{{Gruppo
|Nome Gruppo = Elf
|Nazione gruppo = Stati Uniti<br> Gran Bretagna
|Immagine bandiera nazione = Immagine:Flag_of_the_United_States.svg
|Generi musicali = Hard Rock<ref name="allmusic.com">[http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wifuxqe5ldhe allmusic.com - Elf]</ref><ref name="nolifetilmetal.com">[http://www.nolifetilmetal.com/elf.htm nolifetilmetal.com - Elf]</ref><br>Heavy metal<ref name="allmusic.com" /><ref name="nolifetilmetal.com" /><br>Blues rock<ref name="allmusic.com" /><ref name="nolifetilmetal.com" />
|Anni di attività = 1967 - 1975
|Tipo artista = Gruppo
|Numero totale album pubblicati = 5
|Numero album studio = 3 
|Numero album live = 0
|Numero raccolte= 2
|Fotografia = 
|Dimensione Fotografia = 
|Didascalia = 
|Url = 
}}
Gli '''Elf''' sono un gruppo musicale statunitense Ronnie James Dio nel 1967. Incisero tre album. Nel 1975 il gruppo si sciolse, e i suoi membri andarono a formare il gruppo dei Rainbow, guidato da Ritchie Blackmore (ex Deep Purple).
==Storia==
Gli Elf nacquero nel tastiere), batteria), e i due chitarristi Nick Pantas e David Feinstein. Inizialmente, il gruppo si chiamava '''The Electric Elves''', in seguito abbreviato in '''The Elves''', e infine in "Elf" nel 1969. 

Nel incidente automobilistico, in cui rimase ferito anche Thaler; terminata la convalescenza, Thaler abbandonò la band, sostituito da Micky Lee Soule (Thaler sarebbe tornato nel business della musica nel 1983, diventando co-manager dei Mötley Crüe)

Nel Elf''. Il sodalizio con i Deep Purple (per i quali gli Elf aprirono molti concerti) rimase sempre un elemento costante della carriera del gruppo. Poco tempo dopo la pubblicazione del loro primo album, gli Elf si spostarono nel Regno Unito.

Nel Feinstein, nel 2004). 

Con Edwards alla chitarra, gli Elf incisero il loro secondo lavoro, ''Carolina County Ball''.

'''Elf''' was a Blues-rock band founded in 1967 by singer and bassist Ronnie James Dio, keyboardist Doug Thaler, drummer Gary Driscoll, and guitarists Nick Pantas and David Feinstein. The band was originally called '''The Electric Elves''', but was shortened to '''The Elves''' and finally Elf in mid-1970. Elf disbanded in 1975, after recording three albums.

==History==

In 1970 the band was involved in an automobile accident which claimed the life of Nick Pantas, whom the band decided not to replace. After recovering from his injuries, Doug Thaler quit the band, and was replaced by Micky Lee Soule. (Upon leaving in 1972, Thaler moved to New York and got a job as a booking agent — Elf was one of the bands he booked. In 1983, he became co-manager of Mötley Crüe. Present day he works at Metropolitan Talent as an artist manager, working with artists such as Art Garfunkel, Bruce Hornsby & Ratdog).

right|thumb|Cover of Elf's debut self-titled album
Elf's self-titled debut album was produced by Deep Purple members Roger Glover and Ian Paice, who happened to see Elf auditioning in 1972. For the next few years, the band enjoyed mild success as an opening act for Deep Purple.   

Dio both sang and played the bass guitar until, in  Unique, Detailed Biography | Rockdetector<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, which met with a moderate amount of success, touring with groups such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, as well as Metallica, before finally retiring from the music industry. He would not return to the music scene until [[2004, when his band, Feinstein, released the album ''Third Wish'' on the Magic Circle Music label. It is interesting to note that David Feinstein and Ronnie James Dio are cousins.

In The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast''. Dio's rich, soulful voice gained the attention of guitarist Rainbow was thus formed, with Blackmore replacing Edwards. After they finished recording the album, however, Driscoll, Gruber, and Soule were replaced by Cozy Powell, Jimmy Bain and Tony Carey, who played with Dio and Blackmore during the subsequent tour; Elf was no more.

==Band members==
{| class="toccolours" border=1 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="float: lleft; width: 375px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #E2E2E2;"
|+ <big>'''Elf line-ups</big>
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1967-1968)
| 
*Ronnie James Dio - bass, lead vocals
*Nick Pantas - lead & rhythm guitars
*David Feinstein - lead & rhythm guitars
*Doug Thaler - keyboards
*Gary Driscoll - drums
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1968-1972)
| 
*Ronnie James Dio - bass, lead vocals
*Micky Lee Soule - keyboards
*David Feinstein - lead & rhythm guitars
*Doug Thaler - guitars
*Gary Driscoll - drums
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1972-1973)
| 
*Ronnie James Dio - bass, lead vocals
*David Feinstein - lead & rhythm guitars
*Micky Lee Soule - keyboards
*Gary Driscoll - drums
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (1973-January 1975)
| 
*Ronnie James Dio - lead vocals
*Steve Edwards - lead & rhythm guitars
*Micky Lee Soule - keyboards
*Craig Gruber - bass
*Gary Driscoll - drums
|-
! bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | (January 1975-February 1975)
| 
*Ronnie James Dio - lead vocals
*Steve Edwards - lead & rhythm guitars
*Micky Lee Soule - keyboards
*Craig Gruber - bass
*Gary Driscoll - drums
*Mark Nauseef - drums
|}

==Discography==
===Singles===
;as "The Electric Elves"
*"Hey, Look Me Over" b/w "It Pays To Advertise" 
;as "The Elves"
*Walking In Different Circles b/w She's Not The Same 
*Amber Velvet b/w West Virginia 
;as "Elf"
*Hoochie Koochie Lady b/w First Avenue 
*"Sit down Honey (Everything Will Be Alright) b/w Gambler, Gambler