Dave Scott-Morgan

Steve Gibbons: Aug 2013.

Well, what a fine piece of work, full of charm and grace and it reminds to me that you've always been good at making things. but this handyman’s work really hits the nail on the thumb...ouch! It makes me happy and proud to have played a small part in a minor master. Peace n Love. Steve xx.

Keith J Sinclair: 26 Aug 2013.

The paperback edition of Dave Scott-Morgan's excellent autobiography entitled "Patterns In The Chaos" [Lifeware Publishing; 220 pages; ISBN 978-1-291-37466-7] arrived earlier this week, following its release on 20th August. A cursory flick through the pages reveals not only some superb snapshots of the musical career of DSM from 1963 with Jeff Sylva & The Four Strangers through to his stints with Magnum, ELO and beyond, but also his candid recollections of a remarkable life which has included a flying career, becoming a born-again Christian and a Pastoral calling. "Patterns In The Chaos" looks like a 'must read' for any fan of 'Brum Beat' (including The Move, The Uglys et al) as well as, of course, Jeff Lynne and ELO.

"Albuquerque": 22 Sep 2013 - 5 /5

Electric Light Orchestra and much more… "Patterns In The Chaos" is a brilliant book. As a fan of the Electric Light Orchestra, I was excited how many information about E.L.O. would be in a biography of E.L.O.'s Dave Morgan, who was a member of the group from 1981 to 1986. Of course it is about David Scott Morgan's life and his view of life, but it is written in a very excited way and manner. Dave knew Jeff Lynne from his childhood and kept always in touch with Jeff. Dave also told us about the friendship with Richard Tandy (ELO member from 1972 to 2001), Martin Smith (ELO member 1986) and their projects as Tandy-Morgan(-Smith), as well as his connections with all the famous Birmingham musicians, like Carl Wayne, Steve Gibbons, Trevor Burton, etc. and Jim Cleary, his songwriter job for Lou Reizner and Dave's huge hit in Germany with the song Hiroshima, recorded by the band Wishful Thinking. Apart from being a musician (in bands like Uglys, Magnum, E.L.O.), Dave also give insight his life as a worker, inventor and airplane pilot, as well as in this private life: Parents, wives, friends. The (retrospect) insight that everything the Life / Faith / (or as in Dave words) God is presenting you, is good for your own development is the messages from Dave to the readers. My expectations about the book are more than fulfilled, as ever I could have been imagined. And I get the picture of Dave Morgan, not only as the musician, but as a whole human being. Thank you Dave for writing this book and open yourself to the public. Your stories are worth to tell to everyone who wants to read it.

Jeff Cooper 9 Oct 2013 - 5 / 5

A must for Brumbeat Fans… As an ELO fan of 37 years plus, and a major fan of the groups and musicians within the whole BrumBeat circle from the 1960s to the present day, this book was a must-have for me. And I'm absolutely 100% delighted with the exclusive stories, pictures and the fascinating tales Dave has to tell here. Aside from the fact that it's all about my favourite subject, I was very pleased to find it very well-written and a very easy and thoroughly enjoyable read all 'round. Dave is enthusiastic and honest with his story-telling. And this translates onto the page superbly. Apart from Bev Bevan's 'The Electric Light Orchestra Story' (from 1980). I believe this is the only book written by someone who has been a member of ELO. And strictly speaking, Bev's tome wasn't actually an autobiography ...which make's 'Patterns In The Chaos' a pretty unique publication in my view. Fans of The Move, ELO, Steve Gibbons, Jeff Lynne, Magnum and many other Birmingham groups or indeed anyone who has in interest on the inner workings of life in bands or the music-biz as a whole have a great deal to enjoy here. In particular, Dave's stories from ELO's Time Tour and then later working with Jeff Lynne and hanging out with George Harrison etc are a joy. As are his earlier stories from the 60s going back to the formation of The Idle Race and The Move. But there also much here on a deeply personal level too that sets Dave's Rock 'n Roll background into context; his charitable work in Romania, gaining his pilot's licence, becoming a born again Christian and his skill for invention and all round, well ...survival in general! As an ELO follower for a long long time, there were many insights here that were new to me, and lots of exclusive pictures from Dave's personal collection too. So all in all, a book I shall treasure for many years to come and dip back into 'Time' and time again. Thoroughly recommended.

Rosalind Levi: 14 Sep 2013

I have just finished reading the above book, reading it in its paperback form rather than electronically via an e-reader. His story is a very interesting and varied life, not just in the Brumbeat era and subsequently in ELO. He's been an inventor, born again Christian and a pastor and a qualified pilot. It is worth reading!

