The Move 1965/1970 rock band

The Move

The Move (Birmingham, Regno Unito) sono stati uno dei gruppi rock di punta degli anni sessanta. Loro è l'interpretazione di Blackberry Way, (composta musica e parole da Roy Wood) che l'Equipe 84 farà conoscere in Italia con il titolo di Tutta mia la città.
Sebbene il bassista-cantante Chris "Ace" Kefford fosse il leader della band alla formazione, per la maggior parte della carriera i Move ebbero come leader il chitarrista, cantante e compositore Roy Wood. Lui compose tutti i singoli del gruppo usciti in Regno Unito e dal 1968 cantò anche come voce principale in molte canzoni, sebbene Carl Wayne fosse stato il cantante ufficiale fino al 1970. Inizialmente la band aveva 4 cantanti (Wayne, Wood, Trevor Burton e Kefford). Il gruppo, col tempo, si evolse dalla formazione iniziale degli anni 60 a Birmingham, includendo Carl Wayne and the Vikings, The Nightriders e The Mayfair Set. "The Move", il nome del gruppo, è riferito allo spostamento dei vari membri di queste band, che ha permesso al gruppo di formarsi. Accanto a Wood, nella formazione originale dei Move nel 1965 troviamo alla batteria Bev Bevan, al basso Chris Kefford, alla voce Carl Wayne e alla chitarra Trevor Burton. La formazione finale del gruppo (del 1972) invece trova il trio composto da Wood, Bevan e Jeff Lynn, che avevano formato dalle ceneri dei Move la Electric Light Orchestra. Fino al 2007, Burton e Bevan si sono esibiti sotto il nome di 'The Move feat. Bev Bevan and Trevor Burton'.

Formazione della band e carriera

I Move nacquero nel dicembre del 1965 e suonarono il loro primo concerto agli inizi del 1966. Le intenzioni originali di Burton, Kefford e Wood erano di dar vita ad una band che comprendesse i migliori musicisti di Birmingham, seguendo l'esempio degli Who. I tre suonarono insieme in varie jam session al Birmingham's Cedar Club, e invitarono Wayne e Bevan a prender parte nella neonata formazione del gruppo. Dopo un debutto al Bell Hotel di Stourbridge e ulteriori date attorno al circondario di Birmingham, il manager dei Moody Blues, Tony Secunda, si offrì di essere anche il loro. Al tempo, i Move si esibivano principalmente in cover di gruppi della West Coast americana, come i The Byrds con Mowtown e canzoni rock'n roll. Sebbene Carl Wayne gestisse la maggior parte delle armonie vocali, tutti i membri della band cantavano nelle esibizioni e, il più delle volte, avevano anche parti da solisti in alcuni brani.
Secunda portò i Move per una settimana al London's Marquee Club nel 1966, permanenza in cui loro apparvero in vesti gangster. La loro carriera iniziale fu segnata da una serie di trovate pubblicitarie, eventi mediatici di alto profilo e show dal vivo oltraggiosi ideati da Secunda; questi includevano Wayne prendere a colpi d'ascia una televisione, l'entrata di Cadillac, busti di Adolf Hitler e del leader della Rhodesia, Ian Smith. Infine, Secunda riuscì anche a convincere Wood a iniziare a scrivere canzoni per la band nel suo tempo libero.
I Move strinsero un contratto di produzione con una etichetta indipendente sotto il produttore Denny Cordell, ma questa cosa venne tramutata in un evento mediatico da Secunda, che organizzò tutto per la firma della band sotto Liz Wilson, una modella di topless femminile. Wood scrisse il primo singolo della band, Night of Fear che si piazzò in seconda posizione nei singoli del Regno Unito nel gennaio del 1967, e diede inizio all'abitudine dei Move a cimentarsi in citazioni musicali (in questo caso, l'Overture di Tchaikovsky del 1812). Il loro secondo singolo, "I Can Hear the Grass Now", divenne un'altra hit di successo, raggiungendo la quinta posizione nel Regno Unito.
Nell'Aprile del 1967, il NME riportò che i Move avevano offerto una ricompensa di 200 £ per il recupero dei nastri master di dieci canzoni destinate ad essere nel loro album di debutto. I nastri vennero rubati dalla macchina del loro agente, mentre era parcheggiata a Denmark Street a Londra.
Il loro terzo singolo, Flowers in the Rain, fu la prima traccia mandata in onda su BBC Radio 1 quando inizio ad esser diffusa il 30 settembre 1967, presentata da Tony Blackburn. Il singolo, che raggiunse la posizione #2, era decisamente meno orientato sull'uso delle chitarre rispetto ai due precedenti, e caratterizzato da un arrangiamento di archi e di legni pensato dal produttore, Tony Visconti. La traccia venne poi rilanciata sotto l'etichetta Regal Zonophone.

Questioni Legali

La campagna promozionale di Flower in the Rain generò litigi ed ebbe ripercussioni per Wood e il gruppo per intero. Senza consultare la band, Secunda fece produrre un cartonato cartoon che mostrava il Primo Ministro Inglese, Harold Wilson, a letto con la sua segretaria Marcia Falkender. Wilson citò in causa i Move per diffamazione e il gruppo perse la causa, dovendo pagare tutti i costi, e le royality guadagnate con la canzone, che sarebbero state altrimenti proprietà del compositore Wood, sarebbero andate ad una associazione di beneficenza scelta da Wilson. La sentenza, con grande disappunto di Wood, è rimasta in vigore anche dopo la morte di Wilson nel 1995.
Come il loro quarto singolo, il gruppo aveva pianificato di far uscire Cherry Blossom Clinic, una canzone spensierata sulle fantasie di un paziente in un istituto di igiene mentale, che aveva sul back-side la satirica Vote for Me. Ad ogni modo i Move furono innervositi e snervati dalle loro esperienze giudiziarie; essi e la casa discografica ritennero saggio di perseguire tale via potenzialmente controversa, per cui il singolo, troppo "leggero" per l'impronta scelta, venne accantonato. Vote for Me rimase come non pubblicato, fino a che non cominciò ad apparire in collezioni rétro dal 1997, mentre Cherry Blossom Clinic diventò una delle tracce del loro primo LP, anche chiamato The Move.
Come diretta conseguenza della causa, i Move licenziarono Secunda e assunsero Don Arden, che si era appena licenziato dalla gestione manageriale degli Small Faces. In una intervista del 2000, Wayne rese noto che c'era stata una separazione sostanziale nel gruppo sulla politica promozionale di Secunda: "[Secunda] aveva trovato in Trevor, Ace e me gli animali che avrebbero fatto quello che voleva facessero - la parte infuocata dello spettacolo. Penso ovviamente che anche Roy si qualificherebbe a questo modo, ma io credo che lui fosse un po' imbarazzato dal quell'immagine e dalle acrobazie - ma il resto di noi non lo era... Noi siamo sempre stati disposti ad essere i burattini di Secunda.

