[This digest is the copyright of the Move "Useless Information" Mailing List. Re-publication or re-distribution of "Useless Information" content, in any form whatsoever, is expressly prohibited without prior written consent.] USELESS INFORMATION The Move Mailing List Digest Issue #325 February 7, 2002 In this issue: * Song Of The Week (week of 2/4): "Wild Tiger Woman" * ELO on Top Of The Pops 2 * NME Wild Tiger Woman ad * "Sweet-esque"? * Shazam Cover Art * ...and I'm not trying to wind anybody up! * "Front cover painting by Roy Wood based on an idea by Jeff Lynne" * Album cover artwork * It's a brutally honest day on the Move list! * UK "Message" cover * Cover art across the Atlantic * Complete Roy Wood Songbook ============================================================== To POST TO THE LIST: Send an e-mail to: move-list@eskimo.com Useful Web addresses: TheMoveOnline: http://www.themoveonline.com Official Roy Wood site: http://www.roywood.co.uk Face The Music Online: http://www.ftmusic.com Join the ELO List: http://www.eskimo.com/~noanswer/showdown.html Move List Info & Archives: http://www.eskimo.com/~noanswer/movelist.html TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail to move-digest-request@eskimo.com with the word "unsubscribe" (no quotes) in the subject line ============================================================== Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Wild Tiger Woman" Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 10:13:26 -0800 From: cathy uselton Joe Doyle wrote: > One of my least favourite Move tracks this. I wouldn't say that I > strongly dislike it, nor could I say exactly what's wrong with it - > it just doesn't "do it" for me at all. That's a really interesting observation from Joe, as I also felt like that for a long time. In fact, I'd always skip it when that track came around. Then one day (guess I'd had a bit too much caffiene that morning and was a bit buzzy ;-) I forgot to hit the skip and started in listening to it. And loved it!!! I've loved it ever since. The moral of the story: All of you who don't like "Wild Tiger Woman" - Try drinking 5 cups of strong coffee in one hour and then listen to it. It helps! ********** Subject: ELO on Top Of The Pops 2 Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 11:01:10 -0800 From: Geoff Murrell Hi, this is my first post on this digest. Did anyone else in the UK catch ELO performing Roll Over Beethoven on TOTP2 tonight. It was in B&W, strange because the show was in colour in '73. Jeff was wearing a Roy Wood look-alike silver foil hair and beard, weird! Geoff Murrell UK ********** Subject: NME Wild Tiger Woman ad Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 00:44:07 -0800 From: Greg Weatherby OK, I found the ad in the Aug 31, 68 NME, and it's basically the same ad, just laid out a little differently, and with a few other records advertised...also I made the file a little smaller so the d/l time is not as great http://www.newwavesales.com/wtw2.jpg I have been looking for the Sept 7 issues where they would have a review of WTW, but no luck so far....I'm sure they're there in the archives somewhere! ********** Subject: "Sweet-esque"? Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 00:44:16 -0800 From: Lynn Hoskins I did a quick Google search for "Wild Tiger Woman" and came across a quick mention of the song on www.barnesandnoble.com ...where they are selling yet another new Move compilation, this one called "Flowers In The Rain" (Disky Records.) I don't remember if this comp was discussed on this list, but here's the track listing: 1. Flowers in the Rain 2. Fire Brigade 3. Brontosaurus 4. California Man 5. Yellow Rainbow 6. Curly 7. Kilroy Was Here 8. Zing Went the Strings of My Heart 9. Hello Suzie 10. Wild Tiger Woman 11. Tonight 12. China Town (sic) 13. Cherry Blossom Clinic 14. Blackberry Way 15. (Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree Hard to keep up with these comps! Anyway, the site includes a review from the All Music Guide which mentions "Wild Tiger Woman," ...which was the whole point of this post: "Flowers in the Rain is a collection of the Move's biggest hits. Although the band never made that big of a splash in America, the album includes most of their biggest hits in England. The up-tempo psychedelic rock found here is quite good; it has aged well despite how many bands would adopt a similar sound since the album came out. The title track is probably their most well-known cut, but several others are just as good. This includes the freewheeling 'California Man' and the Sweet-esque rocker 'Wild Tiger Woman.' Anyone looking to check this band out for the first time should give this a listen; it covers their entire career and features many good songs that American audiences may not be familiar with. ~ Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide" I'm imagining someone checking out The Move for the very first time, thinking they're gonna hear something that sounds like The Sweet when they get to "Wild Tiger Woman"... (Of course this is assuming they are still listening after "Zing..." ;) ********** Subject: Re: "Sweet-esque"? Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 10:13:22 -0800 From: "stephen mulcahy" >The title track is probably their most well-known cut, but several >others are just as good. This includes the freewheeling 'California >Man' and the Sweet-esque rocker 'Wild Tiger Woman.' It really sounds much more like QUEEN, wouldn't you say? ********** Subject: Shazam cover art Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 10:13:08 -0800 From: Bobby Sutliff > You can't blame Roy for this one. The cover of "Shazam" was painted > by Mike Sheridan. :) Lynn, I'm assuming that would be Mike Sheridan of the Nightriders? BTW, I always loved the cover to Shazam. ********** Subject: Re: Shazam cover art Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 10:13:13 -0800 From: John DeSilva Greg Weatherby wrote: > I don't think that Roy's artistic sense for album covers was much > better, the cover of Shazam? Terrible, IMO...looks like something > from a Sat morning cartoon show... If I'm not mistaken, there was either a comic book series or syndicated newspaper comic strip called 'Shazam' - I believe this is what Mike Sheridan is "sending up" with his cover art. Personally I like the Move's cover art for what Kevin referred to as its "garage band amateurish"-ness (I left out the sub-par comment) - we had the ultra-professional album covers by Roger Dean (Yes) and the ELP covers anyway during that era. It is interesting to me how the UK version of MFTC (just like Boulders) looks unfinished - like Roy was painting it and the record company ran in and said "OK Woody, time's up, let's go mate, let's have it ..." I've always liked the "DIY" ethos as exemplified by the punk/new wave crowd - let's just say that the Move were 6 - 7 years ahead of their time with these album covers ... ;-D JD San Jose, CA ********** Subject: Re: Shazam cover art Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 18:40:10 -0800 From: "chris roberts" John DeSilva wrote: > If I'm not mistaken, there was either a comic book series or syndicated > newspaper comic strip called 'Shazam' - I believe this is what Mike > Sheridan is "sending up" with his cover art. I will gladly be corrected but I think the origins of 'Shazam' are from the Super-Hero 'Dan Dare'. Wasn't 'Shazam' the hero's catch phrase? A bit before my time, it think it was a 50's thing. Chris (a 'baby' at 41) ********** Subject: Re: Shazam cover art Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 23:23:53 -0800 From: Kevin A Kunreuther "Shazam" was the word uttered by comic book character Billy Batson, the name of an ancient wizard, he is magically transformed from boy to man, Captain Marvel, -- "the world's mightiest mortal!" created in 1941 Everyone who is curious aim their browsers at this URL and have fun! http://members.ozemail.com.au/~scunge/shazam/#whois hence, the super hero comic book connection for the Shazam cover and also precient of Roy's future band Wizzard. Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX ********** Subject: Re: Shazam cover art Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 10:13:40 -0800 From: "Tim Emerich" Greg wrote: >Roy should have stuck to the music, and left the album covers to > someone else... i think it's nice that Roy was able to paint his own album covers. but then again, i LIKE the cover for MFTC. my only beef with it is the picture of the band on the back. what was THAT?? i could be wrong, but maybe the album covers Roy painted gave us a little peak at how he saw the music in his imagination? that can only be a bonus, not a curse. i also really love what Mike Sheridan did with the cover of Shazam. each character make really cool little icons for your computer. maybe they shouldve made a promotional bottle of chewable vitamins in the likeness of the characters. kooky? maybe. but music and kooky go together very well; especially where Roy Wood is concerned! ;) i also think it's very cool that the record company actually let Roy take part in his album artwork; how many album covers did John, Paul, George or Ringo do for The Beatles? those guy were very creative with paint and pictures. may not have been every fan's taste. but