Martin Kinch: First of all Mel,
Many thanks for agreeing to do this interview for my website.
Melvyn Gale:No problem at all.
Martin: There isn't much about you on the internet and there
hasn't really been much news about you since you left ELO, is that
through choice
Melvyn: Not really, it's just that I have
done a lot of other things that weren't under the same scrutiny as
when I was in the band.
Martin: Before we talk about your time with ELO, can you give
us a bit of history about yourself, where you grew up and went to
school etc
Melvyn: Well I was born in London and I got
my classical music education at the Guildhall School of Music and
the Royal Academy Of Music where my peers included Dame Felicity Lott
and Sir Simon Rattle, conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. I graduated
with an LRAM in 1973.
Martin: When you left the Royal Academy of Music, did you go
straight into the music biz, or did you have any 'normal' jobs
Melvyn: No nothing "normal" I guess. My first
job was deputizing for another cellist at the London Palladium for
a couple of nights, which then became semi-permanent for a few months
until I got too busy to do it anymore. Playing along to Frankie Howard
in the annual pantomime was good fun but not what I really wanted
long-term! Earlier, while I was still at school, I used to play piano
for a Dance School at Blackheath on Saturday mornings, which was great
for improving my improvisation (and pulling the older girls).....
I also played with the London Symphony Orchestra,
the Bolshoi Ballet, Ballet Rambert, Sadlers Wells Opera, in shows
like Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story and on many sessions
including War of the Worlds and with The Carpenters.
Martin: People know of you as a Cello player, As a teenager,
were you into pop music or did you prefer classical
Melvyn: Classical was and is my bedrock favourite
music, but not to the exclusion of rock or anything else, I have very
eclectic tastes. If it's good, it's good, whatever. I used to buy
the Beatles piano music and play it in our lunch breaks at school
in the music room and others would sing or play and join in. But the
first record I bought was by the Stones.
Martin: Who were your favourite artists / composers
Melvyn: Composers....mainly the romantics
like Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky etc but I liked a challenge as well,
so add Shostakovich, Bartok and the like.
Artists....on cello Rostropovich (who had it all), Jacqueline Dupree
(for her intensity) and too many others to list.
Martin: So when and how did you start to learn playing the cello
Melvyn: When I was about 13 I was told that
the school orchestra needed another cellist and that I should get
on and learn! So I did and picked it up quickly.
Martin: Do you play any other instruments
Melvyn: I've played piano from age 5 and passed
grade 8 when I was about 14.
Martin: How did you get the job with ELO, was it advertised or
did they come looking for you
Melvyn: Hugh and I were friends from when
we were both about 18 and we sat together on the front desk of the
cello section in the London Youth Symphony Orchestra (see photo).
We also both went to the Guildhall School of Music for a year. I think
he stayed there and I moved on to the RAM when I left school.
Hugh called me one day in 1972 and asked if I would be interested
in being in a rock band with him, but I was already so busy I said
no, but that I knew Mike Edwards was looking for some more work, so
they contacted him. Same thing happened again when Hugh left and I
was asked again and I then suggested Colin Walker. On the third time
I was asked in 1975, I was told that the band was doing a few English
dates and a short Spanish tour and was then going round the States
for 6 weeks. I'd never been to the US, so this time I said yes!
Martin: Had you heard of the band before you were asked to join
Melvyn: I really knew very little about the
band or what to expect at all.
Martin: I take it you had to audition, Can you tell us a bit
about it, where it was, Who was there, what you played etc
Melvyn: Well I don't know you could call it
an audition. I just turned up at this scout hut in Birmingham where
all the bands equipment was set up, told where to sit and we started
playing some of Jeff's songs. No-one ever said "you'll do", I just
got on with it. There is a picture of this in Bev's ELO book.
Martin: Once you were given the job, can you remember what you
had to start work on, was it rehearsing for gigs or was it to record
"Face the music"
Melvyn: No, it was rehearsing for the upcoming
gigs. But before I went up to that hut, someone at Jet posted me some
ELO LPs with certain tracks marked on them as being ones I should
try to work out a part to play from. Hughie came down to my house
in Lee, SE London and gave me some clue as to what would work between
us.
I used one of my own cellos for this, but not for long. I had to go
and buy a cello (as I wasn't going to keep using my own antique one
for rock!) that I could then take to bits in my garage and reinvent
as an electric cello. That was real suck it and see stuff. Adding
kapok stuffing inside to deaden feedback, wooden strengtheners down
its length to stop it breaking up when rammed into the stage floor.