Continuo del successo

Fra Novembre e Dicembre del 1967 il gruppo prese parte ad un altro tour itinerante attorno al Regno Unito, suonando due show per notte per oltre sedici giorni, prendendo parte ad una comitiva di star di estrema rilevanza, quali The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Nice, Eire Apparent, The Outer Limits, Amen Corner e Pete Drummond, successivamente divenuto DJ di BBC Radio 1.
Nel Marzo del 1968 i Move ritornarone nelle classifiche con "Fire Brigade", un'altra hit nella top 3 della classifica del Regno Unito e il primo pezzo in cui Wood canta come voce principale. Ma qualche settimana più tardi, nel periodo di pubblicazione del nuovo LP dei Move, Kefford venne prosciolto dalla band a causa di crescenti problemi di natura personale.
Kefford formò un gruppo proprio, destinato a vita breve, gli Ace Kefford Stand, con Cozy Powell alla batteria. Dopo questa esperienza, puntò ad una carriera da solista e i Move diventarono una band composta da quattro componenti, con Burton e Wayne che si alternavano al basso.
E fu proprio durante questo periodo di transizione che la band invitò per la prima volta Lynne, un amico di Wood, ad entrare nella formazione. Lui rifiutò l'offerta al tempo, in quanto già al lavoro per il successo della sua band al tempo, The Idle Race, un altro gruppo nato a Birmingham. I Move intanto erano in tratta per l'inaugurazione del Festival dell'Isola di Wight del 31 agosto 1968.
A metà del 1968, il loro quinto singolo Wild Tiger Woman, una canzone che esprimeva l'amore della band per Jimi Hendrix (Wood e Burton fecero i cori in You Got Me Floatin', nel secondo album dei Jimi Hendrix Experience, Axis: Bold as Love), che vendette poco e non fu troppo considerata nella classifica inglese. I Move risposero con la loro canzone più commerciale fino ad allora, "Blackberry Way" (co-prodotta con Jimmy Miller, reinterpretata in Italia successivamente dall'Equipe 84), che raggiunse la vetta della classifica inglese nel febbraio 1969. Richard Tandy suonò le tastiere in Blackberry Way ed entrò nella formazione per un po', facendo il tastierista anche nei live, e prendendo il posto al basso di Burton, nel breve periodo in cui quest'ultimo venne messo da parte per una ferita alla spalla. Dopo la riabilitazione di Burton, Tandy lasciò i Move per entrare nella formazione de The Uglys.
Questa nuova direzione musicale intrapresa, decisamente più pop, fu la goccia che fece traboccare il vaso per un già disincantato Burton, membro che da sempre aveva voluto un'impronta orientata maggiormente al rock and blues per i Move. Burton lasciò la band dopo una lite sul palco con Bevan. In questo lasso di tempo si diffuse la voce nella stampa che Hank Marvin, recentemente allontanatosi da The Shadows, fosse stato invitato nella formazione dei Move. Alcuni anni dopo Wayne disse che questa non era altro che una trovata pubblicitaria; ad ogni modo, Marvin stesso, in un articolo del Melody Maker del 1973 ed in altre sedi, continuò a sostenere di essere stato avvicinato da Wood e invitato a far parte della band, ma rifiutò perché riteneva la tabella di marcia delle date dei Move troppo frenetica. Burton fu infine sostituito nel 1969 da Rick Price, un altro veterano di alcuni gruppi fondati a Birmingham.
Sia Keffor che Burton rimasero attivi commercialmente dopo aver lasciato i Move. Kefford incise un album da solista nel 1968 dopo il suo allontanamento, ma esso rimase inedito sino al 2003, anno in cui apparì come Ace The Face. Burton suonò il basso in un altro gruppo di Birmingham, The Steve Gibbons Band, e successivamente si trovò innanzi ad una band blues propria come chitarrista principale.
Nell'Ottobre del 1969 la band fece apparizioni concertistiche unicamente in America, con due show di apertura per The Stooges a Detroit ed un altro spettacolo a Los Angeles. Quando né la loro casa discografica negli Stati Uniti né i promotori mostrarono alcun interesse, le date rimanenti proposte per il tour vennero annullate e il gruppo tornò a casa.
Durante questo periodo Arden vendette il contratto di management dei Move all'impresario Peter Walsh, che al tempo era anche manager dei Marmalade. Walsh, specializzato in spettacoli di cabaret, iniziò a prenotare locali di cabaret per fare esibire la band, cosa che incrementò ulteriormente le tensioni fra Wayne e Wood.
Il secondo album dei Move, Shazam (1970), permise al gruppo di continuare nella pratica, da loro amata, della citazione musicale e di riarrangiare in modo elaborato canzoni di altri artisti. Hello Susie (composta da Wood), hit che raggiunse la top 5 grazie agli Amen Corner nel 1969, venne citata da Big Bird di Booker T. Jones ed Eddie Floyd, e l'album incluse una cover di una canzone di Tom Paxton, The Last Thing on My Mind. Venne anche inserita una versione decisamente più lenta ed estesa di Cherry Blossom Clinic, che finiva con una lunga sessione strumentale che citava fortemente pezzi classici come il movimento "Gesù, gioia del desiderio dell'uomo" di Johann Sebastian Bach, una interpretazione de L'apprendista stregone di Paul Dukas suonata alla chitarra e la Danza Cinese de Lo Schiaccianoci di Tchaikowsky, riarrangiata in chiave heavy metal.
Secondo un'intervista del 2000, Wayne aveva escogitato un piano per rilanciare le sorti dei Move riportando Burton e Kefford in formazione. Ben consapevole che Wood era intento a creare un suo nuovo progetto rock orchestrale (che divenne poi l'Electric Light Orchestra), egli suggerì a Wood di concentrarsi nelle performance live della sua nuova band, mentre continuava a scrivere canzoni per i Move. Ad ogni modo questa proposta fu rifiutata senza mezzi termini da Wood, Bevan e Price, gli altri tre membri, e così Wayne sciolse infine la band nel gennaio del 1970. Lavorò successivamente in varie iniziative musicali ed apparve in televisione e radio. Nel 2000, ha infine sostituito Allan Clarke nel ruolo di cantante de The Hollies e si è esibito con loro come cantante fino alla sua morte di cancro nel 2004.

