My earliest childhood memory of “getting into” a song was when I was only 4 years old. My mother bought my brother and me a copy of The Move’s Blackberry Way. I wasn’t even old enough to have a clue what the words were but I happily listened to it time after time. Now I listen to it and realise that its wonderful melody, orchestration, the hint of psychedelia and melancholy is something I am still constantly striving to achieve with my own material.
The Move were formed in Birmingham in 1966, and were a crucial part of the British Invasion movement and played a major role in shaping the sound of the rock and roll scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The band's lineup consisted of lead vocalist and bassist Carl Wayne, guitarist Trevor Burton, drummer Bev Bevan, and keyboardist Roy Wood.
The Move achieved their biggest success in the UK with "Blackberry Way," which reached the top of the charts in 1969. They also had several other Top 40 hits in the UK, including "I Can Hear the Grass Grow," "Flowers in the Rain," and "Fire Brigade."
Despite this success in the UK, The Move struggled to gain the same level of recognition in the US. Their biggest hit in the US was "Brontosaurus," which reached the top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1971.
In 1972, The Move disbanded, with Wood and Bevan going on to form the influential rock group Electric Light Orchestra of MR Blue Sky fame. Roy Wood also formed Wizard who had a massive Xmas hit with "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day". Despite their relatively short time together, The Move left a lasting impact on popular music and are fondly remembered as a pioneering force in British rock music.