[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 #477 June 3, 2003 In this issue: * Song Of The Week (week of 5/26): "Sunshine Help Me" * Evita and Roy Wood * Jumping into the Super Active Wizzo fray * Super Active Wizzo LIVE? * Tell us the news about yourself... * Roy Wood/SAS Band charity show * Gastank (cont.) * LIGHT!Fest East Coast (ELO/MOVE fanfest) planned for August 16 & 17 in Baltimore ============================================================== 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: Re: Song Of The Week: "Sunshine Help Me" Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 18:54:22 -0700 From: "Michael J. Cross" I just had to reply to this! I know it's a cover and not an original Move song, but it stands head and shoulders above the rest of the Move catalogue as my absolute favorite Move recording! Having heard it a good number of years before I started teaching mysyelf to play bass, SHM was probably the ultimate #1 influence on the way I eventually learned to play. It helped to be in a band of other untrained musicians who were willing to give me enough leash to create my own sound. Or try to! And the restored version on the Movements boxset was just an incredible thing to behold! I recall listening to that version over and over and over again when I got the set. Amazing, wonderful...did I already mention this is my favorite Move recording? I love everything about it. Mike Cross Rochester, NY ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Sunshine Help Me" Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 18:55:01 -0700 From: "Andrew Footman" The Move live, fantastic cover. Some fantastic Bass playing. The inter play between the Bass and the guitar is stunning. Bev's playing is great and great vocals too! What more could you want its a great live effort. There is a unedited version too. I love that too, even if a few bum notes happen. I hope Rob unearths more live Move stuff, they must have been one of the best live bands of that era. ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Sunshine Help Me" Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 23:05:31 -0700 From: "Leonard Bilello" This was one of my favorites from the EP, which I played continuously. I was surprised by the release of the unedited version because I thought the original version was complete. This song showed the potential of the Move as a live band. The guitar, bass and drums, along with the vocals make this one of my all-time favorite live gig. I only wished they had played in NYC at the Fillmore East. I had tickets to the show and was greatly disappointed. ********** Subject: Re: Song Of The Week: "Sunshine Help Me" Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 23:35:51 -0700 From: "Andrew Footman" Yes i bet if the original Move reformed they would blow everybody away on stage. Carl is a better singer now, Bev is still great. Trev is a fine guitarist in is own right. Ace is one of the best Bass players on the planet, this track shows why. Roy still can cut the Mustard too! Live they would be untouchable! Shame Roy will never reform them. ********** Subject: Evita and Roy Wood Date: Sat, 24 May 2003 00:10:02 -0700 From: George Marin does anyone know what roy's contribution to the london cast lp of "evita" was? he is mentioned in the credits but i swear i can't hear him and his voice is unique. thanks in advance. ********** Subject: Re: Evita and Roy Wood Date: Sat, 24 May 2003 12:16:10 -0700 From: "Tyler C.Sherman" First I've heard of any connection Roy may have had with "Evita". He does get around, doesn't he! Wizzards, Tyler ********** Subject: Re: Evita and Roy Wood Date: Sun, 25 May 2003 13:00:36 -0700 From: kakman1 GeorMarin wrote: >does anyone know what roy's contribution to the london cast lp of >"evita" was? Glad to oblige! The song is 'The Rainbow Tour'. I believe he is the third general. His one line is, "She still made a fabulous impact, caught the eye." Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX ********** Subject: Re: Evita and Roy Wood Date: Sun, 25 May 2003 13:00:40 -0700 From: marc haines Hi! This is a different person named Roy Wood, not "our" Woody! Cheers! Marc ********** Subject: Jumping into the Super Active Wizzo fray Date: Mon, 26 May 2003 13:19:42 -0700 From: kakman1 Thanks once again to Andy Footman for going to trouble of creating a CD-R disc of SAW for me. I've been listening to it off and on in conjunction with Main Street CD since I got it, catching all the nuances, trying to figure out what i like and don't like, etc, etc.. Having listened to Main Street and knowing it came before SAW, this album makes a lot more sense now to me, and is not such a complete headscratcher as it