Blackberry Way Explained

Blackberry Way
Cover:	Blackberry Way.jpg
Caption:	German picture sleeve
Type:	single
Artist:	The Move
B-Side:	Something
Released:	28 November 1968 (UK)
Recorded:	1968 at Olympic Studios, London
Genre:	Baroque pop^[1]
Length:	3:38
Label:	Regal Zonophone (UK) A&M (US)
Producer:	Jimmy Miller
Prev Title:	Wild Tiger Woman
Prev Year:	1968
Next Title:	Curly
Next Year:	1969

"Blackberry Way" is a 1968 single by British band The Move. Written by the band's guitarist/vocalist 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 number 1 on the UK Singles Chart in February 1969.^[2]

The Move vocalist Carl Wayne refused to sing on the song, so Wood handled the lead vocal.^[3] Richard Tandy, who later played keyboards with Wood's next band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), played harpsichord on "Blackberry Way". Despite the success of the single, the style of psychedelia-tinged pop sat uneasily with guitarist Trevor Burton. He left the group shortly after.

The B-side, "Something", was specially written for the band by David Scott-Morgan.

Wood said in a 1994 interview that "Blackberry Way" is his favourite Move song of all time, commenting that it could have been performed in any era and still worked.^[3]

Personnel

The Move

• Roy Wood – lead and backing vocals, guitar, sitar
• Trevor Burton – bass, backing vocal
• Bev Bevan – drums

Additional musicians

• Richard Tandy – harpsichord
• Uncredited - mellotron^[4]

Charts

Chart (1968–1969)	Peak position
Australia (Go-Set)^[5]	14
Denmark (Salgshitlisterne Top 20)^[6]	17
Denmark (Tipparaden)^[7]	5
Finland (Soumen Virallinen)^[8]	23
Ireland (IRMA)^[9]	2
Italy (Musica e dischi)^[10]	15
New Zealand (Listener)^[11]	10
Rhodesia (Lyons Maid)^[12]	4
Sweden (Kvällstoppen)^[13]	7
Sweden (Tio i Topp)^[14]	5

Cover versions

• In 1969 Italian band Equipe 84 produced a cover version (with Italian lyrics by lyricist Mogol), named "Tutta mia la città" ("All the town is mine"),^[15] which became a hit in Italy.^[16]
• UK alternative rock band The Wonder Stuff released a version of the song on one of their series of EPs titled From the Midlands with Love in 2012.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rob . Horning . Electric Light Orchestra: Too Much at Once Can Blow the Fuse . 15 February 2007 . . 7 May 2016.
2. Book: Roberts, David . 2006 . . 19th . Guinness World Records Limited . London . 1-904994-10-5 . 228.
3. Web site: Sharp . Ken . Roy Wood: The Wizzard of Rock . The Move Online . https://web.archive.org/web/20080115045412/http://www.themoveonline.com/archive_01.html . 15 January 2008 . 30 September 1994 . dead.
4. Web site: Planet Mellotron Album Reviews: M14.
5. Web site: Go-Set Australian charts - 23 April 1969 . www.poparchives.com.au . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070905082726/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1969/19690423.html . 2007-09-05.
6. Web site: 1969-02-10. Salgshitlisterne Top 20 - Uge 8. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160802134235/http://danskehitlister.dk/?song_id=611. 2016-08-02. 2022-08-19. Danske Hitlister.
7. Web site: 1969-02-24. Salgshitlisterne Top 20 - Uge 8. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160802134235/http://danskehitlister.dk/?song_id=611. 2016-08-02. 2022-08-19. Danske Hitlister.
8. Book: Nyman, Jake . Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja . Tammi . 2005 . 951-31-2503-3 . 1st . Helsinki . 178. fi.
9. Web site: Irish Singles charts 1967-1969. 26 August 2012 .
10. Web site: Classifiche. Musica e dischi. it. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Move".
11. Web site: Listener - The Move. Flavour of New Zealand. New Zealand Listener. 2020-08-27. 22 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220322193549/http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qartistid=626#n_view_location. dead.
12. Book: Kimberley, C . Zimbabwe: Singles Chart Book . 2000 . 32. en.
13. Book: Hallberg, Eric. Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 – 19. 8. 1975. Drift Musik. 193. 9163021404.
14. Book: Hallberg. Eric. Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök: 1961 - 74. Henningsson. Ulf. Premium Publishing. 1998. 919727125X.
15. Web site: Discografia Nazionale della canzone italiana . Discografia.dds.it . 1 October 2016.
16. Web site: Hit Parade Italia - Indice per Interprete: E . Hitparadeitalia.it . 1 October 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131014172023/http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/indici/per_interprete/ae.htm . 14 October 2013.