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The Magnificent Moodies: Knights in White Satin |
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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It's time to celebrate the music of The Magnificent Moodies as we look back in time to their classic songs from Days of Future Passed. The Moody Blues embarked on a proggy quest In Search of the Lost Chord for their second album, and they were On the Threshold of a Dream of success with their third album. Their fourth magnificent album featured classic prog that's really stood the test of time and should be passed down through the generations To Our Children's Children's Children. It required A Question of Balance for the Moodies next album, which featured a back-to-basics approach without the lush orchestration of earlier albums, making the songs easier to perform in concert. As every student of music will know, the lines of the treble clef: E-G-B-D-F are remembered by the mnemonic, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, and that's how we remember the name of the Moody Blues sixth album too. The Moodies aptly-named Seventh Sojourn in 1972 would be their last album for six years, with the exception of the Justin Hayward/John Lodge Blue Jays project in 1975. The band returned with a whole Octave of great songs in 1978 and their next album marked the arrival of the Swiss Long Distance Voyager Patrick Moraz on keyboards, who journeyed all the way from the bands YES and Refugee. Moraz remained with the Moody Blues for The Present, but he had a huge fall-out with the band in 1991 in what was billed as The Music Trial of the Century, revealing The Other Side of Life in the notoriously cut-throat and litigious music business. The band were ready for a long holiday Sur La Mer (By the Sea) after that sobering experience. The Moody Blues gathered together The Keys of the Kingdom of prog once again for their next album, following those Strange Times in legal limbo, and they recorded a final Christmas themed album in 2003 to mark the metaphorical December of their long and illustrious musical career.
I'll also be featuring the solo works of the Five Magnificent Moodies, as and when I've added their albums to my YouTube playlists. ![]() The Moody Blues' Albums ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() The Graeme Edge Band's Albums ![]() ![]() Justin Hayward's Albums ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() John Lodge's Albums ![]() ![]() ![]() Mike Pinder's Albums ![]() ![]() Ray Thomas' Albums ![]() ![]() Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 06 2023 at 02:24 |
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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"The Magnificent Moodies is the 1965 debut album by The Moody Blues, first released in the UK, and the first and only album featuring their R&B line-up of guitarist Denny Laine, bassist Clint Warwick, keyboardist Mike Pinder, flautist–percussionist Ray Thomas, and drummer Graeme Edge. Lead vocals were shared by Laine, Pinder and Thomas. The album is a collection of R&B and Merseybeat songs, including the cover of "Go Now", produced by Alex Wharton, that had been a Number 1 hit single earlier that year." - Wikipedia ![]() It's time to Go Now with The Magnificent Moodies way back in time to Days of Future Passed in 1965, when Nights in White Satin was still just a twinkle in Justin Hayward's eye. ![]() Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 09 2021 at 13:01 |
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Heart of the Matter ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 01 2020 Location: Argentina Status: Offline Points: 3544 |
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Blue Jays & Long Distance Voyager rule!
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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Blue Guitar is one of my all-time favourite Moodies songs.
![]() If you don't know the song If you can't put the words to the tune Tell the rhyme from the reason What should it matter to the fool or the dreamer? |
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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"Days of Future Passed is the second album and first concept album by English prog rock band The Moody Blues, released in November 1967 by Deram Records.[5] With its fusion of orchestral and rock elements, it has been cited as one of the first examples of progressive rock." "The album was recorded at a time when the Moody Blues were suffering financial difficulties and lack of critical and commercial success. Their parent label, Decca Records offered them a chance to record a stereo LP that combined their music with orchestral interludes. They decided to compose a suite of songs about the life of everyday man, with the group and orchestra mostly playing separately and mixed together. It was a moderate success upon release, but following steady radio airplay, particularly of the hit single "Nights in White Satin", it became a top ten US hit in 1972. It has since been listed among the most important albums of 1967 by Rolling Stone." - Wikipedia ![]() Nights in White Satin ![]() Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 09 2021 at 13:03 |
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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" In Search of the Lost Chord is a concept album around a broad theme of quest and discovery, including world exploration ("Dr. Livingstone, I Presume"), music and philosophy through the ages ("House of Four Doors"), lost love ("The Actor"), spiritual development ("Voices in the Sky"), knowledge in a changing world ("Ride My See-Saw"), higher consciousness ("Legend of a Mind"), imagination ("The Best Way to Travel"), and space exploration ("Departure"). Space exploration would go on to become the theme of the group's 1969 album To Our Children's Children's Children, inspired by and dedicated to the Apollo 11 mission. The mysterious "lost chord" of the title is revealed to be the mantra "Om" (in the last stanza of Graeme Edge's poem "The Word"). According to keyboardist Mike Pinder, the title was inspired by Jimmy Durante's humorous song "I'm the Guy that Found the Lost Chord", itself a reference to "The Lost Chord" by Sir Arthur Sullivan." - Wikipedia
![]() Legend of a Mind Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 09 2021 at 13:06 |
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A Crimson Mellotron ![]() Prog Reviewer ![]() ![]() Joined: September 10 2020 Location: Sofia, Bulgaria Status: Offline Points: 5592 |
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Great post, Paul! The Magnificent Moodies! What an essential and absolutely adorable band.
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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Thanks. I'm looking forward to hearing all of the Moodies solo albums for the first time too, starting with the Graeme Edge Band tomorrow.
