Movin' On (Bad Company song)

"Movin' On"
Single by Bad Company
from the album Bad Company
B-side"Easy on My Soul"
ReleasedJanuary 1975 (US)[1]
RecordedNovember 1973
VenueHeadley Grange, Hampshire, England
GenreBlues rock
Length3:21
Label
Songwriter(s)Mick Ralphs
Producer(s)Bad Company
Bad Company singles chronology
"Can't Get Enough"
(1974) 		"Movin' On"
(1975) 		"Good Lovin' Gone Bad"
(1975)

"Movin' On" is a song written by Mick Ralphs that was first released as a single by Hackensack in 1972.[2] It was later most famously included on Bad Company's debut album, on which Ralphs played lead guitar. "Movin' On" was also released as the second single from the album, as a follow-up to "Can't Get Enough" and reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #30 in Canada.[3][4]

Music and lyrics

Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine described "Movin' On" as a blues boogie.[5] Billboard described it as a "perfect 'driving' song" and praised Paul Rodgers' vocal performance, Ralph's "staccato guitar work" and the "pounding rhythm section.[6] Record World said the song "has as much going for it as [Bad Company's] groundbreaking 'Can't Get Enough'" and that "Mick Ralphs tune is locomotion in action."[7] Detroit Free Press critic Dana Sue Jackson described "Movin' On" as a "harder, lunging number" with a good beat for dancing.[8] St. Joseph News-Press critic Terry Jordan described the melody as "fascinating."[9]

The Washington Court House Record-Herald described the lyrics as fitting a roadie's lifestyle, e.g., "And I'm Movin' On/Movin' from town to town/I got to move on/Never seem to touch the ground."[10]

Reception

Classic Rock History critic Janey Roberts rated "Movin' On" as Bad Company's 7th greatest song, calling it "one of the most soulful songs that Bad Company ever released."[11] Roberts said that it was an "FM deep tracks radio favorite in the 1970’s" and one of Bad Company's "most soulful songs."[11] The 100 Greatest Bands of All Time: A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World described "Movin' On" as one of Bad Company's "most well-known and beloved hits."[12] Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Jim Knippenberg as one of the best songs on Bad Company for "mass consumption."[13] Rolling Stone critic Bud Scoppa said that "Movin' On" contains "nothing that hasn’t been done a thousand times before, but...sounds irresistibly fresh."[14] The Gazette critic Bill Mann described "Movin' On" as one of the strongest songs on Bad Company (along with "Can't Get Enough") and particularly praised the "strong yet economical drumming."[15] Cash Box said that "Paul Rodgers' vocals complement the soaring lead guitar of Mick Ralphs while Boz Burrell and Simon Kirke serve as the rhythmic roots."[16]

"Movin' On" was later released on Bad Company's 1985 compilation album 10 from 6.[17] Live versions have also been released on several of Bad Company's live albums, such as Live at Wembley.[18]

References

  1. ^ Strong, Martin Charles (1995). Great Rock Discografie. Canongate Press. p. 35. ISBN 9780862415419.
  2. ^ "Hackensack - Moving On". Discogs. 1972. Retrieved 2021-03-19.
  3. ^ "Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. March 1, 1975. p. 60. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  4. ^ "Pop Records". Lebanon Daily News. February 26, 1974. p. 3. Retrieved 2020-07-20 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Bad Company". Allmusic. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  6. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. January 11, 1975. p. 35. Retrieved 2020-07-17.
  7. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. January 11, 1975. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
  8. ^ Jackson, Dana Sue (September 15, 1974). "British Rock in High Gear". Detroit Free Press. p. 10-B. Retrieved 2020-07-20 – via newspapers.com.
  9. ^ Jordan, Terry (August 17, 1974). "Pop Records". St. Joseph News-Press. p. 14. Retrieved 2020-07-20 – via newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Jukebox Journalism". Washington Court House Record-Herald. May 29, 1975. p. 4. Retrieved 2020-07-20 – via newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b Roberts, Janey (December 2017). "Top 10 Bad Company Songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  12. ^ Moskowitz, David V., ed. (2015). The 100 Greatest Bands of All Time: A Guide to the Legends Who Rocked the World. ABC-CLIO. p. 27. ISBN 9781440803406.
  13. ^ Knippenberg, Jim (August 11, 1974). "Bad Company Scores Victory With Its Debut Album". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 4-F. Retrieved 2020-07-20 – via newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Scoppa, Bud (August 29, 1974). "Bad Company". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  15. ^ Mann, Bill (August 17, 1974). "Rock & Pop". The Gazette. p. 47. Retrieved 2020-07-20 – via newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. January 11, 1975. p. 12. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  17. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "10 from 6". Allmusic. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  18. ^ Adams, Bret. "Live at Wembley". Allmusic. Retrieved 2020-07-20.