[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 #413 November 18, 2002 In this issue: * Move airplay * Roy CD question? (cont.) * Wizzo Band rarity * Rick Price answers our questions! ============================================================== 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: Move airplay Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 23:26:44 -0800 From: Gmcorie Harold, never once did i ever hear the move over the sound wave's. i myself would like to know how [from other's in the US] much air play they got. it was luck that i came upon there music. louisiana george ********** Subject: Re: Move airplay Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 02:22:05 -0800 From: kakman When I was about fifteen, a new radio station began broadcasting from Hazlet, NJ, WVRM-FM. During the summer over one hundred and twenty people 'volunteered' or more accurately I should say hung out at the station and were whittled down to less than a dozen when the station manager put his foot down and demanded some real work from the volunteers. I was one who stuck it out and was awarded a Sunday afternoon slot eventually after I engineered for an Italian American show and a Polka music show. Initially we were a fifteen watt station but I think they managed to bump it up to one hundred watts before I left the station. Anyway, when my two hour slot came up, I always managed to play some Move tunes from the A&M collection (Best Of The Move) and "Shazam", and also the Idle Race from the US re-release on Liberty of "The Birthday Party". I miss those times. I still have my worn and tattered third class FCC broadcast license, though they phased that category out years ago, I still treasure it as a memento to my first broadcasting experiences. Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX ********** Subject: Re: Roy CD question? Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 12:16:09 -0800 From: "Tyler C.Sherman" David Gofstein wrote: >Well, I've picked up two off of eBay (Cheap too!) and I've been a >bit let >down. The two in question have been "Roy Wood and Wizzard >Archive Series" >on Rialto and "The Best of and the Rest Of" on >Action Replay. Hi David, You managed to pick up two of the worst CD collections! That's why they were cheap. Look for any reissues/collections on the Repertoire label, they are all quite good. There is a 2CD anthology of Move stuff called "Singles A's & B's" and a 1CD of Wizzard stuff by the same title...and "...Christmas Everyday" is on it. There is also a 1 CD version of the Move's singles called "Best Of The Move" on Repertoire. Happy hunting! Wizzards, Tyler ********** Subject: Re: Roy CD question? Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 12:18:15 -0800 From: Lynn Hoskins Tyler wrote: >Look for any reissues/collections on the Repertoire label, they are all >quite good. There is a 2CD anthology of Move stuff called "Singles A's & >B's" and a 1CD of Wizzard stuff by the same title...and "...Christmas >Everyday" is on it. There is also a 1 CD version of the Move's singles >called "Best Of The Move" on Repertoire. The Wizzard compilation that Tyler mentions has "The Carlsberg Special," which, to my thinking, gives us some insight into the direction ELO may have gone had Roy not left the band. It's an amazing piece of music with a classical twist, written by Bill Hunt. Another very good Move comp that's available is "The Complete Singles Collection and More" which covers 1966-1972, so it's got the pre-ELO singles like Do Ya and California Man. It's very well done, with excellent liner notes by Rob Caiger. ********** Subject: Re: Roy CD question? Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 01:02:59 -0800 From: "Tyler C.Sherman" Thanks, Lynn. I was not aware of "The Complete Singles Collection And More". Now I'VE got some hunting to do. ********** Subject: Re: Roy CD question? Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 23:22:04 -0800 From: John DeSilva Lynn Hoskins wrote: >The Wizzard compilation that Tyler mentions has "The Carlsberg Special," >which, to my thinking, gives us some insight into the direction ELO >may have gone had Roy not left the band. It's an amazing piece of music >with a classical twist, written by Bill Hunt. As a way of diving back into the list after being on vacation for 10 days (why yes, we had a marvelous time, thanks for asking! ;-D ), I wanted to echo Lynn's praises about "The Carlsberg Special" - it's one of the most exciting, original, musically varied instrumental rock songs ever recorded to my ears. In fact most (if not all) of the Wizzard B-sides are interesting at worst, truly innovative rock music at best - rivaling the A sides in many cases. "Wizzard - Singles As and Bs" is an excellent comp as Tyler said - buy it with "Wizzard Brew", "Eddy And The Falcons", and "Main Street" and you've got the most original music recorded in the 70s (or maybe ever). If you have an MP3 player, try programming the Move and Wizzard comps together, then shuffle the order. You'll be amazed at how well the two styles mesh (I do this all the time, and people at work wonder why I'm always boppin' through the hallways! ;-D). Great to be back in the swing of things! JD San Jose, CA ********** Subject: Re: Roy CD question? Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 12:17:35 -0800 From: "cuselton" Lynn Hoskins wrote: > But do get the "Exotic Mixture" 2CD if you're a fan of Roy's > non-Wizzard material. I guess the only place to pick up Exotic Mixture is ebay? I tried to order it over Amazon. Amazon shows that it's available - I placed my order in June. But Amazon kept issuing me delay notifications about once every 3 weeks. Finally, this past month, they told me they couldn't secure a copy of it for my order and they cancelled the order. Any suggestions as to where to get a copy of Exotic Mixture - I'd love to have it! ********** Subject: Re: Roy CD question? Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 12:18:09 -0800 From: Lynn Hoskins Cathy wrote: >Any suggestions as to where to get a copy of Exotic Mixture - I'd love >to have it! I have had good luck with ordering from CDZone in the UK - http://www.cdzone.co.uk As you're in the U.S., you don't pay VAT, so it's just under $25.00, including shipping. The catalog number is RR4744 Repertoire. ********** Subject: Wizzo Band rarity Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 12:17:42 -0800 From: "George Mackenzie" I have a WHITE label copy of the Wizzo Band - album does anyone know the value of this piece of vinyl? ********** Subject: Re: Wizzo Band rarity Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 23:21:17 -0800 From: "Tyler C.Sherman" George, I've got an even rarer Wizzo Band item: a test pressing of the US Warner Bros."Super Active Wizzo" LP that was withdrawn. I don't know it's value either. I'd say they can't be worth a great deal because, unfortunately, Roy's stuff is not that well known. Wizzards, Tyler ********** Subject: Re: Wizzo Band rarity Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 01:02:38 -0800 From: "Andrew Footman" I will give you £50 if mint, but you are mad if you part with it! ********** Subject: Rick Price answers our questions Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 13:27:23 -0800 From: Lynn Hoskins Good things come to those who wait. And when you have no choice but to wait, good things still come. A couple years back, the Move List submitted questions for Rick Price to answer. No, it didn't take Rick two years to answer them...it too ME two years to pull the questions together. (NOW do you believe that I'm overworked and underpaid? ;) Joe Doyle may faint, but here are Rick's answers to a lot of your questions. Many, many thanks to Martin Kinch for making this happen. If you want to read more about Rick, visit Martin's website at http://www.cherryblossomclinic.freeserve.co.uk/ Quick Rick Price refresher course: Rick was The Move's bass player and backing vocalist from early 1969 to the end of 1970. He went on to work with Electric Light Orchestra, and was a key member of Wizzard and later Roy Wood's Wizzo Band. (Plus some interesting projects before, after, and inbetween.) Lynn ---- RICK PRICE Q&A From: Tyler Sherman - New Jersey, USA Q. I saw Wizzard at a small club in Parsippany, New Jersey called "The Joint In The Woods" during their Oct. 74 tour here in the States. It was a fantastic show. I'm sure it was a bright spot for them as I know they were generally not well received as they were often the opening act for other groups. At that show everyone was there to see Wizzard and the whole place went nuts. If Rick remembers that show, I'd like him to recall a few highlights of that evening. I suspect there are others on the list who were at that show too who would enjoy his reminisces. A. It was the best gig of the tour. I remember it being packed out - hot and sweaty - great reception. I have recently sold the Precision Bass that I used at the time. The case still had a 'Joint In The Woods' sticker on it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Mike Cross - Rochester, New York Q. Dear Mr. Price, I love that crispy bass sound circa "Message From the Country" and "Looking On". What make and model bass was being played, and what sort of amplifier(s) was/were in use (if you can remember!) Any other effects? A. Some of it was me on Precision. Some was Roy on a Customised Jazz bass. We used WEM amps and cabs. Most often double tracked. Sometimes detuned by a tone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Joel Lehair - 17-year-old fan from the UK Q. What Bass guitar is you favourite to play? P.S. Lynn, can you tell Rick I think he is just totally cool. A. I have a Warwick FNA four string and a Nathan East five string. I like em both for different reasons. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Peter Manion - UK Q. I'd like to pass on my best wishes to Rick who has provided so much musical inspiration for me over the years and ask him if Jeff Lynne recorded any parts on Lightning Never Strikes Twice and Brontosaurus - or was it just Roy, Bev and Rick? A. Lightning was just Roy and me. I don't remember if Jeff added anything to Brontosaurus. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Mike Hudson - USA Q. What kind(s) of bass(es) and strings did you use to get the thunderous sounds? Did you use alternate tunings (as many of us have long suspected)? A. I had a Precision and a Telecaster Bass. I always used Rotosound Round Wound. Sometimes detuned by a tone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Steven Graham - Australia Q. Who played lead guitar on Looking On? A. Both Roy and Jeff. Q. What is your favourite Move track? A. Night Of Fear & Blackberry Way. Q. Do you still play? A. Yes. Q. Do you have any contact with Roy? A. Regularly. Q. Which Move/Wizzard tracks did you sing lead on? A. This Time Tomorrow - Bits of Last Thing On My Mind - Lightning Never Strikes Twice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Dave Woodier - UK Q. Which was the better to work 'in' - The Move or Wizzard and why? A. The first two years of Wizzard. We were so busy. Q. Are you still in management? A. I'm in theatrical production. I play a bit on the side. Q. What football team do you support? A. Sorry Dave, I went off football when they all became overpaid faggotts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Maurice Dockrell - Ireland Q. With regard to the breakup of the Move did you feel let down by Roy Wood - do you think he could have made it possible for you to stay with the band? A. One of Roy's reasons for forming ELO was that he wanted to move on. To widen his musical horizons. To work with lots of differently talented people. He was just as happy playing bass as he was playing guitar. Frankly, they didn't need me in the band. I think Roy saw a raw talent in Jeff. Maybe if Carl had lasted another year, Jeff then wouldn't have joined the Move and Roy would probably have left to form ELO with Jeff. Q. Who was easier to work with, Roy or Jeff? Did either dominate the other? A. They seemed to respect each other's talent. Q. When Roy left ELO, how did Wizzard feel about ELO sans Roy? A. I can't speak for the others but I thought most of it was great. Q. Do you regret the breakup of The Move or do you feel the band had run its creative course? A. The best of the band happened before I joined. Q. Who would you most like to work with now? A. Elvis. Q. Any unfulfilled ambitions musically or otherwise? A. It depends on my hormone balance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Joe Doyle - Canada Rick - first of all a big "thank you" for the years of enjoyment that I've had listening to the music of the various bands you've been involved with and your solo and Mike Sheridan efforts. I hope that you had as much fun making the music as I have listening to it. Q. How did you get involved with the Move? A. Roy kidnapped me. Q. What is your take on the professional relationship between Roy and Jeff and how much did their individual personalities come into play? Who influenced who and what difference in the musical direction of Move/early ELO do you think that Jeff made, compared to what you believe would have happened solely under Roy's leadership? A. Sorry, that's just too hard. Q. The whole period spanning Looking On through to Wizzard Brew was an amazingly creative period for Roy (and Jeff). Looking back, was it apparent to you then that you were a part of something special? A. Yes. Q. What is your preferred instrument, bass or lead/rhythm guitar? A. Guitar. Q. When did you start playing pedal steel guitar, was it something that you "picked up" for the Wizzo Band project (and where on earth did that perm come from!!)? A. Roy bought a basic three pedal model and said "Learn that!" Q. Can you tell us a bit about how Wizzard evolved. Was Bill Hunt on the scene right through from the Roy/Jeff Move era, and how do Mongrel fit in to the picture? A. Between the Move and Wizzard, I started a couple of projects with Carl. One of those projects turned into Mongrel. We were playing at The Belfry Hotel before it became a golf course and Roy turned up. He offered the whole band a job. The guitarist and the pianist declined the offer, but the rest said yes. By our first meeting Roy had enlisted Bill Hunt and Hugh McDowell. Q. I've always thought that you sang sole lead on Crazy Jeans and (possibly) Gotta Crush About You. Is this true and what other Wizzard songs did you sing lead on? Why didn't you do the lead vocals on You Got The Jump On Me? A. No, I didn't sing on those two tracks. Roy re-arranged 'Jump' and transposed it into a key that only a dog can hear. Q. Which, out of the Move, Wizzard, Wizzo albums was your favourite to make, your favourite musically and why? A. Shazam and Eddie were my favourites. Just because of the varied material. Q. What's the story behind the lines in Crazy Jeans - "I got one bullet left, It's for big Don Arden, Gonna blow his guts out baby, What do ya say?" A. I don't know. Q. I've always believed that Wizzard was the best collection of musical and composing talent ever gathered in one band. From your point of view, who were the members that impressed you most as musicians and/or composers? A. Mike and Nick. Q. I understand that the Wizzard members were "given" the b-sides to display their composing talents, as the contract called for Roy to compose 90% of Wizzard's material. How much of a "cross over" was there? What I mean is how much did the various band members contribute to the composition of the songs officially attributed to the other members, including Roy's? A. All the songs were written solely by the credited authors. We all pitched in with the arrangements. Q. You worked with Roy for a long time and it always appeared, to me at least, that you were very close friends. Do you see yourself ever working with Roy again, either on tour or in the studio? This is sort of a leading question... there has often been discussion on this list regarding Roy working with some of his old cohorts again to make new music (not to re-hash The Move or Wizzard, which I know