Although bassist-vocalist Chris "Ace" Kefford was the original leader, for most of their career the Move was led by guitarist, singer and songwriter Roy Wood.
He wrote all the group's UK singles and, from 1968, also sang lead vocals on many songs, although Carl Wayne was the main lead singer up to 1970.
Initially, the band had 4 main vocalists (Wayne, Wood, Trevor Burton and Kefford) who split the lead vocals on a number of their earlier songs.
The Move evolved from several mid-1960s Birmingham based groups, including Carl Wayne & the Vikings, the Nightriders and the Mayfair Set. Their name referred to the move various members of these bands made to form the group. Besides Wood, the Move's original five-piece roster in 1965 was drummer Bev Bevan, bassist Kefford, vocalist Carl Wayne and guitarist Trevor Burton.
The final line-up of 1972 was the trio of Wood, Bevan and Jeff Lynne; together, they rode the group's transition into the Electric Light Orchestra.
In 1972, after the release of the first Electric Light Orchestra album, the Move released what turned out to be a farewell disc, a maxi single consisting of "California Man", "Ella James" (from Message, but a track originally planned by EMI to be their first single on the Harvest label) and "Do Ya". "California Man", a No. 7 UK hit featuring baritone saxophones, a double bass, and a riff borrowed from George Gershwin — was an affectionate tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis (the double bass had Lewis's nickname, "Killer", written on it), with Lynne and Wood trading verses and lines. Meanwhile, Lynne's "Do Ya" became the Move's best-known song in the US; it was the only Move song to reach the US Billboard Hot 100 chart at #93. However, the Electric Light Orchestra's re-make of "Do Ya", recorded after Wood's departure, was a significant US hit in 1977.
With the release of the album The Electric Light Orchestra, the Move completed its metamorphosis into ELO within weeks of the last single being released, and they actually appeared on television promoting both the Move's last single and ELO's debut at the same time. Wood released a solo album in 1973, Boulders, and went on to front the glam rock band Wizzard, while Lynne and Bevan kept touring and finally achieved success with ELO.
This album compilation originally called "California Man" and was released in 1974. In the Netherlands they released the album in 1975 under the title "Masters Of Rock".
Side A
A1. California Man
A2. Ella James
A3. No Time
A4. Tonight
A5. Down On The Bay
A6. The Minister
Side B
B1. Do Ya
B2. The Words Of Aaron
B3. Until Your Moma’s Gone
B4. Chinatown
B5. Message From The Country
Notes
Release: 1975
Genre: Rock
Label: Harvest Records
Catalog# 5C 054-05696
Price: € 8.00
Vinyl: Goed
Cover: Lichte Gebruikerssporen
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