[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 #386 September 7, 2002 In this issue: * Rock Down Low backward vocals (cont.) * Shazam and Move 1st album master tapes * Song Of The Week (week of 9/2): "Something" * Something Else promo * I can hear more grass grow...I think (cont.) * Roy Wood - 20th Century Guitar interview (Part 2) * "I Can Hear The Grass Grow" makes a comeback in the U.S.! ============================================================== To POST TO THE LIST: Send an e-mail to: move-list@eskimo.com Move List Info & Archives: http://www.eskimo.com/~noanswer/movelist.html Join the ELO List: http://www.eskimo.com/~noanswer/showdown.html Other official websites: The Move: http://www.themoveonline.com Roy Wood: http://www.roywood.co.uk Face The Music (for all ELO & related news): http://www.ftmusic.com TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail to move-digest-request@eskimo.com with the word "unsubscribe" (no quotes) in the subject line ============================================================== Subject: Re: Rock Down Low Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 13:28:09 -0700 From: "Boz Mdcn" Steve Graham wrote: >A long time ago I asked the question 'what is the instrument/voice at the >beginning of Rock Down Low?' > >Someone, can't remember who, said that it was Roy's vocals backwards, but >never said from where? and Lynn replied >I remember this post! Okay, Bob, it's time to de-lurk and clue the >rest of us in. ;) If you play the intro to Rock Down Low backwards (I have done it but it is not to be recommended on modern turntables or tape decks!) you will hear... * (DRUM ROLL) * ........The middle section of Dear Elaine ('Dawn that wears a sallow face......') without the vocal Paul ********** Subject: Re: Rock Down Low Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 02:39:03 -0700 From: kakman1 For all the ELO LPs I used to mess up looking for backwards messages, never once did I consider trying that on a Roy Wood, Wizzard or Move album. Now they're gone and all I got are CDs (except I don't have Boulders on CD, still waiting for First Light version, heh, heh). But if I use my brain a bit and think about this, and I'm recalling this from memory now. Hmmm, was this bit reversed from that middle bit in "Dear Elaine"? Yeah, I can't recall the lyric but I can hear the section in my head, a sort of middle eight before where the horn is tooting while the background vocals are going on while Roy's lead is singing and beautifully, plaintively goes for it. Then on to the final verse and chorus and that sawing cello again. Yeah, good trick Roy! Way better than those horrible backwards bits on "Open Up said The World At Your Door" and less embarrassing bits on "Words Of Aaron" (or were those Jeff's attempts? he he). Still the master of backwards masking had to be the Beatles. They did the earliest and the best. My faves: end of second verse of I'm So Tired (White Album)(backwards message is "I WISH I WAS NOT A BEATLE") and the inner groove on U.K. Sgt. Pepper played at half speed (WE'LL F*** YOU LIKE SUPERMAN!). Their later backwards masking experiments were invisible, not obvious and very clever. Kevin Kunreuther Dallas, TX ********** Subject: Shazam and Move 1st album master tapes Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 14:35:22 -0700 From: "Andy" The move's first album came out in mono and stereo .Both versions differ. Are both masters damaged or is the other lost depending on which one you have that is.One option i bet you are considering is to restore from original copy's of the albums. I am at the moment looking into software to do this and convert lp's to cd. The 10538 Overture acetate from first light shows what can be done. I'm lucky that i have a near mint copy of shazam on regal zono and a high end quality turntable. I hope you can restore both versions of the first album and shazam and put the few a and b sides back to the correct running times.You are doing a great job Rob and we all know how hard you are working to put this right.I have mint copy's of Dance round the maypole -Acid Gallery (The move should have recorded this) and For your love-Ace kefford stand. If you need to lend them to copy maybe for future comp of rare stuff let me know. They are very very rare now and i bet some fans of the move would love to hear them. All the best Andrew Footman. ********** Subject: Re: Shazam Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 18:37:26 -0700 From: Tremelo7 .........and what about the move live at the fillmore tapes.....and that was during the shazam period......mike ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Something" Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 02:39:37 -0700 From: Richard Messum Vocals: This was the 4th Move song i ever heard, nos. 1 & 2 being "Flowers in the rain" and its b-side ("Here we go round the lemon tree") and #3 being of course "Blackberry Way." Roy Wood is such a versatile singer that it was a while before i realised that the band even had another vocalist, and this is Carl Wayne at his most emotive. Songwriting: