.gif)
Shazam (album)
Encyclopedia
Shazam is the second album
by The Move
, released in the UK in February 1970. The LP marked a bridge between the band's quirky late '60s pop singles and the progressive, long-form style of Roy Wood's next project, the Electric Light Orchestra
. It was the last Move album to feature the group's original lead vocalist, Carl Wayne.
The band had spent most of 1969 on the cabaret circuit in England, much to the delight of lead singer/crooner Wayne and to the disgust of guitarist/composer Roy Wood. When the group finally toured the United States in the autumn for the first—and only—time, they let down their hair and cranked up the volume.
Thus, "Shazam" is a classic split-personality album—one side of originals, another of covers—from a band wrestling with split musical personalities. Wayne, who picked some of the songs on Side 2, delivers touching, tender ballads (Wood's "Beautiful Daughter") and serves as a compère on spoken-word tracks between the songs; you almost can imagine him in a tie and tux, working the audience like Viv Stanshall. 'Beautiful Daughter' was under consideration for release as a single, the follow-up to 'Curly', in 1969.
Tracks like 'Hello Susie' and 'Don't Make My Baby Blue,' meanwhile, with their distorted riffs and monster drum fills, would not have sounded out of place on Black Sabbath's debut album. 'Susie' had previously been a hit for Amen Corner
, though their faster, more pop-oriented version was very different from the Move's heavy metal
treatment. 'Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited' was a variation on 'Cherry Blossom Clinic', a track from the group's debut album, taken at a slower pace, the first verse diffidently spoken by Wayne, recorded without any strings or brass, and interpolating a medley of classical tunes including works by Bach and Tchaikovsky, played on guitars.
While drummer Bev Bevan regards this as his favorite Move album, Wood's memories were more bittersweet. 1969 had been a roller-coaster, draining year for the band. The "Blackberry Way" single hit No. 1 in the UK to open the year; Bassist Trevor Burton quit shortly thereafter. The early 1969 American tour was canceled because of Burton's departure; When it finally happened later that year, it was a financial failure and a logistical farce—because of shoddy planning, the band basically had to race across the entire country by car (and a U-Haul trailer) to make very few dates. Wood and Wayne always had different personalities and temperaments, but the relationship was quickly fraying at the edges. The two dynamic creative forces in the band were frequently at odds with one another over style and content—Wood reckoned The Move had gone as far as it could go, short of breaking through in America, and wanted to launch a new strings-and-rock project with Jeff Lynne.
Returning to the cabaret circuit after the debacle in the United States was the last straw for Wood. One night, in Sheffield, he infamously chucked a glass at a mouthy cabaret patron who'd called him "a poofta." Wayne blew up at him backstage, and the original Move was all but finished. Wayne quit the band in January 1970, just before "Shazam" was released.
While not a commercial success in the UK—it was overshadowed by the hit single, "Brontosaurus," which debuted a fortnight after "Shazam" hit the stores—or in the US when it debuted on A&M Records, the heavy feel, tight harmonies and extended solos made it a cult favorite and the record that introduced most American fans to the band. It also proved to be a stylistic template for successful '70s bands such as Cheap Trick and Kiss. In the 1990s, a group called The Shazam—a power-pop outfit from Nashville who were huge fans of The Move—took their name from this album.
"Beautiful Daughter" features an uncredited string quartet.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by The Move
The Move
The Move, from Birmingham, England, were one of the leading British rock bands of the 1960s. They scored nine Top 20 UK singles in five years, but were among the most popular British bands not to find any success in the United States....
, released in the UK in February 1970. The LP marked a bridge between the band's quirky late '60s pop singles and the progressive, long-form style of Roy Wood's next project, the Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra
Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...
. It was the last Move album to feature the group's original lead vocalist, Carl Wayne.
Overview
Like Led Zeppelin's debut album, "Shazam" was basically a snippet of the Birmingham group's 1969 stage act captured on vinyl. A crunchy mix of California psychedelia, heavy metal riffs, thundering drums and quotations from classic composers, the disc was generally praised by critics -- "Rolling Stone" gave a glowing review in the spring of that year—and is generally regarded as the band's best LP.The band had spent most of 1969 on the cabaret circuit in England, much to the delight of lead singer/crooner Wayne and to the disgust of guitarist/composer Roy Wood. When the group finally toured the United States in the autumn for the first—and only—time, they let down their hair and cranked up the volume.
