Electric Light Orchestra keyboardist Richard Tandy, who blended Beatles-style pop with grand orchestral arrangements, has died aged 76, his bandmate Jeff Lynne announced.
The ELO frontman paid tribute to the “remarkable” musician in a post to Instagram, referring to Tandy as his long-time collaborator and “dear friend”.
“It is with great sadness that I share the news of the passing of my long-time collaborator and dear friend Richard Tandy,” Lynne wrote. “He was a remarkable musician and friend and I’ll cherish the lifetime of memories we had together.
Tandy was responsible for helping to shape the signature futuristic sound of the British rock band, best known for hits such as “Mr Blue Sky” and “Last Train To London”, with bombastic piano compositions that brought vim and vigour to their songs.
His riffs drove many of ELO’s most popular songs. The New York Times cited critic Donald A Guarisco, who wrote for the All Music Guide that it was Tandy’s “funky clavinet riff that duels with the group’s vocals during the chorus” of “Evil Woman”, turning it into a “multi-textured feast of pop hooks”.
Born in Birmingham, he joined ELO following the release of the band’s debut album, The Electric Light Orchestra, in 1971, having met drummer Bev Bevan at school.
The Greyhound was memorable; the first tune, ‘10538’, was good, but then all the changes between tunes became confusing and I guess it all got shambolic,” he recalled of his start with the band in a 1999 fanzine interview. “After that, as far as I was concerned, things just went from one good thing to another.”
He initially played bass, then took over as keyboardist after the departure of co-founder Roy Wood, who left to form Wizzard. He would go on to help shape their prog rock, futuristic sound with his performances on the Wurlitzer electronic piano, Minimoog synthesiser, the Clavinet, Mellotron and piano.
Tandy remained a core member of ELO through its ever-evolving lineups, alongside Lynne and Bevan, until the band split in 1986, and was the only member to return with Lynne for 2001’s Zoom, which also featured guest musicians George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