Pat Donohoe: 4 Oct 2013

It was a pleasure to read a book full of interesting facts. It also brought back many memories of life in those early years. Having been a fan of many of the Birmingham groups, I have always been keen to read about them or watch the documentaries. Your book covered a lot of that era along with your own personal experiences.

Patrick McKernon: 13 Oct 2013

I just wanted to say how thoroughly I enjoyed your book.

Mario Braga: Nov 2013 - Spain

I've just finished to read your book and it's fantastic. I love the way you tell your ELO period and the different vision you provide about that experience, and the way in which you confront life when you were young, with your travel to America and your photos here in Torremolinos (Spain). It's a great real-life-story. Thanks for sharing your life experience.

Neil Joseph Turner: 29 Nov 2013 - 5/5

Very insightful book into the life of David Morgan. He has achieved so much than just having the privilege of playing in one of UK's greatest rock bands.

Cynthia Miller: 20 Jan 2014 - Alabama

Hello, Dave! I just wanted to tell you that I recently finished reading your book, Patterns in the Chaos, and I so enjoyed it! (My husband surprised me with it as a gift last month.) ... I wanted to thank you for writing your book and sharing your story... you have such a positive influence.

Richard Dodge: Jan 2014 - Direction Magazine

This is the autobiography of a writer, musician, pilot, inventor and a born again Christian and it's not a book you can easily put down! It's ideal for winter evenings. David Scott-Morgan was fashioned in the 1960's and moved in the Birmingham music scene on the variety of rock 'n' roll stardom, writing songs or in the various stage line ups of headline bands including The Move, Magnum and The Electric Light Orchestra. What an interesting book this is and it held my attention all the way through. You never know what is going to happen next! But you are never disappointed as you turn each page. The author's note at the start is what really hooked me and I trust it will make you buy the book and give a copy to your friends. David Scott-Morgan writes, "This book is not meant to be an academic work of facts and figures; it represents my recollections from times past and items culled from diaries and scribblings." Buy a copy and pray for the author!

Patrik Guttenbacher: Feb 2014 - FTM Magazine, Germany.