An electric bridge, volume control and jack plug socket. An extra
long spike made from stainless steel appropriated from (I think) a
drip stand from the local hospital.....(don't ask), and a can of silver
paint from Woolworths.
Martin: You must have been
really nervous turning up for that first rehearsal
Melvyn: Curious more like. Don't forget
I had been turning up to do classical concerts and sessions etc, usually
without knowing in advance what the programme was and usually with
little rehearsal time for quite a long time, so I was used to it.
But I wasn't really ready for the level of sound, it took some getting
used to how loud it was.
Martin: Did you find everyone
in the band easy to get on with when you first joined
Melvyn: I think so, I don't really
remember, I was more preoccupied with sorting out the notes! Overall,
the relationships during the five years I had with the band were pretty
good, although we all had off days. Not surprising when you live in
each others pockets for months at a time.
Martin: Did Jeff tell you
exactly what he wanted you to play or were you able to make suggestions
as to what you thought would sound good
Melvyn: Hugh and I had already worked
out most of the awkward parts from the records but I think there were
a few places where Jeff suggested something else and we changed things
so they worked better.
Melvyn with Hugh McDowell
Martin: Was it easy to change
from playing classical music to pop music
Melvyn: Most of what I actually played
was the orchestral side of the music, so no real difference there
for me. It was just when we played something like Mama-belle that
it became a new way of playing, more raw and raunchy. Of course the
exploding cello I inherited would never have happened anywhere else
and it was fortunately soon consigned to the bin!
Martin: One of my favourite
ELO songs is 10538 overture, there's quite a lot of cello in that
one, Did you enjoy playing it
Melvyn: Yes, I always liked that one
and the earlier album tracks in general, perhaps better than the later
songs. I thought Eldorado was a brilliant album and Face the Music
was pretty good too.
ELO - 10538 Overture / Do Ya
Martin: In the early years
of ELO there were problems with getting the strings to sound good
on stage, is that something that had been sorted out by the time you
had joined.
Melvyn: It was always going to be
difficult to get the string sound right. Our so-called electric cellos
were pretty basic compared to what is available now. I could only
hear what I was playing from the speakers behind me plus a basic mix
of sounds from the monitors at the front of the stage. What the audience
ended up hearing after it was all mixed together at the sound desk
I have no idea.
Martin: How long was it
from the time you started rehearsing to actually playing your first
gig, and do you remember the first gig you played with the band -
Where was it/ How did it go
Melvyn: Just a few days. I think (not
sure) that the first gig was at the Newcastle Polytechnic Valentines
Day concert and I remember thinking there were almost more people
on stage than in the audience! The first 5-6 gigs were rehearsals
really for the upcoming US tour, I'm not sure whether the audiences
really got full value for money.
Martin: I was surprised
to hear that you didn't join the band the first couple of times you
were asked as most young lads dream of being in a group, once you
started doing the gigs, Did you enjoy being a 'Pop Star'
Melvyn: That wasn't my dream at all
and I never thought of myself as a pop star! Truth is that after the
first short UK and Spanish tours I very nearly quit as I wasn't enjoying
it much either musically or in the coaches and vans travelling between
gigs. It was just the chance to go to the USA and also, that I had
agreed at the start to do all three tours, that stopped me leaving
and going back to classical music.
Martin: Did you start to
get recognised in the street
Melvyn: No! Hardly ever. I sat in
the audiences a few times during the warm-up acts and no-one sussed.
The only time I got recognized was leaving gigs to go back to the
hotel.
Martin: What did you family
and friends think about it all.
Melvyn: My parents had no real idea
what I was doing. They thought I was part of a backing orchestra for
the group. It was only at the charity Wembley show in 1978 that they
suddenly twigged. I arranged for a limo to collect them from Beckenham
and take them up and back and I introduced my mum to Tony Curtis (she
was a big fan of his), then it sank in. My friends thought it was
great and came to some of the UK gigs.
Martin: When the band were
recording the albums, were you in the studio with them all the time
or only to go in and record your own parts
Melvyn: Mostly just to record our
own parts. It would have been pretty boring sitting around the whole
time with nothing to do.
Martin: Evil Woman would
have been your first single - can you remember what the first TV show
was that you did
Melvyn: No. Possibly Top of the Pops?
I was in love with Cherry Gillespie from Pans People (she never knew
of course!).
Martin: Did you do much
live TV or was it mostly mimed
Melvyn: Mostly mimed to a backing
track with some live vocals over the existing ones.
