show on 12th December. He was actually in the audience the following night - Sunday 13th - and was sat across the aisle from me. Jeff Lynne name checked him when he did his 'Hello's'. Maybe he went both nights but he was certainly there on 13th.

FWIW, I had a ticket for the October 1st, 1981 show in Largo, MD and that show never happened. It was canceled, and the venue said because of poor ticket sales.

The October 15th, 1981 stop in Greensboro was my first concert ever. I STRONGLY disagree with the person who states Hall and Oates sounded better. They weren't booed off the stage-but they were obviously intoxicated or supremely tired at that point and were slurring their vocals and laughing intermittently a little too often and lots of people vocally let it be known they were off. There performance of "Sara Smile" was amazing- but the rest of their act- not so much. Keep in mind- I am a huge fan of theirs as well. Really. I love them as well. But ELO is one of my all time favorite bands and they absolutely knocked it out of the park. Their performance was fantastic and they proved why they are timeless and never bettered. I was there and my heart simply exploded and a lifelong love was confirmed. Not bad for a first concert.

I was at the October 24 show in Mobile Alabama, I was a high school freshman and won an ELO package from the local radio station. I got two t-shirts, and a set of tickets. I will never forget how utterly blown away I was by the sound and light show. This concert will stick with me forever. I even loved Hall and Oats which was not my style of music but their performance was that of a head liner and not an opener. I think if I would have bought those tickets then they would have been around $10 each. Compare that price to todays concert tickets and it does not even match inflation.

I was at the Birmingham nec on Dec 13th and remember the coach trip down in the snow from yorkshire.but was in awe of elo.It was a night to remember.
Steve R. Batley

We attended the Cincinnati concert on this tour, held at Riverfront Colosseum on Nov. 6, 1981. The opening band was Hall & Oates, and they were terrific. Their set was great, with good songs and energetic performances. The crowd loved them. When they finished, they were given a loud ovation. But then it was obvious that the crowd had come primarily to hear ELO. The first part of the concert was devoted to promoting their new "Time" album, with a mixture of other ELO songs mixed in as well. A second smaller segment honored John Lennon. The band played a medley of Lennon's hits, including "Across the Universe." After that, the third segment of the show featured a long medley of ELO hits, enthusiastically received by the crowd. For the encore, instead of their long-time standard "Roll Over, Beethoven," the band played "Don't Bring Me Down," featuring a warmly-received segment of audience participation during the middle-chorus section. I think we all felt that we had received our money's worth for this show, despite the (at the time) very high ticket price of $12.50 each. LOL. It seems laughable now, but that was a lot of money in 1981.

I was at the Greensboro NC show in 81 , H&0 did not get booed off the stage, In fact there sound was better than ELO .

I was at the December the 13th show 1981.Yes the weather was very bad,deep snow and very cold.Myself and 3 pals drove from Ludlow in Shropshire to the N.E.C.We did not know if we would make it but we got there.There was very little audience there that night but the show went ahead.I was a massive elo fan then,Im even more of a fan now.I remember enjoying the concert.Richard Tandy made a huge bum not on the introduction to confusion and Jeffe Lynne gave him a look of surprise.I never thought I would still be listening to their music over 30 years later and the sound of the band is even to this day not dated and of a great quality.

I have seen the concert in Dortmund in 82 and I doubt, that there were two nights. I will concede that there were probably not extra shows for Dortmund and Köln and will remove the extra Shows

I can confirm that there was a 2nd Show in Dortmund, 21.02. ... I was on the first Show and my parents didn't allow me to go to the same Show next day again. I was very sad about this. The tickets for the 2nd Show had a green Color on the left (instead of red for the first Show).
Greetings form Germany
Stefan


for the show, i still have some memories. ellen foley opened it. i'd never heard of her or her songs. i know she later went on to star in the tv show "night court" for a season or two. the only song i remember her singing is her cover of john lennon's "working class hero"(and that was because i'm a big john fan). i thought she was a bit strange, she would walk over, stop and just stand on stage, like she was posing.

but anyway, i've read your webpage on the "time" tour and for the life of me i absolutely cannot remember seeing fred the robot. i've seen the photos you have, but even seeing those does not bring back any memories of it. the first memory i have is hearing "prologue" playing, and in the near darkness of the stage, seeing jeff lynne kneeling down on the stage on one knee in front of bev bevan's drums. it looked like he was adjusting something. i also remember the big digital screen above the stage that would spell out "E-L-O" in red light. the stage lit up when the started "twilight"(my most favorite track from "time"). mik kaminski was in his usual place on stage, but he was behind a keyboard, not playing violin. of course, i recognized all of the other guys from the classic line up, all in their usual place and playing away. but at the time, i had no idea who the two new guys were. i seem to recall an elevated stage behind the main stage, and one guy(dave morgan) was up there playing keyboard and acoustic guitar(he even took over lead vocal for a verse on one song. jeff called out his name and pointed to him but i couldn't make out what his name was). they next launched into "yours truly, 2095" and for that, mik kaminski brought out the famous blue violin to play the string parts.

at one point i remember mik on the stage behind his keyboard with his hands behind his back, not playing anything. just moving along with the song they were playing. :-D i loved the john lennon tribute they did. he was always my favorite Beatle, and his death less than a year earlier was devastating(i heard jeff lynne on "rockline" refer to it as a "disaster"). it started out with just richard tandy playing a medley of john songs, i remember one was "nowhere man". i don't remember "across the universe" but i do remember them playing "a day in the life". it damn near brought the house down.

