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Gordy Marshall of The Moody Blues

Twenty years ago I was booked as a session drummer for the Moody Blues, and have been asked back for every tour since then, which puts me in the “extremely lucky” camp of working musicians. I share the stage with the original drummer for the band, Graeme Edge, and we both play DW drumkits. Graeme has a 22″ bass drum, 10″, 12″, and 13″ toms, a 16″ floor tom, and a 14″ snare, and he uses Zildjian cymbals.

The Moody Blues are a legendary band, and having sold seventy-five million albums, are enjoying a near unprecedented career spanning nearly forty years. We are currently between the American and U.K. legs of the 2010 tour, and I wanted to have a written record of my time with them to look back on, so this year I began writing a daily journal of about a thousand words for each day of the tour. I called each one a Postcard, and you can read them on my new website, which I just launched. It features twenty free video drum lessons, and of course all the usual accompanying info such as tour dates, photos, and the postcard blog. Enjoy: postcardsfromarockandrolltour.com .

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About The Moody Blues

Complete List Of The Moody Blues Band Members

Feature Photo: Jim Vallee / Shutterstock.com

The Moody Blues band was formed in Birmingham in 1964. The group initially came together as a rhythm and blues-based band but quickly evolved, embracing a more symphonic sound that established them as pioneers of progressive rock. The band’s landmark album, Days of Future Passed , released in 1967, famously integrated orchestral music with rock, setting a new standard in the genre. Over the years, The Moody Blues have released sixteen studio albums, achieving significant commercial success and critical acclaim. They have sold over 70 million albums worldwide and have received numerous awards, including entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. The band’s lineup has seen several changes over the decades, with some members pursuing successful solo careers.

Justin Hayward

Justin Hayward joined The Moody Blues in 1966, replacing Denny Laine as the lead vocalist and guitarist. His arrival marked a significant turning point for the band, heralding their shift towards symphonic rock. Hayward’s songwriting and tender vocals have been central to the band’s success, contributing timeless classics such as “Nights in White Satin” and “Tuesday Afternoon.” His ability to craft evocative lyrics and memorable melodies helped to define the band’s sound on seminal albums like Days of Future Passed and Seventh Sojourn . Beyond The Moody Blues, Hayward has enjoyed a productive solo career, releasing several well-received albums and singles.

John Lodge joined the band in 1966 alongside Hayward and quickly became an integral member as the bass guitarist and vocalist. Lodge’s contributions to the band’s songwriting and harmony vocals were significant, penning hits such as “Ride My See-Saw” and “Isn’t Life Strange.” His dynamic playing and vocal abilities were instrumental across the band’s discography, particularly noted on albums like To Our Children’s Children’s Children . Lodge has also released solo albums, exploring personal musical expressions outside of the group’s collaborative work.

Read More: An Interview With John Lodge Of The Moody Blues

Graeme Edge

Graeme Edge, a founding member of The Moody Blues, served as the band’s drummer and provided spoken word poetry, adding a unique element to their music. His contributions are most notably heard on tracks like “Late Lament” and throughout the band’s core albums. Edge’s innovative drumming techniques and poetic interludes have left a lasting imprint on the band’s style. He remained with the band until his retirement, being a constant through every phase of their career.

Ray Thomas was one of the founding members of The Moody Blues and contributed significantly as a vocalist and flautist until his retirement in 2002. Thomas’s distinctive flute play is a hallmark of The Moody Blues’ sound, particularly memorable on tracks like “Legend of a Mind.” His abilities as a singer and songwriter also shone on songs such as “Veteran Cosmic Rocker.” Thomas released a few solo albums, which, while less commercially successful than the band’s work, were cherished by fans for their depth and artistry.

Mike Pinder

Mike Pinder, another founding member, played a crucial role as the band’s keyboardist until his departure in 1978. Pinder was instrumental in introducing the Mellotron to rock music, which became a signature sound of The Moody Blues and influenced the broader rock genre. He contributed significantly to the band’s songwriting and production, particularly during their most influential period in the late 1960s and 1970s. After leaving the band, Pinder released solo work and remained involved in music production and sound engineering.

Denny Laine

Denny Laine was one of the original members of The Moody Blues and played a crucial role in the band’s early years. He joined the band at its formation in 1964 and was the lead vocalist and guitarist. Laine was instrumental in the band’s initial success with the hit “Go Now,” which became a chart-topper in the UK and achieved significant popularity in the United States. His tenure with the band was marked by a more R&B and blues-influenced style that characterized their early sound.

After his departure from The Moody Blues in 1966, Denny Laine joined Paul McCartney to form Wings, contributing significantly to their success during the 1970s. As a member of Wings, Laine co-wrote songs, provided lead and backing vocals, and played multiple instruments. His career post-Moody Blues includes a mix of solo projects and collaborations, further establishing him as a versatile and enduring figure in the rock music scene.

Patrick Moraz

Patrick Moraz joined The Moody Blues in 1978 after Mike Pinder’s departure, playing keyboards on albums such as Long Distance Voyager and The Present . Moraz’s background in progressive rock bands like Yes added a fresh dimension to the band’s sound during his tenure. He contributed to the band until 1991, after which he continued his career with solo projects and collaborations.

Clint Warwick

Clint Warwick was the original bassist for The Moody Blues and was part of the band’s formation in 1964. Warwick played on the band’s early hits, including their breakout single “Go Now,” which brought them international fame. His tenure with the band was relatively brief, as he left in 1966, shortly after their initial success. Despite his short period with the band, his contributions were integral during their formative years, helping to define their early sound that mixed R&B with rock influences. Warwick’s post-Moody Blues career was more low-key, as he moved away from the music industry and eventually returned to his earlier trade as a carpenter.

Complete List Of The Moody Blues Band Members article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2024

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Janey Roberts

Janey Roberts lives in Chelsea, London. She has worked for various British musical publications writing album and concert reviews. Originally from Balboa Park, San Diego, Janey brings an international cross cultural perspective to rock journalism.

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Known for their innovations and fusions in music, The Moody Blues are an English progressive rock band originally from Birmingham.

The group was first formed in 1964 by Ray Thomas and Michael Pinder, but as the Krew Cats. They didn’t fare well, so they were joined by guitarist/vocalist Denny Laine, band manager-turned-drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick and became The Moody Blues. They performed their first gig in 1964 and eventually became the resident group at the Carlton Ballroom. The band obtained a London-based management company and signed a recording contract with Decca Records in 1964, but it wasn’t until their second released single, “Go Now” that helped them reach success.

In 1965 the group released a self-titled EP, which featured both of their first two singles. They released their debut full-length album entitled “The Magnificent Moodies” in 1965 as well. Despite being in high demand for live gigs, the group didn’t have much commercial success as they’d have liked with their next few releases. In 1966 Warkick retired and the group took a short hiatus until they re-formed in November of that year. After financial misfortune and an audience heckling, the band soon realized that their style of American blues covers and novelty tunes did not work for them and they decided that they would only perform their own material.

With a second album not materializing and their contract with Decca set to expire, they owed the label several thousand pounds in advances. However, they had the support of an important Decca member and they were offered a deal to make a rock and roll version of Antonín Dvořák's New World Symphony that would promote the company's new Deramic Stereo Sound (DSS) audio format. Although they never finished the project, they did release a concept album entitled “Days of Future Passed” in 1967. The album reached gold status and reached No. 27 on the British LP chart and No. 3 on the US/Billboard charts a few years after.

They followed up with this success with the release of “In Search of The Lost Chord,” and a year later with “On The Threshold Of A Dream. They continued with a string of successful albums and in 1974 they went on hiatus. While on hiatus, some members worked on different projects, reunited in 1977. The Moody Blues then released “Octave” in 1978, followed by extensive touring; additionally, keyboard player Patrick Moraz joined them. In 1986 they enjoyed renewed success with their album “The Other Side of Life,” and the renewed interest in the band ensured a younger audience.

The band released “Keys of The Kingdom” in 1991 and continued to tour extensively, but from 1991 to 1998, the group took a hiatus from recording and spent time trying to perfect the art of performing live with an orchestra. This hiatus only lasted until 1999 when they released “Strange Times,” and in 2000 released a live album. Despite Ray Thomas retiring from the group, they did continue to perform live, and in 2013 released a compilation album and appeared on the Moody Blues Cruise.

Live reviews

The Moody Blues were always a band with a unique vision. They have accomplished the fusion of classical music with rock music and were one of the first bands to make a concept album. Seeing them live is like going on an epic musical journey filled with layers of orchestrated music and their mind blowing take on progressive rock. The Moody Blues plays with a very diverse sound. At one moment they will be playing highly energetic rock and roll music and the next moment they will be playing a soft orchestrated ballad. Although they only have three members in the main core of their group, who play the guitar, drums, and bass, they are able to create a large sound by touring with an orchestra, which helps them attain that symphonic-rock vibe that they are so renowned for making. The orchestra also contributes in making their sound like it has much force behind it. The deep resonance of the cellos and the light sweeping sound of the violins give The Moody Blues an epic quality to them, which enhances the visions of their ornate concepts.

The lead guitarist, Justin Hayward, often plays his guitar by running it through a chorus effect, which allows it to exhibit a shimmering sound. The Moody Blues also incorporate flutes and synthesizers into their music to create a more ethereal quality to their music. Just as their name suggests, The Moody Blues are trying to invoke deep emotions in their audience and trying to depict a certain mood for them. They not only accomplish this by playing their mesmerizing music, but they shine atmospheric blue lights on the stage that enhance the elegance and fantastical qualities of the performance.

The Moody Blues are sure to impress the audience with their highly intricate style of playing and their beautiful, lush orchestration, which they incorporate into their performance. Audiences are sure to love their setlist with them playing most of their hits including “Nights and Whit Satin”.

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This was our fourth time seeing the Moody Blues in concert, and I can honestly say it was THE most incredible experience of them all! My love for the band goes back to the album they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of: 1967's "Days of Future Passed". For the first half, they played some of their old hits, including a few that were not in their usual performance lineup, so that was a treat, right there. The "moody blue" psychedelic graphics were a nice touch, also. Imagine our delight to find a full orchestra on the stage when we returned from the short intermission! The "note for note, cut for cut" full album recreation was spectacular, including some breathtaking graphics on screen and a video of esteemed actor, Jeremy Irons, performing the poems, "Morning Glory" and "Late Lament". Justin Hayward and John Lodge are still in fine voice, and drummer Graeme has retained his "Edge". The rest of the band is stellar as well. In almost 50 years of attending concerts, this one is an absolute standout!

I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)

Steppin' in a Slide Zone

Say It With Love

Your Wildest Dreams

Isn't Life Strange

I Know You're Out There Somewhere

The Story in Your Eyes

Set 2 (Days of Future Passed):

The Day Begins

(with Jeremy Irons) (performed live by the orchestra)

Dawn Is a Feeling

Another Morning

Tuesday Afternoon

(listed as "Forever Afternoon (… more )

(Evening) Time to Get Away

Twilight Time

Late Lament

(with Jeremy Irons)

Nights in White Satin

Ride My See-Saw

Note: Filmed for a future broadcast. Set 2 and the Encore featured a 67 piece orchestra conducted by Elliot Davis.

This was our fourth time seeing the Moody Blues in concert, and I can honestly say it was THE most incredible experience of them all! My love for the band goes back to the album they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of: 1967's "Days of Future Passed". For the first half, they played some of their old hits, including a few that were not in their usual performance lineup, so that was a treat, right there.The "moody blue" psychedelic graphics were a nice touch, also. Imagine our delight to find a full orchestra on the stage when we returned from the short intermission! The "note for note, cut for cut" full album recreation was spectacular, including some breathtaking graphics on screen and a video of esteemed actor, Jeremy Irons, performing the poems, "Morning Glory" and "Late Lament". Justin Hayward and John Lodge are still in fine voice, and drummer Graeme has retained his "Edge". The rest of the band is stellar as well. In almost 50 years of attending concerts, this one is an absolute standout!

Birmingham rockers The Moody Blues formed half a century ago and within that time have earned a reputation as one of the most hard working live bands of all time. They have performed nearly 2000 times in the States alone and although only drummer Graeme Edge remains as a founding member, guitarist and bassist John Lodge and Justin Hayward have been there from the near beginnings so the trio have great rapport onstage.

Their fans are a devoted bunch and from looking around the venue there appears to be some attendees who may have brought the band's very first album. There is range though with younger fans who would have discovered Moody Blues at a later date due to their huge influence on countless modern contemporaries.

For a trio of 70 year olds, the group has fantastic stage presence and still enjoying delighting crowds with their symphonic rock. The musical ability is incomparable as after 50 years practice they are simply in a league of their own. Playing classics such as 'I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)' and 'Nights in White Satin' is a reminder of the timeless quality of this band's music and you understand why they toured so much, there was clearly such a high demand to hear their classic music.

The two shows in Toronto were the highlight of my 45 years following the band. The first set being one greatest hit after another really got the place rockin. After a brief intermission we were treated to the Toronto Symphony opening the whole of Days of Future Passed. The sound of the orchestra in the Sony Center was so rich, full and lush it gave us chills. To hear the Moodies sing the entire album was amazing. Dawn is a Feeling, Sunset, Twilight Time and ofcourse Nights in White Satin were particular favorites for me. Looking forward to getting the DVD that was recorded both nights. The show ended with Question and Ride My Seesaw and an audience full of appreciation and wonder.

