[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 #360 June 2, 2002 In this issue: * We Will Woody You * Was Split Ends shortsighted? (cont.) * Time Capsule: THE MOVE (Part 1) * Topic Of The Week: "The History Of The First Move Album" * "Move" - in living colour! * Cropredy 1995 * The Move Online * My agonizing Move fantasy * A quick gripe about the Shazam CD * Nancy & the California bumper ============================================================== 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: We Will Woody You Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 13:43:30 -0700 From: Peter Grenville Hi all! Thought you might be interested in this... seems Roy Wood was at the premiere of Queen's Musical "We Will Rock You" in London recently, and played at the aftershow party! Go To: http://www.brianmay.com/maybe/queen/queennews/queennews.html and scroll down to the Sat 18th May entry (aftershow gig pix astoria 14/05/02) - some nice pics! Hope you're all OK - if you're in the UK, enjoy the big Bank Holiday weekend won't you! ********** Subject: Re: Was Split Ends shortsighted? Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 11:38:08 -0700 From: Michael J. Cross Marc wrote: >I think (and I can certainly be wrong) that for alot of us in the >US, >"Split Ends" was where we came in. I know that I certainly did, >although I had heard both Do Ya and CBC, Revisited on the radio... Marc may be on to something. Split Ends wasn't the first Move I ever owned, but it WAS the first piece of Move VINYL I ever owned....found it back in the summer of '84 (I think I was with Chris and his father when I bought it, for those of you who met both of us in NYC. Tells you how far back we go as fans and friends, eh?). Viva la Split Ends, short-sighted or no. Mike Cross Rochester, NY ********** Subject: Re: Was Split Ends shortsighted? Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 03:32:17 -0700 From: Dale G. Leopold Mark (marmil) surmised: >I think (and I can certainly be wrong) that for alot of us in the US, >"Split Ends" was where we came in. I know that I certainly did, >although I had heard both Do Ya and CBC, Revisited on the radio - >probably in spring of '73, and got Split Ends immediately (Do Ya >being one of the most amazing things I had ever heard) and then got >everything else. Close--the first Move I owned was the Harvest "California Man" package, closely followed by the A&M "Best of the Move" double LP. I bought the former on the strength of Cheap Trick's cover of the title tune. I fell in love with the whole album, (I recognized "Do Ya" from the ELO version, although at the time I maintained my silly college music snob disdain (think Championship Vinyl staff...) for anything as popular as ELO [popular = crap, or so I mistakenly thought]. Then again I still can't stand "Diary of Horace Wimp"...) I enjoyed the "Best of" collection, although I was initially disappointed that Jeff was only on one track ("Brontosaurus"--again I recognized the riff via Cheap Trick). I also didn't like the rough production on the early singles--still don't, although I can still very much enjoy the songs themselves. Gradually I saw the genius of Roy emerge in the ingenuity of the early material. "Shazam" soon followed, and I loved it immediately--didn't miss Jeff at all on this one! This all made me a solid Move fan for a good quarter century before I made two further discoveries: the existence of "Looking On," which I didn't know about, much less hear, until I bought the "Movements" CD set, and the fact that Carl sang lead on most material through "Shazam"--both blew my mind all over again. Dale in Richmond ********** Subject: Re: Was Split Ends shortsighted? Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 13:24:56 -0700 From: kakman1 Tyler C.Sherman writes: >Or it could have gone the other way. If obligations dictated that >Roy & >Jeff had to produce more Move material even though they >wanted to end >it, the prevailing acrimony and tension during the sessions could have >translated to some very interesting music. Nice point, but I still beg to differ. The tensions during the first tour for ELO was absolutely ridiculous, what with all the technical foul ups, the media fawning over Roy and snubbing Jeff and both guys egos threatening to break up the group and their friendship. Roy had seen this happen way too many times, in the pre Jeff Lynne Move and made a vow he would only work with with people he could get along with or not work at all. After the short Italian tour, Roy snuck off, put together Wizzard, rehearsed them then phoned Bev Bevan and Don Arden and effectively said he was leaving the group. Also, no matter how successful a subsequent Move LP may have been stateside (nice dream though), the purpose of the Move at the time in Jeff's and Roy's mind was to finance ELO, no more Move tours, the Move was already finished in their minds. At best maybe a few promotional films and maybe a American Bandstand appearance might have happened. By late '72 too much time and money was invested in both ELO and Wizzard. Split Ends had been released and "Do Ya" was a great, if minor hit. Only UA was promoting it, nothing was coming from Jeff or Roy to promote "Do Ya" in USA. IMHO, they had their one last chance to promote a bonafide hit in USA for the Move and they weren't interested. Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX ********** Subject: Time Capsule: THE MOVE (Part 1) Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 22:30:03 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins David Friedman's questions about the first Move album had me reaching for the "Split Ends" liner notes, and once I started reading them I thought they might be something the rest of the list would enjoy. Those of you who have "Split Ends" will find Ben Edmonds' notes on the red paper sleeve. I'll post them to the list in three parts. ---- Time Capsule: THE MOVE (Part 1) Written by Ben Edmonds Creeme Magazine December, 1972 Edited by Martin R. Cerf Chances are better than good that a substantial number of you now holding this album are experiencing your first full-length encounter with the Move. You've either been hooked by the marvelous single "Do Ya," or prodded by word on the street into putting out the money for twelve tracks by a band you know very little about. For you, these notes are a historical introduction to music you're going to want to hear a lot more of after this initial taste. And for those relative few who've had the vision and persistence to have hung in from the beginning, the need for these notes is indicative of an imminent commercial confirmation of something you've known for years: that the Move are one of the finest rock and roll bands in the known world. The Move had their individual and collective beginnings in Birmingham, one of England's more heavily industrialized cities and a leading export center in terms of rock and roll. The band was assembled with refugees from several local groups, none of which apparently offered much in the way of an escape from their hometown. From Carl Wayne & the Vikings came vocalist Carl Wayne, guitarist Ace Kefford and drummer extraordinaire Bev Bevan. Bassist Trevor Burton was recruited from the Mayfair Set, and guitarist Roy Wood from Mike and the Nightriders. As was the custom for any English band aspiring to SOMETHING BETTER, the Move succumbed to the call of London's bright lights and basement ballrooms. They also acquired a manager, one Mr. Tony Secunda, and he immediately set about a campaign of exposure for his group which would be decidedly on the light side were it to be described as merely flamboyant. One of his more reasonable moves was to install the band in a long-term apprenticeship at the Marquee, at that time (1966) one of the most influential rock and roll showcases in all of London. They functioned as one of several "house bands" (only a couple of others being the Yardbirds and the Who), claiming a territory which any young band would've given their fuzzbox to possess. The Move wore matching pinstriped gangster uniforms, and through the constant exposure (and natural charm) began to develop a grass-roots following. Secunda secured a recording contract for the Move with Deram Records, and they released two lovely singles - "Night Of Fear" and "I Can Hear The Grass Grow" - both of which pounded respectable dents into the British charts. Neither of them made so much as a whimper on these shores, however, an occurrence far too often repeated in the history of the Move. Apparently the hungry Mr. Secunda was largely unimpressed with this level of success, for he sent his boys on a publicity rampage designed to make them nothing less than front page news. The only thing which kept them from utter embarrassment was the fact that it succeeded almost to the letter. The Move's first headline-grabbing opportunity was provided by their transformation into a rock and roll demolition derby. The Who had gained a certain amount of notoriety with their guitar-smashing and smoke bomb tactics, but the Move took the theatricality of that situation one bizarre step further: they began assaulting automobiles, televisions and even dummies of prominent political figures, often with axes in a style that would've done Lizzie Borden proud. Such flagrant exhibitionism DID win them regular space in the musical trades, even causing a few of the more farsighted heads in America to turn. Secunda, however, was saving his best for later. Out of the split skull of 1967 leaped psychedelia, and immediately dressed the Move up in paisley and beads, with the implication of flower power and good vibrations dripping from every press release. Now the English took psychedelia more seriously than we ever did - it was the subject of a full-blown controversy, owing at least partially to the fact that it was the first major American musical trend to issue a serious challenge to the mystique established by the British invasion of 1964 - but even having his boys in the very center of Britain's hottest storm wasn't enough for Secunda. His next move was his crowning outrage, and it turned out to be more outrageous than even he could possibly have expected. Roy Wood had penned a charming little ditty called "Flowers In The Brain," (sic) (?) which had all the right trendy overtones and the musical markings of a sizeable hit. But, determined that the single should be nothing less than an "event," the enterprizing (sic) manager added a little body English of his own. To announce the release of the single, he had a promotional postcard mailed out which depicted then-Prime Minister Harold Wilson in a compromising sexual situation with a lovely who looked suspiciously like the secretary he was rumored to be involved with. The caption read: "Disgusting, despised and despicable though Harold may be, beautiful is the only word to describe 'Flowers in the Rain' by the Move." Wilson didn't get the joke. He didn't get it, in fact, all the way to court, where he DID get all the royalties from the record as compensation for his inadequate sense of humor. The single, as you might well expect, was a huge hit. And the Move, bloodied though they were, became a familiar name to everyone who scanned the daily newspapers. After that escapade, the Move kept on turning out hit singles ("Fire Brigade"), and got around to releasing their first album. The cover was a psychedelic pinwheel designed by the Fool (the Dutch artists commissioned by the Beatles to brighten up the outside walls of the Apple boutique in London) and the record was produced by Denny Cordell who also did early Procol Harum and Joe Cocker and later, worked with Leon Russell. It was a fine collection of tracks, marred