[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 #463 April 8, 2003 In this issue: * EMI wants your feedback * Four Little Diamonds (from ELO 2 ?!) * Message From The Country - when? * New Hollies "Greatest Hits" * Roy - time for a change * Move 2003 Reunion? (cont.) * ELO II & The Lost Planet * One Year Ago... NY Times Woody review * One Year Ago... Village Underground review ============================================================== 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: EMI wants your feedback Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2003 17:07:06 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins Your thoughts and opinions about the new ELO 2 30th Anniversary Remastered Expanded Edition 2CD set are needed for future Roy Wood/Move projects being considered. The more feedback EMI see, the easier it will be for Rob to get the go-ahead on releases that have been talked about here on the Move List. In addition, the artists (Roy in particular) want to know what you think. How do you like the packaging... artwork... remastering... track selection... booklets... sleeve notes... bonus tracks... rarities... etc. Your opinions about ELO 2 carry a lot of weight - they are VERY important, to Rob, EMI and the artists. Post your comments to the list, or send them off-list to Rob at face.the.music@dial.pipex.com. Thank you! ********** Subject: Four Little Diamonds (from ELO 2 ?!) Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 23:21:14 -0800 From: "The Prestons" I really like the Carl Wayne & ELO's previously unreleased recording session. The impression I got from these songs and 'Everyone's Born To Die' was that Jeff wanted to steer ELO's style more toward the rock genre. It's interesting to me that some of their biggest commercial successes were pop hits, with a start like ELO (No Answer) and ELO 2. ('10538 Overture' to 'Turn To Stone' - what a versatile band ELO is!) ... The 'Four Little Diamonds' I was referring to in the subject line of this post are: 1. Everyone's Born To Die; 2. Your World (Take 2); 3. Get A Hold Of Myself (Take 2); and 4. Mama (Take 1). Everyone's Born To Die - What can I say? It's always great to hear a 'new' ELO song, even if it's an 'old/new' ELO song! This is an excellent classic rock tune, and I don't know why it was an outtake. It has a certain Dylanesque quality about it. At first, I was surprised at the sound, and couldn't relate it to the 'ELO' sound that is present on all the albums, but then again, I have thought that about a lot of 'new' ELO songs when I first heard them. Seems to me that Jeff really put his all into singing this one. Your World - Again, huge surprise at the sound! (Pleasantly surprised, as always.) Carl Wayne can really 'belt out' a tune. (I might have to buy myself one of 'The Hollies' CDs.) Heavy sound, and has trademark ELO snippets in it, like just before the chorus. Nice mellow, feel-good bassline from Mike, plus the excellent drum-stylings of Bev, and I'm not too sure how to describe Richard's piano work here, but I like it a lot. Hard to believe this is 30 year old material - I think it could more than hold its own now! Someone mentioned 'earworm', and I must agree - I'm singing along and bobbing my head to the music subconciously. Get A Hold Of Myself - Makes me want to pick up my bass and blister my fingers all over again! ; )) - Carl is all over this one, what a melodic voice - the biased side of me wants to hear a version of this with Jeff's vocals (perhaps on the forthcoming ELO tour... ) < ---- wishful thinking there folks, I couldn't help myself! Mama (Take 1) - THIS is take 1? Amazing - I've always loved this song. By Jeff Lynne standards, this is a stripped-down demo, but to me it's a full sounding masterpiece! Carl Wayne does it again with his commanding vocals. I love all the versions of this song that I've heard, and I do have to say that I miss Jeff's trademark 'shooting up to the high notes' that I have come to know and love, but Carl has his own 'certain-thing' going on there, too. What would it take to release this as a single today? Can you do that with a 30 year old previously unreleased track? Well, suffice to say, I am thoroughly enjoying this remaster, and am presently padding the ole' chequing account to prepare for the rest of the year! Bring on 'Message From The Country'! Rob, Lynn, Jeff Lynne and all involved - Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. The 'First Light Series' rocks! Having an 'eargasm' in Canada, Boyd Preston ********** Subject: Message From The Country - when? Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2003 17:52:47 -0800 From: d.waterman when's message from the country coming out and what's the track listing???? regards david w. ********** Subject: New Hollies "Greatest Hits" Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2003 17:53:36 -0800 From: Lynn Hoskins Seems that a number of list members missed what I posted about the new Hollies "Greatest Hits" that features a newly recorded Hollies song...and that autographed copies (signed by Carl) may be possible. There was a good response to what I posted to the ELO-Showdown list, so I think I'll post that one here as well. Maybe I wrote it better! ;) ---- As the list is starting to see some nice comments about Carl Wayne's ELO songs on the "ELO 2" remaster, I thought I'd let you know that Carl has recorded a new song with The Hollies. He's been The Hollies' lead singer for about three years now, and to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary the band recorded a brand new song and included it on their new remastered "Greatest Hits" 2CD. Released 24 March on EMI (UK and Europe) this double CD features all of The Hollies' worldwide hit singles. It debuted at 21 in the charts. "Greatest Hits" was done by the same production team who did "ELO 2." Remastered by Pete Mew, the sound is excellent. The new song, "How Do I Survive," was written by Paul Bliss (Bliss Band and the Moody Blues) in 1979. The Hollies have given it the "Hollies touch" and Carl's powerful vocals shine through. If enough people on the list are interested in buying the new Hollies "Greatest Hits", Rob can do a block purchase and get Carl to sign them for us. Drop me an e-mail if you'd like to get a signed copy from FTM. Track listing: CD 1: I'm Alive | Sorry Suzanne | Here I Go Again | On a Carousel | King Midas In Reverse | Look Through Any Window | Blowin' In The Wind (Graham Nash version) | The Air That I Breathe | Pay You Back With Interest | I've Got A Way Of My Own | Stay | The Very Last Day | We're Through | Carrie Anne | Magic Woman Touch | I'm Down | Gasoline Alley Bred | I Can't Let Go | Sandy (4th July Ashbury Park) | Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress | Stop Stop Stop | If I Needed Someone | Dear Eloise | Long Dark Road | I Can't Tell The Bottom From The Top CD 2: He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother | Bus Stop | Jennifer Eccles | The Day That Curly Billy Shot Down Crazy Sam Mcgee | Too Young To Be Married | Listen To Me | Just One Look | Searchin' | (Ain't That) Just Like Me | Yes I Will | What's Wrong With The Way I Live | Lonely Hobo Lullaby | Daddy Don't Mind | The Baby | Hey Willy | Son Of A Rotten Gambler | Write On | Star | Boulder To Birmingham | Soldiers Song | The Woman I Love | How Do I Survive (new track recorded especially for this release) ********** Subject: Re: New Hollies "Greatest Hits" Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2003 18:12:22 -0800 From: "Bev Howard" >The new song, "How Do I Survive," was written by Paul Bliss (Bliss >Band and the Moody Blues) in 1979. The Hollies have given it the >"Hollies touch" and Carl's powerful vocals shine through. Heard it last week in Southend. Not bad, although the woman behind me kept saying rather loudly how much she *didn't* like it, and all I can say is thank heavens she was in the back row and we were in the row just in front of her! It's not the most memorable song in the world the first time I heard it, but I think it will stick after a few plays. It was also playing on the PA system after the house lights went up at the end, as everybody filed out of the hall. Carl Wayne performed 3 Move songs with the Hollies - Fire Brigade, Blackberry Way & I Can Hear The Grass Grow. All very good and all went down a storm. The show as excellent in fact. Wall to wall hits, as Carl said. He's a very good talker, lots of funny jokes, and none of them are afraid to poke fun at their ages. Go see them if you can - you'll have a ball! Bev (Hollies convert!) London ********** Subject: Roy - time for a change Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2003 17:52:38 -0800 From: John Collins Hi all, About 5 years ago, a friend of mine, who himself is a professional singer, had his car stolen. I don't know what it is like in the rest of the world, but it takes an eternity before the insurance company pays up. For the next 5 months I took him to almost every gig. It was a great experience and good fun. However when he got his new car, I started to see him less and less. When one Saturday night he