Best Show Ever!!

I was able to sit in first row almost center stage. Each band member acknowledged my presence several times during the show. The Moody Blues haven't gotten older they have gotten better. Just a thrill to be so close. Their music was powerful. Some newer tunes and many of the their classics. I am so grateful I had this opportunity. Graham told all of us how happy he was to be here. He said, "I'm really glad to be here. I'm 75 and I had a stroke." He was rockin on that stage.

Thank you Moody Blues for a fantastic show and a life time experience.

The group had a good selection for the first 50 minutes. They can’t play them all, but I missed a few of my favorites. Part2 was the 50th year for On a Threshold of a Dream. The instrumental sections of the album was steamed to the audience and occasionally they would sing/play along.

We all found some of the background videos to be distracting. Sometimes they were beautiful but....

Vocals of course along with guitar work excellent!

New flutist was amazing!

All in all they rocked the house!! Left us all wanting more!!

ONE OF THE GREATEST BANDS OF ALL TIME I SAY. I HAVE SEEN THEM AT LEAST 20 TIMES OR MORE. GOT UP TO THE 3RD ROW ON OCCASION FLIRTING WITH JOHN LODGE ....I NEED TO KNOW IF THEY WILL TOUR IN SAN DIEGO AGAIN. SOMEONE SAID SINCE GRAHM RETIRED THEYVE GONE SOLO? SAY IT ISN'T SO MAN....ANYBODY OUT THERE KNOW WHAT'S UP...COVID BLOWS I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT WE'RE SEEING THE EAGLES IN OCT. AND JUST WONDERING IF MOODY BLUES HAVE ANY PLANS?????

THANK YOU, DEBI IN SAN DIEGO

We've been going to see this group for decades, and we really only have one complaint: the setlist NEVER changes. Give or take one or two songs per show, it's always the same! Don't get me wrong; the show itself was virtually impeccable but, with their vast repertoire, you'd think they might mix it up here and there. As it is now, I can rattle off the songs before they even start 'em! Hopefully, they'll see this and at least give it some consideration?

When I was teenager their were a lot of bands that I wanted to see I got to see Stxy and I amost got see Three Dog Night failled twice but you there always a third write But when I went the see Them in Scottsdale Az I about flip I was so. Excited it was a cold night but they made it work .It was the best night of my life now I cant wait to go on cruise in Feburday oh wow to see them all I can't

Its hard for me to say . Joan are really big fan

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List of the Moody Blues band members

The Moody Blues were an English progressive rock band from Birmingham . Formed in May 1964, the group originally consisted of guitarist and vocalist Denny Laine , keyboardist and vocalist Mike Pinder , woodwind player and vocalist Ray Thomas , bassist Clint Warwick , and drummer Graeme Edge . The band remained active until late 2018, when sole constant member Edge retired from performing, at which point the lineup also included 1966 additions Justin Hayward on guitar and vocals, and John Lodge on bass and vocals. For their final few tours, the core trio were augmented by touring members Norda Mullen on flute, guitar and percussion (from 2003), Julie Ragins on keyboards, guitar, saxophone and percussion (from 2006), Alan Hewitt on keyboards (from 2010), and Billy Ashbaugh on drums and percussion (from 2016).

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The Moody Blues were formed in May 1964 by Denny Laine, Mike Pinder, Ray Thomas, Clint Warwick and Graeme Edge. [1] The band debuted in September that year with the single "Steal Your Heart Away", which was followed a year later by their first album The Magnificent Moodies . [2] After a few more singles, the group faced its first change in personnel when Warwick left at the end of June 1966, claiming that his role was "keeping him apart from his wife and two small children too much". [3] Rod Clark replaced Warwick for three months, [4] before he and Laine left the Moody Blues at the beginning of October 1966, with Laine going on to pursue a solo career [4] and later joined Wings . Justin Hayward (formerly of Marty Wilde 's band) joined on guitar and vocals and John Lodge (an early bandmate of Ray Thomas) joined on bass and vocals. [5]

The lineup of Hayward, Lodge, Pinder, Thomas and Edge remained stable for twelve years, releasing a string of successful albums including UK number-ones On the Threshold of a Dream (1969), A Question of Balance (1970) and Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971). [6] When Pinder refused to tour in promotion of the 1978 release Octave , he was replaced that October by former Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz . [7] Pinder did not return after the tour, and later took legal action against the remaining members in an attempt to prevent them from releasing 1981's Long Distance Voyager under the Moody Blues name (which was unsuccessful). [8]

Starting in 1986, the Moody Blues began touring with an extended lineup, which initially included second keyboardist Bias Boshell , and backing vocalists Janis Liebhart and Wendy McKenzie. [9] Guy Allison took over from Boshell in 1987, [10] and in 1988 the backing vocalists were replaced by Shaun Murphy and Naomi Starr. [9] By 1990, Boshell had returned on keyboards, and Bekka Bramlett and Terry Wood had taken over backing vocal duties. [9] After the recording of the band's 14th studio albums Keys of the Kingdom in the spring of 1991, Moraz was fired from the band and credited on the release as one of the "additional performers". [11]

Moraz was not replaced in the band's official lineup. [12] Starting with the 1991 tour, Boshell took over as lead keyboardist, Paul Bliss was brought in as backup, and Susan Shattock and June Boyce took over on backing vocals. [13] In 1993, Tracy Graham replaced Boyce. [9] The group's touring lineup remained constant until April 2001, which marked the final appearances of Boshell and Graham. The pair were replaced by keyboardist and backing vocalist Bernie Barlow. [9] In December 2002, Ray Thomas announced that he would be retiring from performing, reducing the band's official lineup to the trio of Hayward, Lodge and Edge. [14]

Thomas was replaced in the Moody Blues touring lineup by flautist and guitarist Norda Mullen. [15] In 2003, the band released Christmas album December . [16] Julie Ragins replaced Barlow in 2006, after initially substituting for the keyboardist late the previous year. [17] Barlow took over for a year in 2009, before Ragins returned from 2010. [17] Also in 2010, Alan Hewitt joined the touring band as their second keyboardist. [18] Billy Ashbaugh replaced Marshall as second live drummer starting in 2016, with Edge primarily playing piano during live shows. [19] Ray Thomas died on 4 January 2018. [20] The group continued touring until Edge retired from performing at the end of 2018, although the possibility of a return was mentioned in interviews by Lodge. [21] On 11 November 2021, however, Edge died, marking the end of the Moody Blues. [22]

Official members

Touring members

GO NOW! The Music of the Moody Blues

October 25 – 27, 2024

Friday October 25, 2024 7:30pm

Tickets starting at $35

Saturday October 26, 2024 7:30pm

Sunday October 27, 2024 3:00pm

MICHAEL KRAJEWSKI conducts GORDY MARSHALL drums & vocals MICK WILSON lead vocals & rhythm guitar PATRICK DUFFIN bass & vocals NICK KENDALL guitar & vocals

It’s the ultimate tribute to the iconic Moody Blues — put together by drummer Gordy Marshall who toured with the band for 25 years — as the DSO beautifully recreates the glory of one of their concerts with unforgettable hits like “Nights in White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Go Now,” “Isn’t Life Strange,” “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” and “The Story In Your Eyes,” with the spectacular sound of some of today’s very best singers and instrumentalists and your Dallas Symphony. Come hear — and relive — why Rolling Stones called the Moody Blues “the Sistine Chapel of popular music.”

Michael Krajewski

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GO NOW! The Music of The Moody Blues

Is the brainchild of drummer gordy marshall. gordy toured with the moody blues for 25 years. along with mick wilson (known as lead singer of 10cc), the two musicians have brought together some of the very best singers and instrumentalists in the uk to create the ultimate tribute to the greatest classic rock band of a generation. hit songs such as nights in white satin, tuesday afternoon, go now and isn’t life strange are beautifully recreated live, and sound as close to the initial recordings as you will ever hear., meet the band , photography credit: andy holdsworth, https://www.andyholdsworth.co.uk/, gordy marshall, gordy toured the world playing drums with the moody blues for 25 years. for six of those years, he also toured with justin hayward on the arena tours of jeff wayne’s musical version of the war of the worlds. he now runs the moody blues tribute band go now which tours the uk and us performing with symphonies. , as a session musician the list of artists on his c.v. include: sir cliff richard, rod stewart, mariah carey, emma bunton, joss stone, gary barlow, leo sayer, david essex, ricky wilson (kaiser chiefs), mike batt, katie melua, chris spedding, herbie flowers, russell watson and jason donovan., in 2012 splendid books published gordy’s critically acclaimed travel book ‘postcards from a rock & roll tour’. it’s available on amazon, itunes, kindle and audible as an audio book. sections of the audio book have been serialised on bbc radio. in addition to his pop and rock work, gordy has been involved in many west end musicals, including hamilton, wicked, we will rock you, mamma mia, rent, grease, fame, whistle down the wind and the michael jackson musical thriller live, be sure to also check out gordy’s monthly podcast – , ‘postcards from a rock & roll tour – from rockstar to uber driver and back’., available on apple, amazon, spotify, youtube and most major platforms, click here for the podcast.

Mick Wilson

As a vocalist and percussionist, mick has performed with artists such as lionel ritchie, kylie minogue, gary barlow, cher, ellie goulding, paloma faith, chris rea, smokey robinson, jessie j, robin gibb, lulu and the k.l.f. mick was also honoured to be a part of the band for jeff lynne’s elo concert in london’s hyde park. joining graham gouldman for an acoustic set in london some time ago, mick soon became a regular in that incarnation of 10cc, taking on lead vocal duties and playing percussion, guitar and keyboards. graham and the band have performed extensively in europe and toured australia, japan, new zealand and the us., he is also a regular member of the sas band, which play all over the world, with guest performers such as brian may, roger daltrey, roger taylor, kiki dee and tony hadley. mick has his own recording and production facility, from where he has produced and composed music for various tv and live events for companies such as sky, bbc, itv, mcdonalds, bt, x-factor, levi’s, toyota, mercedes and ford, most recently providing the music for this year’s volvo ocean race., his debut solo album, “so the story goes” was co-produced and co-written with graham gouldman. his latest release in 2022, chameleon, is a collection of 12 of mick’s favourite cover songs that he has performed over the years at his solo acoustic shows. to quote mick – “some of them are just a joy to sing and others i wish i had written, but either way, they all have a special connection for me. i hope that everyone enjoys them.”, mick continues to be much in-demand as a session vocalist in and around london and can be heard on various tv and film productions, including the recent “cilla” mini – series and “sunshine on leith” motion picture. most recently mick was the ‘singing voice’ in the academy award-winning movie bohemian rhapsody for the actor who portrayed queen’s drummer. we are absolutely delighted he is singing and playing with us in go now – the music of the moody blues..

Nick Kendall

Guitarist nick kendall grew up playing the live music venues in johannesburg, south africa. at age sixteen nick was chosen as the guitarist for the south african production of we will rock you with which he toured sa in 2006, and later asia in 2008. after studying on a partial scholarship at the berklee college of music in boston usa, in late 2008 nick moved to london where he has built a career as a busy session musician., nick has played guitar with the likes of 10cc, tony hadley, alice cooper, gordon giltrap, as well as recording with artists such as peter cox (go west), cliff richard, dame vera lynn, and many more. he has worked extensively in the west end having held chairs on six shows including rock of ages, jersey boys, and we will rock you. nick appeared as a featured soloist in ‘bowie a rock & symphonic spectacular’, performing with orchestras such as the birmingham symphony, hallé, and bbc concert orchestra. he also appears on albums with the royal liverpool philharmonic, and the london royal philharmonic orchestra. nick is a member of the band go now performing the music of the moody blues with former moody blues band member gordy marshall., nick is the frontman, singer, and songwriter for his own blues-rock outfit, the kendall connection, who were invited to support on the 2022 jools holland tour. the band’s debut album was described in blues matters magazine as “one of the best debut albums this reviewer has heard in a long time”..

Patrick Duffin

Patrick has for many years, been a prolific composer for british television shows, including the themes for come dine with me, loose women and money for nothing. patrick has also written production music albums for universal, de wolfe, westar and many others., his live performance work has included natalie imbruglia, tony hadley and jamie scott. in london’s west end patrick has performed in the productions of hairspray and jersey boys playing guitar, drums and mandolin., patrick originally joined go now the music of the moody blues on keyboards. as a consummate multi-instrumentalist patrick has also covered the lead guitar position on many occasions. he is now an integral and full-time member playing bass guitar and co-lead singer. he has performed with the omaha symphony, the nashville symphony, the philly pops, the buffalo philharmonic, the houston symphony, the columbus ohio symphony and the new mexico symphony to name a few. .