was to me when I first heard it on vinyl, oh so many years gone. That having said, does not excuse the fact that to my ears, and I do mean my ears folks, especially those folks that really dig and groove to this album (all thirty five strong world-wide), this album still fails to grab me. I can honestly say that now I feel that the album doesn't quite suck the way I thought it did when I heard it when I was younger, but I still regard it as kind of a noble failure, somehow trying to fly completely in the face of what was happening in pop music at that time: disco, punk, europop, hard rock and heavy metal, and, er, um, ELO. It WAS absolutely criminal that the far superior "Wizzo" album, now known as "Main Street" was shelved; it would have been a remarkable tuneful and more adult alternative to what was being offered in the pop arena at that time. No wonder Roy went totally jazz fusion for two minutes and committed career suicide. The problem with SAW I find, as a jazz rock fusion album, it's awfully boring and unexciting. There are some wonderfully pretty moments and some great rocking guitar moments and some loud drums, etcetera, but those are far apart and too few to find. The whole thing just kind of plods and plods and pleads with the listener,"aren't I pretty?". Where's the humour, at least, or some oomph, a little more tempo even, like "Indiana Rainbow"? OTOH, the Wizzo band single, "The Stroll", has a little more energy, humour and nerve about itself. Its only drawback, it goes on way too long trying to figure how to come to a stop; A shorter edit might have got it a chart placing. All of this seems to explain what became his US-only WB release "On The Road Again". Lyric-wise, he's got his humour back, but musically, he's at best treading water or revisiting the same old fishing pond he's been to before. Beach Boys knock offs, jazz rock, Wizzard retreads, even bits that sound like Boulders Revisited! The people at Jet and Warners must have really done a number on Woody. It may not be true, but his music from that period sounds like he had a colossal loss of nerve and didn't know where to turn. It remains for all to speculate how Woody's career and music might have evolved had Jet/Warners released and promoted "Wizzo". Had this direction in his music been encouraged and not stomped on, he may have even found some real inroads and success in America, not just cult stardom and once a decade gig to New York City. Kevin Kunreuther Dallas TX ********** Subject: Re: Jumping into the Super Active Wizzo fray Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 11:19:37 -0700 From: "Tyler C.Sherman" < Kevin, You bring up many valid points in the evolution of Roy's career up to SAW and beyond. Yes, he was obviously a bit unnerved by the rejection of "Wizzo" and continued lack of acceptance in the USA. Coupled with all the oft reported management problems and legal hassles, it's a miracle he managed to produce any music at all during this period. I mean, John Lennon got so sick of it all that he dropped out of sight for five years! Roy only disappeared for a year or so. Let's give him a break and be grateful we have music that, while not up to the standard set by previous offerings, has merits in it's own right. Granted, I'll put on "Shazam" or "Looking On" more often than most other things Roy has done but that does not negate the effort he put into "SAW" or any other later stuff. It's simply a question of the music connecting with the listener. ALL of Roy's music is challenging on first listen (or even repeated listenings), that is why WE "got it" but others didn't. It was that "Hmmm, something different and unique is happening here..." quality that drew us in. So, "SAW" is really no different except that it is such a departure from what came before. I have come to appreciate this album more & as time goes by. I, too, was puzzled by it at first...and second, and third... Anyway, these are just some random thoughts to your post, not any kind of challenge or put down of your opinion at all. I hope you continue to listen to "SAW" and begin to hear the nuances in the music. Wizzards, Tyler ********** Subject: Re: Jumping into the Super Active Wizzo fray Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 11:20:20 -0700 From: "Andrew Footman" I LOVE TYLER'S REVIEW. When i first heard the album i did not like it much and sort of forgot about it. Dave Burley started raving about it and asked me to put it on CDR for him. I think i will regret this i seem to have a load of folks wanting this now lol. God i hope it sell more than 35 copies on CD when Rob's is out. And you lot buy it before i get stressed out by burning the bloody thing to cdr! No, really i can understand the folks in the States trying to get a copy of it. Tyler please help! ********** Subject: Re: Jumping into the Super Active Wizzo fray Date: Tue, 27 May 2003 18:53:19 -0700 From: "Tyler C.Sherman" Andy & all, I'd be happy to do CD-R's for anyone interested in "SAW" but it will be awhile before I can accommodate as I will be moving in about a week. It will be awhile till I'm back on line and have my new studio set up. Most likely I will pack up my computer & current studio this weekend. So if I don't respond to anyone's query right away now you know why. Wizzards, Tyler ********** Subject: Super Active Wizzo LIVE? Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 12:39:05 -0700 From: "Paul Watkins" Reading all the discussion about 'Super Active Wizzo' lately, it prompted me to dig out the old vinyl and transfer it to CD. I'd forgotten just how much of a little gem this was. It would be nice to have this remastered because the original Lp sounds fairly 'Muddy'. This led me on to the BBC Concert at the Paris Theatre in 1977, The Live performance being very similar to the Lp versions, plus the superb performances of 'Are you ready to rock and California Man (with Brontosaurus Rif). This then leads me on to a couple of Questions. 1. When was the concert actually recorded? 2. What happened to the 'Jig' which was originally part of 'Another Wrong Night' (which didn't make it to the Lp version) 3. Will the Original Lp be Officially Released in 2004? ********** Subject: Re: Super Active Wizzo LIVE? Date: Thu, 29 May 2003 12:27:30 -0700 From: "Michael J. Cross" Paul W. wrote: >I'd forgotten just how much of a little gem this was. It would be nice >to have this remastered because the original Lp sounds fairly 'Muddy'. I find it so ironic to read that, because part of what I enjoy so much about SAW is that it is a LOT less muddy than, say, Wizzard's Brew. The vocals are nice and clear, and there seems to be some "clean space" in the production and arrangement that allows the instruments to shine through. You can even tell pretty easily that it's a two-drummer ensemble. I would like to note that I do NOT have what you would call audiophile hearing. Motorhead and Alice Cooper saw to that in the late 80's. And as for Kevin K. and others who have historically had a difficult time fully enjoying SAW, I still have to profess my confusion over exactly what it is you don't enjoy about it, except concrete comments about being bored by the repetitive bits. Kevin, I'm not understanding your "Aren't I pretty?" bit in your previous post. I will toss this out there: is it the fact that it's just so darn strange, even by Roy's standards? I find it hard to fathom how anyone can enjoy "Wizzard's Brew", "Eddy and the Falcons", and "Boulders", yet not find it in their hearts to also enjoy SAW. I'd like to hear more from the folks who don't/didn't like SAW. Be specific! Is it the lap-pedal steel guitar embellishments that put you off? For reference, I like SAW a bit more than Main Street. Thanks All! Mike Cross Rochester, NY ********** Subject: Re: Tell us the news about yourself... Date: Sat, 24 May 2003 00:10:19 -0700 From: DjengoMan -Your name, age, location, occupation. My name's Mike, I'm 22. I live in New York and I'm a student. When I'm not being a student I mow grass and look for a better job. I can hear the grass grow, damnit. -How long have you been a Move and/or Roy Wood fan? I became a Move fan earlier this year. A friend of mine made me an ELO mix tape with some tracks by the Move and the Idle Race. -What was your first Move related experience? Hearing 10538 Overture in the car with my friends. -Tell us about your top 5 favorite Move related tracks. That's a tough one. Wild Tiger Woman, Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited, California Man, Curly, Dance Around the Maypole. But I don't have enough albums to really answer that question. I've got some Wizzard and Roy albums coming in the mail soon. -What's your favorite Move related album, and why? Again, I can't really answer this with authority. I have 3 cd's and I love them all. -What topics would you like to see discussed on this list? I would like to know what people think of Roy Wood and Wizzard's albums. I don't have any yet. -If you've seen the Move or any member of the Move in concert, tell us about that show. Well, it was 1967, I wasn't even born yet, but they really tore it up. -Tell us about an amusing or interesting situation that has happened as a result of you being a Move/Roy Wood fan. Well there was this one time when I went to a record store and blew almost all of my cash on two Move cd's and a Throbbing Gristle album. I didn't have a lot of cash. HA HA. Sorry. -Who are