afterall, they WERE The Beatles and it was THEIR albums. i dont think they would have been told 'NO WAY' by their record company. i know Klaus Voorman did Revolver and The Beatles came up with all those faces for the cover of Sgt Pepper, but what about the rest? nice photos (better than the back of MFTC!), but hardly personal. i wonder what The Idle Race album covers wouldve looked like if the band had been given free reign in designing them... Tim Emerich (foggy) Merced California NP: The Idle Race- Skeleton and the Roundabout ********** Subject: Re: Shazam cover art Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 11:01:58 -0800 From: "Brooks, Elliot M." > ...the cover of Shazam? Terrible... I have to be partial to this cover..besides enjoying it for over 30 years...my son got Roy to sign it right over his image on the cover... ********** Subject: Re: Shazam cover art Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 11:24:07 -0800 From: Joe Ramsey John DeSilva wrote: > It is interesting to me how the UK version of MFTC (just like Boulders) > looks unfinished - like Roy was painting it and the record company ran > in and said "OK Woody, time's up, let's go mate, let's have it ..." I think that this is a hallmark of Our Roy... unfinished-ness! He probably has a few fancy moves to still put on "Wizzard's Brew!" Didn't we read Rick Price say that they had to physically carry Roy from the studio during the "...Brew" sessions as he could not stop working? (Plus they were probably worried that he would erase their parts and put on his own - for better or worse... Ha ha). I love the album covers... wouldn't change a thing. First album by The Fool... perfect! Looking On... bald heads! Huh? UK version of MFTC far superior to the US verion. For some reason, I always confused it with the Escher on the cover of the first Mott The Hoople album. Maybe it was the lizards (?) We live in an era where everything is perfect... if you can't sing a perfect note, we have machines that can fix it. If you can't draw or paint... Voila, Photoshop! I'd rather have a Roy Wood original painting on an album cover than any pre-fab "hip" creation by some ad agency masquerading as a record company. If The Move were recording today, they would probably replace Bev Bevan with a really accurate drum machine (hey, wait a minute, didn't Jeff Lynne do that in later ELO anyway?). And I'm sure that Roy's voice would be a little rough and unruly... how about adding the cool, pseudo urban, smooth vocals of a Justin Timberlake? And think of the young girl appeal... Ooooooooh! I even like the ad for Wild Tiger Woman. And you know what? It does sound a bit like early Sweet. Omnibus is one of the best songs the Move ever recorded (Bonus question: Is that Roy playing cello - or a studio musician?). Having said that, I'm not sure if it would have done well as a single, either. Blackberry Way was The Move's highest charter - and also the most derivative (c'mon, Penny Lane!), so go figure. I always found the Roger Dean and Hipgnosis covers boring. But I loved the first King Crimson cover. My favorites are ALWAYS a portrait of the BAND like the early Stones covers or Rubber Soul by the Beatles. NP: Lucifer Sam by Pink Floyd... Was Roy psychedelically influenced by Syd Barrett? Inquiring minds want to know! ********** Subject: Re: Shazam cover art Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 15:02:06 -0800 From: John DeSilva Joe Ramsey wrote: > I always found the Roger Dean and Hipgnosis covers boring. But I loved > the first King Crimson cover. My favorites are ALWAYS a portrait of > the BAND like the early Stones covers or Rubber Soul by the Beatles. Joe: I like the band covers as well, especially when they are photographed/sketched/painted in a unique way - Revolver is an obvious choice for me here, Cahoots by the Band (speaking of the BAND), the US cover of Wizzard Brew where Woody TOWERS over the other guys (he's so big they're shoved to the back cover!), and of course On The Third Day's US cover where the guys are showing their 'navel' pride!! ;-) The cover of In The Court of the Crimson King is my all-time favorite album cover BTW. ********** Subject: ...and I'm not trying to wind anybody up! Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 13:00:50 -0800 From: Greg Weatherby Elliot Brooks wrote: > ...have to be partial to this cover..besides enjoying it for over 30 > years...my son got Roy to sign it right over his image on the cover... OK, OK...I knew I would be the odd man out on this, but I think we have to cast your mind back 10 years...errrm, 30 years, to the album cover next to me in school.........no, no....you have to think about the average punter buying albums back when "Shazam" came out, at least in the States, who had no friggin' clue who the Move were, now our friend goes into the record shop and takes a look at the new release section, now remember this was when pop music was going "heavy", and trying to distance itself from being just "pop" music, he or she sees the Roger Dean covers, the Hipgnosis covers, the covers that say the music inside is deep, and full of meaning and its now 'art', and then he or she spy this cartoon sitting next to The Yes Album, with the floating head thing, with the group in the background (I'm not looking at the album cover right now....and, yes, I loved Yes up until Fragile, then it was, for me No.) He or she mighta thought this was a new Archies album or the Kasenatz-Katz Flying Circus or something.....the album didn't sell here, maybe, just maybe, the cover had something to do with it other than this, I have no opinion on it :} and don't get me wrong, I love Shazam, the music, I friggin' bought it when it was new, but that's because I already knew who they were then.....and the UK cover of Message is trying to be "heavy' and meaningful, but it just looks amateurish. ********** Subject: Re: ...and I'm not trying to wind anybody up! Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 17:44:04 -0800 From: John DeSilva Greg: I think you make a good point regarding the choices the record buying public had in 1970, and that the cover might have diverged from being about what the music was inside. My trouble is that this is one of many things that attracted me to the Move in the first place - they were totally out of place in the US, their songs were utterly British in subject matter and attitude, and there simply weren't any other bands like them (still aren't). Music to me is a very personal thing - I've always got a big kick out of the fact that NONE of my friends had ever heard of the Move in 1972, but all of the musically savvy (at least in my opinion) ones who heard them, ended up loving them. Again I understand your point and pretty much agree with what you say - I guess I just like the fact that Move fans are an 'exclusive' club (and I belong even though they would have ME for a member!!! ;-D ). JD San Jose, CA ********** Subject: FRONT COVER PAINTING BY ROY WOOD BASED ON AN IDEA BY JEFF LYNNE Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 18:41:02 -0800 From: "Tim Emerich" Greg wrote: > the UK cover of Message is trying to be "heavy' and meaningful, but it > just looks amateurish. sorry for the caps in the subject title, folks, but i wanted to type it just how appears on the back of the UK MFTC. how old were these guys when they made this album? im not really sure, but i know they were young(er) and very popular. so they wanted to get *involved* in the packaging of their album. is that so bad? if it looks 'amateurish', it's only because it's real, raw art. it's not a picture that some photographer used dodge and burn techniques on to make ghostly images of invisible men on fire while shaking hands, like Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here'. no, i think the UK cover of 'Message' has something to do with what's going on inside the sleeve. maybe the concept (apparently Jeff's) had something to do with how he viewed the members of the band and where their heads were artistically. in the end, what it really comes down to is that this IS the album cover. i got so fascinated with your beef about this cover, Greg, that i just HAD to get it out and take a look. i like how the title of the album is cast as a shadow from the bird with it's bomb-bay doors open. it makes me wonder; does this have something to do with the title track? are the birds Jeff is singing about really bombers dropping a 'bad' message from the country? that's pretty heavy, to me anyway. it's obviously supposed to be a British bird, with it's target symbols on the wings. which makes me wonder, what's with the guru playing the sitar?? could the two have something to do with Britain's war with India? and what's with the yellow brick road leading up to the sun? at the very least, it's just a little imagination and fun. as far as the cover for Shazam is concerned, the characters look like they would kick the Archies' ass. sick in California, Tim Emerich ********** Subject: Re: Album cover artwork Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 16:30:28 -0800 From: "Stephen M.H. Braitman" I agree with Kevin that most of the Move/Roy Wood album covers have been woefully inadequate as far as attracting the public. "Boulders" is fine, for the reasons he cited. My favorite is the graphic for the first Move album, as well as the ELO album, "No Answer." I'm afraid we've have had to suffer through Roy's own artistic graphic style for too many years. And I, for one, wish he never grew that beard! ********** Subject: Re: Album cover artwork Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 21:32:50 -0800 From: Kevin A Kunreuther 1:) Leave the beard alone! 