Billy Ashbaugh

I've been with The Moody Blues since 2015

The Moody Blues

Updated May 1, 2024

Graeme Edge vocal, drums, percussion Denny Laine vocal, guitar, harmonica (left 1966) Mike Pinder vocal, piano, mellotron (left 1978) Ray Thomas vocal, harmonica, flute, saxophone, percussion (left 2003) Clint Warwick vocal, bass guitar (left 1966) Justin Hayward vocal, guitars, sitar, keyboards (joined 1966) John Lodge vocal, bass guitar, cello, guitars (joined 1966) Patrick Moraz keyboards (joined 1979, left 1991)

"Mike apparently came up with the name but I always thought I came up with the 'Moody' part because I saw it as a blues band"

The Moody Blues were the first of the Brum Beat bands to become internationally famous and would later have a huge influence on what became known as "progressive rock". Formed in May of 1964 in Birmingham as "The Moody Blues 5", they took their name from the local M&B brewing company in hope of getting sponsorship. The group members came from various Birmingham bands who are worth mentioning as follows:

Lead singer and guitarist Brian Hines ( Denny Laine ) was born 29th October 1944 and lived in Holcombe Road, Tyseley. One of his earliest bands was "Johnny Dean and The Dominators" who played regularly at The Mermaid pub on Stratford Road. Johnny Dean was an early alias for Brian who worked at Rackhams by day but he would soon turn professional in 1962 with the new name of "Denny Laine" and fronting "The Diplomats", a well known Midlands group that also included future Move and E.L.O. drummer Bev Bevan (see Denny Laine and The Diplomats ).

Ray Thomas was born in Stourport on 29th December 1942. As a teenager in Erdington, he joined a skiffle band called "Saints and Sinners" during the late 1950s in which he played the tea-chest bass. Apprenticing as an engineer, Ray formed his first professional band ' El Riot and The Rebels ' as their lead singer and harmonica player.

The Rebels line-up also included drummer Bob Sheward as well as guitarists Brian Betteridge and John Lodge who was born in Birmingham on July 20, 1945 and lived in Erdington at 70 Inland Road. Also living in Erdington on Wheelwright Road was piano player Mike Pinder , born 27th December 1941. He played part-time with El Riot and The Rebels and had previously led his own group called "The Rocking Tuxedo's".

El Riot and The Rebels became known for their energetic stage show for which they wore Mexican cowboy outfits. They managed to become regulars on the Noel Gordon hosted "Lunchbox" television show produced in Aston. John Lodge switched to bass guitar when the band acquired Mike Heard as lead guitarist. El Riot and The Rebels eventually split in 1963 when they were offered some lengthy bookings in Germany but only Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder wanted to go and John Lodge left to begin a drafting apprenticeship.

Ray and Mike then joined a local group called The Krewcats (not to be confused with Shadows drummer Brian Bennett's band of that name) with whom they went over to Germany from May to November of 1963. Performing in Hamburg and Hannover, the Krewkats were well received but rarely paid what they were owed by notorious club owner Peter Eckhorn who held on to their passports and work visas!

Meanwhile back in Birmingham, Graeme Edge who was born 30th March 1941 and lived in Coventry Road, Small Heath, was playing drums in a group called Gerry Levene and The Avengers . This band also included Jim Onslow on bass guitar and guitarist Mike Hopkins who would later join The Diplomats . Gerry Levene was the stage name for Aston singer Micky Gibbs. For a short time, the Avengers lead guitarist was Roy Wood (see Mike Sheridan and The Nightriders ).

Albert Eccles from Aston, was born on 25th June 1940, and had started playing guitar as a member of a skiffle group called "The Rainbow Boys". He changed his name to the more suitable Clint Warwick (inspired by American vocalist Dionne Warwick) after joining Danny King's Dukes as their bass guitarist (see Danny King ). They were well known throughout the Midlands and also managed to secure a season at Butlins holiday camp in Scotland.

When Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder returned from Germany (with no money) at the end of 1963, they found the Birmingham music scene made up of bands that imitated either "Cliff and The Shadows" or "The Beatles". The Spencer Davis Group was at that time standing apart from the rest with their exciting Rhythm & Blues based sound.

Danny King and Clint Warwick along with Graeme Edge and Gerry Levene of The Avengers, decided that R&B was the way to get noticed. Denny Laine from the Diplomats was also interested to start a new project, so the group started rehearsing and came up with the name "The Soul Preachers". Gerry Levene soon left after falling-out with Denny Laine.

A chance meeting by Denny Laine with Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder at the Moathouse Club resulted in them also joining the line-up although by that time, Danny King had lost interest in the project and left. Ray Thomas later admitted he wanted his friend John Lodge to play bass guitar in the new group but John declined as he was committed to completing his drafting apprenticeship and so Clint Warwick stayed.

Forging ahead, a plan was put in place to gain sponsorship from the Birmingham-based Mitchells & Butlers brewery so the name "M&B Five" was adopted. Unfortunately, the beer company was not interested in sponsoring a pop group so the initials were adapted to represent "Moody" and "Blues". An early gig poster shows the group billed as The Moody Blues "5" .

Denny Laine recalled; "Mike apparently came up with the name 'The Moody Blues' but I always thought I came up with the 'Moody' part because I always saw it as a blues band. I think Mike got it from a Miles Davis album Indigo Blue or something like that."

In May of 1964, the Moody Blues were rehearsing and performing regularly at Birmingham's "Carlton Ballroom" (later to become famous as "Mothers" club) in Erdington. Local jazz musician Jim Simpson who worked as a photographer for the 'Midland Beat' newspaper took the earliest known photo of the Moody Blues shown here performing at the Carlton. Jim later went on to discover and manage Black Sabbath .

"We went on and played our own type of rhythm and blues like 'I Go Crazy' and stuff like that and we went down a storm!"

Ray Thomas remembered a gig they played at The Moathouse Club in Birmingham. "In the audience was a guy called Tim Hudson. He was from London and he really liked us. He knew some people in London who were looking for a band to manage so mentioned us to them. They turned out to have a management company called Ridgepride but they were also the people behind 'Seltaeb' - a company that had the rights on all The Beatles merchandising - the name was actually 'Beatles' spelt backwards."

In this way The Moody Blues were introduced to London-based manager Tony Secunda who went on to play a major role in the careers of several Brumbeat groups. Denny Laine was later quoted in a magazine feature as saying; "We had the most terrible rows when we started as we were all used to having our own way. But the chap who was training us (Secunda) made us knuckle under to the firmest discipline and eventually we all got pulling together. Now we trust and respect each other completely."

A big break came when Tony Secunda got the band to perform a regular spot at London's famous Marquee Club. Ray Thomas said; "All the great bands had their own night at The Marquee. Manfred Mann had a regular spot but their singer Paul Jones had bad laryngitis and couldn't sing. At the last minute, we were called to fill-in for them. We went on and played our own type of rhythm and blues like 'I Go Crazy' and stuff like that and we went down a storm! Things took off from there."

The Marquee management offered The Moody blues a regular night to perform. Denny Laine said; "The Marquee was an important step for us and we played regularly but also backed visiting American musicians whilst they were in the UK." It wasn't long before Tony Secunda arranged a record deal with the Moody Blues signing to the prestigious Decca Records label.

Produced by Alex Murray (Alex Wharton), The Moody Blues' first single titled 'Steal Your Heart Away' was a soulful effort and the B-side 'Lose Your Money' , co-composed by Denny Laine and Mike Pinder was an energetic though typical beat-style recording. The single did not chart but the Moody Blues appeared on television for the first time on ITV's pop music show "Ready Steady Go!"

Looking for hit material, the Moodies second single was an inventive arrangement of an obscure song by American singer Bessie Banks. Denny said; "We knew a schoolboy named James Hamilton who had a fantastic record collection. He knew a New York disc jockey B. Mitchell Reed, and through them we got a lot of material which nobody else was doing - like 'Steal Your Heart Away' and 'Barefootin'. 'Go Now' was another one. Bessie Banks did a great version - slow like 'Love Letters' but we bopped it up, put harmonies on it, made it sort of gospel in our own limited way."

Their producer Alex Murray recalled; "The band had played the song for the first time in London at a Marquee gig and that night they blew the crowd away - took them somewhere else! It was a unique song which matched their unique interpretation so I knew before we went into the studio that it was the 'big one' if we could only get it right and re-capture the atmosphere they'd created at the Marquee."

With Denny Laine's mournful vocal and Mike Pinder's memorable piano intro, the record featured a group vocal backing that would become a Moody Blues trade mark. The song was 'Go Now' and it became a worldwide hit for the Moody Blues in late 1964, reaching Number One in the British charts and also making top ten in the USA. This sudden success resulted in many radio and TV appearances for the group plus a hectic schedule of both national and international touring (to read record producer Alex Wharton's true story of the historic Go Now recording session click HERE ).

"You will probably call it contemporary blues - it could be if you want it to be. It doesn't matter, just let it pass through you"

A follow-up single proved hard to find but the group's first album titled "The Magnificent Moodies" was hurriedly recorded to cash in on the success of Go Now . The LP (preceded by a four song EP), consisted of songs the band were performing in their stage show in addition to four original tracks co-composed by Denny Laine and Mike Pinder. The list included favourites like James Brown's 'I Go Crazy' , George Gershwin's classic 'It Ain't Necessarily So' (sung by Ray Thomas) and the Laine/Pinder composition 'From The Bottom Of My Heart' which was also issued as a single.

Significantly, Ray Thomas played a flute on some of the album tracks which was certainly unusual for a blues-based band. He recalled; "My grandfather played one as a young man and I just liked its sound really. I think the first time I used it was an alto flute on From The Bottom Of My Heart." However, to Ray's chagrin his flute part was lost on the final mix of this record as well as on 'I Don't Want To Go On Without You' , although it can clearly be heard on their live recordings made for the BBC at the time.

Another original Laine/Pinder song by The Moody Blues titled 'Stop' was issued as a single in the U.S.A. and managed to get a chart placing there. The band joined the famous "British Invasion" and were sent over to America on a package tour together with chart-toppers 'Peter & Gordon' and fellow brummies The Fortunes . The Moodies performed at the NME Poll Winners concert at Wembley to an audience of 60,000. They also obtained the prestigious position of playing support for The Beatles on their 1965 British tour.

The Moody Blues were by this time living together in a large rented house in the Roehampton area of London. Famous pop stars of the day including the Beatles were regular visitors there. During one of the many parties, girls were climbing through the windows to get in. Paul McCartney was in the loo at the time and Mike Pinder believes this inspired the Beatles song 'She Came In Through The Bathroom Window' . Unfortunately for the Moodies, this house was later burgled and their instruments stolen with the exception of Ray's beloved flute that lay unnoticed on the fire mantel.

Despite the massive success of Go Now , subsequent singles by the Moody Blues had diminishing impact on the record charts. This was at a time when pop groups depended on regular hit singles rather than album sales for their survival. The Moody Blues' self composed fifth single 'Everyday' released in October 1965 had only got to Number 44 in the charts despite its commercial appeal.

By 1966 the group were obliged to reduce their booking fees while playing more and more gigs to keep up with expenses. Beatles manager Brian Epstein had taken over management of the Moody Blues in September 1965 but this did little to improve their situation.

The Moody Blues' refusal to record a song called 'Those Were The Days' as suggested by The Beatles' own Paul McCartney may not have helped things either as far as their record company was concerned. The song was later covered by Apple recording artist Mary Hopkin who had a huge international hit with it. By the summer of 1966, the intense pressure the band found themselves under was beginning to take it's toll.

In August, bass guitarist Clint Warwick who disliked touring, left the Moody Blues at the end of their American tour. As the only married band member, he quit the music business and went back to Birmingham to work as a carpenter. Clint Warwick passed away in 2004 (see the BrumBeat Clint Warwick story ). He was replaced temporarily by Rod Clark (from Carter-Lewis and The Southerners) who later joined The Rockin' Berries .

"We were tagged 'one-hit-wonders'. We had nine months of glory and then went back to 50 pound a night on the road!"

Towards the end of 1966, the Moody Blues were in debt and faced the prospect of performing on the cabaret circuit to make ends meet. Graeme Edge recalled; "We were tagged 'one-hit-wonders'. We had nine months of glory and then went back to 50 pound a night on the road!" The group were recording tracks for their proposed second album but without a hit single, the band's future as a recording act seemed questionable.

On September 24, Denny Laine officially announced he had left the Moody Blues to embark on a solo career under management of Brian Epstein (see Denny Laine ). To some, Denny Laine was the Moody Blues. Denny said; "Although I'd gone off to do my own thing, I stayed friendly with everyone. Actually, I was still staying with Mike in his flat in Putney when they started to put their new band together."

While the music papers announced the demise of The Moody Blues, Ray Thomas , Mike Pinder , and Graeme Edge decided to carry on. Former El Riot and The Rebels bass guitarist John Lodge who had completed his drafting apprenticeship, was playing in a Birmingham group over in Germany called the John Bull Breed along with former Rebels guitarist Mike Heard.

Ray Thomas phoned John Lodge and said to his former bass guitarist; "How about getting the old band back together?" John's enthusiasm to join the Moodies was confirmed when he sold some of his bass gear to help finance the group's next tour. John would go on to compose some of the Moody Blues best loved songs.

Denny Laine's position in the revised line-up was filled by singer/guitarist Justin Hayward who came from Swindon. As fate would have it, Ray Thomas met up with famous Newcastle vocalist Eric Burdon at a well-known London live-music bar called "The Bag O'Nails Club". While having a drink with Eric, who had recently auditioned applicants for his new 'Animals' line-up, the young guitarist was one of the names he recommended to Ray.

