Wizzard and Electric Light Orchestra legend Roy Wood makes Christmas comeback with new music
An iconic Christmas rockstar has announced that he is making a comeback - just in time for the festive season.
Roy Wood, the beloved Wizzard rocker, has delighted fans with the announcement that he’s working on his first album in 14 years.
The 78-year-old musician, who also founded the legendary prog-rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), recently revisited his archives and unearthed previously unreleased material that he believes deserves a spot on a new album.
Speaking to the Sun, Wood said: "I was going through some tracks and I managed to find at least eight tracks that are all unfinished and never been heard. I'm going to get down and get them finished and get a new album. You know, I think it's probably about time.
"It's about time I wasn't quite so lazy and did it."
Wood's most recent release was Music Book, a double album launched in 2011 through EMI. The record featured fresh takes on his earlier songs along with a couple of new tracks.
He added: “I've sort of neglected the music a bit. I think it still sounds quite fresh, you know. It's strange. I didn't actually play it and think, well, I better re-record that, you know, it sounds all right.
“I'll probably add a few more modern quirks to it but apart from that, it's all right.
"I try not to be fashionable because I don't know what fashionable is as far as songwriting is concerned. I just do whatever comes out of my head, whether it's whether it's in fashion or not."
In addition to the album, Wood is assembling a new orchestra. The details, including its name, remain a secret until funding for the project is fully secured. If all goes as planned, the project could launch next year, aligning with ELO’s farewell tour, which features a massive performance at Hyde Park in July.
Wood originally invited his former bandmate from the Move, Jeff Lynne, to join ELO in 1970. The band’s vision of blending classical and rock influences came to life with their debut album in 1971, which included the hit single 10538 Overture, their first top 10 success.