only by some top-heavy string arrangements by Tony Visconti (a name you'll no doubt associate with a couple of latter-day sensations: David Bowie and Marc Bolan), but given that none of their singles had seen much success here, what little demand there was for a Move album in the U.S. was easily ignored. (To be continued...) ********** Subject: Re: The History Of The First Move Album Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 22:37:35 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins David Friedman asked: > * What does the back cover look like? What picture is on it? Are > there any liner notes as well? David, I put the front & back cover plus a close-up of the "Sgt. Pepper" style artwork up on the Move List website. My "Move" CD was made in France by MPO. It comes in a very nice little flip-open box. By the way, I see at least four versions of each Move member on the back, but I'm pretty sure there are some other celebs mixed in. Who might they be? ********** Subject: Re: The History Of The First Move Album Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 09:22:32 -0700 From: kakman1 Dang! The B&W CD picture...not the colour LP. In colour it is absolutely terrific. I used to own that ($20 in Bleeker Bob's in NYC back in 1980, also came with April pages of MM of Ace Kefford exiting the Move, those were the days!) Because Do Ya kept skipping after several plays, I must have owned four copies of Split Ends, not easy to find but still available back then. Finally got a VF copy of California Man/Do Ya/Ella James EP on Harvest label which I proceeded to wear out. Thank goodness for Cd re-masters. Looking forward to Message From The Country remaster, which I'm sure will have all the Harvest singles, too. Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX ********** Subject: Re: The History Of The First Move Album Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 17:02:54 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins >Dang! The B&W CD picture...not the colour LP. If anyone has original LP and is able to scan the back, please send the image to me and I'll put it up on the Web for the rest of the list to see. I haven't seen a color version, the deprived Move fan that I am. ********** Subject: Re: The History Of The First Move Album Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 02:11:22 -0700 From: kakman1 Lynn Hoskins writes: >If anyone has original LP and is able to scan the back, please send >the image to me and I'll put it up on the Web for the rest of the >list to see. I haven't seen a color version, the deprived Move fan >that I am. Oh it is beautiful sight to see...remember about twenty two years ago when Capitol released a great promo poster of all U.S. and U.K. album and single and E.P. covers by the Beatles. That would be nice if something like that (poster) was available featuring , say, pic sleeves from singles and E.P.s, sheet music covers, album covers by the Move. Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX ********** Subject: Re: The History Of The First Move Album Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 21:47:24 -0700 From: Greg Weatherby I have that album, bought it in London in 68, along with the live EP. However, an entire album won't fit on my scanner bed. Maybe I can scan it in 2 parts and then it can be stitched together? ********** Subject: "Move" - in living colour! Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2002 23:32:43 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins Thanks to Greg Weatherby for sending me the pieces, and for helping with "colour direction." I hope I did this beautiful artwork justice. I'm sure I'm not the only one on this list who is seeing the original "Move" front and back cover for the very first time. http://www.eskimo.com/~noanswer/move_archives/move_cover.html ********** Subject: Re: "Move" - in living colour! Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 09:52:14 -0700 From: kakman1 Sigh... if only someone could license that image for a poster or at least use as cheques! Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX ********** Subject: Cropredy 1995 Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2002 01:41:29 -0700 From: Richard Messum Just bought the new Fairport Convention box set, "Fairport unConventionAl." Bear with me, please, this is relevant. Fairport hosts the annual Cropredy Festival, at which the Roy Wood Big Band were, for a while, regular performers. The box set includes a Cropredy souvenir programme, and i wish i'd been there in 1995, because (i quote from the programme) "that's when both Roy Wood & Richard Thompson joined Fairport on stage and ran through their most famous songs in turn, with Roy Wood adding a distinctive sound to "Tear Stained Letter" before Richard added a jaw-dropping guitar solo to "I Can Hear the Grass Grow." The set finished with Roy Wood coming onto the stage dressed as Santa Claus, singing "I Wish it Could be Christmas Every Day" on a warm August night. Bizarre. "However, a really bizarre moment was the walk back to our tent. Walking along the road, a small group of very drunk people started singing the chorus to "Blackberry Way." Then as those around began to join in, the sound was being carried down the line, until the only sound was a mass drunken choir singing the chorus of "Blackberry Way." Roy Wood should be very proud of that moment." I wonder if there are any bootlegs of the Richard Thompson/Roy Wood collaboration? If i may do an np, it's "Another side of Bob Dylan." Cheers Richard & pussycats ********** Subject: The Move Online Date: Sat, 1 Jun 2002 23:33:04 -0700 From: kakman1 What is happening with the Move Online website? It was supposed to be revamped about a couple of years ago, but nothing has happened yet. Are they gonna' let it lie in Internet limbo? ********** Subject: Re: The Move