The Move

One of the most successful pop groups to come out of Birmingham in the 1960s in terms of British chart success, they were also the hardest to categorize musically as their style ranged from pop to psychedelic, progressive, heavy metal, 1950s style rock ‘n’ roll and even country and western. Above all, it was Roy Wood’s talent as a highly original songwriter that propelled the band on an extended chart run. Many songs that Roy Wood composed for The Move in the first few years were considered by some to be drug inspired but in reality, a lot of his early lyrics were written while supposedly attending classes at the Moseley School of Art while he was there as a student. Despite the groups’ controversial reputation and almost constant inner turmoil, The Move laid the foundations of what was to become one of the biggest and most successful rock bands of the 1970s.

The Move was formed in December of 1965 by Roy Wood from Mike Sheridan and The Nightriders, Carl Wayne, Chris “Ace” Kefford and Bev Bevan from the Vikings and Trevor Burton from the Mayfair Set. The original plan formulated by Burton, Kefford, and Wood was to start a group consisting of Birmingham’s supposedly best musicians and create a look and sound similar to The Who. The Cedar Club on Constitution Hill hosted late night jam sessions and it was there where the future Move members first got together on stage. Veteran Brum vocalist Carl Wayne was invited to be the front-man and Bev Bevan was chosen as drummer (see Carl Wayne and The Vikings).

After a debut gig at the Belfry Hotel in Stourbridge and further bookings in the Birmingham area, Moody Blues manager Tony Secunda saw them and offered his services. Tony Secunda was one of the more controversial pop managers of the 1960s and his tactics were likely a big influence on future Sex Pistols’ manager Malcolm McLaren. Material performed on stage by the Move at this time included many covers of American west coast groups such as The Byrds and Moby Grape as well as various Motown and rock ‘n’ roll classics. Although Carl Wayne handled most of the lead vocals, all the band members shared harmonies and each were allowed at least one lead vocal per show.

Tony Secunda secured The Move a season at London’s famous Marquee Club where they became known for their wild stage act which included flash bombs, smoke, and Carl Wayne using an axe to hack apart effigies of political figures and smashing up old TV sets. The ensuing notoriety soon helped to gain The Move a recording contract with Deram, a subsidiary of Decca Records and publicity-seeking Secunda made sure that newspaper reporters were present when the band signed the contract on the back of a topless female model.

It was Tony Secunda who also pushed Roy Wood into writing songs for the band. Although his only previously published composition was a single B-side by the Nightriders, Roy came up with the inventive Night Of Fear for the Move’s first single. The song borrowed the catchy riff from the classical 1812 Overture and was released late in 1966 to reach No. 2 in the U.K. charts by early 1967. This was soon followed by two more Roy Wood originals; the driving I Can Hear The Grass Grow (chart position No. 5), and the ultimate paisley-pop anthem Flowers In The Rain (chart position No. 2) which also had the honour of being the first record played on the BBC’s new Radio One pop station.

The Move’s success ensured them regular radio and TV appearances. However, an ill-advised publicity stunt meant to capitalize on a current news tabloid scandal, resulted in promotional postcards being manufactured that had a cartoon of prime minister Harold Wilson shown in a compromising position with his secretary. The PM was not amused and he took the group and their manager to court, suing for libel and winning the case. This resulted in the song-writing royalties for Flowers In The Rain being confiscated and donated to charities of Wilson’s choice.

The Harold Wilson episode strained and ultimately ended the relationship The Move had with Tony Secunda and the band secured Don Arden as their new management. Don Arden already had a reputation as one of the toughest managers in the music business and one whose methods were regarded as quite controversial, although he had pushed a number a groups to success such as The Nashville Teens, The Small Faces, and Amen Corner.

In November 1967, The Move undertook a U.K. package tour that also included The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Pink Floyd and Amen Corner (the Move supplied backing vocals to the Jimi Hendrix Experience album Axis Bold As Love on the track You Got Me Floatin’). The Move also released their first album and it reached No. 15 in the charts. Despite the success of their latest single Fire Brigade (chart position No. 3), all was not well in the band. Ace Kefford left The Move in early 1968, reportedly owing to nervous exhaustion and mental breakdown. He later formed his own band (see The Ace Kefford Stand ). Trevor Burton took his place on bass guitar and The Move now reduced to four members, continued recording and touring. (Note: a version of Fire Brigade was also recorded by the Brum group The Fortunes).