asked me if I was going to see him, I said probably not. When he asked me why, I was honest and said, "I am fed up of you singing the same songs every night." His reply was, "if you think that's bad, what do you think it's like singing them!" I suggested he started to introduce new songs, which he did. What's this story got to do with Roy? It's the same problem! Have you realised at Roy's live act, he does not sing a single song from a Wizzard or solo album. It is all hits or fairly recent songs. As much as he has to be proud of these songs, and the impact it has had on the music industry, he must get fed up of singing them. In fact he admitted it, in a radio interview 3 years ago. He had completed a UK tour the year before, but turned down a similar one, the following year, as he said he was fed up of singing them, and if he had to do it again, he probably would end up giving it all up! Having said he does not want to live in the past he continues to sing these songs. Now Roy is his own man, if you told him to do something to earn £1,000,000, he would only do it if he wanted to! I respect him for that. However he does seem as if he has come to a crossroads. Roy has an enormous repertoire of songs at his disposal, some of them probably never heard in public, or some never heard, unless you are a die hard Woody fan. I don't think Roy should be ashamed of these songs, just because they were not a commercially successful as his earlier stuff. Mustard and Boulders are superb albums, but my personal favourite is The On the Road one. I know these have been complex to make, Roy being a one man band on them, but I am certain that these could be done in concert, with some creative thought. What about a Roy Wood solo tour? If he is going to keep the Army, then once again, dip into the repertoire. There are 3 Wizzard albums untouched, and loads of Move numbers. Roy keeps saying he is writing new material, this is now getting a bit of a joke. Once again he can do what he likes, but I think it is morally wrong to make promisees to the public and fans, and then never delivers. Either do it, or be honest and say I can't be bothered. I won't think any more or less of Roy, which ever avenue he goes. I just wish he would be up front about it. Finally, I just wish we could have a good video/DVD (dream on) of him in concert. We have had such great times, at Bilston in particular, yet they have never been filmed. I find that very very sad. ********** Subject: Re: Roy - time for a change Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2003 17:53:52 -0800 From: Lynn Hoskins >Roy keeps saying he is writing new material, this is now getting a bit >of a joke. Once again he can do what he likes, but I think it is morally >wrong to make promisees to the public and fans, and then never delivers. Just wanted to point out that Roy HAS written new material. "Big Girls Blues" was a new song written last year, and it has been performed in concert. "Spektacular" was also a new song - a rough version was featured on Carlton TV's "Rock Legends" show that aired January 25, 2002. There may be others, waiting for the right presentation. Roy may be slow as sludge where it comes to getting his songs out to the public, but I don't see that he's broken any morality rules. >Have you realised at Roy's live act, he does not sing a single song >from a Wizzard or solo album. ??? Ball Park Incident... Angel Fingers... Forever... Are You Ready To Rock... See My Baby Jive... I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday...... ********** Subject: Re: Roy - time for a change Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2003 10:33:18 -0700 From: John Collins Lynn thanks for your reply, However which Wizzard albums does....... Ball Park Incident... Angel Fingers... Forever... Are You Ready To Rock... See My Baby Jive... I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday...... appear on? Was it Wizzards Brew? no. Eddy and the Falcons? no. Main Street? no. You have missed my point to be fair haven't you Lynn? God, how I dream of Roy in concert erupting into Buffalo Station, then to show how versatile he is, going into Come Back Karen, then changing the mood again with French Perfume. Is this guy brilliant or what??? Sorry people just come back into the real world. Does everyone understand what I am saying? Save the hits for Christmas tours, and throw and odd one in, but I promise Roy if he did what I am suggesting at the next Robin gig he would bring the house down!! ********** Subject: Re: Roy - time for a change Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2003 10:34:51 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins >However which Wizzard albums does....... > >Ball Park Incident... Angel Fingers... Forever... Are You Ready To >Rock... See My Baby Jive... I Wish It Could Be Christmas >Everyday...... > >appear on? "See My Baby Jive" released on Harvest in '74. Though, you're right about Forever and Are You Ready To Rock - those didn't come out on LP. Shame. >God, how I dream of Roy in concert erupting into Buffalo Station, then >to show how versatile he is, going into Come Back Karen, then changing >the mood again with French Perfume. Is this guy brilliant or what??? Not all of Roy's album tracks lend themselves to a "big band" arrangement. Just a small handful, I think. (Some of his more complex pieces came to be in the studio...they weren't performed live.) In addition, there's the problem of skill level. The musicians who made up Wizzard were absolutely top flight. While the "Army" is very good indeed, there's just no comparison. About three years ago I asked Roy about doing more big band arrangements (I made some suggestions) - he said he'd tried some others but they sounded like sh*t. >Does everyone understand what I am saying? No, sorry, I don't. Roy would need a whole new type of band to pull off the songs you've suggested. Maybe that's your complaint? The Big Band? ********** Subject: Re: Move 2003 Reunion? Date: Wed, 2 Apr 2003 12:12:43 -0800 From: Harold Steve wrote: >Here's an innocent enough question from your newest Move list member. >What is preventing all of the original members (Ace, Trevor, Carl, >Bev, Roy) of The Move from having a reunion now. I doubt it will happen, but if I could meet Roy and he were to ask me I'd say "Do it, if nothing more than for a one off and to add a video/audio track to The Move Anthology"!! And then I woke up. ********** Subject: Re: Move 2003 Reunion? Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 21:19:16 -0800 From: Bob Hughes I really think, most of these guys (And most bands in general) probably respond to the question "would you ever get back together again" exactly the same way as a couple who had been divorced for 20/30 years would. ********** Subject: ELO II & The Lost Planet Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 21:18:17 -0800 From: "Paul Watkins" Great Job Rob & co in finding such great material for this release. Having listened to the both CD's a few times over this week, I can now add my opinions:- ELO II: The Original Album never sounded so good, crystal clear! Baby I Apologise' sounds a lot better than it did on 'Early ELO' Auntie-Take2 is great, possibly better than the On The Third Day version? Mambo - not that different to the official release but 'Cleaner' Everyone's born to die - What a gem, and what a difference from the rest of the sessions. Roll over Beethoven (Take1) - Most of the mix is very similar to the finished one; I'll have to listen closer to the 'talking' behind, great to hear that they had fun with this one. The Lost Planet: BBC Sessions - Better Sound than before, but for me not the best. Showdown (Take 1) - Not much different until you get towards the end of the song and things pick up!! Your World - This should have been released as a single, it would have been Big. Very catchy Get a hold of myself - as with 'Your World' & 'Everyone's Born to die' totally out of the ELO sound at the time. Carl was on form again, great vocals. Mama - Wow!!! I think this is much better than the 'Jeff' Version. This is the highlight for me. Sleeve Notes: Will the 'mono rehearsal tapes' every see the light of day, especially with the 2 tracks that have never been recorded? Also will the 'Showdown' video be released? And as I read the final notes regarding 'on the third day', will that be part of EMI's First Light Series?? Thanks again Rob, keep up the good work & roll on the other gem's that are planned for this year. Paul Website: www.watkins1.freeserve.co.uk/index.html (The Move Information Station) ********** Subject: One Year Ago... NY Times Woody review Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 21:17:06 -0800 From: Lynn Hoskins Subject: NY Times Woody review Date: Sun, 31 Mar 2002 13:17:48 -0800 From: "Tyler C.Sherman" Herewith, for all fellow Movers, a transcription of a review of the Sun. show that appeared in the 3/28 NY Times: RETURNING AFTER 28 YEARS LEADING AN ARMY OF BRASS by Jon Pareles Bigger means better to Roy Wood, the English rocker whose four shows at the Village Underground were his first New York City