Online Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 09:52:28 -0700 From: Rob Caiger Sorting the contracts, catalogue and 30 years of injustice has to come first - that's where the time's gone on that particular project. The site will be revamped very shortly and there'll be an announcement made soon regarding the whole Move situation. Keep watching the list. ********** Subject: My agonizing Move fantasy Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 14:13:32 -0700 From: David Fatta I am overjoyed to find this list. There are other people in the world who not only are still obsessed with The Move after all these years, but are also haunted by persistant "what-if" scenarios. Here is mine: After John Lennon's death in 1980, all hopes were dashed of the Beatles ever reuniting. To me, the solution was obvious. A genius of Lennon's stature could only be replaced by someone of equal genius, Roy Wood or Jeff Lynne (or both). Their vocal qualities were similar, and their songwriting style could have had the biting, cynical edge that would counterpoint McCartney's pop syrup beautifully. To further taunt me, Jeff had a substantial working relationship with George Harrison, producing and appearing on a great album for him, and appearing in The Traveling Wilburys. I was devastated by George's death, because I knew that this hypothetical lineup could never happen anymore. ********** Subject: Re: My agonizing Move fantasy Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 14:13:55 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins Hi David, Glad you found our little corner of the music world. When I was in NY this past March for the Roy Wood's Army shows, I had many wonderful conversations with fans, some from this list. The "genius" topic came up each and every time. One gentleman said to me, "Roy's a genius, you know. A real one. I mean a REAL one. (pause) Like John Lennon." I don't know that the remaining Beatles were too keen on "replacing" John, but, yes, it's a terrible shame that Roy or Jeff (or both, as you say) didn't get to at least write a song together. Three John Lennons in one room... how many minutes before the first one stormed out? ;) ********** Subject: Re: My agonizing Move fantasy Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 10:13:51 -0700 From: kakman1 Dave, Dave, Dave, have you forgotten "Free As A Bird"? , The Beatles Anthology single? Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX ********** Subject: Re: My agonizing Move fantasy Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 10:14:24 -0700 From: David Fatta Amazing. I am embarrassed to say that I never realized that Jeff was involved in this project, but it should have been obvious to me. His sound was all over that single. So I quickly did a search, and found a great web page, with a great picture, on http://www.face-the-music.de/beatle_e.html If only that union could have lasted a little longer. ********** Subject: Shazam CD Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 09:52:19 -0700 From: kakman1 Quick gripe at the purveyors of the Movements box set and also Repertoire Records. The sound on Shazam is awfully flat or unalive on either West side or Repertoire versions, it's just not as warm in texture or sound as say on my two vinyl versions (U.S. release A&M 1970 and very quiet re-re-release c. 1980's) and "Don't Make My Baby Blue" has the beginning chopped off. I found that to be highly annoying. Reminded me when Columbia/Sony did the same to Elvis Costello's Imperial Bedroom; the opening seconds of the album was excised and the sound was flat throughout. I am looking forward to the day when Shazam will finally be given a proper re-mastering with all bits restored. ********** Subject: Re: Shazam CD Date: Sun, 2 Jun 2002 15:28:46 -0700 From: "David Fatta" My buddy Craig just bought the Repertoire issue of Shazam last week. I did not notice that it sounded flat, but we only heard it in the car. I am not surprised, though, that you think your vinyl copy sounds better. This is often the case, and we have copied many vinyl albums to CD, digitally recording them with Sound Forge and cleaning them with Sound Forge's noise reduction software. In almost every case, a homemade CD made with loving care from a vinyl original sounds better than a mass produced CD. Therefore, the great sound was in the vinyl to begin with. ********** Subject: Nancy & the California bumper Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 21:47:34 -0700 From: Chris Roberts Charlie wrote: >...is using Nancy Sinatra's version of California Man as bumper music >for one of their talk show hosts (Bill Handel). Roy's music is rich >in potential bumper themes... er... 'bumper' ?? Sorry Charlie, 'bumper' doesn't cross the Atlantic obviously, please explain. Thanks. Chris (Cardiff, Wales, U.K.) ********** Subject: Re: Nancy & the California bumper Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 13:23:12 -0700 From: PrimoChuck >Sorry Charlie, 'bumper' doesn't cross the Atlantic obviously, please >explain. Bumper music is a short sampling of a song that is used as a segue. Talk show hosts might play 10 or 30 seconds of a song starting or ending a segment. Sometimes, talk show callers might inquire about the bumper music and create some sales of the CDs. Charlie Long Beach, CA ********** Subject: Re: Nancy & the California bumper Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 10:13:21 -0700 From: Chris Roberts Oh right! I get the idea now - obviously we have the same sort of thing on this side of the pond but I don't think we've given it a name as such. Just now our national BBC Radio 5 (news & sport) late night show are using Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" as a 'bumper'! End of Useless Information #360 ******************************* [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.]