Beat-Club

 

Jeff Lynne and The Move on Beat-Club

An in-depth look at the German TV program performances


Comments and Observations

Beat-Club was an ARD German music program specializing in undergroup pop music that was created by Gerhard Augustin and Mike Leckebusch. It was originally broadcast from September 1965 to the end of 1972 when it was replaced by another ARD music show, Musikladen. It featured various rock and roll acts of the era in stage performances and added special effects, intermixed with interviews and footage of various German personalities and peoples. All programs featured one or more hosts, however presenter Uschi Nerke hosted the program during its entire run. The live performances for many (if not all) performer appearances, were some unique live experiences. Thankfully for fans, the entire series was been released on DVD by ARD Video in 2008.

The Move made several appearances on the program from 1968 to 1972. This article, however, focuses on Jeff Lynne's Beat-Club appearances while with The Move in 1970 and 1971, as he didn't join the band until the beginning of 1970. Although the Electric Light Orchestra had first come onto the live scene in April 1972 before Beat-Club was taken off the air, the band never appeared on the program.

The Lost BroadcastsThe series was released in 2009 on sets of DVD collections in Germany (The Story Of Beat-Club: 1965-1968, The Story Of Beat-Club: 1968-1970 and The Story Of Beat-Club: 1970-1971) which contains the full original broadcasts, including all performances by The Move. In 2012, Gonzo Multimedia released a DVD called The Lost Broadcasts that contains all performances by The Move for Beat-Club. The Lost Broadcasts contains many raw, unedited and previously unreleased performances, not just the original broadcasts, many of which were edited or incomplete.

The original broadcast dates for all episodes are well documented, but it is unclear if the shows typically repeated (which they likely did do) and when any repeats were broadcast. The actual performance/record dates are, in all likelihood, several days earlier than the broadcast dates, as this was typical of this type if musical program; however, any performance/record dates are unknown at this time. Also the show was filmed in both Bremen, Germany and the Marquee Club in London, but it's unclear which Move performances were filmed where.

Brontosaurus on Beat-ClubThe first Jeff Lynne appearance with The Move was with the song Brontosaurus, broadcast on April 18, 1970. This performance is an incomplete version of the song, running a little less that two and a half minutes. It features Roy Wood on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Jeff on lead guitar, Bev Bevan on drums and Rick Price on bass; there is no piano. It's an energetic live performance and features multi-colored lens effects throughout much of the performance. It was Jeff's first ever live appearance with The Move on TV (and possibly his first ever public appearance with the band). It is perhaps for this reason that, to help promote the new member of the band, that Jeff is actually standing in a prominent position on stage throughout the song. The song is interrupted for a few seconds about halfway through by host Uschi Nerke on a darkened stage to announce the band. She states, in German, that "everyone is familiar with the Move" as if it is obvious who it is, before responding to someone's off stage comment (although her response is unintelligible). Then the song continues with the implication that she didn't want to introduce them because the audience knows the band already. The song is incomplete, with only the first half of the song being presented before there is an abrupt cut-away to an image of the German flag and coat of arms with the text "DEUTSCHER SCHLAGER 1970" (German hit 1970) over it. This incomplete performance, with the Uschi Nerke interruption, is included on the The Story Of Beat-Club Vol. 2 8 DVD set (on disc 7) released in March 13, 2009 by ARD Video (DVD 82003). This performance can be viewed HERE. The complete unedited original performance is included on the The Lost Broadcasts DVD released in September 10, 2012 by Gonzo Multimedia (HS108DVD).

When Alice Comes Back To The Farm on Beat-ClubThe second Jeff Lynne appearance with The Move was with the song When Alice Comes Back To The Farm, broadcast on December 31, 1970. This performance is an extended version of the song, due to an extended guitar jam by Roy at the end, with the intro being interrupted briefly by Uschi Nerke as she is superimposed over the screen to introduce the song. The performance is a straight stage performance with Roy on lead slide guitar (while sitting down), Jeff on rhythm guitar, Rick Price on bass and Bev Bevan on drums. There is no saxophone as on the studio recording and all the cello parts are instead played by Jeff on guitar. The camera work is quite frenetic, with lots of zooming in and around except when it is focused on Roy. Several camera tricks are employed to add various psychadelic effects behind the band and flashing lights add to the madness. This performance is included on the The Story Of Beat-Club Vol. 3 8 DVD set (on disc 1) released in March 13, 2009 by ARD Video (DVD 82004) and can be viewed HERE. The complete uninterrupted performance is included on the The Lost Broadcasts DVD released in September 10, 2012 by Gonzo Multimedia (HS108DVD).

