Supernaut

Just got my hands on this little gem today. Not the most obscure single on the planet but that doesn't mean that it's not great and not worth a post on the Supernaut blog. This particular pressing is German with a nifty pic sleeve. Front man Roy Wood took great pride in his always interesting approach to fashion and he is in prime late 60's mustachioed form on the sleeve (the handsome man on the right). "Blackberry Way" was released in December 1968 and went to number one in the U.K. The song is reminiscent of the Beatles' "Penny Lane" with a much darker feel and theme. The Move is a band that I really didn't dig the first so many times I heard them. But once I developed an ear for 'em, I started to understand their appeal and they became quite addictive. "Blackberry Way" epitomizes the vocal style that makes the Move and the psychedelic tinge of the over-all production is wicked. I'm hardly an expert on the Move (or anything else I spew about) and am not in a position to give a full or even accurate history. But I do know this, they were formed in Birmingham, England in 1966 by founding members Roy Wood (voc/gtr) & Bev Bevan (drums). They never "made it" in the U.S. They had a freak-beat/psych period in the late 60's and became more of a heavy rock band in the early 70's. Jeff Lynne joined somewhere along the way and the Move morphed into ELO. Roy Wood left ELO and formed the uber glam rock band, Wizzard. The Move had some really amazingly heavy rock songs on the 1970 release "Looking On." The two stand-out numbers for me are "When Alice Comes Back To The Farm" and "Brontosaurus." Those songs are total stoner rock with a twist of mod. Awesome. In 1983 I saw Bev Bevan drum for Black Sabbath on the "Born Again" tour. I remember saying, "Who's that dork with the afro on drums?" I hope Bev Bevan can forgive me, as I now know that I am the dork. In celebration of my obtaining this single, everyone should have a listen.

The MOVE - Blackberry Way