when i was at the show, i was wondering if they were going to play "from the end of the world", another favorite track from "time". as you know, at the end of the song, jeff lynne sings out in a high-pitched voice, "from the end of the wooooooooooooooooorrrld...." i wanted to see if he would be able to sing it that way live. of course, they did play it, but when it came to that part, jeff just yelled out, "from the end of the world!!" :-D :-D also recall on the recording there's like a "tapping" type percussion sound on it. that was bev tapping on his drums with his drumstick, he did that at the concert. i wish i could remember the mik violin solo but i can't. when my sister saw them in 1976, she said there were lasers bouncing off of him while he played the solo(she referred to him as "the violin player"). if they did the laser thing again, i don't remember it.

i was surprised they did a medley, and i was somewhat disappointed that it included "strange magic". i was hoping they would play the song in its entirety. as i recall, they only sang the chorus before moving on to the next song. at the show, there were a couple of guys seated in front of me, and after the show i heard one of them also express surprise at the medley. i remember the other guy said, "well, it's either that or play three hours like bruce springsteen." hey, that would've been fine with me!

at the end of the regular set, the crowd was cheering for an encore. the digital screen above the stage started spelling out "E-L-O" one letter at a time, and the audience started chanting along with it, but i recall that the audience couldn't get their chants quite in time with the letters that were appearing on the screen. :-D :-D i don't recall if they had one or two encores but they did come out and totally rock "roll over beethoven". i remember seeing dave morgan playing his acoustic for that and thinking that i couldn't even hear his guitar. his part was pretty much inaudible with that rest of the band playing.
-Manny


There are few slight mistakes above. I have seen the concert in Dortmund in 82 and I doubt, that there were two nights. Same with Cologne, as that would mean they had given four concerts in the same area.

Also the Dortmund concert was without Bev Bevan. The drummer from After the Fire stepped in there. And finally - the boot from Cologne 82 is actually Dortmund. You can hear Kelly saying after the Lennon Medley "Hello Dortmund - how are you?"

Apart from that - this is a great site - good fun, brings back memories.
-HB

Editor's Note: I will concede that there were probably not extra shows for Dortmund and Köln and will remove the extra shows. However, I've listened closely to the Dortmund/Köln bootleg you cite and Kelly clearly (to me at least) says "Hello Cologne!" and not Dortmund. Records are fairly clear about when Bev first fell ill too so until I get evidence otherwise, I'll leave things are they are.


N.E.C Sat Dec 12 1981, after a fantastic nights music, this was, and still, the best concert my wife & i have seen, waiting in the car park to leave after the show I found out that my car heater had packed up and the temerature was MINUS 15 and had to travel home to Selly Oak with the car window open to stop the windscreen freezing from our breath. But still worth it.
-Anonymous

The new version of Point of No Return is much more pgnioant and emotionally powerful than the original there's a new cry in his voice that wasn't evident in the first version. Jeff's life experience and wisdom are in high evidence and it's such a delight to compare how we've grown and how Jeff has grown, and we're meeting again in the middle of his sound.I'd love to see him do this project all over again in another 30 years. It would be a keen thing to measure if the third time is actually the ultimate charm.

Editor's Note: Point of No Return? That's an original song. Did you mean Twilight?


Wow, I'm really grateful to find this site, providing such detailed information about the ELO Time Tour -- my favorite concert and my favorite band! I saw the Cincinnati, Ohio, performance on November 6, 1981. In August of that year I was hearing "Hold On Tight" on the radio and, though I had been a strong ELO enthusiast for many years, for some reason it didn't register that it was theirs, until one day driving to work it hit me! I said out loud, "That's Jeff Lynne -- that's ELO", and I promptly bought the Time LP.

My wife and I drove down from Dayton to see the concert. A guy sitting a couple of rows behind us, apparently stoned on something, kept mumbling to his buddy "I wanna see the spaceship!" Sadly, Riverfront Coliseum wasn't full. We moved down to better seats just as "Prologue" was starting. I got chills -- this was the real thing! I don't particularly remember Fred the Robot, but I did note in my journal for that day how great the concert was -- "very high energy and highly electronic!" I loved every minute, and my wife had a good time too.

I was absorbed by the whole experience; it was great to hear all or parts of so many of ELO's fabulous songs, and Jeff was superb doing the John Lennon tribute (and everything else). The sound was awesome, and the show was displayed on the large screens above the middle of the auditorium. Surely it must have been recorded on video tape -- I've always wished it could have been made commercially available, along with a live album. (I have a copy of the Koln bootleg, but it's not very good.) I did buy the ELO Time Tour 81 baseball shirt (enhanced Time cover picture on the front, "Time Tour 81" on the back, black 3/4 sleeves) and wished I had had the funds to buy the program.

Time is still my favorite ELO album and just about my favorite album of all time (no pun intended). Hold On Tight remains my favorite ELO song, and I loved that it was used as a theme in the Honda Accord ads a few years ago. (My wife has had two Accords.)

After 32 years, the ELO Time Tour concert remains one of my most treasured memories . . .
-Bart


I can also attest to "FRED" falling off the stage at 10/29/81 show at the Checkerdome in St.Louis. Me and a friend partied in the parking lot before the show while Hall & Oates performed {they were not cool}!! I remember there being a rumor that one of ELO's equipment trucks broke down on the way to the show.

Supposedly this was why the expected big laser light show was somewhat lacking.