Martin: There's a great
clip on Youtube of ELO doing 'Evil Woman' and Hugh is sitting right
under a load of smoke and the band are all laughing, it almost looks
deliberate, I'm surprised they didn't stop the recording - I think
the programme was called Supersonic, Do you remember it.
Melvyn: How could I forget it. I think
Mike Mansfield was the director and he always went overboard on effects
and this particular time the dry ice smoke just got out of hand......but
the show must go on, as they say.
ELO perform Evil Woman on ITVs Supersonic
Martin: You recorded three
albums with ELO - Face The Music - A New World Record, and Out Of
The Blue, which would you say is your favourite ELO album
Melvyn: Eldorado is my favourite,
but of those three, I don't think I can pick one above another.
Martin: Do you have any
particular favourite tracks from your time with the band (recording
and playing live)
Melvyn: Now?...not really, except
Wild West Hero, just because I got to play piano! It was a long time
ago and it is all just a pleasant haze of memories....none bad, but
some really great ones too.
Martin: ELO had become massive
by the time of 'Out of the blue. When you joined the band did you
ever think that they would become as big as they did
Melvyn: No, never! But the strange
thing is that as the venues and crowds got bigger, from the stage,
due to lights in your face, you mostly only saw the first 20-30 rows
of people, no matter what the size. It was only before gigs or after
when the lights went up that you saw this huge sea of faces. The size
of the album sales brought us more & more gold records and media attention
etc, but, except for Jeff & Bev, Don Arden made sure the rest of us
didn't see a proportionate increase in money, that's for sure!
Mik Kaminski - Hugh McDowell - Melvyn Gale - Jeff Lynne - Richard
Tandy - Kelly Groucutt - Bev Bevan
Martin: The Out of the blue
spaceship tour must have been very exciting, You must have loads of
memories but is there anything that sticks out in you mind about these
shows
Melvyn: One of the nights at Wembley
in 78, someone forgot to release the safety clamps on the risers that
slowly lifted us up to stage level at the start of the show as the
spaceship lifted off. So we were playing away, below ground so to
speak, surrounded by smoke and ended up chucking the cellos up onto
the stage and climbing up the scaffolding after them. Anyway, slowly
everyone else appeared as the risers were hurriedly let loose, but
we were halfway through the first song. Don't know if anyone noticed!
I also thought flying in and out of an open air festival by helicopter
in the US over this huge expanse of crowd and tents was an eye-opener...fantastic.
When we played Madison Square Gardens, our security was provided by
a lot of guys in long black coats, friends of friends of (the) Don,
I guess!
Martin: At the time I seem
to remember ELO getting some stick for using backing tapes on this
tour, but I think the tapes were meant to be for the band to hear
but they got put up a bit too loud in the mix.
Melvyn: I think Jeff was frustrated
that the live shows didn't sound like the studio recordings, which
of course they never could, so he wanted to add back in that depth
and complexity by using a mix of backing tapes. Just how much this
worked or got over-cooked at gigs I couldn't tell though. It sparked
plenty of discussion!
Martin: One of the Wembley
night gigs was recently re released on DVD with the correct sound
and it sounds great, Do you ever watch any of the old concerts or
have a look and see what is on Youtube
Melvyn: I've got a DVD of the Wembley
concert but I haven't watched it in years. But I have seen a few more
of the videos on YouTube recently, some of which are great reminders.
ELO - Mr Blue Sky - Live at Wembley
Martin: Did you ever
do your own solo spot in the live gigs - if so what was it
Melvyn: No I never did, that was always
Hugh's thing since day one and I really wasn't fussed that it stayed
that way.
Martin: There's a nice clip
on Youtube of you in ELO performing 'Can't get it out of my head'
from Eldorado it looks like a promo film for the single was that released
after you joined, because it's Mike Edwards on the album isn't it
Melvyn: Yes, I just played it at shows
and on this promo video, which again was at the Scout Hut where we
rehearsed in my first week with the band.
ELO - Can't Get It Out Of My Head
Martin: By the time of the
Discovery album the string players had disappeared from the credits
although you are still featured on the promo videos, What was going
on there
Melvyn: Jeff had said he didn't want
to tour again for a couple of years and I guess the whole shape of
the band was changing with that album but the new ELO image wasn't
formed yet, so the old ELO did the promo videos. It was the last time
we were all together.
Martin: So was there an
actual time when you were told that you were not needed any more for
recording and were only required for gigs and TV etc
Melvyn: After the Discovery promo
recordings, I received a short formal letter by post in Jan '80 (?)
informing me that my services were no longer required. No phone calls,
nothing else.