Down On The Bay on Beat-ClubThe third and final Jeff Lynne appearance with The Move was with the song Down On The Bay, broadcast on November 27, 1971. At the same time, Ella James and The Words Of Aaron were performed and recorded. However only Down On The Bay was broadcast on the original show with the others lying unseen in a vault. The performance of this song features a newer live lineup for the band, blending a bit with the Electric Light Orchestra as they and The Move were in flux at this time. Down On The Bay features Jeff Lynne on lead guitar and vocals, Roy Wood on bass guitar, Richard Tandy on rhythm guitar, Bev Bevan on drums and Bill Hunt on piano. It's a different version than the released single version. It follows the same basic pattern, but the Jerry Lee Lewis imitation is missing from the beginning and end and there is an added instrumental bridge featuring a short guitar jam from Jeff and a great piano boogie-woogie from Bill Hunt just after the third chorus and before the fourth verse. The ending is extended with several different guitar licks and drum flourishes. Again, several flashing colors are used throughout the performance, including a multi-colored image of the Message From The Country album cover behind the band. This performance is included on the The Story Of Beat-Club Vol. 3 8 DVD set (on disc 5) released in March 13, 2009 by ARD Video (DVD 82004) which can be viewed HERE. This complete performance, as well as a previously version of the same performance without the effects background, are included on the The Lost Broadcasts DVD released in September 10, 2012 by Gonzo Multimedia (HS108DVD).

EllaJames on Beat-ClubThe performance of Ella James is the same line up as Down On The Bay except Roy is on lead vocal; and it's almost the same basic performance as the album version. Compared to the album version, Roy does not play sax in at the first instrumental break (which is natural because live he is busy playing guitar) and the second vocal bridge ("who's she gonna use...") is completely cut. It also includes additional piano throughout the song by Bill Hunt. This performance was recorded for Beat-Club, although it was never broadcast. It eventually surfaced in 2009 on German TV on an as yet unidentified program; unfortunately only the first two minutes were broadcast and the video is clipped on top and bottom to get it to fill the widescreen TV screen. This performance is not a part of the The Story Of Beat-Club releases, but it has been recorded off of television and can be viewed HERE. Thankfully, the complete unedited (and uncropped) original performance, as well as another take that stops halfway through when Roy Wood messes up the lyrics, are included on the The Lost Broadcasts DVD released in September 10, 2012 by Gonzo Multimedia (HS108DVD).

The Words of Aaron for Beat-ClubThe performance of The Words Of Aaron was recorded for Beat-Club but unused. It did get eventual release, however, thanks to the The Lost Broadcasts DVD, where it appeared in full. This performance was filmed with a simple blue screen background for later adding of composite effects, however, these composite effects were never added and it appears on The Lost Broadcasts with the originally filmed blue screen. The performance is nearly the same arrangement at the Message From The Country recording, complete with Roy playing the recorder as well. There is a slight delay in Roy starting his recorder part as he has to put down his guitar to play the recorder and this gap is filled with an added piano part. In addition, the song has a natural, non-fading end and the false ending part is not included at all. It can be viewed HERE. It is available on the The Lost Broadcasts DVD released in September 10, 2012 by Gonzo Multimedia (HS108DVD).

Beat-Club appearances of The Move before Jeff Lynne joined the band include:

The above were also released on the The Lost Broadcasts DVD.

This page is intended to be a complete record of information on The Move's Beat-Club performances when Jeff Lynne was in the band. If you notice any errors or omissions, please contact me at jefflynnesongs@gmail.com and let me know. I strive for accuracy.

Robert Porter
October 2023


Special thanks to Alex Ivanov for his assistance in compiling this document.