Formazione

• Roy Wood (UK, 1946): chitarra, voce.
• Carl Wayne: (nome d'arte di Colin David Tooley; UK 1943-2004): voce (1968-1970).
• Bev Bevan (UK, 1946): batteria, voce.
• Chris Ace Kefford: basso, voce (1968-1969).
• Trevor Burton (UK, 1946): chitarra, voce.
• Jeff Lynne (UK, 1947): chitarra, pianoforte, voce (1970-1971).
• Rick Price: basso, voce (1969-1971).

Discografia

Album

Studio

• 1968 - Move (Regal Zonophone Records, LRZ//SLRZ 1002)
• 1970 - Shazam (Regal Zonophone Records, SLRZ 1012)
• 1970 - Looking On (Fly Records, FLY 1)
• 1971 - Message from the Country (Harvest Records, SHSP 4013)

EP

• 1968 - Something Else from the Move (Regal Zonophone Records, TRZ 2001)

Live

• 2012 - Live at the Fillmore 1969 (Right Recordings, RIGHT 116) 2 CD

Raccolta

• 1972 - Split Ends (United Artists Records, UAS-5666)
• 1972 - Flyback 3 - The Best of the Move (Fly Records, TON 3)
• 1972 - Fire Brigade (Music for Pleasure, MFP 5276)
• 1974 - The Best of The Move (A&M Records, SP-3625)
• 1974 - California Man (Harvest Records, SHSP 4035)
• 1974 - The Move (Music for Pleasure, MFP 50158)
• 1978 - Greatest Hits Vol. 1 (Pickwick Records, SHM 952)
• 1979 - (Shines On) (Harvest Records, SHSM 2029)
• 1981 - The Platinum Collection of The Move (Cube Records, PLAT 1001) 2 LP
• 1984 - Off the Record with...The Move (Sierra Records, FEDD 1005) 2 LP
• 1991 - The Best of The Move (Music Club Records, MCCD 009)
• 1992 - The Early Years (Dojo Early Years, EARL D 7)
• 1994 - Great Move! The Best of The Move (EMI/United Artists Records, 0777 7 96060 2 3)
• 1995 - The BBC Sessions (Band of Joy, BOJCD 011)
• 1997 - Looking Back...The Best of The Move (Music Club Records, MCCD
• 1998 - Movements: 30th Anniversary Anthology (Westside Records, WESX 302) 3 CD
• 1999 - Omnibus (The 60's Singles A's and B's) (Edsel Records, EDCD 616)
• 2000 - The Complete Singles Collection & More (Crimson Records, CRIMCD 233)
• 2009 - The Very Best Of (Salvo Records, SALVOCD 015)
• 2017 - The Ultimate Rare Tracks (Toffi Records, 06062016)
• 2017 - Magnetic Waves of Sound: The Best Of (Esoteric Recordings, ECLEC 22554) CD + DVD

Singoli

• 1966 - Night of Fear/Disturbance (Deram Records, DM.109) UK #2
• 1967 - I Can Hear the Grass Grow/Wave the Flag and Stop the Train (Deram Records, DM.117) UK #5
• 1967 - Flowers in the Rain/(Here We Go Round) The Lemon Tree (Regal Zonophone Records, RZ 3001) UK #2
• 1968 - Fire Brigade/Walk Upon the Water (Regal Zonophone Records, RZ 3005) UK #3
• 1968 - Wild Tiger Woman/Omnibus (Regal Zonophone Records, RZ 3012) UK #53
• 1968 - Blackberry Way/Something (Regal Zonophone Records, RZ 3015) UK #1
• 1969 - Curly/This Time Tomorrow (Regal Zonophone Records, RZ 3021) UK #12
• 1970 - Brontosaurus/Lightnin' Never Strikes Twice (Regal Zonophone Records, RZ 3026) UK #7
• 1970 - When Alice Come Back to the Farm/What? (Fly Records, BUG-2)
• 1971 - Tonight/Don't Mess Me Up (Harvest Records, HAR 5038) UK #11
• 1971 - Chinatown/Down on the Bay (Harvest Records, HAR 5043) UK #23
• 1972 - California Man/Do Ya-Ella James (Harvest Records, HAR 5050) UK #7
• 1972 - Fire Brigade/I Can Hear the Grass Grow-Night of Fear (Fly Records, Echo 104)
• 1974 - DoYa/No Time (Harvest Records, HAR 5086)
• 1982 - Flowers in the Rain/Fire Brigade (Old Gold Records, OG 9226)
• 1982 - Blackberry Way/Brontosaurus (Old Gold Records, OG 9227)
• 1982 - Night of Fear/Fire Brigade (Cube Records, BAK 7)
• 1982 - Flowers in the Rain/Brontosaurus (Cube Records, BAK 8)

Trade ad for The Move's single "I Can Hear The Grass Grow". To better adapt it to his respective Wikipedia article, the ad was cropped and cleaned in a graphics editing program. The original can be viewed at the source below.

