Craig Allen’s Fun Facts: “Evil Woman” by ELO

The "Electric Light Orchestra" formed in Birmingham, England in 1970.

Original members were the songwriters and multi-instrument playing Jeff Lynne, and Roy Wood...along with drummer Bev Bevan. Many would come and go over the years...

The band was formed to take advantage of Lynne's and Wood's talents...and their desire to form a rock band that would play modern rock and pop songs...with a classical feel.

The idea was to take rock music in a direction that would "pick up where the Beatles left off."

When Roy Wood left the band in 1972, Jeff Lynne became the band's leader. He would go on to write just about every one of the band's original songs...along with producing and arranging every album!

"Evil Woman" would be a part of the "Face The Music" album...more on that in a moment!

This future-hit record was recorded at "Musicland Studios" in Munich Germany in 1975.

Jeff Lynne wrote the song very quickly...he needed to!

All the songs for "Face The Music" had been recorded...and it was quickly realized that they needed another song!

Lynne sat down at the piano in the recording studio, and played the opening riff, which became the basis for the rest of the song.

Later that day, the rest of the band came in and recorded the backing track!

The lyrics were written...and the vocals were recorded...the next day at Musicland Studios.

The strings portion of "Evil Woman"...and the female vocals...were recorded later, at a recording studio in England.

The song tells the story of...an evil woman. The singer pointing out that he isn't going to put up with it any more.

Obviously, the song struck a chord with the listening public...

"Evil Woman" would enter the top-40 chart on November 15, 1975...going all the way to #10 in early 1976.

It would be the Electric Light Orchestra's second Top-10 hit both in New Jersey, and in their native England!

"Strange Magic" (#14/1976) would be the other hit record to come from the "Face The Music" album...

Here's one more "Fun Fact:"

Looking at (some of) the Evil Woman lyrics...

"Hey, woman, you got the blues
'Cause you ain't got no one else to use
There's an open road that leads nowhere
So just make some miles between here and there
There's a hole in my head where the rain comes in
You took my body and played to win
Ha, ha, woman, it's a cryin' shame
But you ain't got nobody else to blame..."

Yes...the line "There's a hole in my head where the rain comes in" was inspired by the Beatles song "Fixing A Hole."

You just have to love when one of Jersey's Favorite Hits...is inspired by the "Fab Four!"

Crank UP "Evil Woman" on air on New Jersey 101.5...on the New Jersey 101.5 app...and here at nj1015.com!