Thus, "Shazam" is a classic split-personality album—one side of originals, another of covers—from a band wrestling with split musical personalities. Wayne, who picked some of the songs on Side 2, delivers touching, tender ballads (Wood's "Beautiful Daughter") and serves as a compère on spoken-word tracks between the songs; you almost can imagine him in a tie and tux, working the audience like Viv Stanshall. 'Beautiful Daughter' was under consideration for release as a single, the follow-up to 'Curly', in 1969.
Tracks like 'Hello Susie' and 'Don't Make My Baby Blue,' meanwhile, with their distorted riffs and monster drum fills, would not have sounded out of place on Black Sabbath's debut album. 'Susie' had previously been a hit for Amen Corner
Amen Corner (band)
Amen Corner were a successful Welsh rock group, formed in late 1966 in Cardiff, Wales.-Career:The band was named after The Amen Corner, a weekly disc spin at the Victoria Ballroom in Cardiff, Wales, where every Sunday night Dr...
, though their faster, more pop-oriented version was very different from the Move's heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
treatment. 'Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited' was a variation on 'Cherry Blossom Clinic', a track from the group's debut album, taken at a slower pace, the first verse diffidently spoken by Wayne, recorded without any strings or brass, and interpolating a medley of classical tunes including works by Bach and Tchaikovsky, played on guitars.
While drummer Bev Bevan regards this as his favorite Move album, Wood's memories were more bittersweet. 1969 had been a roller-coaster, draining year for the band. The "Blackberry Way" single hit No. 1 in the UK to open the year; Bassist Trevor Burton quit shortly thereafter. The early 1969 American tour was canceled because of Burton's departure; When it finally happened later that year, it was a financial failure and a logistical farce—because of shoddy planning, the band basically had to race across the entire country by car (and a U-Haul trailer) to make very few dates. Wood and Wayne always had different personalities and temperaments, but the relationship was quickly fraying at the edges. The two dynamic creative forces in the band were frequently at odds with one another over style and content—Wood reckoned The Move had gone as far as it could go, short of breaking through in America, and wanted to launch a new strings-and-rock project with Jeff Lynne.
Returning to the cabaret circuit after the debacle in the United States was the last straw for Wood. One night, in Sheffield, he infamously chucked a glass at a mouthy cabaret patron who'd called him "a poofta." Wayne blew up at him backstage, and the original Move was all but finished. Wayne quit the band in January 1970, just before "Shazam" was released.
While not a commercial success in the UK—it was overshadowed by the hit single, "Brontosaurus," which debuted a fortnight after "Shazam" hit the stores—or in the US when it debuted on A&M Records, the heavy feel, tight harmonies and extended solos made it a cult favorite and the record that introduced most American fans to the band. It also proved to be a stylistic template for successful '70s bands such as Cheap Trick and Kiss. In the 1990s, a group called The Shazam—a power-pop outfit from Nashville who were huge fans of The Move—took their name from this album.
Track listing
- "Hello Susie" (Wood) – 4:55
- "Beautiful Daughter" (Wood) – 2:36
- "Cherry Blossom Clinic Revisited" (Wood) – 7:40
- "Fields Of People" (Day/Pierson) – 10:09 (originally by Ars Nova)
- "Don't Make My Baby Blue" (MannBarry MannBarry Mann is an American songwriter, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil.-Career:...
/WeilCynthia WeilCynthia Weil is a prominent American songwriter. She is famous for having written many songs together with her husband Barry Mann....
) – 6:18 (originally by Frankie Laine, better known in UK by The Shadows) - "The Last Thing on My MindThe Last Thing on My Mind"The Last Thing on My Mind" is a song written by American musician and singer-songwriter Tom Paxton in the early 1960s, which Paxton first recorded in 1964...
" (PaxtonTom PaxtonThomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
) – 7:35 (originally by Tom PaxtonTom PaxtonThomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
and, more famously, Porter WagonerPorter WagonerPorter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and...
& Dolly PartonDolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
)
Bonus Tracks (1998 reissue)
- 7. "So You Want to Be a Rock & Roll Star" [Live]
- 8. "Stephanie Knows Who" [Live]
- 9. "Something Else" [Live]
- 10. "It'll Be MeIt'll Be Me"It'll Be Me" is a 1986 single by Exile. "It'll Be Me", which was written by then-lead singer J.P. Pennington and bass player Sonny LeMaire and featured Les Taylor and lead vocals, was Exile's seventh number one country single. The single went to number one for one week and spent a total of...