But they were great and I will always remember it as one of the best shows I have ever seen.
-Jim Ortega


i am a big fan of ELO SINCE 1978 UNTIL NOW 2013 BRST BAND EVER
-MARIO MARINO FAN FROM SWITZERLAND

I was at the 11-5-81 show at the old Chicago Stadium and Hall & Oates were actually much better at the time. I also don't remember the robot breaking down. However, I do remember feeling really ripped off because ELO went into a medly of their songs and ended up playing only bits and pieces of several of their hits. I was on the main floor level with a group of friends that included an old girlfriend. ...good times.
-Anonymous

This was my first concert in 1981. I was 9 and this was the first album I had ever purchased with my own money. I bugged my mom when I heard E.L.O. were coming on the radio. Saw them in Kansas City, Missouri. When people hear my story they always laugh when I mention Hall and Oates opening up. For a first concert I wouldn't have it any other way. This album is a mostly unknown classic.... It has a one of a kind sound. It inspired me to write a bunch of songs, play many instruments, be in bands etc. How can you beat the intro.......if your were a kid Fred was from another universe.
-Ron P

I was in the audience at the rescheduled December show in Birmingham, UK. Tickets from the previous night were valid (as was mine). Seats were on an unreserved basis. My original ticket was down the back somewhere. However, my cousin and I were on the very front row! Snow all around outside as I remember and the atmosphere was tremendous!
-Anonymous

I saw ELO in 1981 at the Arena in Milwaukee, WI. The opening act was Hall & Oates. My friends and I screamed out the songs all night. The next morning I had a prescheduled throat appointment. The doctor took one look and said, we're going to have to reschedule. An epic night!
-Anonymous

I attended the Oct. 23rd, 1981 show in Baton Rouge, LA. I remember being blown away by the sound (the venue, Centroplex, had great acoustics) and it remains one of my all-time fave concerts. The crowd simply exploded at the conclusion of the tribute to John Lennon. I guess I wasn't the only Beatles fan in attendance that night. Hall and Oates opened and they were quite good, I recall G.E. Smith really revved up the crowd with his antics. But then ELO hit the stage and we all remembered why we were there... Like another reviewer, I too have my shirt from the show. I took good care of it because it was so pretty - I wanted to still be wearing it thirty-one years later. It was the jersey with maroon sleeves. I recall there were several sleeve colors offered including blue. I wish there was a good recording available of this tour because... IT'S ABOUT TIME! ("about 'Time'", geddit?). I attended the show with a school friend (Hey, Brian Firmin!!).
-Mark Garner

I attended the Boston, Mass concert at the old Boston Garden. Still have the concert T-shirt - Front has image from the Time album cover, back says Time Tour 1981. I remember during one of the songs Fred the Robert fell over on stage and someone, I think it was Jeff Lynne, righted him. The stage, though simplistic, was somewhat futuristic in its coloring/lighting. Great show. Like Lynne sings in Ticket to the Moon, I wish I could journey back to the 1980's. I guess I'm not a 21st Century Man.

Oops, sorry about my typo in the previous entry - I meant Fred the Robot, not Fred the Robert. Sounds Scottish - Fred the Robert - reminds me of Robert the Bruce from "Braveheart." Anyway, did Fred play a violin? Or is my memory failing after all these years.
-Anonymous


I saw the Feb 13 1982 show in Frankfurt and ATF did indeed open the show. Like Mike , I thought the show was very short and unlike just about everybody here, my friends and I were greatly disappointed in the medley portion of the show. I do remember the countdown clock and Fred worked properly for both the prologue and the goodbye. We were also disappointed that the cello's were no longer part of the show either. As everyone can guess, my friends and I (and much of the crowd)were overall disappointed. Sorry.
-Anonymous

last tour for kelly groucutt on bass before getting the shaft from lynne financially !!!
-Anonymous

attended dec 12 and 13 81 front row 2nd night remember roy wood attending 1st night stood out with shocking pink hair. snow was heavy that week remember 2nd night jeff lynne saying it was minus 25 outside. great concerts surely there must be an official film recording somewhere.bev bevan will surely know.i think it was bev who said look around there might be a famous footballer by you.
-bri, wales

i was at the birmingham n.e.c show on the 12 dec 81 , still a big fan now,remember counting in my head how many songs they played,remember jeff saying to the crowd if they looked around they might see some of the wolves football team as a few were at the gig.
-Anonymous

Hey there ELO fans

I attended the concert in Bremen - though being from Denmark and driving down to Bremen with my friend Ib and his girlfriend - in his farthers car.

Long trip and not the most experienced drivers at that time (21 years at that time).

We arrived VERY early - not wanting to be late!!

Heard the warm-up from the outside of the stadium. We were the only people on the parking lot and we had a "special" moment.

The concert was spectacular - only time, I ever went to a concert with ELO.

Still have somewhere - I think - the T-shirt I bought there.

Lifetime fan though - still am!!

The drummer indeed was from After the Dark I remember.

Thanks - and keep up the good page.
-DjejPee.


