Richard Tandy, who played keyboard on all of the Electric Light Orchestra’s records since 1972, including the Top 10 hits “Evil Woman,” “Telephone Line” and “Don’t Bring Me Down,” died Wednesday. He was 76.
His longtime bandmate, friend and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jeff Lynne announced the news but didn’t provide any details. “It is with great sadness that I share the news of the death of my long-time colleague and dear friend Richard Tandy,” he said. “He was a remarkable musician and friend and I will cherish the lifelong memories we had together. I send all my love to Sheila and the Tandy family.”
Tandy played with the entire band since 1973 APPLICATION 2, which featured a rollicking version of Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven”, which would become ELO’s first single on the US charts. This started a series of 26 US hits and seven top 10 hits: “Can’t Get It Out of My Head”, “Evil Woman”, “Telephone Line”, “Shine a Little Love”, “Don’t Bring.” “My Down,” “Xanadu,” and “Hold on Tight.” It also achieved four consecutive top 10 studio albums in the 1975s Face the music until 1979 Discovery.
The group also played a prominent role in The cagethe 1980 rock musical that was Olivia Newton-John’s follow-up Fat. The film, which also starred The Tubes, was a box office and critical hit, but its soundtrack – featuring five ELO songs, including the title track with Newton-John – peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, yielding five Top 20 singles and was certified double platinum.
Electric Light Orchestra in the 1970s, clockwise from top left: Melvyn Gayle, Bev Bevan, Jeff Lynne, Mik Kaminski, Colin Walker, Richard Tandy and Kelly Groucutt,
Along the way, ELO blended classic elements with Beatlesque pop-rock to release five platinum and seven gold albums with rock radio classics like “Livin’ Thing,” “Strange Magic,” “Turn to Stone” and “Sweet Talkin’ Woman.” “ and “Mr. Blue Sky.” Despite their huge pop success, the band found it difficult to win over critics. But as time passed and modern rock matured, ELO gained more respect in the press.
With 27 Top 40 singles, 15 Top 10 hits and four No. 1 albums, the group even had the greatest chart success in their home country of England. It was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
Tandy was born in Birmingham on March 26, 1948 and initially worked with Lynne as part-time bassist in The Move. He left the band to join The Uglys, but soon reunited with Lynne, Move drummer Bev Bevan and others in a side project called Electric Light Orchestra. He became one of ELO’s few mainstays in its early years, mainstream success, and later iterations, including Jeff Lynne’s current ELO.
He played “Evil Woman” and “Mr. Blue Sky” with this band and Ed Sheeran at the 57th Grammy Awards in 2015 and appeared on VH1’s ELO episode storyteller 2001.
In 1985 he founded the Richard Tandy Band with some ELO touring musicians and released the album Earthrise.