A new Move single Wild Tiger Woman, which had controversial lyrics, was released in July 1968 but did not chart thus becoming the group’s first failure. However, their next single, the majestic Blackberry Way, released at the end of 1968, got to No. 1 and became one of the classic songs of the era. In spite of this, Trevor Burton quit the band after an argument on stage with Bev Bevan during a show in Sweden. Burton was quoted as saying he “hated” Blackberry Way and was fed up with playing disposable pop songs. Burton joined a new line-up of the Birmingham band The Uglys with whom after the addition of Denny Laine and Steve Gibbons became known as Balls (see Balls). His place was taken by Rick Price from the Birmingham band Sight & Sound.

The next Move single, Curly, was not as strong as Blackberry Way but still made it to No. 12 in the charts and in late 1969, the band embarked on their first tour of the USA. The tour was not a big success, mainly due to lack of planning and promotion, for although The Move had a more serious ‘underground’ following in America, record sales there were small with the only airplay on alternative or college FM stations. On their return to the UK, they went, like many West Midlands bands before them, on the lucrative ‘cabaret’ circuit which was a likely cause of friction between vocalist Carl Wayne and the rest of the band. By this time The Move was again under new management from pop manager Peter Walsh who specialized in cabaret acts and had bought the group’s contract from Don Arden.

There were also disagreements within the band over who should sing lead vocal on the Move’s singles and after the inevitable arguments, Carl Wayne left for a solo career. He went on to enjoy success as a cabaret singer and TV actor, even appearing on ITV’s Crossroads series and in various theatrical productions; a far cry from smashing televisions on stage with The Move. In 1999 Carl Wayne became lead vocalist for Manchester’s world-famous band The Hollies as replacement for Allan Clarke in that group. Carl Wayne passed away on August 31, 2004 after a battle with cancer.

The Move once again came under Don Arden’s management and Roy Wood, now firmly in artistic control of the band, asked his friend Jeff Lynne from The Idle Race to join as Carl Wayne’s replacement (see The Idle Race). Lynne had previously been asked after Trevor Burton’s departure but had declined although this time he accepted the offer and the first Move single recorded with him entitled Brontosaurus, was released in April of 1970. To promote Brontosaurus, The Move appeared on TV with Roy Wood featuring outrageous clothes and facial make-up and thus pre-dating the “Glam Rock” era by a few years. The resulting publicity helped the single gain a No. 7 chart position.

Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne had an idea to form a new band that would incorporate classical instruments and create a sound similar to what the Beatles had achieved on their innovative recording of I Am The Walrus. Wood and Lynne with the financial backing of Don Arden, set about recording an album based on this concept and also discontinued playing live shows but in the meantime were required by contract to continue releasing and promoting records by The Move.

The recording of the new “classical” album continued at a slow pace. Bass guitarist Rick Price left the group to join Mongrel after The Move stopped touring, but new Move singles Tonight and China Town were hits and the group continued to make appearances on TV shows like Top Of The Pops. After a final Move album Message From The Country, The Move’s last single California Man was released and reached No. 7 in the Charts in May of 1972. A b-side Do Ya, composed by Lynne, also became a minor hit in the USA, oddly the only Move record to have any impact on the American charts. Finally, the new Roy Wood/Jeff Lynne/Bev Bevan album was finished and released under the name of The Electric Light Orchestra (name derived from the Midland Light Orchestra). A single from the album, 10538 Overture, made the top ten in the British charts and a national tour along with radio and TV appearances to promote the new band followed. The group by this time also included Richard Tandy (previously with The Uglys) on bass guitar, Bill Hunt (from Breakthru) on piano and french horn, cellists Andy Craig and Hugh McDowell, and Wilf Gibson on violin. The album was a critical success, but sold poorly due to the experimental nature of most of the songs. Jeff Lynne would later remark that much of it sounded like “a load of old dustbins falling down the stairs” though he has since acknowledged it as ground-breaking and innovative for that time.