Deram/London Records - Billboard, page 23, 24 June 1967

The Move were a British rock band of the late 1960s and the early 1970s. They scored nine Top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any real success in the United States. Although bassist-vocalist Chris "Ace" Kefford was the original leader, for most of their career the Move was led by guitarist, singer and songwriter Roy Wood. He wrote all the group's UK singles and, from 1968, also sang lead vocals on many songs, although Carl Wayne was the main lead singer up to 1970. Initially, the band had 4 main vocalists (Wayne, Wood, Trevor Burton and Kefford) who split the lead vocals on a number of their earlier songs.
The Move evolved from several mid-1960s Birmingham based groups, including Carl Wayne & the Vikings, the Nightriders and the Mayfair Set. Their name referred to the move various members of these bands made to form the group. Besides Wood, the Move's original five-piece roster in 1965 was drummer Bev Bevan, bassist Kefford, vocalist Carl Wayne and guitarist Trevor Burton. The final line-up of 1972 was the trio of Wood, Bevan and Jeff Lynne; together, they rode the group's transition into the Electric Light Orchestra. Between 2007 and 2014, Burton and Bevan performed intermittently as "The Move featuring Bev Bevan and Trevor Burton."

History

Formation and early career

The Move were formed in December 1965, and played their debut show at the Belfry, Wishaw on 23 January 1966. The original intentions of Burton, Kefford, and Wood were to start a group from among Birmingham's best musicians — along similar lines to The Who. The three played together at jam sessions at Birmingham's Cedar Club, and invited Wayne and Bevan to join their new group. After a debut at the Bell Hotel in Stourbridge in January 1966, and further bookings around the Birmingham area, Moody Blues manager Tony Secunda offered to manage them. At the time, the Move mainly played covers of American west coast groups such as the Byrds together with Motown and rock 'n' roll songs. Although Carl Wayne handled most of the lead vocals, all the band members shared harmonies, and each was allowed at least one lead vocal per show (and often traded lead vocals within specific songs).
Secunda got them a weekly residency at London's Marquee Club in 1966, where they appeared dressed as gangsters. Their early career was marked by a series of publicity stunts, high-profile media events and outrageous stage antics masterminded by Secunda; they included Wayne taking an axe to television sets. Eventually, Secunda also managed to persuade Wood to begin writing songs for the band in his time off. They secured a production contract with independent record producer Denny Cordell, but that was turned into a media event by Secunda, who arranged for the band to sign their contracts on the back of Liz Wilson, a topless female model. Wood wrote their first single, "Night of Fear", a No.2 hit in the UK Singles Chart in January 1967, which began the Move's practice of musical quotation (in this case, the 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky). Their second single, "I Can Hear the Grass Grow", was another major hit, reaching No.5 in the UK.
In April 1967, NME reported that the Move had offered a £200 reward (equivalent to £3,600 in 2019) for the recovery of the master tapes of ten songs intended for their debut album. The tapes were stolen from their agent's car when it was parked in Denmark Street, London. The tapes were found in a skip (dumpster) shortly after, but the damage caused to them meant that new mixes and masters would have to be made, resulting in the delayed album only being released in March 1968 instead of the original plan of autumn 1967. Their third single "Flowers in the Rain" was the first chart single played on BBC Radio 1 when it began broadcasting at 7 am on 30 September 1967, introduced by Tony Blackburn. However it was not, as is generally claimed, the first record played on air that day—Radio 1 opened with George Martin's specially commissioned "Theme One", followed by the theme of Blackburn's Daily Disc Delivery show ("Beefeaters" by Johnny Dankworth). The single, which reached No.2 in the UK, was less guitar-orientated than their previous two singles, and featured a woodwind and string arrangement by Cordell's assistant Tony Visconti. The track was released on the re-launched Regal Zonophone label.

Legal issues

The promotional campaign for "Flowers in the Rain" led to litigation that had serious repercussions for Wood and the group. Without consulting the band, Secunda produced a cartoon postcard showing the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Harold Wilson, in bed with his secretary, Marcia Williams. Wilson sued the Move for libel and the group lost the court case; they had to pay all costs, and all royalties earned by the song were awarded to charities of Wilson's choice. The ruling, much to Wood's chagrin, remained in force even after Wilson's death in 1995. In the Family Trees documentary special on the Birmingham music scene, Wood says that not only did the band as a whole lose their royalties, but it affected him the most, as he wrote the song.
For their fourth single, the group had planned to release "Cherry Blossom Clinic", a lighthearted song about the fantasies of a patient in a mental institution, backed by the satirical "Vote For Me". However, the Move had been un-nerved by their court experiences; they and the record label felt it unwise to pursue such a potentially controversial idea, so the single was shelved. "Vote For Me" remained un-released until it began to appear on retrospective collections from 1997 onwards, while "Cherry Blossom Clinic" became one of the tracks on their first LP, also called The Move.
As a direct consequence of the lawsuit, the Move fired Secunda and hired Don Arden, who had himself recently been fired as manager of the Small Faces. In a 2000 interview, Wayne noted that there had always been a major split within the group about Secunda's tactics: "[Secunda] had the animals who would do what he wanted to do in Trevor, Ace, and me — the fiery part of the stage act. I think Roy would obviously qualify this himself, but I believe he was slightly embarrassed by the image and the stunts — but the rest of us weren't ... We were always willing to be Secunda puppets".