Martin: How did you feel
about that
Melvyn: After nearly five years of
working together, I'd rather not comment.
Martin: Were you doing other
work while you were in the band
Melvyn: Bits and pieces locally when
I was in the UK, but nothing much.
Martin: Was it a shock to be
looking for work again after the previous few years
Melvyn: It was hard to get back into
my London freelance work as I had been away for so long. It was the
beginning of the recession, so there was less work around and the
people who had been doing it (while I hadn't) managed to hang on.
Martin: Did you still follow
ELOs career once you had left
Melvyn: No, I always looked forwards,
not back. I had a life to get back on track and ELO was no longer
a part of it.
Martin: You actually recorded
an album with Frank Wilson for Jet Records Did you start that while
you were in the band or after you had left. Tell us you memories about
working on that album
Melvyn: It was after I left and was
looking for work that Sharon Arden called me in and said that Jet
would put up the money for a solo album. I had been doing some stuff
with Frank, so that was the obvious way to go. We used the money to
record at Ramport in Battersea for six weeks and had enough left for
Frank, myself and Will Reid-Dick (our engineer) to fly out and mix
it in Crystal in L.A. I had a small rented apartment just off Sunset
and we all stayed there for three weeks.
Martin: Did you enjoy recording
that as much as recording with ELO
Melvyn: Much more, because it was
our material, recorded our way (for better or worse) and we had total
freedom.
Martin: And some of the
tracks were written by yourself, something that band members weren't
allowed to do when in ELO
Melvyn: Yes, the only writer for ELO
was only ever going to be Jeff, it was his band.
Martin: Did you enjoy writing
your own material, Is it an easy thing to do
Melvyn: I didn't find it particularly
easy, although it was satisfying once you could hear the end result,
but I had never done it before so just did what I thought worked.
Martin: There was a single
released as well 'I Wanna stay' I don't really remember hearing it
on the radio or TV, were you disappointed that it didn't chart - Mik
had had success with Violinski and Clog Dance
Melvyn: It was Terry Wogan's record
of the week (kiss of death really!) and we had an interview on Capital
Radio, but that was about the extent of it. It wasn't a strong or
catchy enough track to chart.
I Wanna Stay by Wilson Gale and Co
Martin: Did Wilson Gale
do any live gigs at all
Melvyn: Nope, not as Wilson Gale and
Co, but we did play some of the tracks with the Risky Zips boys down
at the Green Man in the Old Kent Road.
Martin: Since all that finished,
have you been in any other bands at all
Melvyn: No, that was it. I was a bit
disillusioned, gave up playing and went into business instead. I got
married and started a family and had to support them.
Martin: Is it true that
you started you own record manufacturing plant or did it start off
with you working for someone else
Melvyn: First I got a job as Sales
Manager with the Pinnacle Entertainment Group working for Steve Mason,
who had been selling ELO belt buckles and memorabilia at a stall at
the Wembley concerts! He had done well since then and had a metal
label called Music for Nations which was distributed by Pinnacle,
which he then bought and I joined him.
After two years its turnover had increased from £2.5m pa to £12m pa
and he offered me the job of running one of his other Group companies,
a record pressing plant called Audio Services Ltd (ASL). I ran it
for 19 years. I had 50 staff, turning out between 6 - 8 million records
a year. Among others I worked with Tony Wilson at Factory Records
(New Order, Joy Division, Happy Mondays etc).
At one point Pete Waterman bought a 50% stake in it, although I hardly
ever saw him, so ASL pressed all the Kylie and Jason releases. Then
Jive Zomba bought in (Backstreet Boys etc), then BMG, then Sony BMG
etc! We went on to do cassettes, then CDs and print and packaging
as well. Eventually we lost the lease on the factory building which
was to be redeveloped and all the machinery was sold to Optimal Media
in Germany. I joined them as director for their new UK operation,
feeding work out to them in Germany.
Martin: Not quite as exciting
as being in a supergroup, but was it something that you were interested
in and enjoyed doing
Melvyn: I had a very varied and interesting
time at ASL. I was my own boss so had a lot of freedom, I enjoyed
the challenges and perks of the music business from a different perspective
to being a player and got paid well. I have no regrets at all.
Martin: So is that what
you have been doing ever since you left the band
Melvyn: Pretty much.