2:) I didn't say most of the Roy Wood/Move album art was bad, I said Greg brought up an interesting opinion regarding the subject, gave my views on those covers that sprang to mind and invited other everyone else to chime in. 3:) While I'm here, I do like The Fool cover for Move, the Looking On cover is bizarre but eye-catching, I like the ideas put forth on the painting for the UK Wizzard Brew, which probably scared the folks at UA in the States to do the alternative giant Woody photo with the band lying at rest at his feet, I've never quite made up my mind about the "Eddy" tablecloth cover, though I prefer the red color as opposed to the black and white one that was also issued, Wizzo is great pop art cover (looks an advert for a cleanser), US issue only WB release of On The Road Again cover isn't bad, it's merely bland (what's a parking meter doing in the middle of the countryside?), Starting Up cover is well, OK and weird, ninja Roy rules. 3:) Just thought I clear that up. Don't shave yet, Roy! Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX ********** Subject: It's a brutally honest day on the Move list! Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 00:49:08 -0800 From: Greg Weatherby > I agree with Kevin that most of the Move/Roy Wood album covers have > been woefully inadequate as far as attracting the public. "Boulders" > is fine, for the reasons he cited. My favorite is the graphic for the > first Move album, as well as the ELO album, "No Answer." I'm afraid > we've have had to suffer through Roy's own artistic graphic style for > too many years. And I, for one, wish he never grew that beard! Breathing a little easier now, some support from the "trenches"...the first cover is just so cool, the Fool's best effort, although I like the cover they did for their own album, as well...now some of the clothes they designed for people were a little out there...they got the Move to wear some of these outfits, and I guess it looked sort of hip back in the day, but you have to see the outfits to believe them...errrm, how you ask?...errrrm , hang on, let's see what we can find in the archives, ok, hang on, here we go, check this out http://www.newwavesales.com/move.jpg Man, what was Carl thinking, and eye make-up in 67?, Ace looks like he knicked some window curtains somewhere, Roy looks like he is going out for the Don Juan role in a play at the local Uni, Trevor looks like he wants out of there, and Bev has a 'just happy to be here' look! Wll, at least I kicked up a little dust on the list, and probably will get my butt kicked by some of you for dirting on Roy's art if we meet in NYC! Greg don't forget, I am a fan! ********** Subject: UK "Message" cover Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 16:30:32 -0800 From: "stephen mulcahy" ever notice that the british message from the country cover kind of looks like tolkien's drawing on the cover of the hobbit? ********** Subject: Cover art across the Atlantic Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2002 18:40:17 -0800 From: "chris roberts" All these mentions of differences between cover art between the UK & US is getting me interested and confused at the same time. I may be the only one suffering like this because it's past one in the morning and my best 'thinking' has been done for the day but I wonder has any one got a list of the covers that differ? A while ago we had a TransAtlantic debate about the colour of "Eddie's Table Cloth" but I don't remember taking the subject further than that. Anyone?... ********** Subject: Complete Roy Wood Songbook Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 00:48:59 -0800 From: Kevin A Kunreuther Has there ever been released in the UK a complete Roy Wood songbook? You know, the type with music, guitar tabs/piano/ lyrics, etc.? You'd think someone would have gotten around to it by now, at least a Complete Move era songbook and a Boulders/Wizzard songbook, too. Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX End of Useless Information #325 ******************************* [This digest is the copyright of the Move "Useless Information" Mailing List. Re-publication or re-distribution of "Useless Information" content, in any form whatsoever, is expressly prohibited without prior written consent.]