Pop success and dissolution

In November and December 1967, the group took part in another package tour around the UK, playing two shows a night over sixteen days, as part of an all-star bill that included the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, the Nice, Eire Apparent, the Outer Limits, Amen Corner and the then BBC Radio 1 DJ, Pete Drummond. In March 1968, the Move returned to the charts with "Fire Brigade", another UK Top 3 hit, and the first on which Wood sang lead vocal. But a few weeks later, around the time of the LP's release, Kefford was let go from the band due to increasing personal problems, escalated by drug usage. The Move then became a four-piece, in which Burton and (occasionally) Wayne took turns on bass on stage. The Move was on the bill at the inaugural Isle of Wight Festival on 31 August 1968. In mid-1968, their fifth single "Wild Tiger Woman", a song acknowledging the group's love of Jimi Hendrix, (Wood and Burton sang backing vocals on "You Got Me Floatin'", on the Jimi Hendrix Experience's second album, Axis: Bold as Love), sold poorly and failed to make the UK chart. The Move responded with their most commercial song to date, "Blackberry Way" (co-produced by Jimmy Miller), which topped the UK chart in February 1969. Richard Tandy played keyboards on "Blackberry Way" and joined the band for a time, playing keyboards live, and switching to bass when Burton was briefly sidelined with a shoulder injury. Upon Burton's recovery, Tandy departed to join the Uglys. The new, more pop-oriented musical direction, and the single hitting number one was the last straw for the increasingly disenchanted Burton, who wanted to work in a more hard rock/blues-oriented style, and he left the group in February 1969 after an altercation on stage with Bevan in Sweden.
At this time, the band first invited Jeff Lynne, a friend of Wood's, to join. He turned the offer down, as he was still working toward success in the Idle Race, another Birmingham-based group. It was rumoured in the music press that Hank Marvin of the recently disbanded Shadows had been invited to join the Move. Some years later, Wayne recalled that to be nothing more than a publicity stunt; however, Marvin himself, in an article in Melody Maker in 1973 and elsewhere, has maintained that he was definitely approached by Wood and invited to join the Move, but declined because their schedule was too hectic for him.^{[citation needed]} Bevan confirmed in a 2014 interview that the band invited Marvin, but they never thought he would say "yes". Burton was ultimately replaced in 1969 by Rick Price, another veteran of several Birmingham rock groups, who joined on a temporary, non-contractual basis. Thus, the group in spring 1969 consisted of just Wayne (vocals), Wood (guitar), Bevan (drums), and Price (bass).
Both Ace Kefford and Trevor Burton struggled commercially after leaving the Move. Kefford formed his own short-lived group, the Ace Kefford Stand, with Cozy Powell on drums. After this, he pursued a solo career and recorded a solo album in 1968, but it remained un-released until 2003 when it appeared as Ace The Face. Burton played bass with yet another Birmingham group, the Steve Gibbons Band, was one-third of the short-lived band Balls (with Denny Laine and Alan White), and later fronted his own blues group as lead guitarist.
In October 1969, the Move made their only concert appearances in the US with two opening shows for the Stooges in Detroit, and dates in Los Angeles and at the Fillmore West in San Francisco. When neither their US record company nor promoters showed any more interest - the band even had to make their own accommodation & travel arrangements - the remaining proposed tour dates in New York were cancelled and the group returned home. During that period, Arden sold the Move's management contract to impresario Peter Walsh, who was at the time also managing the Marmalade. Walsh, who specialised in cabaret acts, began booking the band into cabaret-style venues, which further increased the tension between Wayne and Wood. As Bevan later said, the others felt "old before their time" when playing cabaret dates. By this point, Wood was openly discussing his desire to form a band playing more eclectic music, including both harder rock and classical instruments, which he tentatively dubbed "The Electric Light Orchestra".
The Move's second album, 1970's Shazam, continued the Move's practice of musical quotation, and of elaborately re-arranged versions of other performer's songs. "Hello Susie" (a Wood composition), which was a Top 5 hit for Amen Corner in 1969, quoted Booker T. Jones' and Eddie Floyd's "Big Bird", and the album included a cover of a Tom Paxton song, "The Last Thing on My Mind". The album also featured a slightly slower, extended re-make of "Cherry Blossom Clinic", which finished with an extended instrumental section. Burton played bass on a couple of tracks as they had been recorded before he left, although this was not credited at the time.
According to an interview in 2000, Wayne had devised a plan to revive the Move's fortunes by bringing Burton and Kefford back in. Well aware that Wood was intent on setting up his new, orchestral rock project, he suggested that Wood could concentrate on performing with his new band while continuing to write songs for the Move; however, his suggestion was bluntly rejected by Wood, Bevan and Price, the other three members, so after getting angry and embarrassed witnessing a fight between Wood and a drunken audience member in Sheffield, Wayne finally quit the group in January 1970. a month before the release of Shazam. He subsequently worked in a variety of musical ventures and appeared on television and radio. In 2000, he replaced Allan Clarke as lead singer of the Hollies and performed with them as lead singer until his death from cancer in 2004.

Jeff Lynne and a new direction

Upon Wayne's departure, the Move jettisoned Walsh as manager and returned to Arden. Lynne finally agreed to join the band as a second guitarist and pianist, enthused by Wood's ELO idea, and Wood also realised that he needed a second songwriter in the band to relieve the pressure on himself. Soon after, the band toured Ireland and Germany (Lynne narrowly avoided serious injury at his debut show when a faulty microphone touched his guitar strings and blew up). In August 1970, the group was the lead act at the Knighton Rock Festival, staged in the small Radnorshire town of Knighton. In a radio interview, Bevan stated that the Move had ceased playing all of their prior songs except for "I Can Hear the Grass Grow" and were now playing mostly originals except for a few re-arranged covers (such as "She's a Woman"), as the band transitioned from mainstream pop toward progressive rock with its new alignment.
For the rest of the year, the Move concentrated on studio work, because they still owed one more album under their existing contract with Essex Music (David Platz) -- which Essex Music was planning to use to set up its own record label, Fly Records. To prepare for their new direction, Wood and Lynne overdubbed multiple instruments, including piano, woodwinds, sitar, and a Chinese cello that Wood had bought. However, before the third album Looking On, was completed, Arden signed the new Wood-Lynne-Bevan band (without Price, who was not under contract with the Move) to a three-album deal with the Harvest Records division of EMI that included a £25,000 (equivalent to £379,800 in 2019). advance (announced at the time as £100,000 (equivalent to £1,519,400 in 2019)., but still more money (£8,333 each) (equivalent to £126,600 in 2019). than the band had seen so far, despite its success). As a result, by the time Looking On was released in December 1970, with five songs composed by Wood and two by Lynne, Fly Records had lost interest in it. Nevertheless, the album included a No. 7 hit, Wood's "Brontosaurus", which was the band's last recording for Regal Zonophone. The second single from the album, "When Alice Comes Back to the Farm," failed to chart on Fly. The song intended as the B-side of that single, "10538 Overture", was ultimately held by the band for its new Electric Light Orchestra project, and Price's bass line was deleted and re-recorded by Wood, since Price was not part of the new group. Price in fact was unaware that the Move were working without him, until he heard about new material being made in early 1971. He went on to pursue other projects, including the band Mongrel, although he later rejoined Wood in Wizzard and the short-lived Wizzo Band. He went to work in musical management, and also formed the duo Price and Lee with his wife, Dianne Lee, formerly of the duo, Peters and Lee.

