In 1972, UK psych band The Move embarked on a side project. Jeff Lynne, Roy Wood and Bev Bevan planned an LP by a fake band called The Electric Light Orchestra. The name is a pun based on (obviously) electric light and (not so obviously) light orchestra.
The Electric Light Orchestra - No Answer (United Artists 1972)
The album was recorded during the same sessions as The Move's final album - Message From the Country.
Members of The Move dressed in appropriate garb on the back cover. Since United Artists was a film company, the year of publication is in roman numerals. MCMLXXII.
We get a lyric sheet.
And a gatefold sleeve.
Now the story gets a little more interesting. Officially, this was supposed to be a Move album in disguise. The Move were under contract with Capitol where Message From the Country was released. This release went to United Artists who couldn't use The Move name. On the label, the artists is listed as 'Move Enterprises LTD Presents the Services of The Electric Light Orchestra.'
As a further humorous aside, the album supposedly had no title. A secretary at United Artists was tasked with contacting the UK record company to see what the album was supposed to be called. She called and got no answer. That was written down on a form somewhere. As a result, the album was called 'No Answer' in the USA.
After the release of this album, the move cut two more great singles. California Man (later covered with much success by Cheap Trick) and Do-Ya (later covered by the Roy Wood-less ELO to much success). Roy Wood left The Move before ELO could record a second album. Subsequent releases by the remaining members of the band carried the Electric Light Orchestra moniker.
The rest is, as they say, history. Roy Wood went on to release several awesome records with his band Wizzard and a few great solo albums. ELO went on to worldwide success by taking the edges off and getting more mainstream. Very much like the Peter Gabriel and Genesis saga.
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