[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 #417 December 4, 2002 In this issue: * Song Of The Week (week of 12/2): "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" * Stereo Review's 'Movements' review * Pouring over digest, Blue Moons and Exotic Mixture * Royzone? * Find Of The Week: "Best of the Move CD" ============================================================== 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 TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail to move-digest-request@eskimo.com with the word "unsubscribe" (no quotes) in the subject line ============================================================== Subject: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 14:58:27 -0800 From: Lynn Hoskins Song Of The Week: December 2, 2002 "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" from the album "Move" Possible discussion topics: Vocals Instrumentation Arrangement/Production Strong & weak points *********************** "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" (James Hanley) Dear, when you smile at me I hear a melody It haunted me from the start Something inside of me Started a symphony Zing! went the strings of my heart! 'Twas like a breath of spring I heard a robin sing About a nest set apart All nature seemed to be In perfect harmony Zing! went the strings of my heart! Your eyes made skies seem blue again What else could I do again But keep repeating through and through I love you, love you! I still recall the thrill I guess I always will I hope 'twill never depart I knew I loved you heaps And you were mine for keeps Zing! went the strings of my heart! ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 16:04:31 -0800 From: John DeSilva Ok ... I've taken some good natured ribbing from Mike Cross and others for my disdain for this song. In the interest of open-mindedness I re-listened to this with the headphones and it's really not too grating, except for the fact that I keep hearing Bev's vocal as if it were sung by Ted Cassidy, TV's Lurch from "The Addams Family" show of the mid-sixties. At the end of the song I always expect Bev to go "Uhhhhhhhhhh .... you rang?" The instrumentation is actually quite good - the singing on the verse not sung by Bev is over the top in a very good way (is that Carl? Ace? Trevor? Englebert?), and Ace's bass solo shows that he is truly the "Ace of Bass". ;-D So Mike - it's not that bad ... it is creepy and it's kooky, and altogether hooky though ... ;-D JD San Jose, CA ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 09:40:11 -0800 From: "Michael J. Cross" JD Wrote: >So Mike - it's not that bad ... it is creepy and it's kooky, and >altogether hooky though ... ;-D And you think this change of heart will spare you from that 4:00 a.m. drunken vocal-and-kazoo "Zing" duet via telephone? I don't think so! Bwaahaaahaaaa! Now we even have the lyrics....it is now a matter of time....tick tock tick tock tick tock Creepily, Mike Long live the bullfrog. And I don't mean Jeremiah. ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 21:01:34 -0800 From: "Greg Weatherby" John DeSilva wrote: > I've taken some good natured ribbing from Mike Cross and others for > my disdain for this song. In the interest of open-mindedness I > re-listened to this with the headphones and it's really not too John, you're not wrong about this song.........for long time listers, it's a point that I made quite some time ago, that this song was a complete waste of vinyl bandwidth on the first album; it doesn't work for me on any level, except for the instrumental "sound" of the original five......1) as a novelty song, it doesn't work, if that was the point 2) if the point was to give Bev an opportunity to sing a whole song, then......it doesn't work 3) and then the most annoying thing to me (as I have stated before) is that this pre-dated the CD (by only about 20 years!), whaz my point? On a vinyl record, there was a limitation of roughly eighteen minutes a side (hence the typical 6 songs of roughly 3 minutes each), now with Roy having the ability to write such....good....songs, why waste the track, when we could have had another "Here We Go Round The Lemon Tree", or another "Kilroy Was Here", not this.....thing. I hated this song when I first bought the album back in 68, and I still hate it. It just seems like a waste of space. Maybe the Move doing "Dance Round The Maypole" coulda been on there instead. (for the anoraks on the list, I realize that the Acid Gallery song wasn't released for over a year after the album, but maybe he had this song laying around.....it certainly sounds like 67 / 68!) So....."Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart"? more like zing went my hands to the tonearm. Greg just my opinion, btw :}} ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 21:02:02 -0800 From: "Tyler C.Sherman" Hmmmm... one must wonder if this cover tune is a "joke" performance left over from their early club days, ala Roy doing impressions of Dusty Springfield with a blonde wig when he was still with the Nightriders. Perhaps Bev had some "schtick" he would do while singing it when they did this live back then that made it a popular tune in their repertoire, causing them to include it in the Move's first album. In any event, here we have it as part of their first LP seeming somewhat out of place with the excellent content of the rest of the album. While this cover is a bit hokey, the others are rather hip. So, again, one must wonder why it was included. It does have a peculiar charm, though. I guess I'll chalk it up to "comedy relief"... Wizzards, Tyler ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 21:02:42 -0800 From: kakman Well, everyone who hears this usually says something along the lines of, "What were they thinking? They weren't serious, were they? Take it off, now, please?". IMHO, this indicates a clear case of not getting it. The Move were many things in their day, but are remembered in the main for their psychedelic wrecking ball act, weird clothes, getting sued by a PM, and oh, yes, making great Top Five records. One of the many other facets of the group most fans forget or never bothered to notice is their brand of warped satirical humour, which usually wasn't pushed to the forefront by any of their managements. You had to buy the albums or accidently happen upon it in the lyric content of some of Roy's singles. "Zing..." is weird when you come upon it on the Move LP, cos it sticks out amidst all the pretty wonderful pop confections and rockers on the album. Nevertheless, this isn't some piss take that somehow escaped notice and got thrown in on the album. This was definitely another side of the Move, their willingness not to take it all that seriously and have a big laugh and were bold enough to want to share that conviction with the British record buying public. This foray into humour comes from Roy's early comedy bits with his previous group the Nightriders, and surely enough Bev's own sense of humour that he shared with his childhood friend Jasper Carrot, and this was continued through on "Shazam", "Looking On" and "Message From The Country"; "Shazam" is sprinkled with Carl's humourous live comments with passerbys on Great Portland Street throughout and reprises "Cherry Blossom Clinic", "Looking On" contains humourous recorded passages at the end of the record, and "Message..." is chockful of humourous songs amidst the excellent popcraft and skillfully executed musianship of that LP. Yes, you may argue, that may be true, but really, "Zing.." really really sucks. Again, you're missing the point, I say. If "Zing..." was sung by say Chris or Roy (and still kept Trevor's middle bit of course) it may have been a nicer sounding but would have become totally pointless. Bev's off key frog vocals are what really make this an absolute delicious comedy recording, worthy enough to play on Dr Demonto show (is that still on the air?). "Zing..." I grant you is not "Lemon Tree" or "Omnibus" where the humour is still there but is a different caliber, almost too clever, dryer type of humour and the music is far too polished here and you just get lost in the sheer exquisitiveness of the whole production. "Zing.. " is in your face , knees up, how's your father and all that. It's a worthy and important artifact to the Move canon and should not be buried under a rock in Utah or left on the cutting room floor and incinerated as some people have opined over the years. An excellent choice for SOTW, Lynn, and, as many of you may have guessed, I do like it. (To all members of this list who also are on Showdown list, this may be my "Marston Moor" ;0) ) Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 01:59:52 -0800 From: "Andrew Footman" Worse than Curly this is the only song by the band that should have been wiped and never seen the light of day. Has you all know by now i dont think Curly was a A side quality song. It would have been fine has a B side. But Zing - awful. Vote For Me would have fitted LP better. I like all the other silly songs they have done but this was a mistake. Bass solo is about as good as this one gets, horrid thing have to play Shazam now blasted thing is stuck in my head now, have to get rid of it. ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 02:00:07 -0800 From: "Joseph Davolt" I'm usually more of a 'lurker' but I feel inclined to comment on this song. I don't see why it gets a bad rap - it's great! Hilarious. I don't see how anyone can listen to it and take it seriously. I've even read reviews that say it's "not even good for a laugh" (or something to that affect). I have to disagree. It's very funny, in that ol' "dry humor / wry wit" ironic kinda way. Bev's vocals are the epitome of bad singing, but they're supposed to be. And then, having the other guy (my money's on Ace - maybe Trevor) take the other part and sing it so well/normal, as if it's just another line-trading Move song, pretending Bev's vocal wasn't very strange, adds to the irony and, thus the comedy of the whole affair. And then the bass solo, instead of a guitar solo. I think the reason for that is to add the focal point - Bev's bass vocal - and kinda re-state the point. That works as well because not only is it a great solo it's twisted, just like everything else the Move did. Demented. Add to humor the fact that this is a very catchy song, which you (at least I) find yourself singing all the time, even if it's been a while since the last listen, and you've got a monster. This song is a great example of the Move's sense of humor, which is an important part of what the Move was and meant. Joseph Davolt, 18 Illinois, USA PS - I've came across a CD I didn't know existed. It's a US-issued 1989 CD on A&M called "The Best of the Move" that has the same track listing as the 1974 A&M 2LP "The Best of the Move" (ie first album plus singles). Though the cover art is different, the LP and the CD have a similar number sequence in their catalog numbers, so I guess it's basically a re-issue of the album, and it's supposed to use the stereo mixes of the first album's tracks. Anyone have this? Is it worth buying? Does it sound better than "Movements"? Any thoughts on it (sound quality, packaging, etc) would be appreciated. ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 09:39:40 -0800 From: Bob Hughes It's fun. It makes me laugh. Near as I can remember Bev only actually misses one note. A higher accuracy percentage than, say, Ringo. This version is almost exactly the same arrangement as the Darts version (which I don't think was produced by Roy) so it's safe to say it's a cover of some obscure 50's doo wop hit rather than "an old song from the 20's" like some think. Just another attempt by white boys to do R&B. It's a hoot. Almost as funny as Ben Crawley. ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 11:41:54 -0800 From: "Bobby Sutliff" I'm aware that Zing is some folks least favorite entree in the Move's ouvre, but I've always loved it. Bev is great and the bass solo rocks in its own way. ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 23:38:35 -0800 From: "Rob Caiger" Bobby Sutliff wrote: > ...but I've always loved it. Bev is great and the bass solo rocks in > its own way. The bass solo (and vocal) is by Ace, the backing vocals The Move's homage to The Coasters and Bev's vocal is double-tracked. Very scary in (true) stereo....... ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 11:42:47 -0800 From: "Greg Weatherby" Bob Hughes wrote: > It's fun. It makes me laugh. Near as I can remember Bev only actually > misses one note. A higher accuracy percentage than, say, Ringo. This > version is almost exactly the same arrangement as the Darts version > (which I don't think was produced by Roy) so it's safe to say it's a > cover of some obscure 50's doo wop hit rather than "an old song from > the 20's" like some think. No, it was written in 1935 for a stage revue called "Thumbs Up". It was recorded by Judy Garland, which is about as un-doo wop as you can get, short of Wayne Newton. She released it around 1940, and then later in the late 50s / early 60s, so what the hell the Move were doing with this song is still beyond me. And who mentioned "Ben Crawley"? Another waste of vinyl, what possessed Bev to have to sing lead, his voice was suited for back-up vocals (see "I Can Hear The Grass Grow"). I know I'm gonna be told that I don't "get it", but to me, these 2 songs detract rather than add to the Move legacy. Greg did I tell you how I feel about the cover art on Shazam? ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 13:45:48 -0800 From: Cathy Uselton Greg Weatherby wrote: > No, it was written in 1935 for a stage revue called "Thumbs Up". It > was recorded by Judy Garland, which is about as un-doo wop as you can > get, short of Wayne Newton. Actually, my 14-year-old daughter is a big fan of Judy Garland, and has several albums by her. She loves Judy's version of "Zing", so I had her listen to the Move version. Her response: "Oh my god..." But then she laughed! So I think it does have some humor value. > And who mentioned "Ben Crawley"? Another waste of vinyl, what > possessed Bev to have to sing lead, his voice was suited for back-up > vocals (see "I Can Hear The Grass Grow"). I know I'm gonna be told > that I don't "get it", but to me, these 2 songs detract rather than > add to the Move legacy. I don't know about Ben Crawley Steel Company distracting from the Move legacy. The Move (i.e. Roy Wood) were great at plying different genres. I hear a great deal of 60's Johnny Cash in Bev's version of Ben Crawley Steel Company. But then again, I grew up in Oklahoma, so I heard ALOT, ALOT, ALOT of Johnny Cash on the radio and on television. Johnny's story songs are legendary, and this really sounds like another story song that the Second Man in Black could have recorded. (The first Man in Black being Roy Orbison...) Johnny's story songs can have quite a sense of humor also (example: "One Piece At A Time"), and I think BCSC captured it beautifully. Love that evil laugh at the end of it. ;-) my 2 cents... thanks! cu tornado alley, ok ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 13:46:38 -0800 From: Jim Duckworth Bob Hughes wrote: >...it's safe to say it's a cover of some obscure 50's doo wop hit rather >than "an old song from the 20's" like some think. and Greg Weatherby wrote: >No, it was written in 1935 for a stage revue called "Thumbs Up". It >was recorded by Judy Garland... Both of the above are true! Its origins are as listed above but the Move's rendition is a fairly faithful cover of the Coaster's version of this song. kindest regards, Jim Duckworth, Memphis TN ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Zing Went The Strings of My Heart" Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 23:39:36 -0800 From: Bob Hughes >Both of the above are true! Its origins are as listed above but the >Move's rendition is a fairly faithful cover of the Coaster's version of >this song. kindest regards, >Jim Duckworth, Memphis TN That's exactly what I meant. I knew the song was copyrighted in the thirties. I've got the sheet music in front of me, as a matter of fact. But the Move version is based on the Coasters - not Judy Garland. But some of you guys just aren't