Final movement

Although Wood, Lynne and Bevan had intended Looking On to be the final Move album, Harvest requested that the new group first release a new Move album, in the same vein as Looking On, as the first album under its new deal, with the other two albums to be credited to the new group, to re-coup the advance given to the band. As a result, the band recorded the last Move album and the first Electric Light Orchestra album at the same time -- even during the same lengthy recording sessions (due to all the overdubbing by Wood and Lynne). The final Move LP, Message from the Country, was released in summer 1971. Wood's "Ben Crawley Steel Company" featured a Bevan lead vocal that was modelled on Johnny Cash, while Bevan's "Don't Mess Me Up" (sung by Wood) paid homage to Elvis Presley, complete with fake Jordanaires. Although Wood himself as well as music critics continue to hold Message from the Country in high regard, in 2005 Bevan referred to that album as his least favourite from the Move. The album was followed by two more Wood-penned hit singles, "Tonight" and "Chinatown". For several television appearances behind those songs, the Move added two musicians who became members of the original ELO: Bill Hunt (horns, woodwinds, piano) and a returning Richard Tandy (guitar, bass).
In 1972, after the release of the first Electric Light Orchestra album, the Move released what turned out to be a farewell disc, a maxi single consisting of "California Man", "Ella James" (from Message, but a track originally planned by EMI to be their first single on the Harvest label) and "Do Ya". "California Man", a No. 7 UK hit  — featuring baritone saxophones, a double bass, and a riff borrowed from George Gershwin — was an affectionate tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis (the double bass had Lewis's nickname, "Killer", written on it), with Lynne and Wood trading verses and lines. Meanwhile, Lynne's "Do Ya" became the Move's best-known song in the US; it was the only Move song to reach the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at #93. However, the Electric Light Orchestra's re-make of "Do Ya", recorded after Wood's departure, was a significant US hit in 1977. With the release of the album The Electric Light Orchestra, the Move completed its metamorphosis into ELO within weeks of the last single being released, and they actually appeared on television promoting both the Move's last single and ELO's debut single (the long-delayed "10538 Overture") at the same time. Wood and Hunt quit ELO during the early recording sessions of ELO's second album, ELO 2, which was the band's final album under its Harvest Records contract, and Wood going on to front the glam rock band Wizzard, as well as releasing a solo album in 1973, Boulders while Lynne, Bevan and Tandy kept touring as ELO and finally achieved international success.

Resurrection and break-up

A one-off reunion occurred on 28 April 1981, at the Loccarno in Birmingham, involving Wood, Bevan, and Kefford. Several other Birmingham bands of the era also reunited for the event, which was a charity fund-raiser.
In 2004, after the death of Wayne, Bevan formed the Bev Bevan Band — shortly to be renamed 'Bev Bevan's Move' (without any other past members), in order to capitalise on the Move's continuing reputation and belated success. Bevan recruited bassist Phil Tree and former ELO Part II colleagues guitarist Phil Bates and keyboard player Neil Lockwood to play a set on tour composed mostly of classics by the Move. Wood expressed extreme displeasure at that development.
Former Move guitarist Burton joined the band on occasion during 2006, and joined permanently in 2007 (Wayne had tried to broker a reunion between Bevan and Burton before his death, and was to be involved with the new band). Bates departed in July 2007 to re-join ELO Part II, now renamed the Orchestra and was replaced with Gordon Healer. The Autumn 2007 tour was billed as "the Move featuring Trevor Burton and Bev Bevan."
In 2014, the band toured as the Move with a lineup consisting of Bevan, Burton, Tree, keyboardist/vocalist Abby Brant, and guitarist/vocalist Tony Kelsey. On 2 May 2014, Bev Bevan announced through a Facebook post that the Move had broken up, and that he and Burton would tour separately with groups called "the Bev Bevan Band" and "the Trevor Burton Band". In December 2014 the Bev Bevan Band completed their almost 50 date "Stand Up And Rock" tour, in conjunction with Bevan's childhood friend Jasper Carrott (Bob Davis). Guests on the tour included Trevor Burton, Geoff Turton and Joy Strachan-Brain, alongside Bevan, Kelsey, Tree and Brant.
In 2016 the band announced that they had reformed again, and were due to perform at The Core Theatre in Solihull, West Midlands, with a line-up consisting of Bevan, Burton, Tree, and Kelsey; however it was later revealed that the band performing would no longer be billed as 'The Move', but as 'Bev Bevan's Zing Band', and would not feature Burton; with the line-up consisting of Bevan, Tree, and Kelsey, along with a returning Abby Brant, and Geoff Turton on lead vocals.