The Wizzard: After reportedly falling-out with Jeff Lynne from differences in opinion over musical direction and coupled with the difficulties in reproducing the Electric Light Orchestra sound live on stage, Roy Wood left the group in early 1973. He soon formed a new band called Wizzard (see Mongrel) which included former Move member Rick Price, drummers Charlie Grima (see The Ghost) and Keith Smart (see The Uglys), saxophonists Mike Burney and Nick Pentelow, and fellow ELO defectors Bill Hunt on piano and Hugh McDowell on cello. After a successful debut at London’s Wembley Stadium, Wizzard shot to the forefront of the “Glam Rock” movement and released several top selling singles including two No. 1 hits in 1973; See My Baby Jive and Angel Fingers as well as the seasonal favourite I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday. Roy Wood’s chart success continued until the late 1970s and after several years of writing and producing for other artists, continues to perform today with his own Roy Wood Big Band as well as making regular appearances on local TV and radio.

Meanwhile, the Electric Light Orchestra (or ELO) now under Jeff Lynne’s control, along with remaining original Move member Bev Bevan, went on to become one of the most successful bands of the 1970s, achieving hit records and multi-million selling albums worldwide. Managed by Don Arden, ELO’s spectacular success, particularly in the USA where they toured consistently and played to packed stadiums, continued into the 1980s. The group produced many classic recordings, all composed by Jeff Lynne, such as Evil Woman, Telephone Line, Mr Blue Sky and Don’t Bring Me Down amongst many others. ELO disbanded in 1985 but Jeff Lynne continued to have behind-the-scenes success as songwriter and producer, helping to revive the careers of George Harrison, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. He also formed the highly-acclaimed Traveling Wilburys with Harrison, Orbison, Petty and Bob Dylan and realized many a producer’s greatest ambition when he produced John Lennon’s Free As A Bird for the Beatles controversial “reunion” in 1995. He continues to be much-in-demand as a producer and songwriter of considerable talent and reputation. Jeff Lynne also finally went out on the road again in 2001 with a new ELO line-up and album.

After a brief stint in the legendary Brum heavy metal band Black Sabbath, drummer Bev Bevan formed the Electric Light Orchestra Part II in the late 1980s which included some former ELO members and featuring songs on stage made famous by the 1970s version of ELO. The group toured worldwide for about 10 years until Bev Bevan’s departure to become a part-time radio DJ and session player. Still based in Birmingham, he has since performed with his own band and is currently touring with a new line-up of The Move that also includes original member Trevor Burton.

The Move:

Carl Wayne lead vocal (left 1970) Roy Wood vocal, lead guitar, bass, cello, oboe Ace Kefford vocal, bass guitar (left 1968) Trevor Burton vocal, guitar/bass (left 1969) Bev Bevan drums and vocal Rick Price vocal, bass guitar (joined 1969 – left 1971) Jeff Lynne vocal, piano, guitar (joined 1970)

22 January 1966 – Carlton Club, Erdington, West Midlands with The Hellions

1 February 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham

1 February 1966 – Carlton Club, Erdington BOTH BILLED AS CARL WAYNE & THE MOVE

3 February 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with Little Stevie Wonder (replaced P J Proby), The Sidewinders, The Sombreros and The Matadors BILLED AS FEATURING CARL WAYNE

3 February 1966 – Elbow Room, Aston BILLED AS FEATURING CARL WAYNE

5 February 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with Doris Troy and Fantastic Bluesology Incorporated BILLED AS FEATURING CARL WAYNE

10 February 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham BILLED AS CARL WAYNE AND THE MOVE

10 February 1966 – Carlton Club, Erdington BILLED AS FEATURING CARL WAYNE

12 February 1966 – Marquee and Whisky A Go Go, Navigation Street, Birmingham

13 February 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with Jeremy & The Heartbeats BILLED AS FEATURING CARL WAYNE

15 February 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with Inez and Charlie Foxx and Jeremy & The Heartbeats BILLED AS FEATURING CARL WAYNE

