The Move were a considered pop band in the UK, they were a huge group actually, and they were big in Europe as well. Their shows are somewhat legend as they'd go a little nuts and smash up TVs and fucking CARS on stage. However, even as they were kinda trying to be heavies they were just never considered heads. So, although they played with groups like Tomorrow and at the Roundhouse, no one considered them much otherwise. I've heard 'em described as "too slick." Oh, dig their live Something Else EP, it's all West Coast US sike AND Jackie Wilson covers!!

In the US the Move were considered an underground band, they were known, but they didn't crack the '60s market beyond some 45s on Deram. Their first US LP was Shazam (A&M)...a HEAVY record, but a couple years after their pop phase. I'd reckon they didn't get the promo push cause they had work AND it took a LOT of work/$$$ in 1967 for English (London) bands like the Who and the Cream to break the US. Those poor fellas who tried played a lot of shit rip off shows and dodgy package tours. That said, all the Move records are fantastic...they were a big influence on Cheap Trick (and pre-CT Fuse) and all the '70s power pop you've heard.

The Move along with members of the Idle Race evolved into Electric Light Orchestra. ELO was originally intended to be a Roy Wood side project, if you've ever heard the first ELO LP, ELO, you know what I mean...

Anyways, here is the Move live on German TV via Beat Beat Beat, 1967. LIVE!!

PS - Now we can shoe horn 'em in as a group that played freakbeat, but the term didn't exist until the early '80s when Phil Smee made it up to describe beat groups that wrote songs which were not quite psychedelic and not quite Scouser pop. And it's not a band genre, just a term for a specific sound.