Personnel

Members

Bev Bevan - drums, percussion, vocals (1965-1972, 2004-2014) Roy Wood - guitar, keyboards, saxophone, recorder, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, bass, cello, steel guitar, slide guitar, sitar, vocals (1965-1972) Carl Wayne - vocals, bass, guitar (1965-1970; died 2004) Trevor Burton - guitar, bass, vocals (1965-1969, 2007-2014) Ace Kefford - bass, vocals (1965-1968) Rick Price - bass, vocals (1969-1971) Jeff Lynne - guitar, piano, keyboards, drums, vocals (1970-1972)

Phil Tree - bass, vocals (2004-2014) Neil Lockwood - keyboards, vocals (2004-2014) Phil Bates - guitar, vocals (2004-2007) Gordon Healer - guitar, vocals (2007-2014) Abby Brant - keyboards, vocals (2014) Tony Kelsey - guitar, vocals (2014)

Line-ups

1965–1968	1968–1969	1969–1970	1970–1971
Carl Wayne - vocals Roy Wood - guitar, vocals Trevor Burton - guitar, vocals Chris 'Ace' Kefford - bass, vocals Bev Bevan - drums, vocals	Carl Wayne - vocals, bass Roy Wood - guitar, vocals Trevor Burton - bass, guitar, vocals Bev Bevan - drums, vocals With Richard Tandy - keyboards, bass	Carl Wayne - vocals, guitar Roy Wood - guitar, keyboards, vocals Rick Price - bass, vocals Bev Bevan - drums, vocals	Roy Wood - guitar, saxophone, woodwinds, vocals Jeff Lynne - guitar, piano, vocals Rick Price - bass, vocals Bev Bevan - drums, vocals
1971–1972	1972–2004	2004–2007	2007–2014
Roy Wood - guitar, saxophone, woodwinds, bass, vocals Jeff Lynne - guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals Bev Bevan - drums, vocals With Richard Tandy - bass, guitar Bill Hunt - woodwinds, horns, keyboards	Disbanded	Phil Bates - guitar, vocals Neil Lockwood - keyboards, vocals Phil Tree - bass, vocals Bev Bevan - drums With Trevor Burton - guitar, vocals	Phil Tree - bass, vocals Trevor Burton - guitar, vocals Neil Lockwood - keyboards, vocals Gordon Healer - guitar, vocals Bev Bevan - drums
2014
Phil Tree - bass, vocals Trevor Burton - guitar, vocals Abby Brant - keyboards, vocals Tony Kelsey - guitar, vocals Bev Bevan - drums

Timeline

Discography

The Move discography
Studio albums	4
Live albums	1
Compilation albums	6
EPs	1
Singles	13

(Singles and albums marked ** were not issued in the US)

Studio albums

Year	Title	Chart positions
		UK
1968	Move ** Released: March 1968 Label: Regal Zonophone	15
1970	Shazam Released: February 1970 Label: Regal Zonophone / A&M	–
	Looking On Released: December 1970 Label: Fly / Capitol	–
1971	Message from the Country Released: June 1971 Label: Harvest / Capitol	–

Live albums

Year	Title	Chart positions
1969	Live at the Fillmore 1969 Released: December 11, 2011 Label: Right Recordings / Not Bad Records	–

Compilation albums

This is a selected list of compilation albums.

• Split Ends (1972, United Artists) (US compilation)
• Fire Brigade (1972, MFP Records) (UK, EMI)**
• The Best of the Move (1974, A&M) (US compilation)
• Great Move!: The Best of the Move (1992, EMI)**
• The BBC Sessions (1995)**
• Movements: 30th Anniversary Anthology (1997, Westside)**
• Anthology 1966–1972 (2008, Salvo Records 4-CD set)**

Extended plays

• Something Else from The Move (1969) ** (5 track EP played at 33 rpm)

Singles

Year	Title	Release date	Original label	Album	Chart positions
					UK	IRL	US
1966	"Night of Fear"	December 1966	UK Deram & US Deram	Non-album single	2	6	–
1967	"I Can Hear the Grass Grow"	March 1967	UK Deram & US Deram		5	–	–
	"Flowers in the Rain"	August 1967	UK Regal Zonophone & US A&M	Move	2	4	–
1968	"Fire Brigade"	January 1968	UK Regal Zonophone & US A&M		3	9	–
	"Wild Tiger Woman"	August 1968	UK Regal Zonophone (no US issue)	Non-album single	–	–	–
	"Blackberry Way"	November 1968	UK Regal Zonophone & US A&M		1	2	–
1969	"Curly"	July 1969	UK Regal Zonophone & US A&M		12	12	–
1970	"Brontosaurus"	March 1970	UK Regal Zonophone & US A&M	Looking On	7	–	–
	"When Alice Comes Back to the Farm"	October 1970	UK Fly & US Warner Bros. (the latter scheduled but never released)		–	–	–
1971	"Ella James"	May 1971	UK Harvest (scheduled but withdrawn) (no US issue)	Message from the Country	–	–	–
	"Tonight"	May 1971	UK Harvest & US Capitol (subsequent US United Artists release)	Non-album single	11	18	–
	"Chinatown"	October 1971	UK Harvest & US MGM (withdrawn but promos were issued) & US United Artists		23	–	–
1972	"California Man" b/w "Do Ya & "Ella James" (UK only)"	April 1972	UK Harvest & US United Artists (titles flipped, without "Ella James")		7	15	-
	"Do Ya" b/w "California Man"	September 1972	US United Artists (a UK single release in 1974)		–	–	93

 

 

THE MOVE - Night Of Fear - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ghFMlYyh3A

Lyrics

The silent night has turned to a night of fear
With windows howling wind into your ear
You listen to the spirits far behind
These things you hear are too much for your mind

The bell strikes and your spine chills like the grave
The chill that turns your blood from red to grey
You know that with these things you see and hear
The silent night has turned to a night of fear

Image on your bedroom wall, shadows marching in the hall
Just about to flip your mind, just about to trip your mind
Just about to flip your mind, just about to trip your mind

The green and purple lights affect your sight
Your mother cannot comfort you tonight
Your brain calls out for help that's never there
The silent night has turned to a night of fear

Image on your bedroom wall, shadows marching in the hall
Just about to flip your mind, just about to trip your mind
Just about to flip your mind, just about to trip your mind

The silent night has turned to a night of fear
With windows howling wind into your ear
You listen to the spirits far behind
These things you hear are too much for your mind

Just about to flip your mind, just about to trip your mind
Just about to flip your mind, just about to trip your mind

Songwriters: Roy Wood

Night of Fear lyrics © Essex Music Inc.

