The 1967 song the was successfully sued by the Prime Minister: “I was struck”
The article looks back at a bizarre 1967 episode in which The Move, the band featuring future Electric Light Orchestra members Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood, found themselves being successfully sued by then Prime Minister Harold Wilson. The dispute arose from a publicity stunt by their manager, Tony Secunda, and highlights the broader trend of the 1960s music industry, in which unconventional and sometimes reckless management tactics could make or break emerging rock acts.
To promote the single "Flowers in the Rain", Secunda distributed a satirical postcard featuring a doctored nude image of Wilson, who was not amused and took legal action against the band. Wilson won the case, and as a result, all royalties earned by The Move from the song were ordered to be donated to charities of his choosing. The fallout led the group to part ways with Secunda and appoint a new manager, illustrating how a manager's gamble could backfire badly even as other figures of the era, such as Brian Epstein with The Beatles, achieved huge success through more measured guidance.
In short
- The Move's manager mocked PM Harold Wilson to promote a 1967 single
- Wilson sued successfully; song royalties went to his chosen charities
- The band later dropped manager Tony Secunda over the stunt
Explained simply
The Move were a British rock band whose members included Roy Wood and, later, Jeff Lynne, both associated with Electric Light Orchestra. In 1967 their manager, Tony Secunda, used a satirical postcard to publicise the band’s single “Flowers in the Rain”; it showed a doctored nude image of Prime Minister Harold Wilson.
Wilson took legal action over the image and won. The case meant royalties from the song went to charities he chose, and the band later parted company with Secunda.
The episode reflects how managers could shape the fortunes of emerging bands through publicity as well as business decisions. Some, such as Brian Epstein with The Beatles, became known for guiding acts towards wider success, while Secunda’s stunt brought The Move a costly legal dispute.
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