It was first released on Wood's July 1973 debut solo album, Boulders,[1] before being issued as a single on 11 August 1973.
[2] Wood played all of the musical instruments on the recording, as well as supplying lead and multi-tracked backing vocals.
[5][6] "Dear Elaine" was a "semi-classical" experimental pop song reminiscent of Pink Floyd and Queen.
[8] In 1994, Wood stated, "Even though we didn't actually record it as the Move, I had already written "Dear Elaine", which I subsequently put on the Boulders solo album.
[13] Sounds magazine, in its July 1973 edition, described the song as "a charming, eccentric, gentle record from one of rock's real craftsmen.