Artist: The Move

Album: Move

Released: 1968

B-side: "Disturbance"

Recorded: 1966

Genre: Rock

 

 

Flowers In The Rain: The Move - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQOc_hgpyPE

Lyrics

Woke up one morning half asleep
With all my blankets in a heap
And yellow roses scattered all around
The time was still approaching four
I couldn't stand it anymore
Saw marigolds upon my eiderdown

I'm just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain making the garden grow
I'm just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain keeping me good

So I lay upon my side
With all the windows open wide
Couldn't pressurize my head from speaking
Hoping not to make a sound
I pushed my bed into the grounds
In time to catch the sight that I was seeking

I'm just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain making the garden grow
I'm just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain keeping me good

If this perfect pleasure has to be
Then this is paradise to me
If my pillow's getting wet
I don't see that it matters much to me

I heard the flowers in the breeze
Make conversation with the trees
Relieved to leave reality behind me
With my commitments in a mess
My sleep has gone away depressed
In a world of fantasy you'll find me

I'm just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain making the garden grow
I'm just sitting watching flowers in the rain
Feel the power of the rain keeping me good

Watching flowers in the rain
Flowers in the rain
Power flowers in the rain
Flower power in the rain

Songwriters: Wood Roy

Flowers in the Rain lyrics © Essex Music Inc., ESSEX MUSIC INC

Artist: The Move

Album: Move

Released: 1968

Recorded: 6 July 1967

B-side: "(Here We Go Round) the Lemon Tree"

 

 

The Move - Fire Brigade - "Top Of The Pops" Show (1968) - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GHe5BPb6Yg

Lyrics

Cast your mind back ten years
To the girl who's next to me in school
If I put my hand upon her leg
She'd hit me with a rule

Though tomorrow won't be long
You're gonna have to play it cool
You've been fascinated by her
She could set the place on fire

Run and get the fire brigade
Get the fire brigade
See the buildings start to really burn
(Ooh) Get the fire brigade
Get the fire brigade
If you jump, you've got to wait your turn

Friends all seem to laugh
I feel I have to make a compromise
Try to reassure myself
My head must need some exercise

Half past ten in the morning
She just took me by surprise
True, she set the place on fire
You've been fascinated by her

Run and get the fire brigade
Get the fire brigade
See the buildings start to really burn
(Ooh) Get the fire brigade
Get the fire brigade
If you jump, you've got to wait your turn

The lights across the street
Throw a rainbow in her hair
I'd love you all to meet her
I'll be there, I'll be there

Notice that my eyes have been
A misty place since Saturday
Brings a feeling we might need
The fire engines anyway

Though tomorrow won't be long
We're gonna have to play it cool
You've been fascinated by her
She could set the place on fire

Run and get the fire brigade
Get the fire brigade
See the buildings start to really burn
(Ooh) Get the fire brigade
Get the fire brigade
If you jump, you've got to wait your turn

Songwriters: Roy Wood

Fire Brigade lyrics © Essex Music International

Artist: The Move

Album: Move

Released: 1968

Genre: Rock

 

 

The Move - Blackberry Way - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELRHD4UCo74

Artist: The Move

Album: Shazam

Released: 1970

B-side: "Something"

Recorded: 1968 at Olympic Studios, London

 

 

Gli Equipe 84 - Tutta mia la città - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz7LwBq9pr0

Testo

No, non verrai,
l'orologio nella strada ormai
corre troppo per noi.

So dove sei,
tu non stai correndo qui da me,
sei rimasta con lui.

Le luci bianche nella notte
sembrano accese per me.
È tutta mia la città.

Tutta mia la città,
un deserto che conosco.
Tutta mia la città,
questa notte un uomo piangerà.

No, non verrai,
fumo un'altra sigaretta e poi
me ne andrò senza te.

Porto con me
un'immagine che non vedrò.
Tu che corri da me.

Da un'automobile che passa
qualcuno grida: "va a casa".
È tutta mia la città.

Tutta mia la città,
un deserto che conosco.
Tutta mia la città,
questa notte un uomo piangerà.

Tua tua tua, ah ah ah.
Tua tua tua, ah ah ah.

Tu non ci sei,
io mi sono rassegnato ormai.
Tu non eri per me.

Tu sei con lui,
cosa importa, io non soffro più.
Forse è meglio così.

Tutta mia la città,
un deserto che conosco.
Tutta mia la città,
questa notte un uomo piangerà.

Tutta mia la città,
un deserto che conosco.
Tutta mia la città,
questa notte un uomo piangerà.

Tutta mia la città,
un deserto che conosco.
Tutta mia la città,
questa notte un uomo piangerà.

Artista: Equipe 84

Album: Equipe 84

Data di uscita: 1965

Genere: Musica pop

 

 

The Move - Curly (1968) - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3TeAjJZeKo

Artist: The Move

Album: Shazam

Released: 1970

Recorded: 1969

Genre: Progressive/Art Rock

 

 

 

The Move - When Alice Comes Back to the Farm - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hpNEpb1OWg

 

Lyrics

Jenny had a bawl at me the other night
She threw it up an' drove away.
So I made a call completely outta sight
Hope to put it right today

When Alice comes back to the farm
I won't be in the cold tonight.
When Alice comes back to the farm
You know it's gonna be alright. yeah

Gimme an appointment put me in the light
That's a taste of what she needs.

Such a disappointment daddy's in the right.
Time for tearing out the weeds

When Alice comes back to the farm
I won't be in the cold tonight.
When Alice comes back to the farm,
You know it's gonna be alright, yeah.

Relax now baby that woman won't get past my door
I believe, I believe that woman won't pass my door
She won't be raisin' no alarm
Don't get around much any more

Songwriters: Roy Wood

When Alice Comes Back to the Farm lyrics © Essex Music International

Artist: The Move

Released: 1970

B-side: "What?"

Genre: Pop