THE MOODY BLUES ARE . . .

JUSTIN HAYWARD
JOHN LODGE
GRAEME EDGE

Their second single "Go Now," released in November of 1964, fulfilled every expectation and more, reaching number one in
England; in America, it peaked at number 10. Following it up was easier said than done. Despite their fledgling songwriting
 efforts and the access they had to American demos, this version of the Moody Blues never came up with another single
 success. By the end of the spring of 1965, the frustration was palpable within the band. The group decided to make their
 fourth single, "From the Bottom of My Heart," an experiment with a different sound. Unfortunately, the single only reached
 number 22 on the British charts following its release in May of 1965. Ultimately, the grind of touring coupled with the strains
 facing the group, became too much for Warwick, who exited in the spring of 1966, and by August of 1966 Laine had left
 as well. Warwick was replaced by John Lodge. His introduction to the band was followed in late 1966 by the addition of
 Justin Hayward.

 The reconstituted Moody Blues set about keeping afloat financially, mostly playing in Europe, recording the occasional
 single. Their big break came from Deram Records, an imprint of their Decca label, which in 1967 decided that it needed a
 long-playing record to promote its new "Deramic Stereo." The Moody Blues were picked for the proposed project, a rock
 version of Dvorak's New World Symphony, and immediately convinced the staff producer and the engineer to abandon
 the source material and permit the group to use a series of its own compositions that depicted an archetypal "day," from
 morning to night. Using the tracks laid down by the band, and orchestrated by conductor Peter Knight, the resulting album
 Days of Future Passed became a landmark in the band's history. The mix of rock and classical sounds was new, and at
 first puzzled the record company, but eventually the record was issued. This album, and its singles "Nights in White Satin"
and "Tuesday Afternoon," hooked directly into the musical sides of the Summer of Love and its aftermath. In Search of the
 Lost Chord (1968) abandoned the orchestra in favor of the Mellotron, which quickly became a part of their signature sound.
 

By the time of 1969's To Our Children's Children's Children, the group found themselves painted into something of a
 corner. Working in the studio with the process of overdubbing, they'd created albums that were essentially the work of 20
 or 30 Moody Blues. Beginning with A Question of Balance (1970), the group made the decision to record albums that
 they could play in concert, reducing their reliance on overdubbing and toughening up their sound. By the release of
Seventh Sojourn (1972), the strain of touring and recording steadily for five years was beginning to take its toll, and
 following an extended international tour, the band decided to take a break from working together, which ultimately lasted
 five years. During this era, Hayward and Lodge recorded a very successful duet album, Blue Jays (1975), and all five
 members did solo albums. By 1977, however, the group members had made the decision to reunite, a process complicated
by the fact that Pinder had moved to California during that period. Although all five participated in the resulting album,
Octave (1978), there were stresses during its recording, and Pinder was ultimately unhappy enough with the LP to decline
 to tour with the band. The reunion tour was a success, with Patrick Moraz brought in to replace Pinder on the keyboards,
 and the album topped the charts.

 The group's follow-up record, Long Distance Voyager (1981), was even more popular, though by this time a schism was
 beginning to develop between the band and the critical community. Although they continued to reach the middle levels of
 the charts, and even ascended reasonably close to the top with the Hayward single "In Your Wildest Dreams" (1986), the
 Moody Blues were no longer anywhere near the cutting edge of music. By the end of the 1980s, they were perceived as a
 nostalgia act, albeit one with a huge audience. In 1994, a four-CD set called Time Traveller was released. A new studio
 effort, Strange Times, followed in 1999 and Live at the Royal Albert Hall 2000 followed a year later.

credit:

Days Of future Passed
In Search Of The Lost Chord
On The Threshold Of A Dream
To Our Children's Children's Children
A Question Of Balance
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
Seventh Sojourn
Octave
Long Distance Voyager
The Present
The Other Side Of Life
Sur La Mer
Keys Of The Kingdom

Individual Works of the Moody Blues

Ray Thomas
From Mighty Oaks
Hopes Wishes & Dreams

John Lodge
Natural Avenue
 

Graeme Edge
Kick Off Your Muddy Boots
Paradise Ballroom

Justin Hayward
Songwriter
Night Flight
Moving Mountains
Clasic Blue
The View From The Hill

Justin Hayward and John Lodge