[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 #351 May 11, 2002 In this issue: * Mendelsohn's "Message" review * The Move's 1st album artwork by The Fool (cont.) * "Fight For My Country" * Steve Gibbons Band * Roy's songs on the big screen * What is your favorite Move item in YOUR collection? * Cool idea? * The Move - LIVE! * Tell us the news about yourself... (cont.) ============================================================== 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: Mendelsohn's "Message" review Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 02:35:22 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins There are reviews, and there are REVIEWS. Enjoy. P.S. Some of the best interviews and reviews (such as this one) that you've seen on the Move List will soon be archived on The Move Online website. ---- Rolling Stone October 14, 1971 Message From The Country The Move Released: September 1971 Last year The Move high-tailed it over to Harvest/Capitol, after arriving at which they scarcely allowed themselves time for an iced tea and a smoke before bounding into the studio to cut the uniformly magnificent Message From The Country, which surely ranks right up there with Procol Harum's Broken Barricades as a prime contender for the title of 1971's best album. Oh, they were in rosy humor when they did this one, were The Move, as is happily demonstrated by the high incidence of fun-poking and fun-having numbers therein. "Ben Crawley Steel Co.," which concerns the evolution of a simple steel-drivin' man into a bomb-brandishing revolutionary, is a brilliant send-up of your actual truckdriver's country music, featuring an unspeakably charming and incontestably virile lead vocal in a register you probably had forgotten exists by super-stud Bev Bevan, who, just incidentally, is also one of the best rock and roll drummers in history. Relish the weirdly-phased falsetto backgrounds. "No Time," a pretty acoustic number, features Wood blowing a recorder right off the hill the fool sits on and singing in a Bee Gee-tinged tenor with his chum Jeff Lynne. You'll be surprised to note that the P. Copestake to whom composition of this delicate flower is attributed was credited with "refreshments" on Looking On, the Move album released last December in England but sat on until just very recently by American Capitol. "Don't Mess Me Up" would be virtually indistinguishable from a real Sun-period Elvis recording were it not for the characteristic exceptional clarity of the production and Bev's slightly too playful lead vocal. Everything else is just perfect, not the least of which is the guitar solo, which sounds as Scotty Moorish as any guitar solo has ever sounded. Why, they even put aside the ominously cantankerous monstro fuzz-bass that's come to be their most easily identifiable instrumental element and recorded the ride cymbal, which Wood likes not to record. Bev's "The Minister" resembles The Beatles in general vocally, "Paperback Writer" in particular melodically, and Redbone vaguely in its riffy arrangement and use of Leslie-amplified guitar. A superb rocker, this one, as are the bruising "Ella James," which slightly reminds of McCartney's "Ooh You," and the Eddie Cochranish "Until Your Mama's Gone," with its bone-crushing bass-line, white-hot fuzz-guitars, and ruff-tuff vocal by Roy. "My Marge" mixes "When I'm 64" instrumentation with a New Vaudeville Band vocal and a Between the Buttons conception of turn-of-the-century music. It's delightfully out-of-focus around the corners, with the bass voice and the tenor stepping all over one another's toes. A throwaway, but armfuls of wholesome fun for the entire family. "The Words of Aaron" and the title cut (the latter Lynne's only composition on the album) are both classic Move -- mostly densely heavy but sometimes delicate backing, ingeniously and intricately assembled, with breathtaking vocal harmonies over strange and intriguing lyrics carried by beautiful tunes. Are those Ring-modulated trumpets or Roy Wood singing in his Ring-modulated trumpets voice?, you'll want to know halfway through "Message." And no one could blame you. My own personal favorite is the album's opener, "It Wasn't My Idea," which finds Wood singing such perfectly cerebrum-sizzling lines as, "Now it's too late to want your freedom/It wasn't my idea to dance," with an hilariously straight musical comedy delivery (much like the one he employed