In June 2010, we already reported about the book by David Scott Morgan, "Patterns In The Chaos", which was only available as a download version then. Since 11th July 2013, a printed version of the book is now available via Amazon.uk for 8.99 pounds. As an E.L.O. fan I was of course curious on to which extent Dave would go into details about his time as a member of the Electric Light Orchestra, or whether he would just try to bring us closer to his current life philosophy. When the book arrived, I devoured it immediately, because it is beautifully written. Of course Dave uses some English words that I have never before read in English books before, but still you can always get the picture of what he is talking about. Dave already apologizes in the preface that he has written everything down, like he can retrieve it from his memories today and also apologizes for the blurry quality of the black/white photos, which had been sufficient for the download version. Also, the structure of the book, which was printed in Leipzig by the way, is very clever. It is arranged chronologically by topic, so while in the 11 chapters the topics are processed it is very interesting when the small time jumps lead every now and then to pick up a few facts from the previous chapters again. While reading this gives the good feeling to participate with Dave, as if he is sitting in front of you telling you all this personally. For the E.L.O. Fans among us we get a lot of new information, because finally someone from the inner circle of the band writes, how it really had happened. Above all we really learn something about the time after 1980 which obviously is missing in Bev Bevan's "E.L.O. Story", and also was rather an attempt to present the E.L.O. History as an exciting rock band epic. The great thing about Dave's book is that he has realized that the majority of readers only will read it because of his E.L.O. membership. He already surprised us in the very first chapter with the fact that he had already met Jeff Lynne in December ‘63 (before Richard Tandy), when he asked at a concert of Dave’s if he could play on his guitar. Dave describes Jeff as someone, who knew at a very early stage that people would need to hear his songs, while Dave was still in the process if anyone would like to hear his songs at all. Dave’s career in the Birmingham bands fits into the rotating carousel of replacements. Jeff Lynne replaced Roy Wood when he left the Nightriders for The Move, and Dave replaced Trevor Burton in Danny King’s group. Dave describes his connection to Carl Wayne and how he met Richard Tandy, and the first small success when his song Something became the B-side of Blackberry Way. Dave's career as a songwriter in the gagging-contract with Lou Reizner ("All This And World War II"), his first solo album as a folk singer and the fact that to him, an unfamiliar band called Wishful Thinking from the Reizner stable recorded a full album of Dave Morgan songs in 1970, without him having any influence on it, show a whole new side of Dave. When the song Hiroshima nine years later, in 1979, became a sleeper hit in Germany (1 year in the lower chart positions) Dave really got royalties for the first time. This allowed him to finance a trip to the USA, where he visited Jeff and Richard in L.A. while they were recording All Over The World. These little stories are the charm of this book. Dave was proud to get a taste of some of the biggest stars in the world, while his colleagues in Birmingham tried to put the success of Jeff off. This also explains the beginning of an anti-Lynne mood in the UK. Very nice then also the chapter about the "Time"-tour. Dave inquired with Jeff if he could help him out with something on the new tour. As an E.L.O. member Dave got into a completely different world with all the advantages of the star life and was well paid. Dave writes about many episodes, talks about Mik, Kelly, Bev and Lou in an objective way. Many small episodes about the time and work in the studio with Jeff Lynne develop a much more human picture of him. To all Jeff Lynne fans this book is therefore recommend because it is a piece of contemporary history, of which we were not allowed to learn as much back then. Of course, it is also talked about the whole projects with Richard Tandy and Martin Smith, whereby the E.L.O. reference is even more extensive. Dave and Richard with the Uglys, then Balls, his time with Magnum and the attempt to record the Morgan Cleary album, this all is very interesting reading, as the Cleary disaster culminated in the song Princeton. Dave's relationship with his parents, his other passion, the flying as a flight instructor, him being an inventor with patents pending, surprise us very much, as well as his open approach to tell us about his three wives. Due to his resume, with all its ups and downs, one can also understand why Dave was baptized in the late 80’s to become a re-born Christian. This chapter, however, is not really written missionary, but just another facet of his life. This again is connected with his support in the UK Romania's charity. So all in all an interesting book to read, which lets the whole E.L.O. History from 1980 to 1987 appear in a new light. Had anyone guessed that in 1986 Mik Kaminski and Dave along with Jeff spent an evening with George Harrison at Friar Park? For Dave as a Beatles fan it was of course one of his highlights. It is described as witty as the first encounter with George backstage at the NEC Heartbeat '86 concert where Jeff instructed his band colleagues to all behave as normally as possible when George Harrison comes through the door in a minute. Dave finally comes to the conclusion that he thought that his life was a mess. But then he discovers a pattern (Patterns in the chaos), a red thread of destiny, which he describes - of course - with God, and that everything he had to go through (and thus we all had to in our lives) ultimately makes sense. Go and read the book, it’s worth it.

R.W.: 14 Mar 2014 - 4/5

A great musician and his biography (Brumbeat) I like & love the most of the songs i knew from Dave Morgan (David Scott-Morgan). First in 1978 i heard the song Hiroshima (the version of Wishful Thinking; in the'90s there was an own version) in a German broadcast station and i loved the song. at the same time i became a fan of the Electric Light Orchestra and all of the stuff before (The Move; The Uglys; Idle Race, ...) and with the music the players behind. and there will be often the same names of the musicians and so i first collect their music. with their music i want to know the story behind them and in this book you can read the story of David Scott-Morgan, a fantastic musician with great tunes, you will hear still in the future, too. still evergreens of rock, pop and Christian music. I dislike: the missing discography.

Steve Hill: Sep 2014 5/5

worthwhile and interesting! great, interesting book about the Birmingham music scene by David Scott-Morgan, his personal experiences and so on. Lovely. I would recommend it to anyone to read as a true portrayal , showing the ups and downs that he has encountered in his career as a musician, including many notable successes along the way. He is a very nice person, whose heart is in the right place and urge anyone who has read this review to look at his own website and sample his music on Youtube. A good read for anyone !!

James Edward Wilby: 6 Jan 2015 - 5/5

An enjoyable and very motivating read. Interesting, entertaining and inspiring, thanks for taking the time to write it!

Brian Phillips: 6 Feb 2015 - 5/5

Very good read.

Michael Patrick Kirwan: 15 May 2016 -

Hi Dave , Hope you don't mind me messaging you , I read your book Patterns in the Chaos very recently and i must say it was a fantastic read , I could not put it down , finished it in 2 days , Thank you !!

Robert T: 28 Feb 2018 - 5/5

A good read - almost unique for its happy ending... Interesting inside lowdown on the music scene which exploded from the Sixties onwards. David's avoidance of the worst of the drugs and sex that has destroyed so many of his contemporaries is inspiring and his life today has hope, meaning and fulfilment. Fascinating glimpses also of some of the players in the ever unfolding drama of Rock 'n Roll.

John Wells: 12 Mar 2018 - 5/5

Excellent read, great value.