performances since 1974. His music has always equated blare with rock 'n' roll bliss. Electric guitars rang out when he led the Move in the late 1960's; cellos took over when he founded the Electric Light Orchestra with Jeff Lynne in 1971; and saxophones and voices buttressed Wizzard, his next band. Roy Wood's Army, the band he brought to the Village Underground, backed him with 12 musicians, including an eight-member horn section. Most of the band members were women. Mr. Wood looked much as he did in the 1970's, bearded with brightly dyed long hair. Sunday's set was a brass-pumped retrospective of Mr. Wood's catalog from the Move to the present. Sung in his high, nervous tenor while female backup singers gestured in sync, the songs were the work of a songwriter proclaiming his love for an imagined 1950's paradise, full of pretty girls jiving to jukebox rock, or a man in thrall to the fearful power of women's charms. The Move's "Fire Brigade" calls for firemen to cool him down; a newer song, "Kiss Me Goodnight, Boadicea," begs the ancient warrior queen to "take a break from your pillage and destruction." The songs often harked back to grand Phil Spector marches or a swinging rockabilly two-beat, but they weren't pure revivals; they threw in odd key changes or skipped beats, while Mr. Wood took guitar solos that swiveled their way toward brash dissonances. Other songs took Beatles-style pop and added extra crimps. The Army also played the Move's psychedelic artifacts "I Can Hear the Grass Grow" and "Flowers in the Rain," which showed Mr. Wood's ear for plant life. With the horns hooting away, the Army came across like a mixture of a soul revue and a Las Vegas show band, conveying a skewed nostalgia. For "Are You Ready to Rock?" Mr. Wood piled on one more element: he marched onstage playing bagpipes. Proud of his eccentricities old and new, he had clearly decided that nothing succeeds like excess. ********** Subject: One Year Ago... Village Underground review Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2003 21:17:19 -0800 From: Lynn Hoskins Subject: Village Underground review Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 17:58:03 -0800 From: Greg Weatherby I went two nights, and frankly had reservations about the whole horn thing. But I was happily proven to be wrong by the band. Their joy on stage was infectious, and converted me. Thursday night found our Woodrow seemingly a little nervous, and definitely a little bit 'lubricated'. He stumbled a few times on stage, but then with 12 people up on the small stage at the Village Underground, I suppose it's no wonder he stumbled...so OK, how was he?...the whole concept of trombones and saxes kinda put me off before I arrived, I mean "I Can Hear The Grass Grow" with trombones? Didn't seem right...but then he kicked off with "California Man", and you know what? It sounded great!...it worked (the horns) the best with the Wizzard songs, like "You Can Dance The Rock and Roll" (a much better song in person than on record). "See My Baby Jive", and "Ball Park Incident", and less well with the Move songs...highlights? "I Can Hear The Grass Grow", "Flowers In The Rain", "Blackberry Way" and "Fire Brigade"...lowlights? The drum solo. Woody, please, it's 2002, no drum solo! And I would have liked to have heard "Omnibus", "Beautiful Daughter", and even "Dance Round The Maypole". The whole band was a little unrehearsed sounding Thurs night, but on Friday they came together much better. I wished they didn't play the exact same set both nights, but they did, hey the same Woody is better than no Woody!...all in all Friday was a much better show...so, how was Woody? It was awesome, if you wanna know the truth...I certainly would have liked it better if it had been a 4 or 5 piece band rather than an Army, an orchestra, but considering, I liked it a lot better than I thought I would! And I got to meet the Man briefly at a bar next door after the show Friday night (the Fat Black Pussycat). It was cool meeting Rob Caiger, who had come over for the shows, seemed like a nice guy...says he may bring the Hollies over, and that the live at the Fillmore West CD WILL come out, and it will be awesome, also a cleaned up "Message From The Country"...And it was excellent getting to meet Lynn, San Jose John D-, Joe Ramsey, Tim Emerich, Joe Doyle, Plastic Ono Dream, Dr Bob, Big Larry, and everyone else...after 35 years, I finally got to see Roy Wood...yea, it was good! End of Useless Information #463 ******************************* [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.]