Justin Hayward was born on October 14, 1946 and grew up in Swindon. American rock 'n' roll star Buddy Holly was a huge early influence on Justin who moved to London to seek his fortune after finishing grammar school. A talented guitarist, Justin played in a few local beat groups before scoring a job with popular UK singer Marty Wilde as a member of "The Wilde Three" with whom he performed for the next two years. It was during this time that Justin started to write his own songs and went on to record a single titled 'London Is Behind Me' issued under his own name on Pye Records in January 1966.

Mike Pinder went over to pick up Justin Hayward and drove him round to meet the rest of the band. Mike's car had a record player so Justin played him his solo 45. Upon hearing the recording, Mike was impressed and recalled thinking; "He's the one for us. As far as I'm concerned you're in the band!"

Meanwhile, Decca Records continued to release "new" Moody Blues singles from material that had been recorded with the original line up of the band including the Mike Pinder/Denny Laine composition 'Boulevard De La Madeleine' which has been regarded by some as one of their best tracks.

The re-formed Moody Blues took on a schedule of "northern cabaret" dates in order to raise desperately needed funds. The group initially performed many of the songs played by the previous line-up including 'Go Now' with a lead vocal attempted by both Ray Thomas and Justin Hayward, but it just didn't sound right. Following a less than enthusiastic audience response at one of the clubs, the band all agreed that the old set along with the blue suits had to go.

The first single to be recorded by the new Moody Blues line-up was Justin Hayward's 'Fly Me High' , a deliberate and catchy attempt on the record charts, that was released in May of 1967. The recording session introduced the band to Coventry-born Tony Clarke who would go on to produce the Moody's biggest-selling albums. Despite airplay on pirate radio stations, the single failed to gain a chart position. Interestingly, the song was later covered by the West Midlands band Ambrose Slade as a track on their first album in 1969.

The pop music scene was rapidly changing with new and innovative sounds capturing the attention of young record buyers. The Moody Blues had changed their musical direction by early 1967 with Mike Pinder supplementing his piano with a "Mellotron" - a revolutionary and mechanically-complex instrument that used a system of pre-recorded tapes to create a distinctive orchestral/atmospheric sound and was forerunner of today's modern electronic sampling keyboards.

Mike had purchased his instrument second-hand at a bargain price from Birmingham's Dunlop Tyres employees recreation club where it had languished mostly unused. The Beatles had pioneered the use of a mellotron on their ground-breaking 'Strawberry Fields Forever' single, while Stevie Winwood's new group Traffic had used the Mellotron extensively on their hit record 'Hole In My Shoe' .

(Note: the Mellotron was developed and manufactured by the Bradley Brothers at Streetly Electronics in Birmingham. Mike Pinder also worked at Streetly Electronics in the early 1960s. To read more about the Mellotron, click HERE or see the feature on the Brum Beat Features page. )

As a sign of things to come, the Moody Blues next single A-side composed by Mike Pinder titled 'Love And Beauty' was the first to feature the Mellotron on a Moody Blues recording. Although it failed to chart, this innovation along with group-written songs having mystical lyrics, and complex arrangements would set them apart from most other pop acts of that time. The Moody Blues went over to Belgium at the invitation of a music club owner there who put them up while the band played a few shows and concentrated on writing songs.

The Moody Blues developed a stage show with music and lyrics based on the concept of a day in the life of a typical working man. Mike Pinder came up with "The Dawn" ( Dawn Is A Feeling ) to which Justin Hayward wrote "The Night" ( Nights In White Satin ). Other songs came quickly based on the themes of "The Morning", "Lunch Break", "The Afternoon" and "Evening" with songwriting contributions from all the group members.

With the inclusion of spoken poetry introducing the songs, the Moody Blues' innovative stage presentation started to gain them a new audience. The band toured France in the summer of 1967 where they found themselves hugely popular. To the group's complete surprise - they discovered one of their earlier R&B records titled 'Bye Bye Bird' was at Number One in the French charts!

"It was all very hippie you know - low lights and incense burning!"

Decca Records became interested in the Moody Blues' new "progressive" sound and proposed an experiment where the group would record an album of classical compositions by Dvorak and supported by a full symphony orchestra. The record company intended to use the results of this as a means of demonstrating their new "Deramic" stereo recording process.

The Moody Blues went a step further and with the co-operation of orchestral arranger Peter Knight and executive producer Hugh Mendl who gave his support, recorded enough of their own compositions for an entire album in just five days with the London Festival Orchestra.

John Lodge remembered; "We went to Decca and said "Can we have lock-out time?" i.e. we wanted the studio 24 hours a day so we could set up all our equipment and just record. In those days you could only record in strict morning sessions." Ray Thomas said; "We never actually worked with the orchestra. All we did was ship each track to Peter Knight who wrote and scored the orchestral bridges. It was all very hippie, you know - low lights and incense burning!"

Despite initial reluctance by the record company, the resulting collection of completed tracks entitled "Days Of Future Passed" , was released on the Decca subsidiary Deram label that was specialising in progressive music. Walt McGuire who was head of the Decca 'London Recordings' label in the USA was sure the record would sell in the States. The timing was perfect as American radio was breaking into the FM stereo format and there was a demand for new pop albums fitting this requirement.

Days Of Future Passed - issued in November of 1967 - was a milestone in music, giving rise to the "concept album" on which the songs were linked by a similar subject matter or common theme. It reached Number 27 in the UK and Number 3 in the USA charts thus gaining the band a foot-hold on the all-important American market. The album was to become a huge influence on many other groups for years to come.

Hugh Mendl wrote for the album's back cover; "In Days of Future Passed, the Moody Blues have at last done what many others have dreamed of and talked about: they have extended the range of pop music, and found the point where it becomes one with the world of the classics."

From the album came the Moody Blues' classic single 'Nights In White Satin' , written by Justin Hayward, and reaching Number 9 in the UK, becoming their first Top 20 hit since Go Now . Justin's inspiration for the song was white satin bed sheets given to him by his girlfriend at the time. Another innovative single also composed by Justin titled 'Tuesday Afternoon' reached Number 24 in the USA and sell-out concert tours soon followed.

Building on the concept album format, the Moody Blues next LP issued in 1968 titled "In Search Of The Lost Chord" was a major success on both sides of the Atlantic and it again featured the songwriting efforts of all the group members. Based on the ambitious concept of quest and discovery, this album unlike their previous one, had the group playing all the instruments themselves without any orchestral backing.

John Lodge said; "We'd used the orchestra on Days Of Future Passed and we inwardly thought the next album must be us on our own. We had Ray playing French horn, I played cello... but it didn't matter because we were experimenting - from sitar to tablas."

Ray Thomas remembered; "I was given a lunchtime to learn this piece on the oboe - I'd never seen a bloody oboe before. It was like, oh you can do it! Then everybody buggered off down to the pub and came back and said, have you got it yet?"

In Search Of The Lost Chord included the classic song 'Legend Of A Mind' composed by Ray Thomas as a tribute to the American LSD pioneer Timothy Leary with whom he had met during the previous American tour. It's probably one of the great album tracks of all time. This LP also yielded hit singles such as Justin Hayward's 'Voices In The Sky' and John Lodge's 'Ride My See Saw' which both scored high chart placings.

The question of LSD and other drug use by the Moody Blues at that time inevitably arose as some "psychedelic" sounding rock groups were known to take them. Years later, Justin Hayward admitted; "I certainly did. It became part of my life for a while until maybe ten or twelve trips and I thought well that's probably it now, I've done it and I'm really glad that I did."

Mike Pinder said; "It works in terms of if you were an artist you would end up with more pastels or colour varieties because you would notice the subtle differences. It's the same with listening to music in that you enjoy it most when you're in a meditative state and so I think the drug influence was able to put you into that state instantly."

"I know it sounds terribly pretentious now but as young men, that's what we were searching for"

In 1969, the Moody Blues album "On The Threshold Of A Dream" was issued which topped the charts in the UK and scoring high in the USA. On the making of this album Justin Hayward years later said; "We wanted to collect religious and psychedelic influences onto an album and turn them into a pathway into enlightenment, if you like. I know it sounds terribly pretentious now but as young men, that's what we were searching for."

Pretentious or not, the well-crafted music of the Moody Blues continued to gain them millions of fans all over the world. The financial success of their LPs inspired the group to form their own "Threshold Records" label and record shops. This had the band members eventually spending more time going to business meetings than they had in the recording studio. The West Midlands "super group" Trapeze , and local singer Nicky James were a few notable signings to appear on the Threshold label.

The Moody Blues late 1969 album titled "To Our Children's, Children's, Children" explored the concept of space travel as was popular in news and culture at the time due to the race in landing a man on the moon. By now, the group's LP's were outselling their singles as more record buyers purchased the latest stereo hifi equipment with the traditional "mono" format now obsolete.

The Moodies out-worldly recordings certainly lent themselves to the latest audio technology of which America in particular developed a huge market for. It should also be mentioned that the group placed great importance on album packaging with elaborate artwork and gatefold record sleeves that became a standard for 1970s rock albums.

In August of 1969 along with Bob Dylan and The Who, the Moody Blues performed at the legendary "Isle Of Wight Festival" in southern England to an audience of about 150,000. They returned the following year playing to an incredible estimated 600,000 people along with other famous groups including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Doors, and Jethro Tull amongst others. The Moodie's performance was filmed by Murray Lerner and issued on DVD in 2009.

The Moody Blues 6th LP issued in 1970 titled "A Question of Balance" got to Number One in the UK album charts. It included the brilliant hit single 'Question' that got to Number Two - the group's highest placing for a 45 since Go Now .

Justin Hayward said; "I'd written 'Question' on the morning of the recording session. It was recorded in just a few takes. I was very aware of the anti-war movement in America which had grown thanks to the Vietnam war. It was a protest song about the state of the world which I feel is still very relevant today."

Another great highlight from Question of Balance was Mike Pinder's composition 'Melancholy Man' that was also issued on a single in some countries and topped the record chart in France. In addition to the Mellotron, Mike also played a Moog synthesizer on this and other album tracks.

Now at the height of their popularity, the Moody Blues recorded another big selling album the following year titled "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" and again featuring compositions by all the group members. Notably on this LP, Graeme Edge played the very first "electronic" drums heard on a record. Justin Hayward's composition 'The Story In Your Eyes' was issued as a single but surprisingly didn't make a big impact in the charts although it's one of the group's most recognizable songs and still in heavy rotation today on many "classic rock" stations.

Although having toured consistently around the world for several years with little time off, The Moody Blues managed to record one of their strongest albums issued at the end of 1972 titled "Seventh Sojourn" . For this LP, Mike Pinder replaced his trusty Mellotron with a "Chamberlin" that was a similar type of keyboard having pre-recorded instruments but with a more powerful and better quality sound.

"We were all exhausted and had become prisoners of our own success"

However, the strain on the group was beginning to show during the making of Seventh Sojourn. Ray Thomas recalled; "By the time we began the sessions I think we needed a break from each other. Up to that time everywhere one of us went, the others would be there too. All my experiences were their experiences." Mike Pinder said; "We were all exhausted and had become prisoners of our own success."

For Seventh Sojourn , John Lodge contributed some of his best songs - the reflective 'Isn't Life Strange' and the energetic 'I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)' that were both issued as charting singles. The latter track was John's response to fans who tried to find deep meaning in the group's songs and lyrics. This LP was a big success, climbing to Number One in the American album charts. At almost the same time, their 1967 record 'Nights In White Satin' took on a life of its own and also made it to Number One!

The Moody Blues international success continued well into the 1970s before the band ground to a halt under strain from the pressure of touring, recording, and trying to balance the demands of a "normal" family life. While taking what turned into a six-year break from the band, all the group members made solo albums and worked on other musical projects. During this time, Mike Pinder whose first marriage ended in divorce, married an American and moved permanently to the USA.

Justin Hayward and John Lodge along with producer Tony Clarke notably collaborated on an acclaimed album issued under the name "Blue Jays" in 1975. Justin also scored high in the charts with his hit-single recording of Jeff Wayne's 'Forever Autumn' from the popular "Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War Of The Worlds" LP in 1978.

The group re-united and the final album recorded by the "classic" Moody Blues line-up in 1978 was titled "Octave" after which founding member Mike Pinder refused to go on tour in support of it. He was replaced by former YES keyboardist Patrick Moraz but it wasn't until a few years later that it was officially announced Mike had left the group. The underrated Octave was also the final Moody Blues album on which their long-time producer Tony Clarke played a part. Sometimes referred to as the "sixth" member of the group, Tony passed away in January 2010.

The 1980s saw The Moody Blues score high with their new million-selling album titled "Long Distance Voyager" that topped the charts in 1981 and contained hit singles 'The Voice' , 'Gemini Dream' and 'Talking Out Of Turn' . This album began a remarkable "second comeback" for a band that could easily have been written-off in the post-punk music landscape.

More new Moody Blues albums followed and four years later, the group were re-discovered by a huge new audience on the popular and influential "MTV" music channel thanks to captivating videos of their records like 'Your Wildest Dreams' and 'I know You're Out There Somewhere' .

The Moody Blues line-up continued to fluctuate over the next few decades with Patrick Moraz replaced by a succession of keyboard players including Bias Boshell , Guy Allison , and Paul Bliss . The updated Moody Blues sound with electronic drums and keyboards - sometimes compared with the contemporary "synth-pop" - did not sit well with some of their fans who longed for the old progressive days of the Mellotron . However, the group continued to get hit records and their new albums supported by regular tours were big sellers.