any fun! Next thing you know, somebody will be telling me that "When Grandma Plays the Banjo" isn't the greatest song Roy ever wrote. :) ********** Subject: Stereo Review's 'Movements' review Date: Fri, 29 Nov 2002 10:06:25 -0800 From: Lynn Hoskins Here's another that was posted to the list...4 1/2 years ago?? Time flies! It's always interesting to me to read what reviewers choose as their favorite moments on an album... --- Movements: 30th Anniversary Anthology Stereo Review May 1998 (4 out of 5 stars) by Steve Simels THE MOVE Movements: 30th Anniversary Anthology (Westside, three CDs, 205 min.) Although the Move is often remembered as the band that begat the Electric Light Orchestra and Jeff Lynne, the truth is that it was by far the best British group of the 1960s that never made the charts in the States. Movements, an import retrospective, is long overdue, even if it's not quite the complete works (for the rest, check out the excellent Great Move on EMI). What's here, however, is choice: the band's first three albums (The Move, Shazam, Looking On), all the singles, the ultra-rare live EP Something Else (with its killer cover of the Eddie Cochran song), and assorted oddities. Stylistically, the set is all over the map, with everything from a gorgeous psych-era pop ballad like "Blackberry Way" to a hilarious heavy metal pastiche like "Brontosaurus." There's a plethora of first-rate, occasionally even inspired rock-and-roll here, and leader Roy Wood turns out to have been a brilliant guitarist as well as a terrific songwriter - just check out the wah-wah-drenched solo that slices "The Last Thing on My Mind" right down the middle. Besides, if you've never heard "Fire Brigade," you've missed out on one of the classic singles of all time. ********** Subject: Pouring over digest, Blue Moons and Exotic Mixture Date: Sat, 30 Nov 2002 08:17:10 -0800 From: kakman Just pouring over the digest online of the past couple of months; makes good reading I must say. Was reminded of the latest competition Lynn had posted (The On The Road Again Contest). Really good questions. How many people entered this time (I curse myself for not entering the previous competition, never got around to it in time, grrrr! I missed all the fun!)? How many got all the questions right (everyone who entered, I'd hope)? The holiday shopping season is officially in gear over here in US. I got my presents early; my copy of TB's Blue Moons arrived from the FTM shop (yup, the jewel case was a shambles of shards again, does this happen just to me or do the customs people and mail handlers use ball pein hammers on items not marked "FRAGILE" from UK) and a pristine unopened copy of Exotic Mixture (bargain price with shipping from ebay auction: $16!). I like Blue Moons, some parts got that blues jam thing going, other bits sounds a bit "Springsteen-like" (that's not a negative comparison). Disc One of "EM" very likable indeed, the liner notes, superb, can't believe this is actually a Repertoire release (I guess I'm biased because previous release I bought on this label was their flat sounding 'safety tape' version of Shazam (I know, it's not their fault, the master is lost, I'm sure some knucklehead filed it under "BURN THIS" or worse some collector snatched it and is holding it hostage)). Disc Two while not bad, I have to say a lot of tracks here don't click with me. Exceptions are "(We're) On The Road Again", "Green Glass Windows" and "It's Not Easy". Happy Holiday shopping everyone! Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX ********** Subject: Royzone? Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 10:48:11 -0800 From: JHAIRYJ (Jimmy) Anyone any idea what ever happened to the mag Royzone? I think I got about 3 issues...grateful for any info. ********** Subject: Re: Royzone? Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 13:47:11 -0800 From: Gmcorie never heard of the mag royzone... what when where? louisiana george ps. thanks lynn for all the info on the tribute for george Harrison concert. never be another. ********** Subject: "Best of the Move" Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 23:40:31 -0800 From: kakman Joe Davolt wrote: >PS - I've came across a CD I didn't know existed. It's a US-issued >1989 CD on A&M called "The Best of the Move" that has the same track >listing as the 1974 A&M 2LP "The Best of the Move" (ie first album >plus singles). It was the first and only US CD re-issue of A&M's "Best Of The Move" and was quickly deleted. the art is different, it's worth it I suppose for Bev's liner notes.Back in 1989 at the time I got it, it was the first time I got any Move on CD and was excited to get this. Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX ********** Subject: Find Of The Week: "Best of the Move CD" Date: Wed, 4 Dec 2002 01:46:15 -0800 From: "Tyler C.Sherman" Joseph, Run, do not walk, back to the store where you saw the EMI "Best Of The Move" CD and buy it before someone else does. This long deleted US reissue is excellent ...AND getting very hard to find. Way back when it first came out, I.C.E. rated it very highly, and they are particularly persnickety about CD sound quality. Also, it contains a couple of interesting "hidden bonus tracks". I won't say any more about that so as not to spoil it for you. Wizzards, Tyler End of Useless Information #417 ******************************* [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.]