Not The Traveling Wilburys, Not ELO: Jeff Lynne's Band That Time Forgot

The early history of rock 'n' roll is built on the multitude of bands that nobody talks about anymore, but launched unknown talent into super stardom. Where would acts like David Bowie be without the Lower Third, or Elton John without Bluesology (which the film Rocketman almost totally ignored), or the original Band of Joy, which spawned Robert Plant and John Bonham? The annals of rock history are littered with the dusty 78s and un-gilded singles of bands allocated to footnotes for greater acts, and this is no less true for Jeff Lynne, the prodigy behind Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), and his first band, the Idle Race.

First formed in 1959 as Billy King and the Nightriders, the Birmingham-based group had a constantly-changing lineup and went through several different names until 1966 when they hired a young, unknown Jeff Lynne to play guitar. They changed their name to the Idle Race and were quickly signed to Liberty Records thanks to a recommendation by Roy Wood of the Move, a previous member of the Nightriders, and a future member of ELO.

The Idle Race released their debut single, "Imposters of Life's Magazine," in October of 1967, and a year later their debut album, "The Birthday Party." In a 2020 interview with Classic Rock, Lynne said, "I probably would've been happy enough just playing club gigs in Birmingham ... You'd play every night of the week and, for a couple of years, every night of the year. It was a great experience and a great way to learn."

The band's second album, the self-titled "Idle Race," was released in September of 1969, and was the first album ever produced by Lynne, but despite a positive reception it also failed to chart. Several months later, Lynne accepted an invitation to join the Move and quit the Idle Race.

After failing to land an album on the charts, the band was dropped by Liberty Records in 1970. The band filled Lynne's position by recruiting Dave Walker and Mike Hopkins, and released the single "In the Summertime," but in 1971, every member of the band quit aside from Greg Masters. Masters hired a new lineup, but eventually quit in 1972. Before he departed, Steve Gibbons became the group's lead singer, and upon Masters' exit, Gibbons took over the band and they became the Steve Gibbons Band.

Fortunately for Lynne, quitting the Idle Race was the right move. He and Wood took what was left of the Move and formed ELO, and the rest is history. Lynne went on to record 15 studio albums with ELO, formed one of the best supergroups in history, The Traveling Wilburys, and in 2017 was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with ELO.