who is David Morgan? Arrangement/production: very much of the 60's: the string arrangement is very cheesy. (In answer to Kevin's question, yes, it was produced by Denny Cordell.) Italian vs. English: can't comment on this one as my knowledge of Italian is limited to "ciao" and "spaghetti bolognese, s'il vous plait." I don't know what else to say about it: it's pleasant enough but i'd never consider it as one of my favourites. ********** Subject: Re:Song Of The Week: "Something" Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 17:00:07 -0700 From: "Rob Caiger" The original title was "A Certain Something". Produced by Denny Cordell with Glyn Johns engineering, the track was first recorded by the band in 15 takes at Olympic Sound Studios in April 1968, with one composite multitrack mix being assembled from the best bits at the end of the session. Certainly, "Something" was missing because the whole process was attempted again at Trident Studios in June, only this time with strings, recorders, flutes, clarinets, etc, instead of the band, plus a new vocal from Carl. The production duties were split between Cordell and Tony Visconti, no doubt brought in to save the track with his brilliant orchestral embellishments, as he had done earlier with Flowers In The Rain. ********** Subject: Something Else promo Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2002 12:40:13 -0700 From: marmil (Marc) (I ask this question about once a year, maybe someone new on the list has seen this) About 20 years ago, I had a few hundred records stolen from a storage space. Included in these was a promo of the Move's Somthing Else. It was a 7" 45, 1-sided white label on UK Columbia. The only song was Something Else. The picture sleeve was the same as the regular issue, except it was black and white. Has anyone ever seen this? ********** Subject: Re: I can hear more grass grow...I think Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 02:40:03 -0700 From: Richard Messum Lynn wrote: >I'd be interested in knowing which of the various vinyl singles >includes the end "chordal riff" part. Maybe all of them? >To my knowledge, it was released in 12 countries on the Deram label. >Anorak check: Does anyone on this list have all 12? :) Can't help you there, but the version that appears on the "Nuggets II" collection does have it, as does that on "The Best of the Move" (vinyl). The "Movements" box does *not* -- and those are the only 3 places i have the song. ********** Subject: Roy Wood - 20th Century Guitar interview (Part 2) Date: Tue, 3 Sep 2002 04:18:31 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins 20th Century Guitar April, 2002 by Larry Acunto Part 2 of 2 ...And then we chatted for a little while... Twentieth Century Guitar: Who is Roy Wood's Army and why are you invading us? Roy Wood: Roy Wood's Army are more or less the same as the "Roy Wood Big Band" ... we just changed the name so that people wouldn't get confused and think that we were a swing band. TCG: What prompted this trip to the US? RW: I thought it was time to break away from playing the same old venues in the U.K. Both myself and the band were beginning to get bored with it. I think we have taken it just about as far as we wanna go over there, hence the idea to completely change musical style, which I will explain to you later. TCG: Is this a sign of your finally giving the American market a go? RW: Well to be honest, we would have come over to the U.S.A. a lot sooner, had it not been for the financial aspect of having such a big traveling unit. I didn't want to get to a position where I had to cut right down on the band in order that we could afford to tour here. Playing with a small band just does not appeal to me anymore. Plus, who am I supposed to leave out? They are all my mates. We are hoping that through word of mouth and publications such as yourselves, we may be invited back here to play later on in the year. TCG: Any recording plans for the band at this time? RW: We did record a live album a couple of years ago, which actually turned out very well. After discussing it though, myself and the band decided to shelve it for the time being. This is mainly because the live set consists of a lot of the old hit singles, and I did not wish the new band to be labeled as retro. I am currently working on some new material which we will hopefully release first, that is of course if we can manage to get a recording contract. TCG: How involved were you with the recent release of the first ELO double CD set? RW: Not much involvement at all, really. Both myself and Jeff Lynne were sent copies to check over, and we both subsequently wrote sleeve notes, but that was about it. It was interesting to see again the video of 10538 Overture, which is on the CD. TCG: Since we have not yet gotten it over here, how did Tuscany (the recent Renaissance CD so far released only in Japan) come out and what was it like working again with Annie Haslam? RW: It was unfortunate that I got real busy with stuff at the time of recording Tuscany, and couldn't get to finish it. I enjoyed working both with