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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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Mike Edwards and Zen Buddhism

Cellist Mike Edwards, known later as Swami Deva Pramada or simply Pramada, had gotten into Zen Buddhism. He would often be seen reading spiritual books, and everyone became too unnerved to be his roommate because they would often wake up to Mike staring right at them while doing yoga.

As Mike was changing as a person, he also took more time to himself—though not necessarily being reclusive—and he embraced Zen Buddhist spiritual practices.

This all led Mike to have a personal revelation, as according to Bev: “There’s more to life than playing the cello, being ‘blown up’ on stage, getting laughed at and touring with a rock band.” At first he thought about leading a simpler life as a postman, which he confirmed himself in an interview with Martin Kinch.

Mike/Pramada would eventually go on to be a cello and viol teacher and dabbled in dance and stage plays and cross-genre work. He and two other musicians also formed a traveling Baroque trio for a time. He was very content in the new lifestyle he found and considered his years with ELO a different lifetime, but didn’t regret being a part of it.

According to the same Martin Kinch interview, there were some deeper reasons why Mike chose to leave, such as the string section not being paid as well as the main band and becoming uninterested in the more bombastic direction ELO was going, but the main issue was Mike just trying to find himself again and wanting to seek more from existence. Zen Buddhism was his ultimate outlet for enjoying life the way he wanted to.

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #mike edwards

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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Yet another frightening plane anecdote. The plane hadn’t taken off for a half hour because of a powerful storm, which was already knocking over vehicles and whipping strewn luggage across the runaways at high speeds.

Kiss happened to be on the plane with ELO and decided to get off, resulting in ELO jeering at them for leaving—presumably because they’ve already been on a previous terrifying plane ride and survived. But once they were up in the air, they regretted making fun of Kiss.

The plane was struck by lightning, short circuiting the lights. Mik had gotten so scared he had grabbed Bev’s arm and dug his nails into him by accident, drawing blood. An air hostess was in tears. Bev asked if she was alright, to which she replied it was her first flight as an air hostess.

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #plane anecdote #plane incident

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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Why yes, you’re right! I forgot to snap a photo of the various Jeff excuses.

Indeed Jeff also wasn’t keen on flying at the time and kept playing up worry for his throat, and the pilot kept reassuring him nothing would happen.

Anecdote about a terrifying and dangerous plane ride ELO got stuck on. Pilot was not supposed to take off because of incoming weather, but because the ride was meant to be a half hour or so, he let the band on.

Mik Kaminski and Michael D’Albuquerque were already not very fond of flying. Mik was so terrified he hadn’t spoken for 20 minutes, and Michael had a newspaper covering his head. Jeff was clenching the seat so tight his fingernails were breaking. Bev had gotten air sick.

The pilot was unable to find an airport to land at for some time as he couldn’t see any lights in the stormy gloom. The airport they finally landed at was so far removed from civilization that the only vehicle around was a vegetable truck. The band bribed their way into the truck, but aside from Bev the rest of them were tucked in the back carriage, shaken around with the vegetables.

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #jeff lynne #mik kaminski #mike de albuquerque

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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Anecdote about a terrifying and dangerous plane ride ELO got stuck on. Pilot was not supposed to take off because of incoming weather, but because the ride was meant to be a half hour or so, he let the band on.

Mik Kaminski and Michael D’Albuquerque were already not very fond of flying. Mik was so terrified he hadn’t spoken for 20 minutes, and Michael had a newspaper covering his head. Jeff was clenching the seat so tight his fingernails were breaking. Bev had gotten air sick.

The pilot was unable to find an airport to land at for some time as he couldn’t see any lights in the stormy gloom. The airport they finally landed at was so far removed from civilization that the only vehicle around was a vegetable truck. The band bribed their way into the truck, but aside from Bev the rest of them were tucked in the back carriage, shaken around with the vegetables.

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #plane anecdote #plane incident

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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Mik, Melvyn, and Bev were the only non-smokers in the band at one point and traveled in the “non-smokers’ limo”

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #mik kaminski #melvyn gale #bev bevan

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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The band had so many Michaels they had to start using nicknames.

Michael “Mike” Edwards, Michael “Mike” D’Albuquerque, Michael “Mik” Kaminski, and Michael “Kelly” Groucutt.

Save some Michaels for the rest of us!

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #kelly groucutt #mike edwards #michael d’albuquerque #mik kaminski

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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Jeff and Hugh were always late to scheduled flights. Hugh was sometimes bad enough that they had to drag him out of bed and carry him to the car to make it to the airport on time.

Hugh was a qualified pilot. Even so, no one trusted him with a plane.