Thank you for this page ! I attended the show here in Bloomington, Indiana at Assembly Hall (which hosted many good shows back in the day!) But I can Remember the chilly night , Hall and Oats done a great job opening. But when the lights went down for E.L.O. and the robot (Fred) rolled out with lights shooting out and the soundtrack playing.....the crowd went wild and lighters started flicking everywhere! excellent concert!
-Anonymous

Was at October 2, 1981 Philly show at the Spectrum. Ellen Foley opened. Ticket to the Moon was played.
-Anonymous

[About Fred falling off the stage,] I am here to confirm this happening because I was there. It happen at the St. Louis, MO show on Oct. 29, 1981. It was the first and only time I saw ELO perform. Fred came out during the intro to the show with the robot voice. He turned and moved up to the edge of the stage and fell top forward into the space between the audience and the stage where security is. The security guys lifted Fred back up onto the stage with roadies running to collect him. I remember them escorting him (pushing and pulling) off the stage to the left. His front looked smashed and we did not see him again. I was surprised to read from you that he did come out and interact in the show in other venues. This has been one of my favorite "Concert" stories to tell over the years.
-Jeffrey Hoffman

I was at the September 19, 1981 concert at the Alladin Hotel in Las Vegas. I was a huge ELO fan at the time and it was the first concert I have ever attended. I will never forget when the Time Prologue began to play followed by the band taking the stage. I was absolutely blown away by the whole event. Great memories!
-Anonymous

To Roy - I was at the Edinburgh show too! You must have been literally freezing cold when you went round the back of the ground as it was about minus 14! The locks on our car were frozen after the concert and we were worried we wouldn't be able to get in!!
-Anonymous

I was at Atlanta show on Oct 21. Loved every moment of ELO. Hall and Oates was not the backup band, wish they had been. We got to hear the Ronnie Van Sant band which was a hard rock southern band which worlds apart different from ELO. Crowd was totally unimpressed and was chanting for ELO.
-Anonymous

I was at the 16th Dec.1981 show at Ingleston show ground in Edinburgh - don't remember Voyager - just the prologue start with the synthesised robot -- maybe this was because the bouncers tried to confiscate our booze ! but my mate and I refused to give it up and went round the back of the ground and drank our bottle of whisky there and then !!! great show though .
-Roy

The November 5,1981 concert in Chicago was at the Stadium, I know this for a fact as I was in attendance. Hall and Oates did not receive the greatest reception but they were appreciated. I have pictures I took and they include Fred going around the stage.
-Robert

Very nice work! I can confirm that After the Fire opened at the Gothenburg concert. As far as I recall Bev played on the show.
-Joachim

I attended the feb 10, 1982 show in Rotterdam, and I can confirm that After the Fire was the opening act here. Actually this particular performance made me a fan of ATF... Another thing I recall is that the overall show of ELO was really short for a rock concert, only around 1 hour 15 minutes.
- Max Houkes

I wish my memory was better and I could relive this concert in my mind! My sister and I drove from Pensacola to see them perform in Mobile. The crowd seemed equally enthusiastic for Hall and Oates as for ELO. A lot of kids I went to high school with were more interested in going to see Journey the following week, but I had loved ELO so much for years, and wouldn't have missed it for the world.
-Julie Davis

I was at the 10/24/1981 show in Mobile, Alabama. Hall and Oates were the opening act, and were quite good. I realize that they were touring to promote "Time", but at that time, that particular album was not that memorable to me, and I remember thinking I wish they had played more of their older stuff, and some songs from Xanadu, but enjoyed the concert none-the-less. My favorite ELO song is "Midnight Blue", and I'm sure it would never have been played.
-Anonymous

I was at the 11/7/1981 show in Bloomington, Indiana. The show was at Indiana University's Assembly Hall. Hall & Oates were the openers. I was probably one of the few people there to see both bands. There was definitely a contingent to see one or the other. Hall & Oates were great, but I loved ELO. I just remember what an odd pairing that was at the time. And, like you mentioned, many people did believe Hall & Oates were the headliners at that time and left the show when their set was over. I remember thinking that those that left were fools. I have seen hundreds of concerts over the years and that one always ranks up there as one of the coolest because of the lineup and the timing of it.
-Joe Hale

I was at the Stockholm show of the Time tour, on February 6, 1982. The venue was an ice hockey arena called Johanneshovs Isstation and I went there with my older brother. It was my first big concert, I was twelve years old and pretty psyched up about even being there. I can't remember if After The Fire actually played support band but I do remember the big clock before ELO didn't count down properly so my brother and I were busy trying to figure out when the concert would actually start. Fred the robot apparently had a good night though and did the intro and the outro. I'm also pretty sure they played "Here Is The News" and not "The Way Life's Meant To Be" which is what it says in the setlist table. "News" was my favourite track of the Time album and I thought it was really cool to hear it live. It was only the second show after the UK tour so I guess maybe they hadn't changed the setlist yet. (Then again, it was 28 years ago so I might not remember correctly.) Funnily enough, just like Brian Galley, I remember thinking Jeff Lynne looked really skinny. He always looked bigger on the album covers. Maybe it's his big hair. Kelly Groucutt (RIP) really seemed to enjoy himself on stage and did most of the interaction with the audience. Bev Bevan came out from behind his drumkit and greeted the audience before the medley, so apparentely he hadn't come down with kidney stones yet. All in all it was a great concert and it's a shame there isn't a proper recording from the tour.
-Mattias Ekstam

Here's what I remember about the one and only ELO concert I attended:

It was (of course) the "Time" tour. I believe it was Halloween night, 1981. I saw them at the St. Paul Civic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. The opening act for ELO was Hall and Oates. It seemed quite extraordinary at the time, because they had already had recent and big chart success and on the radio. So to see them as an opener was unusual. And really, they'd had a lot more recent hits at the time. Regardless, I was not there to see Hall and Oates, and simply had to sit through that show until my purpose for being there . . . -to see ELO- was realized.

