The Move: Do Ya

Sometimes artists fail to have a hit with a record under one band will later bring that song out of hibernation to become the hit version. This occurred with Jeff Lynne composition that was a smash hit for ELO in 1977. The Move, which was the precursor to the Electric Light Orchestra, recorded “Do Ya” for a British maxi-single that shared the flip side of “California Man” along with “Ella James.” In the US, The Move was a virtually unknown act that had floundered with one album on A&M and two on Capitol.

In 1972, Capitol released the band from their American contract and United Artists picked up the option to sign the band as they had signed their alter ego, the Electric Light Orchestra. United Artists had an impressive ad campaign which I remember seeing in Rolling Stone and Crawdaddy for their final American release while the band was together as The Move. I believe this was the first time I had ever heard of the group.

The album was called “Split Ends” and featured cuts from their final Capitol LP “Message from the County” and the three cuts from the maxi single. To promote the album, UA issued “California Man” backed with “Do Ya.” American radio, having more wisdom than United Artists A & R department, flipped the single and it received a modicum of airplay, but only charted at #93.

The following cut is the remastered original full length studio version that was released on the 2005 version of “Message from the Country.” The original single and LP mixes were faded and eliminated the foolishness at the end of this cut. A good version of the original single and album versions was not available on YouTube. The song was originally titled, “Look Out Baby, There’s a Plane Coming”; however, the band wisely used the hook “Do Ya” instead. Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood both take turns singing the lead on this release.

The Electric Light Orchestra

While ELO was originally construed as a orchestral/rock side project by the Move, the band made the final transition to its new identity in 1972 following the release of the maxi-single in the UK and “Split Ends” in the US.

Jeff Lynne, who is often credited as being the leader of the band, moved up from a co-leadership role with Roy Wood after Wood left the band during the recording of the second album. A concert favorite, ELO pulled “Do Ya” out of the mothballs for their smash 1976 LP “A New World Record.”

Released as the second of the album’s US three singles, “Do Ya” had the least amount of chart action with it peaking at #24 in 1977. It was sandwiched between the better performing “Living Thing” at #13 and “Telephone Line” at #7. In the UK, “Do Ya” was not released as a single with “Rockaria!” being the second single from the album in their homeland.

Live Version ELO Version