Cellist Mike Edwards died instantly when the 300kg bale landed on the front of the white van after it tumbled down a steep hill in Devon, then smashed through a hedge and on to the road.
Police are now investigating whether the fatal accident on Friday afternoon happened after the bale fell from a tractor working on farmland next to the A381 in Halwell, near Totnes.
The musician, 62, is understood to have swerved into another vehicle as his van was struck at around 12.30pm. The second driver was unhurt in the collision.
Sergeant Steve Walker, of the Devon and Cornwall police traffic unit, said: "This was a tragic accident and we have now identified the victim as Michael Edwards, a founder member of ELO. Link to story is here.
Watching a cellist come down from a mock spaceship at a concert and run across the stage with the instrument is something I will never forget. Apparently I stayed away from the recreational stuff floating around at the coliseum in the late 70's!
If nothing else this band gave me an appreciation for the classical instruments. They also gave me the desire to make the album or 8 Track reproduce to me what they wanted the music to be like. This forged my desire to figure out electronics.
So tonight, I picked these albums out:
I played them old school on a Denon DP-31L direct drive turntable. I have to say that not only the interplay of classical instruments, vocals, and all of the electric instruments speak to me, some of the lyrics do as well. I have not heard them in a long time. From Eldorado here is a snippet:
Here it comes, another lonely day, playing the game,
I'll sail away on a voyage of no return to see
if eternal life is meant to be
and if I find the key to the eternal dream.
From Out of the Blue comes this:
Ride the range all the day till the first fading light,
be with my western girl round the fire, oh, so bright.
I'd be the Indians friend, let them live to be free,
ridin' into the sunset, I wish I could be.
Here is the opening of Eldorado album:
Godspeed Mike, I appreciate that I got to see you perform.
Indeed.
ReplyDeleteMuch earlier, "Ma Ma Ma Belle" from "On The Third Day" was my introduction to how awesome a very clean stereo recording could sound. Mike Edwards is amazing on it. Interesting trivia note on the song: Marc Bolan, of T. Rex, played guitar with Jeff Lynne.
Sorry to hear this.
ReplyDeleteMy memory is classical music appreciation class. Our teacher was having way too much fun being the ultimate mirth facetiousness with ELO and few other classical music based rock bands at the time telling us we are so out of date and we are several centuries behind the times.
Rest in Peace Mike
@ Steve- Oh great, looking for that album and that song specifically. Thanks!
ReplyDelete@ Supi- I went to a private Baptist school, so all of the was verboten!
Kelly,Havent heard this song in a long time..Thanks! "Now I can't get it out of my head" I miss alot of these songs :)
ReplyDelete@Steve- Found the song and album; totally amazed again that he could drive a hard core rock tune in the latter half of the song. He was sawing it, he did that in concert as well. Such precision is a talent. In my humble opinion he could drive that instrument period!
ReplyDeleteYep. He takes a classical melody line and turns it into a rock 'n roll riff. Now that is talent!
ReplyDelete