I also remember the ticket prices were extraordinarily cheap for what we were seeing . . . even in 1981. It cost $10.75 to see this show containing two major acts! I was a college student at the time, and had all my old concert ticket stubs thumb tacked to the bulletin board in my dorm room for all to see.

After Hall & Oates finished, the stage hands were cleaning up and arranging the stage for ELO. Things started winding down a little bit, then suddenly a digital display dropped down from the light racks above, lit up "5:00", and began counting down. As the time got down to about 0:30, the house lights started to go down. When it hit 0:00, above the roar of the crowd you heard the Prologue music, then Fred started zipping around on stage reciting the lyrics. Then finally there were some light flashes and ELO started playing. I don't remember seeing Fred for the rest of the show.

A couple of other memories about this show: I recall them getting into some kind of instrumental at one point, that was not anything I was aware of them having recorded at the time. It was a little jazzy/bluesy, and I found it interesting because it was a musical type I hadn't heard ELO play before on any of their records.

And finally, at his time it was less than a year after the murder of John Lennon. Jeff acknowledged Lennon's influence on his music, and then they played "Imagine".

It was a cool show!
-Robert Drumm


I saw Fred when ELO performed at the Chicago stadium. My friends and I had mildly enjoyed Hall and Oates, and we were psyched for the bigger event. After Hall and Oates left the stage there was a break. The break seemed to be really long. Finally the lights dimmed again and some sound started to rush through the air. "Fred" made his approach to the center of the stage, then stopped. It was quite obvious that poor Fred had broken down. The lights dimmed again and there was a flurry of activity on the stage. The lights were restored and Fred took this opportunity to fail yet again. My memory, after near thirty years, is somewhat faulty, but I believe that there were three false starts. Eventually Fred was ignored and the band just went ahead and did the show.

Regardless of that technical failure, my friends and I all agreed that he was really cool and his failure had not detracted from the show. I watched most of that show from the first balcony and then went down to stand directly in front of the stage. I still mark that night as one of the highlights of my enjoyment of ELO.
-C J Elonich in Illinois


I was at the Elo show in St. Paul Mn. on Oct. 31st 1981. Hall and Oates was the first band and the venue was the St. Paul Civic center. Great show but I remember being somewhat dissapointed with the "medley" portion of the show. Kelly was wearing a one piece gold jump suit.
-Mike (?)

I attended the show in Buffalo, New York at the old War Memorial Auditorium (torn down just last summer). I was 15 and it was my first "big" concert. We came down from Canada on a party bus. I remember lots of liquor bottles rolling around the bus and the customs officials barely making their way a third of the way down the aisle to ask if we were all Canadian citizens. I don't remember an opening act but I do remember the clock counting down and Fred the robot front and center for the beginning of Twilight. We had tickets at the side of the stage and I was amazed at how skinny Jeff was in person and how he smoked liked a fiend when off at the side of the stage. The hits melody and Don't bring me down were the highlights for me. Jeff acknowledged the Canadian fans and apologized for not making it up across the border for this tour - but promised next time for sure.
-Brian Galley

I attended the September 17, 1981 "Time" concert in Ft. Worth, Texas. The venue was the "Tarrant County Convention Center" near downtown Ft. Worth. It was a sweltering weekday evening. I don't believe there was an opening act. In the darkened arena, Fred the Robot did "Prologue" with a vocoder voice. The band members came on stage while it was dark, then the lights burst on at the first drumbeat of "Twilight". The stage was synthesizer heavy, with, I think, at least 4 operating positions. Jeff Lynne commented something about this being a new tour. Jeff Lynne did "Ticket to the Moon" solo on a piano with just the spotlight on him. I do remember there was a John Lennon/Beatles tribute performed during which the BIC lighters came out across the audience.
-Bob in NY

Just to let you know, the venue for the [Scotland concert] was the Royal Highland Showground. This is now the Royal Highland Centre. I remember that there was warning on the back of the ticket about unauthorised filming of the event and there were rumours in the queue about a video being released of the shows. There was also no camping allowed in the grounds. It was -15c with a good covering of snow. Young and silly, but not stupid enough to camp out in the snow. Ended up wandering the streets of Edinburgh until our train back to Aberdeen. Thanks for the posting. It has brought back a lot of good memories.
-Steven Smith

Song Comments

Prologue (Time Tour)
"The live set of the [Time] gigs [included] 'Countdown' which was a counting by the fans when the digital clock above the stage run down to zero and the letters E.-L.-O. were blinking. Pre-recorded tapes were only used for the Prologue and the 5th Symphony of Roll Over Beethoven."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 - Unexpected Messages)