Founding group member Ray Thomas retired from the band in 2003 due to health concerns. Sadly, he passed away in January 2018 (see Ray Thomas feature ). The touring line-up of the Moody Blues reverted to core members Graeme Edge, Justin Hayward, and John Lodge with the addition of 2nd drummer Gordon Marshall, Alan Hewitt (keyboards), Norda Mullen (flute/acoustic guitar), and Julie Ragins (keyboards).

Their later concert performances included a healthy balance of "classic" album cuts along with more modern "pop" hits all drawn from the band's 50 year history (to see a review, click HERE ) . Although the Moody Blues record releases have not been so frequent since, they continued to tour and remain the most successful of all the Birmingham groups from the 1960s in terms of longetivity and international acclaim.

In 2018, The Moody Blues had their long-awaited induction into the USA's famous "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". The induction ceremony in Cleveland Ohio was attended by surviving former group members Denny Laine and Mike Pinder as well as continuing members Graeme Edge , John Lodge, and Justin Hayward.

Graeme Edge passed away on November 11, 2021 at 80 years of age (see Graeme Edge tribute ). As the last remaining founding member in the line-up, it was decided the band would not continue without him. Justin Hayward said; "When Graeme told me he was retiring, I knew that without him it couldn't be the Moody Blues anymore."

Moody Blues founding member Denny Laine passed away on December 5, 2023 age 79 (see Denny Laine tribute ). Mike Pinder who was the last remaining original group member passed away on April 24, 2024 age 82 (see Mike Pinder tribute ).

The Moodies former producer Tony Clarke left what is perhaps a fitting tribute to the group when he said of the classic line-up; "It had been a wonderful ten or eleven years. When you expect it to just be one album and it turns into eight of them, that's a wonderful ride. I'm really proud of what we did and they are all my favorites and I'm very glad we did what we did. And it was driven by this Birmingham blues band who went on to bigger things."

Sources: 'The Harmony Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock' 1982; 'The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles' 5th edition 1985; 'Brum Rocked!' and 'Brum Rocked On!' books by Laurie Hornsby 2003; Record Collector, July 1995; Threshold Records CD Re-issues booklets with interviews of Graeme Edge, Justin Hayward, John Lodge, Mike Pinder, and Ray Thomas; 'The Moody Blues DVD 3-Disc Set' Emperor Media Holdings SL 2006; Alex Wharton interview with Bulls Head Bob 2009; 'Back In The High Life - a biography of Steve Winwood' by Alan Clayson 1988; and 'Midland Beat' various issues.

The Moody Blues 1960s Record Releases

(highest UK chart position in brackets)

Lose Your Money/Steal Your Heart Away (Decca F 11971) September 1964
Go Now/It's Easy Child (Decca F 12022) November 1964 (1)
I Don't Want To Go On Without You/It's Easy Child (Decca F 12095) February 1965 (33)
From The Bottom Of My Heart/And My Baby's Gone (Decca F 12166) May 1965 (22)
Everyday/You Don't (All The Time) (Decca F 12266) October 1965 (44)
Boulevard De La Madeleine/This Is My House (But Nobody Calls) (Decca F 12498) October 1966
Life's Not Life/He Can Win (Decca F 12543) January 1967 (withdrawn)
Fly Me High/I Really Haven't Got The Time (Decca F 12607) May 1967
Love And Beauty/Leave This Man Alone (Decca F 12670) September 1967
Nights In White Satin/Cities (Deram DM 161) November 1967 (19)
Voices In The Sky/Dr. Livingstone I Presume (Deram DM 196) August 1968 (27)
Ride My See-Saw/Simple Game (Deram DM 213) October 1968 (42)
Never Comes The Day/So Deep Within You (Deram DM 247) 1969
Watching And Waiting/Out And In (Threshold TH 1) 1969
Question/Candle Of Life (Threshold TH 4) 1970 (2)

Extended Player:

The Moody Blues (Decca DFE 8622) May 1965
The Magnificent Moodies (Decca LK 4711) July 1965
Days Of Future Passed (Deram DML/SML 707) 1967 (27)
In Search Of The Lost Chord (Deram DML/SML 717) 1968 (5)
On The Threshold Of A Dream (Deram DML/SML 1035) 1969 (1)
To Our Children's, Children's, Children (Threshold THM/THS 1) 1969 (2)
A Question Of Balance (Threshold THM/THS 3) 1970 (1)

Some official Moody Blues related websites are listed below:

The Official Moody Blues Web Site: http://www.moodybluestoday.com

Mike Pinder: www.mikepinder.com

Ray Thomas: www.raythomas.me

Denny Laine: www.officialdennylaine.com

Graeme Edge: www.graemeedge.com

John Lodge: www.johnlodge.com

Justin Hayward: www.justinhayward.com

To see a recent BrumBeat review of a Moody Blues live concert performance click HERE .

An excellent site by Tony Brown dedicated to rare Moody Blues items is: www.themoodyblues.co.uk

BACK TO BRUMBEAT MAIN INDEX

The Moody Blues toured the United States extensively during the year 2000 to promote their latest release, Strange Times , including four appearances in the Philadelphia area. I had the pleasure of interviewing drummer Graeme Edge for an advance story to promote the group's appearance at the Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City in February of that year.

I also attended the band's last show in the region — at the Washington Township Center for the Performing Arts — in November of that year and wrote a concert review. Both stories appear below.

There is also a link with a couple of concert shots as well as some photos of an informal gathering after the Washington Township (N.J.) show that was attended by three of the band members.

Their Days of Future are still passing

The moody blues, still making music after more than 30 years, reflect on their roots and latest release., by bill mcfarland, northeast times staff writer.

Fans of classic rock will recognize the above passage as the opening and closing lines from Days of Future Passed , a top-selling album that helped transform an obscure group of musicians from Birmingham, England, from one-hit wonders to worldwide superstars. Released in 1967, the record was considered monumental at the time because it fused the music of a rock band with a symphony orchestra.

Days of Future Passed remained on the Billboard charts for more than two years, contained the hit singles Tuesday Afternoon and Nights in White Satin and made household names of the Moody Blues, who are still recording and touring more than 30 years later.

"And it still sells thirty- to forty-thousand copies a year," said Graeme Edge, who penned the Late Lament and has been the band's drummer since its inception.

The Moody Blues wrap up a three-week tour of America to promote its latest release, Strange Times , with two shows at the Tropicana Showroom in Atlantic City on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 19 and 20.

While Days of Future Passed is considered the band's first release under its current lineup, its history actually predates that record by a few years.

All of the guys played in various bands as youngsters, but the Moody Blues began to evolve in 1964 when Edge, guitarist Denny Laine and bassist Clint Warwick formed the R & B Preachers. At the same time, Ray Thomas (vocals/flute/saxophone) and Mike Pinder (keyboards) were with the Krew Cats, and the five of them eventually combined to form the M & B 5 (for Mitchell & Butlers Breweries, which was going to sponsor the band but never did).

They were part of what was called the "Brum Beat" sound, Brum being local slang for Birmingham. The term was coined by record companies to compare that city's bands to the Beatles and the Liverpool groups, commonly referred to as the Merseybeat, after the Mersey River.

"Nobody really achieved any success out of the Brum Beat, and a lot of the bands broke up and re-formed," said Edge. "The only ones who were successful from that scene were the Moody Blues, the Move, which eventually became ELO, and the band that Steve Winwood was with at the time, the Spencer Davis Group."

After changing their name to the Moody Blues, the musicians released a few records, the second of which, Go Now , topped the British charts and was a top-10 hit in America in 1965. The band cut a few more records that didn't sell and ended up losing two of its members.

Warwick didn't care for the constant touring and left the music business. Laine left to pursue a solo career that was not very successful, but he resurfaced in the 1970s as a member of Paul McCartney's group, Wings. Meanwhile, bassist John Lodge, who had previously played with Thomas in El Riot & the Rebels, was recruited to replace Warwick.

The last member, Justin Hayward, was discovered through a newspaper advertisement placed by Eric Burdon, who was looking for a guitarist for the Animals. When Burdon found his man, he forwarded the rest of the replies to the Moodies, and Hayward emerged from that group.

"He brought a bit of a country feel to us," said Edge. "We were all Birmingham rockers, and our music became more melodic and structured (as opposed to) some of the stuff that we had been doing, which was more like American R & B. Justin added another facet — another dimension — to our band and, of course, a lot of talent."

Days of Future Passed was conceived by the band's record label, Deram, to promote a new invention — stereo. Deram wanted the Moody Blues to play a rock version of Antonin Dvorak's Ninth Symphony, From the New World , accompanied by an orchestra. The band had another idea and convinced the label to go along with it.

"We didn't believe in their concept, but we believed in our concept of a stage show with a series of songs that flowed together," explained Edge. "Apart from having an orchestra in the studio with us, (the record company) didn't have anything to do with our concept of Days of Future Passed. "

The band released six more successful albums over the next five years and had hits with the singles Question and I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band). During one early American tour, the Moody Blues played small venues, including the long-gone Electric Factory, which used to be at 22nd and Arch streets.

"I remember (the Electric Factory) as being very psychedelic," recalled Edge. "There were lots of black lights and all that, and it had these alcoves in the walls that looked like coffins."

During the early 1970s, the Moodies became the first western band to be invited to play in China.

"That was right after the (U.S. Table Tennis) team was there, which was one of the major breakthroughs between the U.S.A. and China," said the drummer. "One of the members brought along a couple of our albums, and that got some press.

"We were invited, and we were all set to go, but we never actually went because the Chinese government was too suspicious about all of the stuff that we needed to bring with us. They couldn't understand why five musicians needed four trucks full of equipment."

After a 1973-74 world tour, the band reportedly split up after an unsuccessful attempt to make another album. The rumors were only partly true.

"We only stopped making music as a band, but we had so many other ventures going at the time, so we were still meeting once a month to discuss (business) things," Edge explained.

"When we decided to make another album, we had about four tracks done, and we thought they were just absolute rubbish, so we decided to forget about it. We all went off and worked on solo projects, but there was always a sort of knowledge that we would eventually get back together."

After a four-year hiatus, the Moody Blues returned with Octave in 1978, but it was a bittersweet memory for Edge.

"A lot of the magic was still there, but it was also when Mike Pinder left the band," he recalled.

Pinder, who had relocated to California during the hiatus, returned to work on the album, but he declined to go back out on the road, and the band hired keyboardist Patrick Moraz, who had previously played with Yes.

Long Distance Voyager (1981) was the first of four albums released by the band in the 1980s. The Moody Blues also gained a new generation of fans during the decade with a string of hits, including The Voice , Gemini Dream , Your Wildest Dreams and I Know You're Out There Somewhere.

"There seems to be two distinct blocks of fans (at our concerts)," said Edge. "I think the people in their thirties became fans in the 1980s, and the people in their fifties are fans from the earlier days."

After contributing to a few tracks on 1991's Keys of the Kingdom , Moraz left, and the Moody Blues became a quartet.

"Patrick married an American (woman) and moved to Los Angeles and tried to get into writing music for films," said Edge. "The last I heard, he was doing classical music and giving lectures in small venues, that sort of thing."

Although various compilation and live albums have been released over the years, including the hugely successful A Night at Red Rocks in 1993, Strange Times is the first studio effort in nearly 10 years.

"That wasn't planned," insisted Edge. "We got caught off guard by the success of the Red Rocks album. That came at about the time that we normally would have gone into the studio, but we had an unexpected success, and you know how this business is. When you have something that's successful, you have to ride it for as long as you can."

This story was published on Feb. 16, 2000, in the Northeast Times in Philadelphia, which owns the copyright. It may not be reproduced anywhere else without permission.

Moody blues concert review, classic rockers still draw fans in droves, the moody blues appeared in the area for the fourth time this year, but fans still can't get enough. the veteran rockers sold out two shows saturday night in washington township, n.j..

The Moody Blues made their fourth appearance of the year in the Philadelphia area on Saturday, and while that may seem to be a bit of overkill, the 5,000 fans who packed the Washington Township Center for the Performing Arts for two sold-out shows couldn't get enough.

The band completed a grueling three-week tour with a concert in Elmira, N.Y., on Sunday, and if there were signs that exhaustion was getting the better of the 50-something rockers, it was certainly understandable. Nevertheless, the veteran band still satisfied everyone at Saturday's second show with a 19-song set that filled nearly two hours at the South Jersey venue.

The Moody Blues have had several personnel changes over the years, but the current lineup has been together for more than 30 years. The band achieved superstar status during a five-year stretch (1967-72) when it released seven successful albums. After a hiatus of several years, it returned in 1978 and began to attract a whole new audience with four hit albums in the 1980s.

"There seem to be two distinct blocks of fans (at our concerts)," drummer Graeme Edge said in a story published in the Northeast Times on Feb. 16. "I think the people in their thirties became fans in the 1980s, and the people in their fifties are fans from the earlier days."

And some of those fans are extremely loyal.

"We see the same faces at a lot of our shows," singer/flutist Ray Thomas said after Saturday's concerts. "I think some people must follow us around."

If there is a formula to a Moody Blues concert, it seems to be geared to appeasing everyone. When the lights dimmed, the instrumental introduction to The Voice went up as the band took the stage. The song was a hit from 1981's Long Distance Voyager , which began to attract the 30-somethings.

