"Blackberry Way" | ||||
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![]() German picture sleeve | ||||
Single by 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) | |||
Songwriter(s) | Roy Wood | |||
Producer(s) | Jimmy Miller | |||
The Move singles chronology | ||||
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"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]
Chart (1968–1969) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Go-Set) [5] | 14 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [6] | 14 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [7] | 13 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [8] | 20 |
Denmark (Salgshitlisterne Top 20) [9] | 17 |
Denmark (Tipparaden) [10] | 5 |
Finland (Soumen Virallinen) [11] | 23 |
Ireland (IRMA) [12] | 2 |
Italy ( Musica e dischi ) [13] | 15 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [14] | 15 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [15] | 14 |
New Zealand (Listener) [16] | 10 |
Norway (VG-lista) [17] | 3 |
Rhodesia ( Lyons Maid ) [18] | 4 |
Sweden (Kvällstoppen) [19] | 7 |
Sweden ( Tio i Topp ) [20] | 5 |
UK Singles (OCC) [21] | 1 |
West Germany (Official German Charts) [22] | 7 |
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