Now the presence of this one in my collection even surprises me, and others I know have expressed surprise too !

Donald Fagen, for those unsure, was the singer with Steely Dan, another band I’ve come to appreciate more with age. 1982’s “The Nightfly” was Donald’s first solo album following Steely Dan’s split the previous year. It took 8 months to record between studios spreading from New York to Los Angeles and, I’ve recently discovered, is a very early example of a fully digitally recorded album.

Which might explain something that drew me into this record…it sounds bloody fantastic! Now I’m sure there are many analogue purists out there sniffing and huffing at that statement, but it’s true. It sounds so clean and spacious and I marvel at the overall sound every time I play it (it was a favourite demo record in Hi-Fi shops unsurprisingly). Production isn’t usually something that overly influences whether I like something or not (one of my favourite singles is “Green Fuz” by Randy Alvey & The Green Fuz who’s production value’s fall somewhere less than 0, go have a listen) it’s all about the songs and the performance for me, but there is something sparkling and shiny about the sound of “The Nightfly” that my ears find pleasing.

It’s not just the production tho’, the songs within ain’t half bad either…yes there’s a hint of supper club inoffensiveness about the whole thing but that shouldn’t detract from the quality and the work that went into making these songs shine. Opening song “I.G.Y” (it stands for International Geophysical Year, an international science project which ran from 1957 to 1958) is somewhat cod reggae in style but the reference to the science project sets a starting time frame for the themes of the songs. The album is supposedly autobiographical in subject matter, dealing with Fagen’s childhood although he has downplayed this angle in later years. All the backtracking you can manage doesn’t erase the note on the albums lyric sheet:

“Note: The songs on this album represent certain fantasies that might have been entertained by a young man growing up in the remote suburbs of a northeastern city during the late fifties and early sixties, i.e., one of my general height, weight and build.”

It’s undeniable however that the influences at play here are centred around the 50’s and 60’s. There’s echoes of Jazz, Doo-Wop (“Maxine”), Bossa Nova (“The Goodbye Look”) and R & B (“Ruby Baby” based around a Drifters tune). The lyrics speak of late night radio DJ’s (“The Nightfly” obviously) and hanging out with girls in your family fall out shelter (“New Frontier” which sees the return of the cod reggae feel).

The lyrics are noticeably less sardonic than those of Steely Dan but as Walter Becker (the other half of the Dan) was mainly responsible for those withering couplets that shouldn’t be a surprise. The whole album is precisely played, by some of the best session musicians around at the time, precisely recorded and represents a style that I would usually turn my nose up at…but I love it.

New Frontier - https://youtu.be/X_xRlpqzl-I

There are two reasons I own this record. The first is the sleeve image (taken from an appearance on the short lived UK TV show "2G's And The Pop People" in July 1972) which features my Uncle Bill wielding his French Horn while wearing a vest bearing the legend “Old Hill Plaza”. I believe that Old Hill Plaza was a venue frequented by both my Uncle Bill and his elder brother, my Dad at different times. It was a dance hall a few miles from Dudley run by a formidable lady known as Ma Regan. It had a revolving stage which was at various times graced by not only my Dad and Uncle but also by The Beatles and the Rolling Stones. 

The second reason is that the record is pink. It’s a pretty run of the mill compilation which for some reason in the Netherlands (and nowhere else !) it was decided to issue it on pink vinyl. That allied to the sleeve image means I had to own it.

A bunch of singles (“10538 Overture”, “Showdown” and “Roll Over Beethoven”) and a few random album tracks make it up. The accompanying video was shot on that short lived TV show the cover picture comes from and Uncle Bill and his vest get a close up right at the start.

10538 Overture - https://youtu.be/uROMwJ-4RYo

The Move were one of Birmingham’s (we’re in Birmingham UK now BTW) great bands and one of the more interesting bands of the mid to late 60’s. After a string of top 20 hits (including “Night Of Fear”, “I Can Hear The Grass Grow”, “Flowers In The Rain”, “Fire Brigade” and “Blackberry Way” all hitting the top 5) co-lead singer Carl Wayne left the band in 1970 just before the release of their 2nd album “Shazam”. Jeff Lynne had been asked to join the band in 1969 but declined. On Wayne’s departure he finally agreed to join The Move as 2nd guitar and pianist, the foundation for the Electric Light Orchestra had been laid. One more (non-permanent and less heralded) addition to The Move around this time was multi-instrumentalist Bill Hunt, my Dad’s younger brother and hence, my Uncle Bill. 

Roy Wood had a notion to record a rock band with classical arrangements and instrumentation. Part of Lynne’s reasoning for joining The Move was that they should concentrate on this rock/classical hybrid idea. At a recording session in July 1970 Wood added multi-tracked cello’s to a Jeff Lynne song that was intended to be a Move b-side. The first ELO song was born, “10538 Overture”, we’ll return to that presently.

This album (also known as “No Answer” in the USA after a record company secretary had tried to ring the UK company to get the title of the album but they were unavailable. So she left a note reading "No answer".) was recorded simultaneously with the tracks that became The Move’s final album, “Message From the Country”. Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne and Bev Bevan are the only musicians on all tracks with Uncle Bill adding French Horn parts and Steve Woolam playing violin. The album was released in the UK in December 1971.

ELO played their first gig at the Croydon Greyhound on July 16th 1972 but by 12th August, when they played the Reading Festival, Roy Wood had left the band during the recording of a second album, taking Uncle Bill and cellist Hugh McDowell with him to form Wizzard.

“10538 Overture” was the lead single and track 1 side 1 of this album. Now if you think you don’t know it then just imagine in your mind the guitar riff from Paul Weller’s “The Changingman” and there you have it, Weller lifted the riff note for note and no amount of protestation that he didn’t know “10538…” will convince me otherwise. The song sets the new sound, it’s exactly what they envisioned, a rock band with classical instrumentation and arrangements. The song itself features that killer riff and lyrics that seemingly mirror something akin to “The Prisoner” TV series. For those of an enquiring mind 10538 was the serial number of the tape machine the song was recorded on.

From there on Wood and Lynne share the writing credits equally, 4 each, with Wood certainly sticking to the classical part of the deal and Lynne supplying somewhat more of the rock/classical crossover. Track 2, Wood’s “Look At Me Now” features virtually no rock instrumentation being based around strings and woodwind with a possible acoustic guitar (it may not be) right at the end. Track 3, Lynne’s “Nellie Takes Her Bow”, could have appeared on almost any subsequent ELO album and not seemed out of place, although the instrumental interlude does seem to be there just to force the classical input into a song that doesn’t need it.

Roy’s 3 remaining songs are the quite bizarre “The Battle Of Marston Moor (July 2nd, 1644)” and “First Movement (Jumping Biz)” (both instrumentals although Marston Moor includes a speech “in the style” of Oliver Cromwell to start) and the closing ballad “Whisper In The Night” which points firmly toward his 1973 solo album “Boulders”.

Jeff Lynne’s “Manhattan Rumble (49th Street Massacre)” is another bizarre instrumental. “Mr Radio” and “Queen Of The Hours” could also have appeared on almost any subsequent ELO album and not seemed out of place.

It’s a very strange album, equally split between what we would come to know as ELO and some (at times contrived ?) experimentation with orchestral sounds. The highlight is most certainly “10538 Overture” (eh Paul ;-) ?). Roy Wood (and Uncle Bill) went on to chart topping success with Wizzard and Jeff Lynne, well, he's done OK since this almost progressive album.

10538 Overture - https://youtu.be/tfpkG73ckm4