on the bridge of 1967's "Flowers In The Rain") in front of the most sinister imaginable bass and imprudently dissonant Near Eastern woodwind choruses. How perfectly astonishing, you'll exclaim. It may in fact be true that Roy Wood and his pals have not created something entirely new under the sun, but since when don't ingenious manipulation and clever innovation count for as much as genuine invention in rock and roll? Yes, at various times they are decidedly Creamy and Beatlish and Byrdsish and just slightly Bonzo Doggy, make no mistake, but for all their borrowing they're also one of the finest rock and roll bands you'll ever hear. Don't deprive yourself of them for another instant. - John Mendelsohn ********** Subject: Re: Mendelsohn's "Message" review Date: Sun, 5 May 2002 11:18:48 -0700 From: "Dale G. Leopold" If you liked Mendelssohn's review of MFTC, you can email him directly at wwwilson@rpnet.net. I did so a year or so ago, and he wrote me back very nicely. When I informed him that Carl was now with the Hollies, his reply was typical: "Does the man have no shame?" Check out www.rockcritics.com for a nice interview of him and other long-forgotten names under the record reviews... Dale in Richmond PS. He also reveals that Greil Marcus wrote the classing closing lines to JM's infamous Rolling Stone review of Led Zep II... ********** Subject: Re: The Move's 1st album artwork by The Fool Date: Sun, 5 May 2002 19:26:25 -0700 From: "Duncan Kimball" Cool thread. Have long been interested in The Fool and their work, and there's no doubt that they're up there with Martin Sharp, Hapshash, Rick Griffin et al as one of the major 'names' in psychedelic art, as epitomised by their incredible Apple boutique mural. No doubt most of you have seen it, but if not, check out the recent special 'Psychedelic Beatles' edition of Mojo, which has great colour pics of the Apple art (was this totally removed or simply painted over?) and the stunning job they did on the fireplace at George's house in Esher. There's a great colour pic at http://www.procolharum.com/guild/bj_richard_harum.htm with the Harum dressed in the psych-minstrel outfits that The Fool designed for them. They also did posters and programmes for the Saville Theatre, costumes for The Hollies and Procol, famously painted The Cream's instruments (Jack's bass and Ginger's drums and Eric's beautiful psychedelic SG, long owned by Todd Rundgren), Lennon's piano (on which he then composed "Walrus") and his Mini (but *not* the caravan and the Rolls), plus the rare original op-art inner sleeve for Sgt Peppers and many of the costumes worn by Fabs and friends during the 'Our World' / "All You Need Is Love" TV broadcast. The original page seems to be gone but there's a copy of a Dutch web-page with quite a lot of info (much of it in Dutch) about them in the Google cache: http://216.239.39.100/search?q=cache:agEMNWJoPRcC:members.tripodnet.nl /dph2/encyclopedia/f/fool.htm+Seemon+%2B+Marijke+%2B+%22The+Fool%22&hl=en Josje Leeger and Barry Finch married in 1969 and had 6 kids; Josje died in 1991, aged 47. Marijke Koger and Simon (Seemon) Posthuma moved to the US but divorced in 1982. Simon returned to the Netherlands where he is an established artist; Marijke still lives in the USA. Dunks ********** Subject: "Fight For My Country" Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 19:27:33 -0700 From: "chris roberts" Tyler asked: > Did this chart at all? Nope. (least not in the UK) And nor did any other Balls creation. Wish I could be more positive. :O( Chris (Cardiff, Wales, U.K.) ********** Subject: Re; "Fight For My Country" Date: Wed, 1 May 2002 00:17:51 -0700 From: "Richard Pasquini" Loved hearing "Fight For My Country" by Trevor "Balls" Burton...and also loved The Ace Kefford Stand song...never heard that before...loved them both. What do the B Sides sound like??? With much appreciation, Richie ********** Subject: Steve Gibbons Band Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 02:46:19 -0700 From: "Andrew Ralph" What was the line-up for the Steve Gibbons band in 1977? They showed an old clip on TOTP2 on BBC2 last week, and it looked like Trevor Burton on bass, but I couldn't be sure. I know SGB had roots in the ashes of the Idle Race, and Balls, and all the other fall-out from Roy and Jeff becoming successful. :-) ********** Subject: Re: Steve Gibbons Band Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 17:37:31 -0700 From: Richard Messum Yes, that would have been Trevor with the Steve Gibbons Band on TOTP. The complete line-up was: Steve Gibbons (guitar, vocal); Trevor Burton (bass, vocal, guitar); Bob Wilson (guitar, keyboards, vocal); Dave Carroll (guitar); Bob Lamb (drums). Trevor appeared on six Steve Gibbons LP's: "Any road up" (1976); "Rolling on" (1977); "Caught in the act" (1977); "Down in the bunker" (1978); "Best of...." (1980). and "Street parade" 1980). No idea if any of these are available on CD, though. ********** Subject: Roy's songs on the big screen Date: Thu, 2 May 2002 11:14:18 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins Dave Woodier wrote: > I think it would be really intriguing to see how Roy would fair with > a film score - with the BIG Band sound of the Army, Jolly Cup of Tea, > Premium Bond theme and some of his other instrumental wanderings he > has the skills I believe. > > Wouldn't it be great, the next Bond film with a score by Woody? Along these lines, exposure that's very sought after in America is having one of your songs chosen to be included in an episode of the HBO series, "The Sopranos." I read that the producer, David Chase, selects the songs himself. And I would imagine he gets hundreds of submissions in the mail each day. In an episode in Season 1, songs by Eric Burdon & the Animals, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, The Young Rascals, Bo Diddley and Them were featured. Sometimes they'll go for classics that are immediately recognizable, and sometimes they'll go for stuff that's eclectic or atmospheric. Whenever I watch the show, I imagine "I Can Hear The Grass Grow" when I see Tony in the backyard tending to his lawn. Or when Meadow is throwing fits, "Beautiful Daughter" seems the perfect musical companion (sarcasm abound, of course.) Or what about "Useless Information" when the FBI's latest plan to bug the Soprano's home goes awry. "Feel too Good" would work well as a dance number at Ba-Da-Bing's, or "Eddy's Rock" as a mob hit is being planned. If only I had an "in" at HBO... Back to Dave's idea of a film score, "Premium Bond Theme" absolutely! ********** Subject: What is your favorite Move item in YOUR collection? Date: Sun, 5 May 2002 11:18:36 -0700 From: MontyDaman (Harold) What is your favorite Move item in YOUR collection? I would have to say it's a tie: 1a) My original Regalzoneophone Lp and singles and 1b) My original 1969 Capitol Records Promo photo (Thanks T.S.) ********** Subject: Cool idea? Date: Sun, 5 May 2002 15:37:38 -0700 From: "chris roberts" Harold wrote: >What is your favourite Move item in YOUR collection? >I would have to say it's a tie: ....... Actually, that's a really cool idea (and yes I know that its not what our friend meant but....) - a Roy Wood "Tie" !!!!!! (that's a neck-tie to be clear about it). Tee-shirts have their place, but let's face it, time marches on and most of us are 'of an age' where we would get a lot more mileage out of a Woody tie than any other garment. I'm not thinking of anything to garish you understand, some subtle design that would go down well in the office yet allow one to "wear one's colours" to use soccer parlance. What does the 'list' think - could it be a 'runner'? I know there are companies on this side of the pond that will produce a home design on a tie without their being the need for a huge production run, and at reasonable cost too. Anyone interested? For the record, my choice for fave Woody thing (no sniggering Joe) would be my 'Roy Wood Story' album, which Roy signed after a Helicopters gig, the first time I met the man. Chris (Cardiff, Wales, U.K.) ********** Subject: Re: Cool idea? Date: Sun, 5 May 2002 18:36:43 -0700 From: Richard Messum I never need to wear a tie but occasionally like to. A "Roy Wood" tie would definitely rank right up there in my collection, at least as high as my Huckleberry Hound one. We must definitely contact Givenchy on this. Richard and cats ********** Subject: The Move - LIVE! Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 18:42:48 -0700 From: Peter MANION >If you've seen the Move or any member of the Move in concert, tell us >about that show. OK, thought it might be interesting to revisit this review I did a while back. THE MOVE - Woodsend Green, Flixton, Manchester - I still remember to this day the moment when my mate Al arrived clutching the 'Manchester Evening News' where he'd stumbled across the ad and how excited we were that 'The Move' were coming to town and we were going to get to see them - LIVE! - me, Al, Bill and Steve. We were only young lads then, same age as Joel (Glamrocker) is now! We had a band as well! The year was 1970 and Brontosaurus had just been released, Roy had had his face painted for the first time - and we were just so excited. Originally 'Mungo Jerry' were supposed to be on the same bill, but they didn't make it. The venue was a Marquee, in Woodsend Green, Flixton, Manchester - two bus rides and a long walk away - the date Saturday Sept 19th, 1970. The Move line up was Roy Wood, Bev Bevan, Jeff Lynne and Rick Price. We got there really early - like hours before anyone else - which was when my mate Steve showed me the sketch he'd done of Roy and told us how he was going to get on stage somehow and ask Roy to sign it! I started to worry then - that we'd get thrown out or worse! But Steve was like that and it was no use trying to talk him out of it - he was an art student and a Frank Zappa fan ! Gradually, numbers swelled and the support bands were really quite good and my mate Bill fell in love with a Go-Go-Dancing Girl. The DJ was Dave Eager from Radio 1 who was a Jimmy Saville type understudy and relatively famous around Manchester. And then, around nine things started stirring on stage and Rock legends we'd only ever seen on telly started moving around in the shadows and plugging in guitars and causing surges of feedback. Now there was a real hum and buzz about the place as Bev Bevan started to test his hi-hat and give his bass drum what for ! That was when Steve leapt on to the stage, just as the light-show got switched on and made a bee-line for Roy Wood! I didn't think he was going to make it because these two heavies were quick off the mark - but Woody signalled them everything was OK - had a quick chat to Steve, told him he liked the sketch and then autographed it! Seconds later Steve was back with us and 'The Move' were opening with their terrific version of The Beatles 'She's a Woman'. Next came Jeff Lynne's 'What' with the amps really wound up delivering mind-blowing power chords. Rick Price did most of the talking between songs and introduced 'Lightning Never Strikes Twice' followed by the one we'd all been waiting for - BRONTOSAURUS. The crowd really showed their appreciation for this as Roy started doing his cool 'Neolithic rock stomp' all around the stage. I suspect now that the producers of 'Jurassic Park' were there that night and captured what we were being treated to - because the atmosphere reproduced by that film was what we experienced 30 years earlier seeing 'The Move' - Do it - Do it - Do it - LOUD!!! Rick Price then asked us all to show our respect and remember one of the World's greatest ever guitarists - Jimi Hendrix - who died the day before..... Then came tracks from the album of the day 'Looking On' including the title track followed by another ear-bender 'Turkish Tram Conductor Blues' - I'd never realised just how important wax was to the proper functioning of the ears before seeing 'The Move' live! Now the band were on a roll and straight into 'I Can Hear the Grass Grow'. This was the only song to survive the 'Carl Wayne' era and really got the crowd motoring and clamouring for more. There were shouts for 'Flowers in the Rain' and 'Blackberry Way' but no chance. This was the new 'Move' and rockin' all the way. I hadn't noticed before that the audience was by and large seasoned rockers mixed with those who just came for a good night out - not sure what to expect. And then it was nearly all over - saving one of the best till last - 'When Alice comes back to the Farm' How that song didn't make number ONE I'll never know - except the studio recording lacked the oomph of the live version with cello and sax coming in and diluting the powerful slide guitar ....Never mind. What a night, though ! Yo ! And then, as we trudged home to catch the last trolley-bus into town me, Al, Bill and Steve stood for a moment reminiscing, outside some British Legion type Working Men's club eating our 'fish 'n' chips' and listening to some guy inside on drums and another one on piano doing - 'In the Summertime' - so we didn't miss 'Mungo Jerry' after all! ********** Subject: Re: The Move - LIVE! Date: Sat, 4 May 2002 02:35:53 -0700 From: "chris roberts" The Move - Manchester - 1970 Great review Pete - 'it was just like being there' - and what a good memory