Roy is dead set against). Is this something that you would be keen to be a part of if it ever happened? A. Never gonna happen... . but if it does, I'll be there. Q. How much did it mean to you to release your own album, and the one you made with Mike Sheridan? What is your opinion of those albums today - do you still like them? A. It was very satisfying at the time. What do I think now? Erm ... .? Q. Why was Wizzard's "Wizzo" album never released and what is your opinion of it? Was it a continuation of Wizzard's move to a more jazzy style of music? A. I'm surprised it wasn't released. It wasn't very different from Roy's other stuff. Q. Were the Fred Gumby and Angel costumes that you wore on TOTP your own idea, or were they "inflicted" upon you? A. The angel was Roy's idea. Gumby was mine. Q. You took all of the liner photo's for Mustard. Did you spend a lot of time in the studio with Roy whilst he was making it? A. Yes. Q. What have you been doing of late? Are you involved with any bands as a player or producer? A. Currently, I work as a consultant for a production company. I also do the odd gig with my wife. Q. Looking back over your career, what was the high point, what was the low point and if you could change just one thing what would it be? A. The low point was losing the Move gig after just buying a house on the strength of the job. The high point was meeting Dianne. No regrets. Q. Who is your favourite musician/band? A. Albert Lee/Vince Gill/The Shadows. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Do you have any plans to record an album (or a song) with your son? A. No plans. I'm not cool enough for Richard. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. We know that "10538 Overture" was originally intended to be a Move song. Did you play on it? What was your involvement on the first ELO album? Also, did you play on the "Message From The Country" album? A. The first ELO album started life as a Move project. Roy replaced the bass tracks. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Did you come up with your own "Eddy" hairstyle? A. Yes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Did you write "You Got The Jump On Me"? A. Yes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Regarding the drums on "Feel Too Good"... how much of it was really Jeff? A. Don't know, sorry. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Why did you leave The Move and also ELO, only to resurface with Wizzard? A. I didn't leave the Move. I was never a member of ELO. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Were you involved with Roy Wood's Big Band in the beginning? A. I mixed a couple of shows. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. I believe you attended the very first-ever live performance of Electric Light Orchestra. What did you think? Did you feel Roy and Jeff stood any chance of being successful? A. None whatsoever. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. You mentioned in a 70's interview that Wizzard were offered their own sitcom. How close did this actually come to happening? Were you going to have a starring role? A. It was a daft idea that a couple of TV execs presented to Don Arden. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. What were the circumstances surrounding the aborted (still unreleased) 4th Wizzard album "Bathe Your Feet," without Roy Wood. Rumor has it you were told by the Ardens to record a "more commercial" Wizzard album for eventual release. A. Definitely not. It was Don's way of keeping the band busy while Roy was otherwise engaged. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. How often do you join Mike Sheridan for his monthly jam session in Solihull? A. Every three months or so, depending on my work schedule. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. You were quoted in a Midlands TV show as saying if you knew you were making history, you would not have made a such a fool of yourself (while in Wizzard.) In which TOTP performance did you feel most foolish? The one where Bob Doyle Custard Pied me. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Is it true that you had to physically carry Roy from the studio during the "Wizzard Brew" sessions as he could not stop working? Did he go willingly? A. He usually worked 'til he dropped. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. Do you feel that your excellent bass playing on "Shazam" might be considered a high point of your career? A. Was it excellent? I'm not sure. Thanks anyway. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Bill Millay - California, USA Q. I'd certainly like to know more about what you've been doing musically (if that's not an imposition). A. I produce pre-recorded music for about 10 live shows a year. Some are pantomimes, some light entertainment. I also do a duo thing with my wife. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Q. During the Wizzo BBC concert in the late 70's, you talked about the opening guitar riff to "I Should Have Known" and said (paraphrasing): "...Roy stayed up three weeks one night..." to get the band from an A to an A Flat and, "...if you can follow this, you can plait sawdust..." We have to ask...can YOU plait sawdust? A. Did I say that? I say all kinds of shit - sorry. End of Useless Information #413 ******************************* [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.]