some of your other favorite artists/bands? The Beach Boys are boss, Ween, Kraftwerk, Black Flag, The Stooges, Mike Watt, The Minutemen, ELO I guess, Grand Buffet. When will you see ELO and Black Flag mentioned in the same sentence again? -Which Move related song do you wish one of your favorite bands would cover? I think it would be hilarious to see Grand Buffet cover any Move or ELO song. -What is the one burning question that you have never had answered in relation to Move/Roy Wood history or music? Why is someone as incredibly talented as Roy Wood hardly known in the United States? How can you have 30 plus hits in the UK and barely make a dent here? Why didn't he tour here more? I heard it was management. And when's he coming back to play the States? I missed him last time. What a bummer. -Are you having trouble finding any Move related music on CD? I can't find a damn thing in the stores. But it's mostly all available online. That's the only way I can get my fix. ********** Subject: Re: Tell us the news about yourself... Date: Sat, 24 May 2003 12:15:56 -0700 From: "Tyler C.Sherman" Hi Mike, Welcome aboard! It's great to see there's still hope of Roy getting his due when younger folks keep discovering his music. In fact, I'm fixing to convert a 15 year old who is currently into heavy rock by turning him on to The Move's "Looking On" album. Yes, it is mystifying that someone as enormously talented as Roy Wood is unknown here in the states. Back when "Shazam" came out my efforts to turn most folks on to it were met with yawns. Frustrating. By the time of "Do Ya", though, The Move were on the brink of breaking big here and, I think, would have finally done so if they had stayed together for one more album and toured behind it. Alas, it was not to be. You asked about Wizzard. I've always felt they were a band that promised more than they actually delivered. What they did deliver is superb and, according to our Woody archivist Rob Craiger, there is lots of stuff in the vaults that never has seen the light of day. Again, record company and management decisions probably hindered Wizzard in their efforts to fully develop their potential. They nixed Roy's idea of a double LP with one side rock, one side jazz, one side country and one side classical. Ditto a planned 2nd US tour. Ah, what could have been! But we do have two complete Wizzard albums, "Wizzard Brew" (1973), "Introducing Eddy and The Falcons" (1974) and a belatedly released, if abridged, 3rd effort that is really more of a solo album recorded during Wizzard's waning days (1975-1976). Originally titled "Wizzo" and rejected by their record company as being too jazzy and uncommercial, it finally came out a few years ago retitled "Main Street". There have been numerous comps of Wizzards's hit singles. The "Wizzo" idea was carried over to a full blown jazz rock project "Super Active Wizzo" by Roy Wood's Wizzo Band in 1977. Roy has joked that this album probably sold about 30 copies. It has been the subject of much pro & con debate on this list. It essentially signaled the end of Roy's "glory days" as punk & new wave dominated the record buying public's attention in the late 70's-early 80's. Various solo & group projects ensued, many of which are excellent and are compiled on a 2 CD set titled "Exotic Mixture", but failed to make much of an impact. His last commercially released effort was a one-off single on Jet records in 1987, a cover of Len Barry's "123". "Brew" & "Eddy" were reissued on CD a few years ago and quickly deleted. You might find copies lingering in some stores in NYC or online. New reissues with bonus material are forthcoming. In the mean time, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding the excellent 2 CD "Wizzard singles A's & B's" on the Repertoire label. Well, I hope this helps fill in some of the gaps for you. Again, welcome to the list. Wizzards, Tyler ********** Subject: Roy Wood/SAS Band charity show Date: Thu, 29 May 2003 23:24:53 -0700 From: Lynn Hoskins Here's a little more info on that May 13th SAS Band charity concert at Billingsgate Market in London that was filmed... As Peter Grenville reported, it was intended to be a pilot for a TV show, "In Session." It's being edited in the hope that a TV company will commission a series. In the event that doesn't happen, it's likely that the footage will be put out on video for sale via the SAS Band website. So the next bit of news we'll get will either be transmission details, or info on the video. Roy performed four song, and joined the rest of the SAS Band for the final number: California Man - Roy Wood/Horns Fire Brigade - Roy Wood/Horns Boadicea - Roy Wood/Horns Blackberry Way - Roy Wood/Horns