Next was Tuesday Afternoon , from 1967's monumental Days of Future Passed , for the 50-somethings, followed by For My Lady , a pretty ballad from 1972's Seventh Sojourn , the band's first No. 1 album in America.

After a few tracks from the band's latest studio release, Strange Times , including the title song and Words You Say , the band went through a long string of hits, alternating between the two eras.

From the 1980s, there were I Know You're Out There Somewhere , Your Wildest Dreams and The Other Side of Life. Nights in White Satin , The Story in Your Eyes and I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band) were from the '60s and '70s.

Highlights included For My Lady , Legend of a Mind and Isn't Life Strange? The distinctive flute introduction and instrumental breaks on For My Lady were replaced by synthesizers, but Thomas put as much emotion into the vocals as he did when he first recorded the song almost 30 years ago. Isn't Life Strange? is a crowd favorite, and Legend of a Mind , which a lot of people think is called "Timothy Leary's Dead," featured an extended flute solo by Thomas that drew a loud ovation.

"Thank you for joining us on a journey through our lives," said bassist John Lodge as the band wrapped up the concert with its standard finale, Question , featuring lead singer and guitarist Justin Hayward on a 12-string acoustic.

The encore, as always, was Ride My See Saw , a song from the album In Search of the Lost Chord and which Lodge described as "sort of a Moody Blues anthem."

Anyone who missed the live performances can get the same show on the band's latest release, The Moody Blues Hall of Fame — Live at the Albert Hall 2000 , which is available on CD and video.

This review was published on Nov. 15, 2000, in the Northeast Times in Philadelphia, which owns the copyright. It may not be reproduced anywhere else without permission.

Visit the Moody Blues Web site.

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Who Are the ‘Big 4′ of Prog Rock?

D id King Crimson invent progressive rock? Were Yes and Genesis principally responsible for creating its accepted formulations – all while furiously pushing its boundaries? Did Rush ‘s forays into synth-driven modernity open the door for similar transformations by Yes, Genesis and a host of others?

Deciding who the “Big 4″ bands of prog rock are depends on answering these kinds of deep questions.

Inevitably, of course, important acts get left out. What about the outsized musical excursions and even more outsized concert performances of Emerson Lake and Palmer ? The groundbreaking folk-melded prog of Jethro Tull ? Wait, is Pink Floyd actually a progressive rock band? What about Frank Zappa ?

READ MORE: Top 10 Peter Gabriel Genesis Songs

Again, the questions run deep – and reasonable fans can disagree. In the end, however, settling on the Big 4 requires taking in these myriad impacts and accomplishments and then adding an overlay of popularity. You don’t reach the final four without having been a part of a lot of people’s lives.

Pink Floyd and Frank Zappa, quite frankly, were far too rangy to be considered strictly prog. Emerson Lake and Palmer and Jethro Tull may have held sway too briefly. Kansas and the Moody Blues were usually more focused on pop. Others, like Gentle Giant and Camel were sadly very niche.

So where does that leave us? Actually, back where we started. Here’s a look at the Big 4 in prog rock:

King Crimson

King Crimson fired the progressive-rock shot heard ’round the world with 1969’s In the Court of the Crimson King , then made genre-refedining records in each of the three decades to follow. The faces around stalwart Robert Fripp would change, as Greg Lake , John Wetton , Bill Bruford, Adrian Belew and others cycled in and out of the band. But King Crimson somehow never lost the creative alchemy that produced triumphs like 1973’s Larks’ Tongues in Aspic , 1981’s Discipline and 1995’s Thrak . Larks’ Tongue marked a career-shifting move toward more free improvisation. Discipline added a jolt of new wave energy with a remade lineup that featured Belew and Tony Levin. Sadly, Thrak was the lone studio project from an eruptive double trio lineup that also included Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto.

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Like each of the remaining members of the “Big 4″ of prog rock, Yes scarcely resembled their future selves on the earliest recordings. The addition of Steve Howe and then Rick Wakeman helped transform a Jon Anderson -fronted group that sometimes dabbled in twee folk music into a dynamic long-form juggernaut on a trio of early ’70s albums highlighted by 1971’s blockbuster Fragile . By the time they returned to the Billboard Top 10 with 1983’s multiplatinum 90125 , the lineup had been reconfigured around Howe replacement Trevor Rabin and Yes had completely modernized their sound. This transformation provided proof of concept that the group could survive any lineup change – even the death of cofounder Chris Squire , who’d been part of every era. They kept touring and recording , with the now-returned Howe at the helm.

Genesis didn’t really find their creative footing until drummer Phil Collins and guitarist Steve Hacket t joined. By the time 1973’s gold-selling U.K. Top 5 smash Selling England by the Pound arrived, the Peter Gabriel -led group had completely come into its own. With subject matter and musical approaches shifting literally from song to song, Genesis was unlike anyone else. Then Gabriel left after one more LP , followed by Hackett a couple of albums later . Collins earned an in-house promotion to frontman and within a few years, Genesis had been transformed from a band that occasionally dabbled in pop (among many, many, many other things) into a pop band that occasionally dabbled in prog – but only on deep cuts. Millions bought their singles , never knowing about the occasionally twisted, yet strikingly beautiful weirdness of Genesis at their ’70s best.

Rush didn’t seem all that interesting at first either, as they trudged through surprisingly pedestrian songs like “Working Man.” Enter Neil Peart . His importance may not have always been self-evident on transitional early LPs like Fly by Night and Caress of Steel , but Peart unquestionably saved the band with 1976’s long-form 2112 . By letting his imagination run very wild, Rush redefined themselves (and avoided getting dropped by Mercury). Hemispheres pointed the way forward in the late ’70s, including both the 18-minute Book II of their “Cygnus X-1″ epic and a second side of more compact song ideas. “Tom Sawyer,” “New World Man” and “Subdivisions” then became synth-driven early-’80s U.S. hits – but by the 2000s, they were extending songs past the six-minute mark again. Rush’s last album included the even longer epic “ Headlong Flight .”

How We Ranked Every Genesis Song

Next: King Crimson Sets a New Standard With Their Debut Album

Entertainment | Detroit Jazz Festival 2024 – Our favorite…

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Entertainment | detroit jazz festival 2024 – our favorite performances.

Predicted heavy storms forced organizers to scratch the performances scheduled for Hart Plaza and move them inside to the newly opened Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center, where they were livestreamed without an audience. The show went on, in other words, even if the storms never materialized.

Things were back to normal by the next day, however, and the next three days in Hart Plaza and near Campus Martius Park featured an international array of performers – and plenty from or with ties to the Detroit metro area – on the festival’s three stages, as well as after-hours shows at the Valade Center.

And in addition to the in-person audience, eyeballs and eardrums around the world tuned in – 1.2 million viewers from 132 countries, according to festival artistic director Chris Collins.

There was no shortage of highlights over the four days, but these performances stood out as our favorites (all reviews by Charlie Hunt unless otherwise noted) …

Translinear Light, the Music of Alice Coltrane

Friday, Aug. 30, Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center

Opening night’s double-bill – a dose of cerebral, heady jazz — included Artist-in-Residence Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band. But the world premiere of a show honoring the late Alice Coltrane, a Detroit native, and her entrancing, spiritual compositions, was the marquee attraction.

“Translinear Light,” curated by Coltrane’s son, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, was billed as the first concert of the 2024-2025 homage entitled “The Year of Alice,” celebrating the extensive life work of the spiritual leader, composer, and musician. Detroit-native Brandon Waddles conducted the performance, which included the Detroit Jazz Festival Chamber Orchestra. Jazz harpist Brandee Younger performed on Alice Coltrane’s restored harp (originally a gift from her late husband John). Younger’s playing was celestial and refreshing; it filled the concert hall with majesty and spirituality. Ravi Coltrane played moody and reflective solos throughout the set, ably supported by the jazz rhythm section of bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts.

Although the music sometimes veered toward avant-garde jazz, the chamber orchestra was adept at following and embellishing the shifting musical moods. Legendary guest bassist Reggie Workman, now 87, was a living connection to the Coltrane era; he improvised sublime notes with a bow and taut patterns with his pliant hands.

The set list included compositions by Alice Coltrane arranged by Mike McGinnis, including “Spiritual Eternal,” “Andromeda’s Suffering,” “Galaxy in Satchidananda,” “Journey in Satchidananda ,” “Expression,” (composed by John Coltrane), “Expression Extension,”(composed by Mike McGinnis), “Jagadishwar,” and “Universe.” The program closed with the Hindustani singing of Michelle Coltrane and friends, who sang and chanted with harp and saxophone accompaniment. Daughter Michelle Coltrane introduced her mother’s multi-lingual composition, “Universe.” The inspiring words translated in any language to “for the healing of the earth, for the healing of the universe, for the healing of our hearts, and for the healing of our minds and creation.”

Wendell Harrison and Tribe

Saturday, Aug. 31, JP Morgan Chase Main Stage.

Detroit-native Harrison served up a soulful and breezy afternoon set with his quintet featuring his wife Pamela Wise on piano, Damon Warmack on bass, Lewis Jones III on drums and Jacob Schwandt on guitar. Long known as a clarinetist, Harrison focused on tenor sax this time, leading a friendly and relaxed collection of sweet soul and island-inspired vibes. The 82-year old looked limber and relaxed with his white beret and royal blue patterned shirt. He sang lead on “No Turning Back,” reflecting on his good old days, and turned to classic albums such “It’s Just About Damn Time,” and “Birth of a Fossil” from which he dug up “My One and Only Love,” a song he said always lifts his spirits. The quintet also played “Belle Isle,” a quaint original about a summer day relaxing on the Detroit park, singing about it as “a place to spend some time, a place to ease your mind.”

J Rowe / Jordan Shug Sextet

Saturday, Aug. 31, Absopure Waterfront Stage

Gaining inspiration from 70’s British art-rock and jazz-fusion groups such as Soft Machine, Ian Carr’s Nucleus, the Moody Blues and more, the rising sextet co-led by drummer Rowe and acoustic bassist Shug debuted a beguiling and beyond sound. Its unique use of Mellotron, an “obsolete” keyboard instrument from the Peter Max era, played by Ian Haubert, set up a mod groove. The trumpet/saxophone combo of Josie Ala and Molly Jones provided additional propellant to the drums and bass tincture. It certainly stoked anticipation or the band’s upcoming debut album.

The Bad Plus

Saturday, Aug. 31, JP Morgan Chase Main Stage

Originally a piano/bass/drums acoustic trio founded in 2000 and leaning on jazz/rock/classical blends, the modernized 2024 version of this ensemble is now a quartet sans piano — quite a deviation — led by acoustic bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Dave King. The new edition embraces two derring-do, revolutionary players — clarinetist/saxophonist Chris Speed and guitarist Ben Monder, who have stretched the group into another realm. Saturday night’s repertoire came from the quartet’s upcoming album, “Complex Emotions,” mostly short songs written by Anderson and King with the new players in mind, including “Cassa Ben,” “French Horns” and “Tyrone’s Flamingo.” Monder’s touch-sensitive sound palette made the biggest difference; he added atmospheric and spacial guitar effects utilizing harmonics, ringing, fuzz, buzz and distortion-tinged licks. The new format worked well, delivering a continuation of the Bad Plus’ spirit of exploration of cutting-edge rock/jazz hybrid

Harmolodics

Saturday, Aug. 31 , Absopure Waterfront Stage

Harmolodics, a Detroit-based trio, has staked new ground in the avant rock/jazz genre, combining a newfangled approach to trumpet with electric bass and drums. Leader/trumpeter Benjamin Green deployed electro-acoustic trumpet variations carving out new tones, synthesized sounds and improvised looped effects that felt more like a European-based ensemble and often sounded nothing like a trumpet. But Green used a great deal of processing, with an electric pickup on his mouthpiece. He also played seated, which enabled him to continuously tinker with his ear-catching soundstream.

Walter White Big Band

The breaking good White – a Detroit-based trumpet and fluegelhorn specialist and Maynard Ferguson protégé — is regularly in demand for gigs, especially the traveling Broadway theatrical shows across Michigan. On Saturday he convened a classy and exuberant 18-piece big band, including drummer Jeff Trudell, bassist Jeff Pedraz and saxophonist Tristan Cappel. White’s arrangements were fresh, modern and well-crafted, with fantastic fanfares and dazzling solos. He led the band through his compositions “Atlantic Bridge,” “The River and the Way Up” and a new tune called “Sailing,” which was simultaneously released online. White’s arrangement of Dave Brubeck’s “Blue Rondo a la Turk,” put his spin on a jazz classic leaving plenty of room for solos from the trombone and trumpet section and a searing saxophone solo by jazz festival director Chris Collins.