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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"On the Threshold of a Dream provided the Moody Blues with their first British number-one album, and also boosted their American fortunes by becoming their first top-20 album there." - Wikipedia ![]() The Dream / Have You Heard Parts I & II Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 09 2021 at 13:09 |
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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"To Our Children's Children's Children is the fifth album by The Moody Blues, released in November 1969." "Watching and Waiting" was released as a single to promote the album, but sold poorly. On the other hand, "Gypsy (Of a Strange and Distant Time)" became a fan and album oriented rock radio favorite, despite never being released as a single, and remained in the band's concert setlist through the 1970s." - Wikipedia ![]() Watching and Waiting |
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kenethlevine ![]() Special Collaborator ![]() ![]() Prog-Folk Team Joined: December 06 2006 Location: New England Status: Offline Points: 9070 |
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I love the peak period (Days thru 7th), but have never included "On the Threshold" in that list, as I find it is too full of 1960s rock that seems to have little to do with the experimentation you find elsewhere in the big 7. It does have some good songs but the albums that followed (and Chord) are almost uniformly brilliant IMO. The two that I rate 5 stars are "Question of Balance" and "Seventh Sojourn". Of the post peak albums I don't think any are great but "The Present" is probably my favourite, though my favourite post peak Moodys related song is definitely "Forever Autumn", from Jeff Wayne's musical version of War of the Worlds. with narration by Richard Burton and vocals by Justin Hayward.
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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I'll remember to include "Forever Autumn" as a bonus track when I add Justin Hayward's Night Flight (1980) album to my YT playlists in a couple of days time.
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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"A Question of Balance is the sixth album by The Moody Blues. The album was an attempt by the group to strip down their well-known lush, psychedelic sound in order to be able to better perform the songs in concert.[3] Released in 1970, the album reached No. 1 in the United Kingdom and #3 in the United States." - Wikipedia ![]() Melancholy Man |
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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"Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is the seventh album by The Moody Blues, released in 1971. This album featured the only track to be written by all five members of the band. The opening "Procession" was a piece that was intended to describe the history of music from the beginning of time up until the album's recording. The only three words heard in this track – "desolation," "creation," and "communication" – were similarly used (along with many other "-ation" words) in "One More Time to Live." "The album reached #1 on the British album charts, in addition to a three-week stay at #2 in the United States, and produced one top-40 single, "The Story in Your Eyes." The track "Emily's Song" was written by John Lodge for his newborn daughter. Mike Pinder wrote and sang the album's concluding track "My Song"." "The title is taken from the student mnemonic for the lines of the treble clef: E-G-B-D-F. These notes are heard played on piano during "Procession."" "The album was the last to feature the Mellotron as the sole tape-driven instrument." - Wikipedia ![]() The Story in Your Eyes |
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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New Horizons |
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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Blue Jays is a 1975 album by Justin Hayward and John Lodge. It was recorded and released during the Moody Blues' five-year hiatus. During work on the Moody Blues album that was to follow Seventh Sojourn, bandmates Lodge, Mike Pinder, Ray Thomas and Graeme Edge summoned Hayward and producer Tony Clarke out of a recording session to call off the project. The tension-fraught recording of Seventh Sojourn and subsequent world tour had left the band exhausted and relationships frayed. Pinder, who had emigrated to the United States, was not happy in England and was determined to return home to California. According to Hayward:
Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 11 2021 at 00:52 |
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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"Octave is the ninth album by The Moody Blues, released in 1978, and their first release after a substantial hiatus following the success of the best-selling Seventh Sojourn in 1972. The album proved to be the last for the group with keyboardist Mike Pinder, who left during the album's sessions and declined an offer to tour with the group.[3][4] He had just started a new family in California, and found that he was not getting along with his bandmates as he previously had. Pinder would be replaced by former Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz in time for their 1979 tour,[5] beginning a new era in the band's history. Octave would also be the final studio album from the band produced by Tony Clarke." - Wikipedia ![]() Driftwood |
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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"Long Distance Voyager is the tenth album by the Moody Blues, first released in May 1981 on the group's Threshold record label. It was the group's first album featuring keyboardist Patrick Moraz (who previously had worked with bands such as Refugee and Yes) in place of co-founder Mike Pinder, who left after Octave in 1978." "Upon release in 1981, Long Distance Voyager became the Moody Blues' second American number one album, and was also the source of the Top 20 singles "Gemini Dream" (#12) and "The Voice" (#15). It also continued their winning streak in their native United Kingdom, reaching #7 there." - Wikipedia ![]() The Voice |
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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![]() Blue World |
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Psychedelic Paul ![]() Forum Senior Member ![]() ![]() Joined: September 16 2019 Location: Nottingham, U.K Status: Offline Points: 43274 |
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"The Other Side of Life was the third recording with Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz and the first for flutist and vocalist Ray Thomas not to play a major role. The main songwriters were vocalist/guitarist Justin Hayward and bassist John Lodge, with only one song, "The Spirit", composed by Moraz (his only songwriting credit with the band) and drummer Graeme Edge. The music on the album is characterized by the heavy use of synthesizers, sequencers and drum machines, to the point that it could be classified as synth-pop, a sharp change in style for a band that had stood at the origins of symphonic rock." - Wikipedia ![]() Your Wildest Dreams Edited by Psychedelic Paul - February 12 2021 at 01:51 |
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