"Fred was controlled by radio from the side of the stage, and had lights inside the dome of his brain which glowed when he 'spoke.' Jeff borrowed my vocoder to record Fred's opening speech over the music introducing the show, a taped adaptation of Prologue at the start of the TIME album. When it was done, we all stood at the back of the giant studio to watch the first run... The music swelled up from the blackout, while lasers began darting to and fro, like the uncertain chaos of creation. Frolicking coloured lights appeared, slowly dancing and rising with the music into brightness, and then in the cone of a spotlight Fred made his grand entrance from stage right. Like a Dalek Emperor he rolled with slow majesty to stage centre, turned and faced forward, and then 'spoke' the electronic message that Jeff had gifted to him, his 'brain' glowing as he did: Just on the border of your waking mind, there lies another time, where darkness and light are one... Then, his word to humankind completed, Fred slowly retraced his steps off the stage as the lighting reverted back to total blackout, while the music reached up to a final crescendo. (That would be the cue for us all to get on stage and strike up with the first song, Twilight.) The whole thing was such a moving and powerful spectacle to me I don't know if it was the shock of realising just how excellent this show was, or an unction of thankfulness that I could be part of such excellence, or just the sheer power of the display, but there in the darkness I had tears in my eyes. I was grateful the lights were turned off. Jeff navigated his way over to me by the light of his cigarette end and said ' What do you think Dave?' I just choked back: 'Yeah that's good Jeff.' He must have thought I didn't like it very much. I couldn't speak. It was great."
David Scott-Morgan (December 2011 - Patterns In The Chaos)

"After the criticism levelled at them for using backing tapes on the Out Of The Blue tour, these were dispensed with apart from in the Prologue at the start of the show and the intro for Roll Over Beethoven. [...] The show began every evening with a large digital clock reading down to the start, and when the clock reached 0:00, the digital readout changed to ELO , the robot rolled out onto the darkened stage and a tape of the Prologue played, while the group walked onto the stage in darkness. As on the album, this segued into Twilight, while the lights came up to reveal the group performing."
John Van der Kiste (August 2015 - Jeff Lynne: Electric Light Orchestra - Before and After)

Twilight (Time Tour)
"The band opened with a couple of songs from its latest album, Time..."
Lennox Samuels (November 1981 - Milwaukee Sentinel)

"If Jeff was nervous, it didn't show. There was just the customary fake panic before going on, when he whispered to me: 'What comes after "the visions dancing in my mind"?? (the first line to the first song of the show [Twilight]). It was totally normal for Jeff to forget words. It never seemed to faze him, he would just make some more up as he went along."
David Scott-Morgan (December 2011 - Patterns In The Chaos)

"As on the album, [Prologue] segued into Twilight, while the lights came up to reveal the group performing. Fred generally remained on stage throughout the show. [...] Before they went on stage each night, there was what Dave Morgan referred to as the customary fake panic. Though Jeff never seemed nervous, it was quite normal for him to forget the words here and there. Once or twice he went up to Dave and asked him, perhaps jokingly, what came after The visions dancing in my mind , that being the first line to Twilight, the opening number. But forgetting the words never really fazed him; he would just make up some more to fit as he went along."
John Van der Kiste (August 2015 - Jeff Lynne: Electric Light Orchestra - Before and After)

"ELO took the stage of the Wells Fargo Center at approximately 9:20 p.m. The last time they did that in South Philly was Oct. 2, 1981, at the Spectrum. That particular night, according to setlist.fm, a Wikipedia-style website that tracks set lists of concerts, the band opened with Twilight. But Friday night the band opened with Standin in the Rain, before breaking into one of the band s biggest hits? ?Evil Woman."
Tom Beck (August 28, 2018 - South Philly Review review of August 24, 2018 show)

Ticket To The Moon (Time Tour)
This song was only performed at some of the early USA concerts on the tour before it was altogether dropped. Those that have reported this song on the tour state that it features Jeff alone under a single spotlight, but there are coflicting reports on whether he played guitar or piano on the song.

Yours Truly, 2095 (Time Tour)
"The band opened with a couple of songs from its latest album, Time..."
Lennox Samuels (November 1981 - Milwaukee Sentinel)

Evil Woman (Time Tour)
"The band opened with a couple of songs from its latest album, Time, and then really got the crowd going with Evil Woman. Bevan's drumming and Kaminski's haunting violin were prime movers on that song, as well as several others."
Lennox Samuels (November 1981 - Milwaukee Sentinel)

Livin' Thing (Time Tour)

Telephone Line (Time Tour)
"The sound system was nearly perfect as the band delivered such favorites as Telephone Line and From The End Of The World..."
Lennox Samuels (November 1981 - Milwaukee Sentinel)

From The End Of The World (Time Tour)
"The sound system was nearly perfect as the band delivered such favorites as Telephone Line and From The End Of The World..."
Lennox Samuels (November 1981 - Milwaukee Sentinel)

Here Is The News (Time Tour)
"[The live Time tour set included] Here Is The News or when it was the new single [in Europe] they played The Way Life's Meant To Be instead."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 - Unexpected Messages)

The Way Life's Meant To Be (Time Tour)
"[The live Time tour set included] Here Is The News or when it was the new single [in Europe] they played The Way Life's Meant To Be instead."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 - Unexpected Messages)

Mik's Violin Solo/12-Bar Blues (Time Tour)
"In Wednesday's show (September 23) there was... a treacherous violin solo by Mik Kaminski that managed to yowl across both country fiddle and classical styles."
Ken Tucker (September 26, 1981 - concert review in the Herald Examiner)

"Mik's Solo - In The Hall Of The Mountain King (as part of the solo, not played on every gig) melted into the solo theme he played at that time: Hoochie Coochie Man."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 - Unexpected Messages)
Editor's Note:It has been confirmed that the song played is not Hoochie Coochie Man, but rather a standard 12 bar blues song.

Tribute To John Lennon (Time Tour)
This song is known only to have been played live. No known studio recording exists. It was played during the Time tour in honor of John Lennon, who has been assasinated the year previous.