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #jeff lynne #hugh mcdowell

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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The band hated the drawn portraits of themselves for the inside sleeves of Out of the Blue, probably because most people hate pictures of themselves

Bev also couldn’t figure out how to put together the cardboard spaceship that one can cut out of the album cover

Planetary Sounds

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #out of the blue #model spaceship #bev bevan

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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Richard Tandy was the one who thought up most of the album titles

He came up with A New World Record after hearing Olympics commentators say, “It’s a new world record!” over and over.

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #richard tandy

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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Mik Kaminski couldn’t hear people very well, and quite honestly neither can I

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #mik kaminski

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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Another Sharon Arden/Osbourne anecdote.

Sharon threw a party in her room and got tipsy. Everyone had a popcorn and cheese dip battle, which trashed the suite nicely.

Sharon then filled a bathtub with a cocktail of drinks and cream cheese, and pushed bassist Kelly Groucutt into the tub head first.

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #sharon arden #kelly groucutt #hotel party incident

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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Anecdote from Bev’s section on bandmate Hugh McDowell, about how he arrived to his hotel room at an ungodly time of night without his key, and so he broke down the door to get in

Bev mentions how he never really wanted to be next door to Hugh or be his roommate, since he was such a wild card

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #hugh mcdowell

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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not to be dramatic or anything but I’d die for Pongo

#bev’s book #elo #electric light orchestra #pongo the dog

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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Photograph of the band filming the music video for “Can’t Get It out of My Head”—this was also one of Melvyn Gale’s first days on the job

Something you can’t see in the music video, Bev Bevan had his pant leg rolled up on his drum pedal leg

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #bev bevan #melvyn gale #photos

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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As Bev says, “The thought of him going to bed sober is out of the question.”

Out of everyone else in the band, Hugh was the epitome of the rock n roll lifestyle—despite being a cellist of all things

weird question but that book wouldnt happen to mention hughs signature drink would it? ive been trying to find a source for it for awhile now

I believe you’re looking for his “H-Bombs”! double pernod, double tequila, and orange juice!

#elo #electric light orchestra #hugh mcdowell #bev’s book #hugh mcdowell’s signature drink

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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Now calling this the “floating cork shoes incident”. There’s always some sort of “incident” with these guys. 😭

This little tidbit is about Sharon Arden, whom you may know better as Sharon Osbourne—married to Ozzy Osbourne. Her father was the manager for ELO and she often had a hand in their ideas, graphics, financials, management, etc.

When Sharon was tipsy, she would get a little… well, she liked throwing things into water. As a treat. And with Melvyn’s penchant for not shutting his yap, Sharon got the funny idea to toss her shoes into the indoor Peach Tree Hotel lake.

Here are some great pictures I didn’t have access to years back showing the lake and the bar overlooking it!

Hey! Do you have any more fun quotes from Bev’s book? What I saw was funny

heya! there is a plethora of fun quotes and anecdotes from Bev’s book, but I gotta see which box I packed it away in! long story short we were supposed to move a while back and didn’t get to, so a bunch of my books were packed in boxes. it shouldn’t be a hard find though. when I find it I can start posting quotes again if people enjoy it! I know not many people can get their hands on The Electric Light Orchestra Story

moveslikekeithrichards is another user on here who has some past posts featuring funny quotes from the book as well

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #melvyn gale #sharon arden #floating cork shoes incident #doodle

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the-diary-of-bev-bevan · 9 months

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Dubbed the “greasy chicken bus incident” by me.

I’ve seen one of your posts where you pasted snippets of Bev’s book on pictures of ELO members—and this specific post had an image Of Melvyn Gale with the snippet where Bev said “Melvyn threw up” and I have to know—what’s the story behind this?

oh yes that fun little story! I forget some specifics, I still can’t find my book but I’ll remember what I can!

essentially for lunch earlier that day the band ate some kind of greasy spicy chicken recipe at a restaurant abroad (either in Spain or another Spanish-speaking country), they ate a lot of it, and they also drank some large quantities of alcohol. then they had to get back on the bus for a few hour drive I think to a gig (they had somewhere they needed to be), but if I remember right the trip was generally a disaster. people acting up, bus breaking down for ages in the middle of nowhere, struggling through language barriers, everyone was in a fairly dreadful mood.

but Melvyn in particular apparently could not keep down the chicken and alcohol especially in the heat. so Melvyn threw up. and although they cleaned everything best they could, the bus stank for the remainder of the drive, and that pretty much marked the end of an awful day. everyone just sort of sat in exhausted silence after everything went wrong. super fun things to happen!

*and I forgot to mention that I believe the original snippets over the photos were done by moveslikekeithrichards! lots of good silly old ELO/Bev’s book content on their blog. the phrase “Melvyn threw up” became a funny summary of how Melvyn always looks uncomfortable in photos as well as the epitome of his ELO experience.

#elo #electric light orchestra #bev’s book #corrections #melvyn gale #hugh mcdowell #valerie bevan #greasy chicken bus incident

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