Annie Haslam and also the rest of Renaissance, they are very nice people. I have a feeling that Mike Dunford may have had some pressure from the record company to get the album finished pronto. In my opinion, the final mixes suffered for this, and could have been slightly better. TCG: Congratulations on the Ivor Novello Award. It must be somewhat gratifying to be recognized for your extensive song catalog. (I think there is a question in there somewhere.) RW: Yes, it was a great feeling to receive such a "posh" award, especially as it is voted by your peers and presented by the Academy of Music. Just made me wanna go home and write more songs. TCG: It seems you have been doing a bunch of radio shows over there. Are you a "closet" DJ? RW: So, you obviously heard about that? Yes, I presented four shows for the BBC over in the U.K. They just asked me if I would be interested, while the other program presenters were away on holiday. I said I would, as long as I had a free rein with the music and didn't have to play their usual crap. It was quite a good experience actually, as it was live on air and I had to also interview people apart from just the music stuff. TCG: What exactly is a Womble and should we be searching for a vaccine? (There have been a lot of unusual goings on in this part of the world of late, I'm sure you may have read something about that.) RW: AH!!! It's a fair cop, officer! For your information, a Womble is a bit like a giant cuddly furry rat. "The Wombles" has been a children's T.V. series for many years, both with people in Cuddly suits (I hope there are no kids reading this, don't wanna spoil things), and also an animated cartoon version. Mike Batt, the guy who writes all the music for this, and is also a good friend of mine, approached me last year with a view to recording a Christmas single. The idea was to arrange what would be an amalgamation of my own Christmas hit ("I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday") and also a hit that Mike had written a few years ago. We eventually welded these two songs together and re-recorded them. The upshot of this was that the single entered the U.K. charts at number twenty. Not too bad as we only did it for a laugh. Incidentally, I was the first human ever to appear in a Wombles video. Good, eh? TCG: The song "The First In His guitar" from the Main Street CD has a rather Robin Trower-ish intro - any connection? RW: No. Actually it was meant to be a dedication to Hendrix. As usual though, I went off on a tangent half way through the song and did that jazzy bit. Pity it took so many years for someone to decide to release the bloody thing, I had forgotten what it sounded like. TCG: The song, also off Main Street, "French Perfume," stands out both for its great horn arrangements and the rather "Django-esque" guitar playing. RW: Thanks. The horns were influenced somewhat by The Buddy Rich Orchestra. I loved what they did. I really enjoy writing parts like that. TCG: You were once quoted as saying that you didn't take pop music seriously until you heard The Shadows. What influence did The Shadows have on your musical upbringing? RW: Quite a lot at the time. I went to see them live at Birmingham Town Hall when I was about eleven or twelve. I knew right then that this is what I wanted to do. The sound of Hank Marvin's guitar was just superb. Just so clean, sounded like he had dipped his Strat in some sort of sparkling industrial cleaner. My next big influence apart from The Shadows I suppose, must have been the Beach Boys. TCG: Wasn't there talk of Hank Marvin joining The Move after The Shadows first split up in 1969? RW: Yep. We just thought that we'd be cheeky and ask him, knowing full well that he would politely decline, and who could blame him??!! Nice bloke. TCG: What exactly is the "Mega Dance Orquesta"? RW: Now you're talkin'! Got to a position a while ago where I was getting fed up to the teeth with having to go onstage and still perform songs that i wrote twenty or thirty years ago. The band were also of the opinion that if we carry on doing this for much longer, we have no future as a musical entity. Thought it was about time for a major change of direction... As my band consist mainly of horns, and it's a sort of hobby of mine writing parts for this, also the majority of the band are good jazz musicians, I thought, how about some "salsa" music. Yep... I have obviously set myself quite a task, 'cos there's no point in slipping one or two salsa numbers in the act as it currently stands, that would just be defeating the object. So, the plan is to write a whole new show, which I am currently working on. As things are in the U.K. at the moment, both the radio stations and record companies have become very "ageist" making it difficult to get air play if you are over the age of thirty five. So we're gonna release something without my name on it at all, just to get some un-biased reaction. The band will be called M.D.O., "Mega Dance Orquesta." TCG: Back when we did the Lily's concert, I asked you for the secret to the recording of "Brontosaurus" which you politely