"The show's emotional peak came with ELO's tribute to John Lennon, which was as sincere in spirit as Richard Tandy's florid keyboard overture was heavyhanded in execution. Lennon and the Beatles are a dominant force in ELO's sound, and when the band went into A Day In The Life, the listeners probably realized that this would be as close as they'd get to hearing the Beatles play it live."
Larry Davis (September 25, 1981 - concert review in the Los Angeles Times)

"In Wednesday's show (September 23) there was a maudlin tribute to John Lennon (Lynne's Beatle-maniac version of A Day In The Life nearly got him a standing ovation)..."
Ken Tucker (September 26, 1981 - concert review in the Herald Examiner)

"In a dynamic performance such as the one rendered by ELO last night, it is difficult to pick a high point. The group's tribute to John Lennon, however, was just such a high point. A hush fell over the crowd when Lynne announced the tribute to 'our friend, John Lennon,' and lit matches began appearing all over the arena before the first chords of Lennon's song, Imagine, were struck on the piano."
Barbara Jaeger (October 9, 1981 - concert review in The Record)

"The one genuinely emotional moment was a tribute to John Lennon in which the band reproduced several of Lennon's song, notably Across The Universe, with impressive authenticity."
Stephen Holden (October 11, 1981 - concert review in The New Yor Times)

"The band performed a well-executed tribute to the late John Lennon, which was only fair considering the debt Lynne owes the Beatles. Any decent treatment of Lennon songs is welcome. We certainly won't hear the Fab Four perform A Day In The Life again."
Lennox Samuels (November 1981 - Milwaukee Sentinel)

"On Across The Universe and A Day In The Life Jeff changed to [play an] acoustic guitar. Imagine and Nowhere Man were performed by Richard on his keyboards."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 - Unexpected Messages)

"It was totally normal for Jeff to forget words. It never seemed to faze him, he would just make some more up as he went along. Once I went to the trouble of writing out the words to John Lennon's Across the universe and pasting them to his foldback speaker so that he could sing the right lyrics for a change. It didn't make a blind bit of difference. That night as I listened with special attention, I heard yet another meandering prose vaguely based upon the original."
David Scott-Morgan (December 2011 - Patterns In The Chaos)

"[The band performed] a Lennon tribute which included their versions of Across The Universe and A Day In The Life. [...] Dave [Morgan] helpfully decided that one night he would write out the lyrics for Across The Universe and paste them onto Jeff s fold-back speaker so he could get them right for once. Grateful as he was, it made no difference. Group and audience were treated as usual to more meandering prose based loosely on the original."
John Van der Kiste (August 2015 - Jeff Lynne: Electric Light Orchestra - Before and After)

ELO Hits Medley #1 (Time Tour)
This song was performed as one long medley of ELO hits during the USA leg of the Time tour. All songs were performed only in part and tended to blend together. Songs include:

The UK and European performances were similar, but replaced Strange Magic with Wild West Hero and addedDo Ya between Confusion and Rockaria!.

"But the evening built to the inevitable: a long, impeccably organized medley of ELO's greatest hits, from Can't Get It Out Of My Head on through their current smash, Hold On Tight."
Ken Tucker (September 26, 1981 - concert review in the Herald Examiner)
Editor's Note: The reviewer obviously got events mixed up as the medley did not start with Can't Get It Out Of My Head and although Hold On Tight was performed that night, it was certainly not part of the hits medley.

"[The band] simply launch into a medley of almost a dozen hits, including Showdown, Strange Magic and Can't Get It Out Of My Head."
Lennox Samuels (November 1981 - Milwaukee Sentinel)

"[The Time tour USA] set list differs to UK - Strange Magic played instead of Wild West Hero, and Do Ya performed complete, whilst Don't Bring Me Down performed minus audience participation."
Rob Caiger (1992 - Face The Music fanzine #13)

"In the USA they played Strange Magic instead of Wild West Hero [and] Do Ya as another encore in its full version. On Do Ya, by the way Jeff played the heaviest guitar riff he ever played on it."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 - Unexpected Messages)

"With an ever-growing back catalogue of hits, Jeff and the group found that compromises had to be made if they were going to include as many as possible without an excessively long show. 1981 was, in Britain at least, the year of Stars On 45, Hooked On Classics (courtesy of Louis Clark and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra), and a plethora of other medleys in the singles charts. To their credit, ELO never stooped to cashing in on the trend by recording a medley of their hits as a single, but they did feature one on stage..."
John Van der Kiste (August 2015 - Jeff Lynne: Electric Light Orchestra - Before and After)

ELO Hits Medley #2 (Time Tour)
This song was performed as one long medley of ELO hits during the UK and European leg of the Time tour. All songs were performed only in part and tended to blend together. Songs include:

The USA performances were similar, but Strange Magic was replaced with Wild West Hero and Do Ya was not included in the medley as it was played in full later in the show..

"[The Time tour USA] set list differs to UK - Strange Magic played instead of Wild West Hero, and Do Ya performed complete, whilst Don't Bring Me Down performed minus audience participation."
Rob Caiger (1992 - Face The Music fanzine #13)

"In the USA they played Strange Magic instead of Wild West Hero [and] Do Ya as another encore in its full version. On Do Ya, by the way Jeff played the heaviest guitar riff he ever played on it."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 - Unexpected Messages)

Hold On Tight (Time Tour)

Don't Bring Me Down (Time Tour)
On the UK and European performances of Don't Bring Me Down during the Time tour, the band with the exception of Bev's drumming, paused at the end of the fifth verse for an audience participation section. This was not done during the USA performances of during the tour and the song was played straight through.

