This is a story that needed to be told. Despite a string of highly successful hit singles there has never been a detailed biography of one of Birmingham's top groups. In the mid-1060s there was a flourishing music scene in England's second city. Jim McCarthy's well-researched book details the evolution of the Move starting from the members' earlier days in Carl Wayne & the Vikings, Mike Sheridan & the Nightriders and Denny (Laine) & the Diplomats. Their background had been different. Bev Bevan and Carl Wayne were more rockers while Chris "Ace" Kefford and Trevor Burton tended more towards soul and blues. Although Roy Wood would later be noted as the driving force behind the Move as he wrote most of the songs it was Ace and Trevor that defined the band's image.

The original five-piece line-up were, apparently, an amazing live act. There were a number of covers in the set list with each member of the band handling lead vocals. It was unusual for a group to have four decent lead vocalists and even drummer Bev Bevan stepped up to the microphone for Zings Went the Strings of My Heart. Enter manager Tony Secunda. He may have been the manager in name but he was much more of a PR person and could gain the Move exposure and notoriety, often without the band members knowing anything about it.

The Move are widely known for having the first record played on Radio One. Flowers in the Rain went on to be a massive number two hit bit the band made no money from it and Roy Wood has never received any songwriting royalties. Unbeknown to Wood and the band, Tony Secunda had satirical, provocative postcards printed that showed Prime Minister Harold Wilson in a compromising position. Wilson sued for libel and the court found in his favour. The band and Roy Wood were told to hand over all royalties from the single to Wilson's chosen charities in perpetuity.

The band started to fall apart when Ace and then Trevor left. Roy Wood was taking more of the lead vocals which sidelined Carl Wayne. The lack of exposure in the vital US market proved to be a mistake although the band finally made it in 1969. Furthermore, the reliance on Roy Wood's songwriting that there was not enough original material being released by the Move.

After Jeff Lynne joined from the Idle Race, there were a few more hit singles before Wood, Lynne and Bevan formed ELO. After the first single, 10538 Overture, Wood teamed up with former Move member Rick Price to create Wizzard.

John McCarthy's book is an excellent biography of the Move and goes into fascinating detail about the members' activities after the Move, the exception being ELO who would require a book of their own. The Move were one of the best British groups of the 1960s. Roy Wood's songs were not only highly commercial but they moved away from traditional boy meets girl subjects to cover more fairy tales and mental health. He also brought in classical influences from the first single onwards and these would clearly resurface in ELO.

Published: 8 November 2024

Wymer Publishing