Monte Alexander D-Day

Saturday, Aug. 31, Carharrt Amphitheatre Stage

Jamaican-born pianist Alexander turned 80 in June and proudly referred to himself as “an historic artifact” early during his suppertime set during a pleasant and sunny early evening. His disposition was just as bright throughout a spirited and playful performance, which nodded to his homeland via a medley of Bob Marley songs. Alexander also caught fans’ attention with a mash-up of another Monty – Norman’s – iconic James Bond theme with licks from the Steve Miller Band’s hit “Abracadabra,” an appropriate inclusion after Detroit rapper Eminem sampled the song for his recent hit “Houdini.” – GG

Christian McBride & Inside Straight

Saturday, Aug. 31, Carhartt Amphitheater Stage

Charismatic bassist McBride — known for his broad smile, deep bass and deeper voice — was a commanding headlining presence, leading his quintet Inside Straight through modernized hard bop jazz. Opening with his original tune “Listen to the Heroes Cry,” McBride proactively kept the beat and played melodically. His fleet fingers and hands flew across the body and neck of his upright bass as fast as his bandmates on piano and vibes. The crowd equally fed-off the energy of vibes player Warren Wolf on his composition “Gang Gang,” as well as two more by McBride, “Star Beam” and “Usta Could,” the latter a homespun balled reflecting McBride’s Philadelphia upbringing.

Kurt Rosenwinkel Trio

Saturday, Aug. 31, Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center

Saturday night’s after-ours concert was a rare chance to hear a well-established but lesser-known jazz guitar master, who was in town as part of Artist-in-Residence Brian Blade’s Fellowship Band. Rosenwinkel said this was his first Detroit appearance. He showcased his warm tone, contrasting textural patterns and bluesy harmonics on electric guitar in a trio format, with acoustic bassist Alex Claffy and drummer Jimmy Macbride. He won-over the enraptured audience, performing mostly original compositions and a delightful version of Cole Porter’s “Get Out of Town.”

Vince Abbracciante Nocturno

Sunday, Sept. 1, Absopure Waterfront stage

Upon arriving in Detroit after an eight-hour delayed flight from Italy, accordion virtuoso Nocturno turned the most misunderstood, maligned and underused jazz instrument, into a one-man jazz symphony. The combination of keyboard, bellows and base register buttons allowed myriad intricate sounds, and he displayed them all in a fresh and astonishing way. He opened with an original composition, “Equinox,” performed a film score by Ennio Morricone from “Once Upon a Time in America” and delivered “Farro Brazil,” by Hermento Pascal. All were rich with chromatic textures, suspense, outlandish dissonant chords and enthralling climactic moments.

Three Visitors

Sunday, Sept. 1, JP Morgan Chase Main Stage

Artist-in-Residence and drummer Brian Blade led his cohorts — pianist Edward Simon and bassist Scott Colley — through collectively improvised selections called the “Three Visitors” project, which brought the unlikely addition of a string octet (of local players) in a jazz setting. The overall mix was wondrous and sublime. Singer Becca Stevens joined the band mid-set, delivering her lyrics to Simon’s composition “I Want to be with You.” Stevens sang and played electric mandolin on the world premiere of “Travelers Blessing,” a sweet song that transitioned into light rock. Blade was clearly thrilled with the performance, signaling two thumbs up from his drum kit.

Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott)

Sunday, Sept. 1, Carhartt Amphitheater Stage

Chief Adjuah was a visual and sonic experience. As a showman, he sported a gleaming gold and eye-catching new instrument he invented called Adjuah’s Bow, an update on a West African double-sided harp. It further stretched his jazz approach, freeing him to express himself more as a vocalist. Adjuah was a powerful trumpet player, too, including one gold instrument that nodded to Dizzy Gillespie with its bent horn and Adjuah’s puffed-out cheeks. Adjuah’s enterprising band was muscular and loud, with furious electric guitar, keyboards, drums and congas on African-themed and inspired jazz from his album “Bark Out Thunder Roar Out Lightning.” On the gentler side, he sang about how to grow and spread love and energy on a cool balled called “Songs She Never Heard.”

Joshua Redman Group featuring Gabrielle Cavassa

Tenor saxophonist Redman has reinvented himself again. For the first time he hired a singer, the alluring vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa. He also retuned his approach to selecting material, choosing cover songs and new compositions that touch many places across America. The band opened the set with “Going to Chicago,” a mashup of a Chicago blues and a Sufjan Stevens song. Cavassa’s unique voicing was stylish, breathy, articulate, sophisticated, enchanting and coy, all rolled into one. Redman found plenty of space for dynamic and captivating solos. Continuing on the road trip theme, the troupe played “Streets of Philadelphia,” by Bruce Springsteen, “Hotel California,” by the Eagles, “New England,” by Betty Carter and “After Minneapolis,” by Redman, all from its recent album, “Where are We?”

Kyle Eastwood’s Eastwood Symphonic

Kyle Eastwood performs performs Sunday, Sept. 1 at the 45th annual Detroit Jazz Festival (Photo by Charlie Hunt)

Bassist Kyle Eastman took to the streets of Detroit with a visionary, Hollywood-style jazz production drawing inspiration from the six-decade cinematic career of his actor/director father, Clint Eastwood. Titled “Eastman Symphonic,” the bassist played electric and acoustic bass encircled by his jazz quintet and the 45-piece Detroit Jazz Festival Symphony, conducted by Gast Waltzing. Eastwood’s major movie scores were explored with excerpts from “Magnum Force,” “Dirty Harry,” “Eiger Sanction,” “Flags for Our Fathers” and “Gran Torino,” concluding with Ennio Morricone’s epic score for “A Fistful of Dollars.” —

Zig-Zag Power Trio

Monday, Sept. 2, JP Morgan Chase Main Stage

Vernon Reid addressed the elephant in the room, such as it was, early during the Zig Zag Power Trio’s afternoon set on Monday, Sept. 2, on the Chase Mainstage. “What’s all this loud guitar on a jazz stage?!” Reid, best known as part of the rock band Living Colour, asked with a smile. He went on to talk about his roots in avant garde jazz with Ronald Shannon Jackson’s band — along with Zig Zag bassist Melvin Gibbs, pointed out that without that “there would have been no Living Colour. I’m eternally grateful.”

So, certainly, were those who watched the trio’s 65-minute set of impressive chops and ensemble instinct. It was loose…yet tight. Even when it sounded like the pieces were meandering out of control the three (including Reid’s Living Colour bandmate and festival veteran Will Calhoun on drums) snapped them back into order, clearly hearing what each were doing and knowing just how far to stretch before folding back into the songs’ fluid structures.

The set started with the blues (“Love You Baby”) and featured pieces by Ornette Coleman (“Lonely Woman”), Pharoah Sanders (“Upper Egypt & Lower Egypt”) and Jackie McLean (“King Tut Strut”), as well as a hot take on Jackson’s “Street Priest.” Zig Zag’s originals scored, too, including the spacey “David Bowie” and “Professor Bebey,” Reid’s tribute to Cameroonian composer and musicologist Francis Bebey, a hero who the guitarist said he once met “and looked at me like I was nothin’.” – GG

Billy Childs Quartet with special guest Sean Jones

Monday, Sept. 2 Carhartt Amphitheater Stage

Pianist Billy Childs wowed the Carhartt Amphitheater Stage crowd on Monday evening, leading a sparkling, modern jazz excursion with his trio and special guest trumpeter Sean Jones, who obviously enjoyed the spotlight. In a special tribute, Childs led the musicians through “Crystal Silence” to honor one of his jazz heroes, the late pianist Chick Corea, calling it one of Corea’s most beautiful and simple compositions. Childs’s presentation embellished the intro and gave it more depth than the original. He poured emotion into the opening and closing interludes. The quartet closed with “Dance of Sheeva,” a rhythmically charged tune that kept gaining momentum. At times, Child’s piano flourishes slyly echoed Corea’s style. Standout drummer Ari Honig and bassist Matt Penman kept the pace, while Jones’ liquid trumpet matched Childs’ rich and fluid piano style, creating a dance-in-your-seat vibe.

Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band with the Detroit Jazz Festival Jazz Orchestra

Artist-in-Residence Blade presented the 2024 festival’s final concert with an unprecedented big band version of his foundational Fellowship band. Jon Cowherd, pianist and co-leader, started the set with the simple melody of “Evinrude Fifty;” typical of the Fellowship band’s compositions, it sounded fresh and inviting. Cowherd’s unique piano vision was made of multiple layers of tight little melodies and chordal accents.

Conductor Dennis Mackrel, a former Count Basie drummer, led the Detroit Jazz Festival Jazz Orchestra through arrangements by Jim McNeely. “Broken Leg Days” composed by Cowherd, featured a trumpet solo intro by Walter White, followed by the plunging low sounds of Melvin Butler’s sax, then through multiple waves of brassy choruses by the entire jazz ensemble, before White strut his high register trumpet stuff again.

Fellowship Band guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel was featured on “Omni.” Blade struck joyous drumming segments on “Ark.La.Tex.,” a travelogue he wrote to salute the tri-state region of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. On “People’s Park” by Cowherd, Myron Walden played a quiet and introspective solo on bass clarinet. Blade supported all the moods and changes with free-flowing drumming, omni-present without stealing the show.

“Friends Call Her Dot,” written by Blade as a lullaby for his mother, closed the performance with a tranquil bass-clarinet phrase, added soft piano and light drums. It was a moving and heartfelt send-off for the festival’s 45th year.

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Albums That Should Exist

Tuesday, may 8, 2018, elton john - bbc sessions, volume 10: rossia concert hall, moscow, russia, 5-28-1979.

But it occurred to me recently that if I could hear his music stripped down to just him playing alone on the piano, I might be able to hear his music in a new way and appreciate it more. So I went looking for that sort of thing and found this bootleg. He was the first major Western musical artist to play in Russia (then the Soviet Union) in 1979. He did a few shows in St. Petersburg and then a few in Moscow, and this is from one of the Moscow shows (at the Rossia Hotel Concert Hall, on May 28), in soundboard quality. John is joined by a drummer halfway through the show, but the drumming is fairly restrained until the last few songs, where it's fun to end on some more lively numbers. All in all this is a great show that has caused me to appreciate his music a lot more. Its over two hours of him going through most of his famous 1970s songs.

By the way, this concert was officially released in 2019 as "Live from Moscow," though it was a limited "record store day" release. However, this release is about 40 minutes shorter, and the sound quality is no better. So I've stuck with the bootleg version here.

UPDATE: On May 22, 2024, I updated the mp3 download file. The music is the same, but I changed the title from Volume 9 to Volume 10 after discovering a 1977 BBC concert I had missed. 01 Your Song (Elton John) 02 Sixty Years On (Elton John) 03 Daniel (Elton John) 04 Skyline Pigeon (Elton John) 05 Take Me to the Pilot (Elton John) 06 Rocket Man [I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time] (Elton John) 07 Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Elton John) 08 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John) 09 Roy Rogers (Elton John) 10 Candle in the Wind (Elton John) 11 Ego (Elton John) 12 Where to Now St. Peter (Elton John) 13 He'll Have to Go (Elton John) 14 I Heard It through the Grapevine (Elton John) 15 Funeral for a Friend (Elton John) 16 Tonight (Elton John) 17 Better Off Dead (Elton John) 18 Idol (Elton John) 19 I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself (Elton John) 20 I Feel like a Bullet [In the Gun of Robert Ford] (Elton John) 21 Bennie and the Jets (Elton John) 22 Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word (Elton John) 23 Part Time Love (Elton John) 24 Crazy Water (Elton John) 25 Song for Guy (Elton John) 26 Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting - Pinball Wizard (Elton John) 27 Crocodile Rock - Get Back - Back in the U.S.S.R. (Elton John) https://www.imagenetz.de/ePkFs I made my own cover, using a photo of him playing in Moscow in that year.

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Spanish Folk Metal Legends Mägo De Oz Set To Rock The U.S. With Their ‘Feliz No Cumpleaños Tour’

General Onsale Begins on Friday, September 6 at 10am local time on LiveNation.com

Mägo de Oz , the Spanish folk metal band known for their unique fusion of heavy metal with Celtic and Spanish folk influences, return to the U.S. with their Feliz No Cumpleaños Tour. With a career spanning over three decades and a devoted international following, Mägo de Oz will bring their signature sound to eight cities this fall.

Powered by Live Nation and Frias Entertainment , the tour kicks off in Dallas on October 17 with stops in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and San Francisco, before wrapping up in Los Angeles at the YouTube Theater on November 2. The band is preparing a setlist featuring their greatest hits, from the anthemic “Fiesta Pagana” to the beloved “Molinos de Viento,” celebrating their rich musical legacy.

Anyone who has seen them live knows Mägo de Oz’s concerts go beyond the typical performance. Each show is carefully crafted, blending storytelling, theatrics, and a trip through their musical journey. The Feliz No Cumpleaños Tour offers a chance to experience the band’s signature style live, which has been honed over decades.

TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with artist presales beginning on Wednesday, September 4. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning on Friday, September 6 at 10am local time on LiveNation.com .

FELIZ NO CUMPLEAÑOS TOUR DATES:

Thu Oct 17 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues

Fri Oct 18 – Houston, TX – House of Blues

Sun Oct 20 – El Paso, TX – LowBrow

Tue Oct 22 – Phoenix – AZ The Van Buren

Thu Oct 24 – Las Vegas, NV – House of Blues

Sun Oct 27 – San Diego, CA – Gallagher Square at Petco Park

Wed Oct 30 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore

Sat Nov 02 – Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theater

ABOUT MAGO DE OZ:

Mägo de Oz (Spanish for Wizard of Oz) are a Spanish folk metal band from Begoña, Madrid formed in mid-1988 by drummer Txus di Fellatio. The band became well known for the strong Celtic feel to their music strengthened through their consistent usage of a violinist and flutist. The name for the band was chosen, according to founding member Txus, because “life is a yellow brick road, on which we walk in the company of others searching for our dreams. On the 26th of October, 2018, the band played a special concert to celebrate their 30th anniversary, playing with a symphony orchestra at the WiZink Center in Madrid.a

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Frias Entertainment

Luis Frias | [email protected]

Live Nation Concerts

Nadia Hernandez | [email protected]

Isabel Gonzalez | [email protected]

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Breaking news, trans-siberian orchestra announces ‘lost christmas eve tour.’ get tickets.