I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday - Roy Wood, Roger Taylor, Bob Geldof, Chris Thompson, Spike Edney and Brian May The SAS Band is playing one UK gig this summer, at the Eastleigh Festival August 1st. It will feature Chris Thompson, Leo Sayer, Paul Young, Fish and Graham Gouldman. I did inquire about Roy's possible participation, and was told he will not be taking part. (Sorry, Sandy!) The SAS Band did invite him and are very disappointed that he can't make it, as he was such great fun at the charity gig. ********** Subject: Re: Gastank Date: Thu, 22 May 2003 13:36:17 -0700 From: Jon Hinchliffe "Mike Holden" wrote: >>I can give you details of the 6 programs if you are interested. > >Yes I would be interested. As I said, I probably didn't know who a lot of >the guests were (or indeed Rick and Tony) at the time, but am probably >fairly familiar with a lot of them nowadays. OK these are my notes. I had limited space so for making them so they might not make sense to you. Gastank Vol 1 I Had To Laugh (Tony Ashton) Gastank (RW,T Fendandez,C Crock,TA) Little Lady (Rick Parfit, TF,RW,TA,Jermone Rimson) Parfit Interview By RW Rain (Parfit, TF,TW,CC,TA) Catherine Howard (RW,CC,TF) Cimerons - The Word. No Band Ciggie Song (TA) Heart Attack (Eric Burden, RW,TA,TF,CC) Trying To Get To You (Same Band) Interview By Rick Lawdy Miss Claudy And Be Bop A Lu La (Same Band) Gastank Vol 2 Aeroplane By Tony Ashton Gastank By The Usual House Band Man Smart, Woman Smarter - A Fairweather Low And House Interview With Andy Wide Eyes And Legless(A F-LGodley&Cream,J Rimson Interview With Godley And Cream By Rick In The Midnight Hour (Reggea Middle Same Line Up) Ronnie's Song (TA Sings, Ronnie Scott On Sax, JR, Interview With Ronnie By RW and TA. Catherine Parr (RW In Gold Cape, CC, TF) Blackpool's First Twist Victim (Maggie Bell, TA,RW,Etc) Crazy (MB, TA, TF, CC, RW) GasTank Vol 3 Channel 4 (Tony Ashton) Gastank (TA, CC, RW, TF) Growing Up (Phil Lynott, John Sykes, JR, TA, RW, TF) The Man's A Fool (Same) Russian Duet (Rick And Tony) Mellow Yellow (Donavan, RW,CC,TF,TA) La Lenya (Donavan,Rick) Watching The River Flow (C Farlow, A Lee,CC,TA,TF,R Stormy Monday Blues Rick Interview Of Chris Farlow Lucile (Parfit, Lee, Paice,Falowe, CC, TA, RW) GasTank Vol 4 Gaschtank (Tony Ashton) R'n'R Guitar Picker (Alvin Lee, RW,TA,TF,CC) Alvin Lee Interview By Rick And Tony Maybe Wrong, Won't Be Wrong Always- Howie Casey, Pai Interview With Ian Paice By Rick Possibly By Rick And Ian Paice And Chas Cronk My Babe (Cpt Turkey, Quotro, Hacket, RW,TF,TA,CC) CC Rider Quotro Interwiew By Rick Sweet Little Rock'n'Roller (No Hacket On Harmonic) GasTank Vol 5 I Don't Like (Tony Ashton) GasTank (New Recording With JR Instead Of CC) Mr Soft (Steve Harley,RW,TA,TF,JR) Interview With Steve Harley By RW And TA It's Weird (JR,TA,RW,TF) Hangman And The Papist (Gastank, Original Line Interview With Dave Cousins) Elgin Mansions Something Called The Blues (TA-Blues,RW-Prog,RWTA-Bo) Twist And Shout (John Entwistal,Rw,Ta,Jr(Tam), Interview With Entwhistal By RW And TA Get America (Steve Harley, J Ent,RW,TF,TA(Singing)) GasTank Vol 6 California Man Interviewed By Rick Wakeman Down To Zero Gone But Not Forgotten He'll Have To Go (Frankie Miller,TA,Howie Casey) Cimmerons - Burn My Body Deep Pockets (TA,RW,TF,CC) Camino Royale (Steve Hacket, CC, RW, TF) Interview Of S Hacket By RW Hacket's Boogie (Blue's Jam) TF,RW,S Hacket,TA ********** Subject: LIGHT!Fest East Coast (ELO/MOVE fanfest) planned for August 16 & 17 in Baltimore Date: Thu, 22 May 2003 13:37:23 -0700 From: "Steve Rifkin" Hi everyone! You're a Move fan, you say? You can't listen to enough of Roy Wood? Sounds like you're a candidate to attend LIGHTFest! LIGHT!Fest East Coast is back! This year's ELO/Move/Orchestra-and-related-artists fan get-together will be held Saturday & Sunday, August 16-17, 2003 in Baltimore, Maryland. As usual, the format will be similar to the previous LIGHT!Fests held in Baltimore. All the LIGHT!Fests have been very successful, and this one will be no exception. If you've never been to a LIGHT!Fest, you're in for a treat. If any of you have been to one, what did you think of it? We hope to see you there again! Sponsored by LIGHT!, LIGHT!Fest is open to all ELO/MOVE/Orchestra/Idle Race/Jeff Lynne/Roy Wood (whew! the list goes on)etc.. fans. You don't have to be a member or LIGHT! to attend. For more details, e-mail me (steve410@erols.com), or check out the LIGHT! website (http://www.erols.com/steve410/elo/light). Thanks, and hope to see you there! Steve Rifkin, Coordinator of LIGHT!, the North American ELO fan club End of Useless Information #477 ******************************* [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.]