refused to divulge. Are you ready yet to spill the proverbial beans? RW: Beans - whether proverbial or otherwise - will not be spilled on this occasion. TCG: You have been on TV in England more than most (it seems) - is there anyone or any chance of someone gathering up these appearances for some type of DVD? RW: I do have some plans for a DVD collection. I just need to find some time to dedicate to it. As you can imagine, it's not quite straightforward obtaining copyrights to all this stuff. My daughter, Holly, has some very good ideas for this, which I will no doubt use. TCG: I see from recent photos that you are playing a red Strat - is that the same one you used in New York last time you were here and, if so, have you taken the plastic off the pickguard yet? Also, are you using any other guitars for your performances and what about amplification? RW: Yes, still using Strats on stage, not the red one though. Now using good re-issue models on the road, as I had my 1958 Strat stolen off the tour buss about four years ago. I've just written a song called "Big Girls Blues" which I used a Les Paul on the demo, but it's difficult to keep the damn thing in tune for stage work. Amp: I use a Marshall JCM 900 with a 4 x 12 cab. I'm hoping that the gig in New York have managed to hire me one. TCG: And, of course the requisite, what are the plans for the immediate future? RW: See what the results are from the gigs in good old New York, then decide whether to get the salsa band together sooner rather than later. Bearing in mind that "M.D.O." will be even bigger than Roy Wood's Army, probably fifteen people. Copyright 2002 20th Century Guitar Magazine 20th Century Guitar Website: http://www.tcguitar.com ********** Subject: "I Can Hear The Grass Grow" makes a comeback in the U.S.! Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 02:38:19 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins A couple weeks ago, I got the most interesting e-mail from a member of this list. It started out... "Last night, I was driving in my car listening to talk radio. I got a bit bored with the talk radio station and hit a button on the car radio. On came The Move with 'I Can Hear the Grass Grow,' a song commonly heard in my car. But in a split second, I looked at the car radio and the song was playing on KLSX 97.1! Apparently, there is a guy on from 10-Midnight on Saturday nights who plays garage music..." As soon as I read the words "garage music" I had a big grin on my face. I knew right away... that's Steven Van Zandt playing The Move on his radio show! God bless you, Little Steven! You all know him as Springsteen's guitar player. Maybe you know him as Silvio on The Sopranos, too. He's got a weekly syndicated radio show called "Underground Garage." Trust me, you'll go nuts when you find out what he plays on his shows. The list member who told me about "I Can Hear The Grass Grow" said that when he back announced his set he mentioned all of the members of the band, Roy's writing of the song, and the producer. How wonderful! (If you're wondering what took me so long to post about this, I was waiting for the August 18 playlist to be added to Little Steven's website.) I know there are some former disc jockeys on this list, myself included, who will feel like they're reading their own playlists... http://www.littlesteven.com Click on "Underground Garage" and you'll spot "Playlists." There are audio archives as well, so you'll be able to hear his Move back announce. If the show isn't available where you live (especially if you're overseas! ;) you can listen on the Web. "Underground Garage" debuted April 7. Steven has played "I Can Hear The Grass Grow" twice so far. I don't want to spoil your fun - I was literally giddy when I read through all the playlists - but I thought I'd share the two sets that featured The Move. Ain't it great? Lynn SHOW: August 18 SET 4 Title: Pictures of Matchstick Men Artist: Status Quo From: Nuggets II (Rhino, 2001) Title: I Can Hear the Grass Grow Artist: The Move From: Nuggets II (Rhino, 2001) Title: Every Christian Lion-Hearted Man Will Show You Artist: Bee Gees From: Bee Gees First (Mercury, 1967) Title: I See The Rain Again Artist: Marmalade From: Very Best of the Marmalade (Sanctuary, 2002) Title: Coloured Rain Artist: Traffic From: Mr. Fantasy (Island, 1967) SHOW: May 19 Set 4 Title: I Can Hear the Grass Grow Artist: The Move From: NUGGETS II Title: What's Happening?!?! Artist: The Byrds From: FIFTH DIMENSION (Columbia, 1966) Title: Merry Go Round Artist: Count Five From: PSYCHOTIC REACTION (Collectables, 1999) Title: Love You To Artist: The Beatles From: REVOLVER (Capitol, 1966) Title: When I Was Young Artist: The Animals From: GREATEST HITS (Bigtime) ********** Subject: Re: "I Can Hear The Grass Grow" makes a comeback in the U.S.! Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2002 14:27:32 -0700 From: marmil (Marc) Lynn, When Roy played in NYC, it was part of Little Steven's Underground Garage series. End of Useless Information #386 ******************************* [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.]