Martin: And is it true that
your company actually pressed some ELO vinyl in 2006
Melvyn: Yes, we pressed a blue vinyl
single of an unheard ELO song called "Surrender"
Martin: Do you still produce
much vinyl now, Is there much demand
Melvyn: There is, but I don't. Due
to the unfavourable change in the pound/euro exchange rate in 2008/9,
it made optimal uncompetitive on price so we closed the UK operation
in April this year. So I enjoyed this summer off feeding the chickens
at our barn in Kent! I'm now buying and selling flats to make a crust
and plan to start doing some cello & piano teaching in 2010.
I got divorced early in 2008, but have had my lovely new partner Sally
since late 2006. Of course I still have my three children and two
grandchildren as well.
Martin: Do you still have
a cello and do you play it, or any other instrument.
Melvyn: I still have both my ELO cellos.
The silver one is in a bit of a state and needs some TLC, the red/black
one I converted back to being a normal acoustic cello (stripped and
revarnished) although it doesn't play that well. I'm looking for a
nice antique one to buy at the moment. Sally and I also bought a beautiful
1930's Bluthner baby grand recently and I play that a lot.
Martin: So what sort of
music do you listen to these days
Melvyn: Everything and anything as
ever, depending on my mood.
Martin: After ELO, Jeff
went on to be a very successful producer for other artists such as
George Harrison, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and many others, even The
Beatles. Were you surprised at how much he actually went on to do
Melvyn: No, he was a talented guy
in the studio.
Martin: Then there was The
Traveling Wilburys - Did you like them
Melvyn: Sure.
Martin: There's no denying
that he is a fantastic musician/writer/producer, Would you call yourself
a Jeff Lynne fan
Melvyn: I'm not a "fan" of any particular
person, but I can appreciate talent.
Martin: Once a band splits
up, some groups carry on without the lead singer What did you think
about the idea of ELO Part 2 (Later to become The Orchestra) without
Jeff Lynne
Melvyn: I thought it was a great idea
that the people who had put so much into the band could carry on with
what the fans wanted and make a living at it. I thought it was churlish
of Jeff to stop them using the name, but that's life.
Martin: You actually went
to see them didn't you
Melvyn: Twice, and I am so pleased
that I had the chance to catch up with Mik and especially Kelly before
he died. That was a real shock.
Martin: What did you think
Melvyn: They were superb and the audience
agreed with me!
Martin: Did it make you
wish you were up there with them. Would you have got involved if you'd
have been asked
Melvyn: You feel a little tug that
says you could do this still, but, and it's a big but, I wouldn't
have swapped what I did since leaving the band.
Martin: It must have felt
strange hearing some of those songs again but without Jeff Lynne singing
Melvyn: Not at all strange. Frankly
the blend of Kelly and Phil's voices worked so well that I didn't
even give that a thought.
Martin: How was it meeting
up with Kelly and Mik again
Melvyn: Well I hadn't seen them since
I left the band so it was great to catch up, but they were just the
same characters as 30 years ago.....amazing. Mind you there were a
few more wrinkles and less hair in Kelly's case!
Martin: You mentioned that
you were glad that you caught up with Kelly again before he died in
2009, was he a good mate of yours during your time in the band.
Melvyn: Yes, but we were a collection
of mates, we had to all get on. I had some great times with him sailing
in "Kelpie" off Newport Harbour and at Malibu Grand Prix (mini race
cars) and just hanging out generally.
Martin: Any favourite stories,
memories of him
Melvyn: He was always the joker and
clown (in the best sense), nothing seemed to get him down and he helped
make our sometimes gruelling tours more bearable.
Martin: What was the best
thing about being in ELO
Melvyn: Travelling the world. I have
been fortunate to see more parts of the world than most and loved
all of that. I've continued to travel ever since when possible.
Martin: Anything you didn't
like
Melvyn: I missed home cooking. I got
to hate hotel and gig food so much that the last time I came home
off tour I couldn't face going out to a restaurant for months when
I knew I could have eaten at home!
Martin: Favourite memory
Melvyn: I'm going to cop-out on this
one, there were so many great times that I just don't know, but Wembley
has to be up near the top as all my friends and family were there.
Martin: A question that
someone asked me to ask you - Are you and Hugh actually playing cello
on the albums - I always assumed that you were, I know not all tracks
feature cello but others had quite a lot didn't they, Can you remember
what tracks you are on most and did you and Hugh have equal share
of playing
Melvyn: Of course we are. We went
and recorded in the studios in bits and pieces, but what found its'
way through to the final blended mix is another matter I guess? I
can certainly pick out sections on all the albums I was involved with.
Martin: Well many thanks
Mel for doing this interview for me, I'm sure that there are many
ELO fans all over the world that will enjoy finding out a bit more
about you