you have to recall the song list! It's always interesting to hear which songs were chosen to be included in the live shows of the day. It's all to easy to forget that the 'All the hits' show that Roy has delivered over the last (many) years is not the way it has always been. Nice one! ********** Subject: Re: Tell us the news about yourself... Date: Wed, 1 May 2002 00:17 From: Poisongold Sigh... I guess I can't procrastinate much longer... >Your name, age, location, occupation. Michael Jeffrey Cohen, 38, Brooklyn NY (originally Philadelphia PA), music copywriter/copy editor >How long have you been a Move and/or Roy Wood fan? I've been an ELO fan since 1977, when my counselor brought a very strange-sounding 8-track tape to summer camp (A New World Record). As I bought ELO records, I became more and more curious about the Move, but didn't even know if they'd ever recorded. Once I heard Roy on "No Answer" I knew I had to find something. In 1983 I found a dusty old compilation in the bargain bin of a used record store in Syracuse, NY, and as soon as I heard that scratchy, muffled "Flowers In The Rain," I knew I had a new favorite band.... >What was your first Move related experience? Reading the blurb about "10538 Overture" on the back of the "Ole ELO" compilation and finding out there had been a band called The Move. >Tell us about your top 5 favorite Move related tracks. Expanding this to Move/Roy Wood/ELO: 1) Flowers In The Rain 2) Any Old Time Will Do 3) The Words Of Aaron 4) Whisper In The Night 5) House Of Love >What's your favorite Move related album, and why? Favorite Move album would be "Message From The Country," but Move-RELATED? Hmmm... definitely "Mustard." By far. >What topics would you like to see discussed on this list? I've been enjoying what's been discussed... I learn so much from the posters here. I'd love to read more first-hand accounts of people who have seen the Move, Wizzard, ELO, Roy or Idle Race live... also, I love the reprinted interviews. >If you've seen the Move or any member of the Move in concert, tell us >about that show. Argh! I STILL don't have time to properly rave about Roy Wood's NYC shows!!! I went to the Fri, Sat and Sun shows and they were among the best concerts I've ever been to. I was gleeful. Too bad I was in a shy mood that weekend, or I'd have tried to meet more of you. But the music was enough (and the sight of one of my musical heroes, not to mention the sight of those gorgeous and talented women!). And WOW, the new songs! I dread to think I'll have to go through life without hearing Roy's Revenge again. (I'm not a fan of drum solos, but oh man, the rest of that song is worth it!) I so wish he'd release a live album from those shows. >Who are some of your other favorite artists/bands? XTC, Todd Rundgren/Utopia, The Beatles, Brian Wilson/Beach Boys, Elvis Costello, Suzanne Vega, Penelope Houston, The Nields, Squeeze, 10,000 Maniacs/John & Mary, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, Joni Mitchell, Aimee Mann, early REM, Oingo Boingo and far too many more.... oh, and Rachmaninoff, Gershwin, Gilbert & Sullivan >Which Move related song do you wish one of your favorite bands >would cover? I would love to hear Nerissa and Katryna Nields cover "Flowers In The Rain." The cruel irony is that Roy wouldn't get royalties. >What is the one burning question that you have never had answered >in relation to Move/Roy Wood history or music? I'd like to know the order in which the tracks were recorded for "Message"/"ELO"/"Boulders." The very first time I heard the "MFTC" album (on another compilation w/singles appended) I immediately thought it must have been recorded at the same time, or immediately before or after, the first ELO album. It seems, from the liner notes of "First Light," that I was right, but I'd love to know if any of the songs, aside from 10538, were originally intended for one of the other contemporaneous projects. >Are you having trouble finding any Move related music on CD? Yeah, "On The Road Again" (I burned a copy from vinyl, but it's not great), some of Roy Wood's singles... and that live Village Underground album! I know it doesn't exist, but I want it!!! I'm long-winded. Sorry. Great list. Thanks, Lynn and others. MJC End of Useless Information #351 ******************************* [This digest is the copyright of the Move "Useless Information" Mailing List. 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