" [Live] - 11. "Sunshine Help Me" [Live]
- 12. "Piece of My HeartPiece of My Heart"Piece of My Heart" is a song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns and originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. The song came to greater mainstream attention when Big Brother and the Holding Company covered the song in 1968 and had a hit with it...
" [Previously Unreleased Live EP Outtakes] - 13. "Too Much in Love" [Previously Unreleased Live EP Outtakes]
- 14. "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" Higher and Higher" is a hit R&B song originally performed by Jackie Wilson in 1967. The song was notably recorded by Rita Coolidge in 1977.-Overview:...
" [Live] - 15. "Sunshine Help Me" [uncut] [Previously Unreleased Live EP Outtakes]
Bonus Tracks (2007 reissue)
- 7. "This Time TomorrowThis Time TomorrowThis Time Tomorrow, is a BBC National Lottery game show that was broadcast on BBC One from 5 July 2008 to 23 August 2008. The programme was hosted by Tess Daly.-Ratings:Episode Viewing figures from BARB....
" (MorganDave Morgan (musician)David 'Dave' Morgan is an English songwriter and musician.-Career:He was a member of well-regarded Birmingham 60's group The Uglys with Steve Gibbons between 1967 and 1969, where Morgan was the bassist and vocalist...
) - 8. "A Certain Something" (Morgan)
- 9. "CurlyCurly (Move song)Curly was a song recorded in 1969 by English rock group The Move.The song charted at No. 12 in the UK, and was the last single by the band to feature Carl Wayne on vocals, as well as the first with Rick Price replacing Trevor Burton on bass guitar...
" (Alternate mix) (Wood) - 10. "Wild Tiger WomanWild Tiger WomanWild Tiger Woman is a song recorded by The Move, and as with all the other A-sides of their singles, written by Roy Wood. It was much heavier than their usual style, bearing the unmistakable influence of Jimi Hendrix, whom the group greatly admired and had often played on the same bill with...
" (Stereo Mix) (Wood) - 11. "OmnibusOmnibusOmnibus may refer to:Law* Omnibus bill, a single legislative document containing many laws or amendments* Omnibus spending bill, a single legislative document that sets the budget of many government departments* Omnibus clause* Omnibus hearing...
" [Full-length version] (Wood) - 12. "SomethingSomething"Something" is a song by The Beatles, written by lead guitarist George Harrison in 1969. It was featured on the album Abbey Road, and was also the first song written by Harrison to appear on the A-side of a Beatles' single...
" [Demo version] (Morgan) - 13. "This Time TomorrowThis Time TomorrowThis Time Tomorrow, is a BBC National Lottery game show that was broadcast on BBC One from 5 July 2008 to 23 August 2008. The programme was hosted by Tess Daly.-Ratings:Episode Viewing figures from BARB....
" [Demo version] (Morgan) - 14. "Blackberry WayBlackberry Way"Blackberry Way" is a single by The Move.Written by Roy Wood and produced by Jimmy Miller, "Blackberry Way" was a bleak counterpoint to the sunny psychedelia of earlier recordings. It nevertheless became the band's most successful single reaching #1 on the UK singles chart. Richard Tandy who would...
" (Alternate mix) (Wood)
Personnel
- Roy WoodRoy WoodRoy Adrian Wood is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He was particularly successful in the 1960s and 1970s as member and co-founder of the bands The Move, Electric Light Orchestra, and Wizzard. As a songwriter, he contributed a number of hits to the repertoire of these bands.-Career:Wood...
- lead vocals, guitars; keyboards. - Bev BevanBev BevanBev Bevan is an English rock musician, who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra...
- drums. - Carl WayneCarl WayneCarl Wayne was a British singer and actor. He is best remembered as the lead vocalist of Birmingham rock group The Move during the 1960s.-Early days:...
- lead vocals; guitars. - Rick PriceRick Price (bassist)Rick Price is an English bassist, who has played with various Birmingham based rock bands, most notably Sight and Sound, The Move , Electric Light Orchestra and Wizzard...
- vocals, bass. - Tony ViscontiTony ViscontiAnthony Edward Visconti is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers; his lengthiest involvement with any artist is with David Bowie: intermittently from Bowie's 1969 album Space Oddity to 2003's Reality, Visconti...
- bass on "Beautiful Daughter"
"Beautiful Daughter" features an uncredited string quartet.