16 February 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham BILLED AS CARL WAYNE & THE MOVE

19 February 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with Monopoly BILLED AS FEATURING CARL WAYNE

20-21 February 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with Doris Troy and Bluesology Incorporated BILLED CARL WAYNE & THE MOVE

22 February 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with Deke Arlon BACKED DEKE ARLON FOR A WEEK AND BILLED AS THE MOVE FEATURING CARL WAYNE

24 February 1966 – Hereford Lounge, Yardley, West Midlands BILLED AS FEATURING CARL WAYNE

5 March 1966 – Marquee Club, Birmingham with The Shakedown Sound

5 March 1966 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth

7 March 1966 – The Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands with John Bull Breed and The Sombreros BILLED AS FEATURING CARL WAYNE

16 March 1966 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth

24 March 1966 – Carlton Club, Erdington

26 March 1966 – Le Metro Club, Birmingham

29 March 1966 – Carlton Club, Erdington

2 April 1966 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, West Midlands with William’s Conquers BILLED AS CARL WAYNE & THE MOVE

5 April 1966 – Chalet Country Club, Rednal

9 April 1966 – Le Metro Club, Birmingham

18 April 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with Cleo Laine and Danny King

19 April 1966 – Tito’s Club, Handsworth

20 April 1966 – Lyndon, Sheldon, West Midlands BILLED AS CARL WAYNE & THE MOVE

23 April 1966 – Ritz Ballroom, King’s Heath, West Midlands with The Steampacket Show

26-27 April 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with D D Warwick WARWICK REPLACED BY DAKOTA STATION AND JOHNNY PATRICK TRIO?

28 April 1966 – Hereford Lounge, Yardley, West Midlands

1 May 1966 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, West Midlands with The Craig

1 May 1966 – Ritz Ballroom, King’s Heath, West Midlands with The Craig

2-3 May 1966 – Club Cedar, Birmingham with Julie Grant, Danny King and Deep Feeling

6 May 1966 – West End Club, Coalville, Leicestershire with Listen BILLED CARL WAYNE & THE MOVE

10 July 1966 – Dereham Tavern, Dereham, Norfolk with Ian & Danny Eves with Sounds Reformed

16 July 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire

22 July 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire

2 August 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire with Jimmy James & The Vagabonds

13 August 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire

3 September 1966 – Starlight Ballroom, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Zuider Lee and Ray King Soul Band

11 September 1966 – Nottingham Boat Club, Nottingham

16 September 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester

17 September 1966 – Dreamland Ballroom, Margate

19 September 1966 – Ricky Tick, Hounslow

23 September 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney

30 September 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney

7 October 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney

14 October 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney

15 October 1966 – Leeds University, Leeds

21 October 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire with The Action

21 October 1966 – The Marquee Show, Fairfield Hall, Croydon, Surrey with The Spencer Davis Group, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, Wynder K Frog, The Herd and The VIPs

22 October 1966 – Chemsford Corn Exchange, Chelmsford, Essex with support

28 October 1966 – Birdcage, Eastney

5 November 1966 – Hull University, Hull

6 November 1966 – Jigsaw, Manchester

9 November 1966 – Orford Cellar, Norwich

19 November 1966 – King Mojo, Sheffield with Ben E King

25 November 1966 – The Thing, Oldham

26 November 1966 – Durham University, Durham

4 December 1966 – Belle Vue, New Elizabethan, with The Klyx

11 December 1966 – Dungeon Club, Nottingham

15 December 1966 – The Speakeasy, W1, London OPENING NIGHT

1 January 1967 – Upper Cut, Forest Gate with The Mack Sound

8 January 1967 – Starlite, Greenford

18 January 1967 – Stevenage Mecca, Locarno, Stevenage

26 January 1967 – Salisbury City Hall, Salisbury, Wiltshire with Soul Foundation

2 February 1967 – Worthing Pavilion, Worthing

3 February 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, London with The Gods

4 February 1967 – Watford Trade Hall, Watford

5 February 1967 – Flamingo, Soho

6 February 1967 – Bath Pavilion, Bath

9 February 1967 – Locarno, Coventry

10 February 1967 – Top Spot, Ross on Wye

11 February 1967 – Manchester University

12 February 1967 – 2X2 Club, Halifax

13 February 1967 – Town Hall, High Wycombe

14 February 1967 – Lotus Ballroom, Forest Gate

4 March 1967 – Rhodes Centre, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts with Tracy’s Circles

5 March 1967 – Saville Theatre, London (withdrew)

13 March 1967 – Adelphi Ballroom, West Brom, West Midlands

17 March 1967 – Tiles, Oxford Street, London with Tiles Big Band and the Knack 1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY

26 March 1967 – Oasis, Manchester

26 March 1967 – Drokiweeny, Manchester

8 April 1967 – Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone with The Couriers

9 April 1967 – Cadillac Club, Brighton

14 April 1967 – Brighton Arts Festival, Brighton, West Sussex with Paul Jones, Mike Stuart Span, Geno Washington, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and others

15 April 1967 – Birdcage, Eastney, Hampshire with The Academy

24 April 1967 – Belfry, Wishaw, West Midlands with Monopoly and Orange Pips

29 April 1967 – Wellington Club, Dereham, Norfolk with Rubber Band and Deep Purple OPENS THE CLUB

3 May 1967 – Bromel Club, Bromley Court Hotel, Bromley

7 May 1967 – Silver Blades, Streatham

12 May 1967 – Cheltenham Town Hall, Cheltenham with Gopler and Mark Raymond Sound

27 May 1967 – Hastings Pier, Hastings, East Sussex with The Flashbaks

17 June 1967 – Toft’s, Folkestone

19 June 1967 – Trinity and St John’s Oxford with Manfred Mann, Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, John Barnett & His Band and West Indian Steel Band

24 July 1967 – Stevenage Mecca, Locarno, Stevenage, Hertfordshire with Cortinas

2 August 1967 – Flamingo, Redruth, Cornwall with The Onyx

28 August 1967 – Pynkney Hall Blues Festival, Fakenham, Norfolk with Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Alan Bown, Family and The Workshop

4 September 1967 – Silver Blades, Streatham

1 October 1967 – Starlight Ballroom, Crawley, West Sussex with Jo Jo Gunne

15 October 1967 – Drokiweeny, Manchester

21 October 1967 – Gaiety Ballroom, Ramsey, Cambridgeshire with The Trax and Soul Security Corporation

24 October 1967 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks

27 January 1968 – Hastings Pier, Hastings, East Sussex with Shades of Black

3 February 1968 – Plaza Ballroom, Handsworth, West Midlands

6 March 1968 – High Wycombe Town Hall, High Wycombe, Bucks

8 April 1968 – Silver Blades, Streatham

12 April 1968 – Carlton Club, Warrington with Bits

4 May 1968 – Imperial Ballroom, Nelson, Lancashire

13 August 1968 – Torquay Town Hall, Torquay, Devon

2 September 1968 – Bluesology Festival, Chateau Impney, Droitwich, Worcestershire with Fleetwood Mac, Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds, The Freddy Mack Show and Family

21 September 1968 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with Yes and Forever Changes

21 September 1968 – New Centre Hall, Manchester with The Impact

25 September 1968 – Tavistock Town Hall, Tavistock, Devon

11 October 1968 – Kew Boat House, Kew, Middlesex

11 October 1968 – Coronation Hall, Kingston Upon Thames

26 October 1968 – Plymouth Guildhall, Plymouth, Devon with Frozen Tear

1 November 1968 – King’s College, Strand, London with Lemon Tree and Heart ‘N’ Souls

8 November 1968 – Rag Charities Ball, Hotel Metropole, Brighton, West Sussex with Spooky Tooth, Wynder K Frog, Honeybus and Chicken Shack

3 February 1969 – Silver Blades, Streatham

20 February 1969 – Imperial College, Charity Concert, Royal Albert Hall with The Spencer Davis Group, Status Quo, East of Eden and The Nashville Teens

23 March 1969 – Redcar Jazz Club, Redcar, North Yorkshire with Ruby James & The Sound Seekers

24 August 1969 – Hastings Pier, Hastings, East Sussex

6 September 1969 – Starlight Room, Boston Gliderdrome, Boston, Lincolnshire with The Applejacks