"[The Time tour USA] set list differs to UK - Strange Magic played instead of Wild West Hero, and Do Ya performed complete, whilst Don't Bring Me Down performed minus audience participation."
Rob Caiger (1992 - Face The Music fanzine #13)

Do Ya (Time Tour)
"[The Time tour USA] set list differs to UK - Strange Magic played instead of Wild West Hero, and Do Ya performed complete, whilst Don't Bring Me Down performed minus audience participation."
Rob Caiger (1992 - Face The Music fanzine #13)

"In the USA they played... Do Ya as another encore in its full version. On Do Ya, by the way Jeff played the heaviest guitar riff he ever played on it."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 - Unexpected Messages)

Roll Over Beethoven (Time Tour)
"Pre-recorded tapes were only used for the Prologue and the 5th Symphony of Roll Over Beethoven."
Patrik Guttenbacher, Marc Haines, & Alexander von Petersdorff (1996 - Unexpected Messages)

"On Roll Over Beethoven [in concert] we used to do verse and verse about; someone does a verse and gets a rest on the next one."
Kelly Groucutt (March 3, 2006 - Guitar & Bass magazine)

"'Be on your guard tonight,' Bev said, 'the roadies usually have something up their sleeve for the last gig of a tour.' It had become a tradition apparently, and 7 November 1981, was the last concert of the American tour, at Bloomington, Indiana. Ever mindful of Bevs' warning, as I played that night I kept a watchful vigil on what the road crew were up to, especially during the bits when the lights were low. But nothing happened. - I thought maybe the idea of a dastardly prank has lost its shock value for them, or perhaps they planned to wreak some other kind of havoc, by spiking our drinks later, or something....? But as we were playing the last song, Roll Over Beethoven, I saw the unmistakable shape of roadies scurrying about, carrying something, and I knew the hour of reckoning was drawing nigh. Sure enough I turned to see Brian Jones advancing up the steps of my rostrum clutching a paper plate, which had on it a white gooey mass. I danced around the plinth with him for few seconds while he grinned at me, but I had nowhere to go. I couldn't even lift a finger to protect myself when he finally let me have it in the face. It was a sort of cross between custard souffl and shaving cream and it obscured my view of everything for a moment, until I could blow if off my eyes. Looking around I could see Bev was equally afflicted and Lou Clark and Mik Kaminski were about to get theirs. Then I looked down at the rest below. Kelly was at the front of the stage, oblivious to what was happening behind him. He stood with one foot on a foldback speaker, legs set wide apart, the neck of his bass guitar pointed into the air triumphantly. Half of ELO had by now turned into Christmas decorations and looked like frostbitten Eskimos, but Kelly couldn't see. The crowd at his feet beamed, and as Brian Jones approached him from behind across the big stage, their beams became beamier and they gagged and screamed in ecstatic delight. All eyes in the University of Indiana were focussed on one person. And he was loving it, his guitar neck rose higher, the crowd roared louder... Brian Jones stood right behind him barely a foot away, holding his paper plate like a waiter in a period play. He was a star in his own right for a full ten seconds. Finally he tapped Kelly on the shoulder and, as he turned his head, let him have it, full frontal. It was the quickest fall from grace I ever saw"
David Scott-Morgan (December 2011 - Patterns In The Chaos)

"After the criticism levelled at them for using backing tapes on the Out Of The Blue tour, these were dispensed with apart from in the Prologue at the start of the show and the intro for Roll Over Beethoven. [...] During the Roll Over Beethoven finale, it [the robot] would move its arms as if it was conducting an orchestra. [...] Further rehearsals were then held in Dave Morgan s home studio in Birmingham [in early 1982], and at the Nomis complex, North London, prior to the European leg of the tour starting in February 1982. While they were there, Louis took delivery of a new string synthesiser. He set it up and discovered a rich string ensemble sound, which produced a perfect rendition of the first few bars of Beethoven s Fifth Symphony. When Jeff heard it, he immediately rushed over to Louis, suggesting that he ought to play it on stage for Roll Over Beethoven instead of the old tape they had been using. Louis demurred on the grounds that he could play it OK at rehearsals, but after a drink and at a show he might mess it up. Jeff then suggested that he ought to record it and play it back on the sequencer. Louis accordingly spent the next three hours programming it and listening intently on his headphones while the others continued to rehearse. The final playback was pronounced perfect. Everything went as planned on tour for several shows. Then one night they reached the encore stage and Jeff announced that they would finish with Roll Over Beethoven. The audience roared their approval, the lights went down, and the place was silent. It was pitch black, and everyone was evidently holding their breath. Seconds later Jeff s whisper on stage could clearly be heard by the rest of the group; Lou, hurry up, will yer? as tiny beams of pencil torches flashed around in feverish activity on Louis s rostrum. Another even more frantic whisper ensued before at last the music struck up. When questioned after the show as to what had gone wrong, Louis explained that it had been too dark to find the start button, until one of the roadies came and shone his flashlight on the panel of the keyboard. A small lamp for Louis went on the shopping list."
John Van der Kiste (August 2015 - Jeff Lynne: Electric Light Orchestra - Before and After)


This page is intended to be a complete record of information on the Electric Light Orchestra Time tour. If you notice any errors or omissions (which there are many), please contact me at jefflynnesongs@gmail.com and let me know. I strive for accuracy.

Robert Porter
March 2024