Violinist Roddy Chong (L) and guitarist Joel Hoekstra of Trans-Siberian Orchestra perform together in concert.

We can already hear the epic “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo.”

Trans-Siberian Orchestra just announced their 2024 ‘The Lost Christmas Eve Tour’ that will send them to arenas all over North America from mid-November through late December.

That includes stops at Albany, NY’s MVP Arena on Wednesday, Nov. 20, Buffalo, NY’s KeyBank Center on Wednesday, Dec. 4 and Newark, NJ’s Prudential Center on Friday, Dec. 20.

At all concerts, fans can expect to hear cuts from the group’s 2004 double album “The Lost Christmas Eve,” which features the iconic “Wizards in Winter” along with classics like “Christmas Canon Rock” and “Christmas Dreams.”

And, if you’ve never seen the unique ensemble IRL, Trans-Siberian Orchestra puts on a live show that is truly for everyone.

“The first show we did, back in 1999 in Philadelphia, I looked in the front row when we got out there, and I saw two grandparents in crocheted reindeer-themed sweaters, sitting right next to a big young guy in a Slayer hoodie, so that tells you everything,” TSO member Al Pitrelli told USA Today .

If this sounds like the hard-rocking Yuletide-themed concert of your holiday dreams, tickets are available as od today.

Fans can purchase tickets for all upcoming ‘The Lost Christmas Eve Tour’ shows on sites like Vivid Seats; the official on-sale is Friday, Sept. 13.

Vivid Seats is a secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand.

They have a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and will be delivered before the event.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra tour schedule 2024

A complete calendar including ‘The Lost Christmas Eve Tour’ dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra set list

Although this tour promises to focus on “The Lost Christmas Eve,” TSO will likely mix in classics from their other records as well.

For a closer look at what those songs are, here’s what the band played at the last show of their 2023 tour, according to Set List FM .

01.) “The Hourglass” (Savatage cover) 02.) “Mozart/Figaro” 03.) “The Lost Christmas Eve” The Ghosts of Christmas Eve

04.) “Christmas Bells, Carousels & Time” 05.) “O Come All Ye Faithful / O Holy Night” 06.) “Good King Joy” 07.) “Christmas Dreams” 08.) “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24)” (Savatage cover) 09.) “Christmas Canon Rock” 10.) “What Child Is This?” (William Chatterton Dix cover) 11.) “Music Box Blues” 12.) “First Snow” 13.) “Promises to Keep” 14.) “This Christmas Day” The Best of TSO

15.) “Temptation Revelation” (Savatage cover) 16.) “The Mountain” 17.) “Christmas Jam” 18.) “Joy of Man’s Desire / Angels We Have Heard on High / An Angel’s Share” 19.) “The March of the Kings / Hark the Herald Angels Sing” 20.) “A Mad Russian’s Christmas” 21.) “Queen of the Winter Night” 22.) “This Isn’t What We Meant” (Savatage cover) 23.) “Wizards in Winter” 24.) “O Fortuna” (Carl Orff cover) 25.) “The Snow Came Down” 26.) “Requiem (The Fifth)” 27.) “Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) (Reprise)” (Savatage cover)

“The Lost Christmas Eve”

Released on Oct. 12, 2004, “The Lost Christmas Eve” tells the story of an overworked businessman who finally makes time for his neglected son over the holiday season.

Made up of 23 tracks, the 74-minute record toys with Christmas music conventions — there’s a bit of jazz, some twinkly piano and soaring guitar solos — to create something wholly original.

If you’ve never listened (or it’s been 20 years since you last gave “TLCE” a spin), we recommend rocking out to “Faith Noel” or “Queen of the Winter Night;” more sensitive souls may appreciate the slower, softer “The Wisdom of Snow” or acoustic “O Come All Ye Faithful.”

Personally, we love the go for broke vocals in “For The Sake of Our Brother” most, but we guarantee each listener will find their own favorite tune. There’s a lot to like here.

Want to listen?

You can find “The Lost Christmas Eve” in its entirety here .

Huge Christmas shows in 2024

Three things in life are certain:

Death, taxes and Christmas concerts.

Here are just five you won’t want to miss this holiday season.

• Mariah Carey

• Pentatonix

• Mannheim Steamroller

• The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall

• Lindsey Stirling

Who else is on tour this year? Take a look at our list of the 50 biggest concert tours in 2024 to find the show for you.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy , New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

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MOODY BLUES DRUMMER GRAEME EDGE DEAD AT 80
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The Moody Blues

COMMENTS

List of the Moody Blues band members
The Moody Blues performing in 2013. The Moody Blues were an English progressive rock band from Birmingham.Formed in May 1964, the group originally consisted of guitarist and vocalist Denny Laine, keyboardist and vocalist Mike Pinder, woodwind player and vocalist Ray Thomas, bassist Clint Warwick, and drummer Graeme Edge.The band remained active until late 2018, when sole constant member Edge ...
Gordy Marshall of The Moody Blues
Twenty years ago I was booked as a session drummer for the Moody Blues, and have been asked back for every tour since then, which puts me in the "extremely lucky" camp of working musicians. I share the stage with the original drummer for the band, Graeme Edge, and we both play DW drumkits. Graeme has a 22″ bass drum, 10″, 12″, and 13 ...
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in May 1964. The band initially consisted of Graeme Edge (drums), Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards/vocals), Ray Thomas (multi-instrumentalist/vocals), and Clint Warwick (bass/vocals). Originally part of the British beat and R&B scene of the early-mid 1960s, the band came to prominence with the UK No. 1 and US ...
The Moody Blues Concerts & Live Tour Dates: 2024-2025 Tickets
The Moody Blues formed in May 1964. Their first gigs were sponsored by Birmingham's M&B brewery and, consequently, the band briefly took the name the MB5, changing it soon after to the Moody Blues. The band originally featured Denny Laine as lead singer and Clint Warwick on bass guitar, Ray Thomas on Flute, and Graeme Edge on drums.
The Moody Blues Concert History
The Moody Blues Concert History. The Moody Blues was an English rock band formed in Birmingham, Warwickshire in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder (died 2024), multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas (died 2018), guitarist Denny Laine (died 2023), drummer Graeme Edge (died 2021), and bassist Clint Warwick (died 2004).
Complete List Of The Moody Blues Band Members
Read More: An Interview With John Lodge Of The Moody Blues. Graeme Edge. Graeme Edge, a founding member of The Moody Blues, served as the band's drummer and provided spoken word poetry, adding a unique element to their music. His contributions are most notably heard on tracks like "Late Lament" and throughout the band's core albums.
The Moody Blues Tour Announcements 2024 & 2025 ...
List of all The Moody Blues tour dates, concerts, support acts, reviews and venue info. ... They didn't fare well, so they were joined by guitarist/vocalist Denny Laine, band manager-turned-drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick and became The Moody Blues. They performed their first gig in 1964 and eventually became the resident group ...
List of the Moody Blues band members
The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in May 1964. The band initially consisted of Graeme Edge (drums), Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards/vocals), Ray Thomas (multi-instrumentalist/vocals), and Clint Warwick (bass/vocals). Originally part of the British beat and R&B scene of the early-mid 1960s, the ...
GO NOW! The Music of the Moody Blues
Buy Tickets. Tickets starting at $35. MICHAEL KRAJEWSKI conducts. GORDY MARSHALL drums & vocals. MICK WILSON lead vocals & rhythm guitar. PATRICK DUFFIN bass & vocals. NICK KENDALL guitar & vocals. It's the ultimate tribute to the iconic Moody Blues — put together by drummer Gordy Marshall who toured with the band for 25 years — as the ...
Band
"The Moody Blues are still the Sistine Chapel of popular music." - Rolling Stone In an endless sea of rock and pop formats, The Moody Blues have distinguished themselves through four decades as that shimmering jewel vindicating rock music as a substantial artistic contribution to Western culture. Since the 60's, as a part of the historic original British invasion of Supergroups, The ...
Playing the hits: Moody Blues drummer knows what band's fans want to
Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge says he's perfectly happy to play the classic songs by his band — even if it's the 2,000th time he has played a song like "Nights in White Satin." ... because the live set figures to be more demanding for a drummer than would be typical of many Moody Blues shows. "This tour is almost entirely full-out ...
MEET THE GO NOW! BAND
GO NOW! The Music of The Moody Blues is the brainchild of drummer Gordy Marshall. Gordy toured with The Moody Blues for 25 years. Along with Mick Wilson (known as lead singer of 10cc), the two musicians have brought together some of the very best singers and instrumentalists in the UK to create the ultimate tribute to the greatest classic rock band of a generation.
The Moody Blues
My work with The Moody Blues. My work with The Moody Blues. top of page. Online Lessons. Studio Sessions. Tours & Performances 'NSYNC; Pat Benatar; The Moody Blues ... Alan Hewitt & One Nation; Performances w/ various artist; Modern Drummer. Gallery. More. About Me. Billy Ashbaugh. Contact Me. I've been with The Moody Blues since 2015 . bottom ...
Playing the hits: Moody Blues drummer knows what band's fans want to h
SUBSCRIBE. lacrossetribune.com Alan Sculley For the La Crosse Tribune IF YOU GO WHAT: The Moody Blues WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2 TICKETS: $39.50 to $85, call 608-789-7400 Photo By Jim 'JT' Gilbert Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge says he's perfectly happy to play the classic songs by his band — even if it's the 2,000th time.
The Moody Blues
The Rebels line-up also included drummer Bob Sheward as well as guitarists Brian Betteridge and John Lodge who was born in Birmingham on ... They also obtained the prestigious position of playing support for The Beatles on their 1965 British tour. The Moody Blues were by this time living together in a large rented house in the Roehampton area ...
The Moody Blues' John Lodge
The album also features a special recording of 'Late Lament', by the Moody Blues' drummer ... For 54 years John has played this song at every Moody Blues concert, and loved playing the bass line that he wrote all those years ago, and with the Moody Blues no longer touring, this was a wonderful opportunity to play tribute to Hayward, and ...
Days of Future Passed
Days of Future Passed is the second studio album by English progressive rock band the Moody Blues, released in November 1967 by Deram Records. [5] It regarded as one of rock music's first concept albums.. The album represents a significant creative turning point for the band. The album is their first with guitarist and singer Justin Hayward in place of Denny Laine and bassist John Lodge in ...
Moody Blues
The Moody Blues toured the United States extensively during the year 2000 to promote their latest release, Strange Times, including four appearances in the Philadelphia area.I had the pleasure of interviewing drummer Graeme Edge for an advance story to promote the group's appearance at the Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City in February of that year.
Blues In Moscow White Nights
Blues In Moscow White Nights. Jon Hammond. Follow. 16 years ago. Organist JON HAMMOND in concert with saxophonist IGOR BUTMAN, ALEXEI KUZNETZOV (gtr.), VLADIMIR DANILIN (accordion) & EDUARD ZIZAK (drums) togehter for the first time in MOSCOW RUSSIA at LE CLUB in THEATRE TAGANKA *JENNIFER-Camera, *Special Thanks: FAINA COBHAM *Official Site ...
The Moody Blues Tour Program
The Moody Blues Tour Program. By Jerry Weintraub. Books / Paperback Books. Publisher: Threshold Records ...
Graeme Edge Passing
Graeme's sound and personality is present in everything we did together and thankfully that will live on. When Graeme told me he was retiring I knew that without him it couldn't be the Moody Blues anymore. And that's what happened. It's true to say that he kept the group together throughout all the years, because he loved it.
Who Are the 'Big 4′ of Prog Rock?
Kansas and the Moody Blues were usually more focused on pop. Others, like Gentle Giant and Camel were sadly very niche. Others, like Gentle Giant and Camel were sadly very niche.
Detroit Jazz Festival 2024
Gaining inspiration from 70's British art-rock and jazz-fusion groups such as Soft Machine, Ian Carr's Nucleus, the Moody Blues and more, the rising sextet co-led by drummer Rowe and acoustic ...
Tour Dates // Shane Smith & The Saints
TOUR DATES. We're super excited about all these stops. Take a look at our schedule and catch one of our shows. VIEW SCHEDULE. Follow. 101.7k. Stay up to date on the latest news from Shane Smith & the Saints! Subscribe. HOME / TOUR / LISTEN / STORE / SOCIAL / ABOUT / CONTACT.
Elton John
He did a few shows in St. Petersburg and then a few in Moscow, and this is from one of the Moscow shows (at the Rossia Hotel Concert Hall, on May 28), in soundboard quality. John is joined by a drummer halfway through the show, but the drumming is fairly restrained until the last few songs, where it's fun to end on some more lively numbers.
Moody Blues Mesa, AZ Review
The Moody Blues, December 13, 2012, Mesa, AZ via The Examiner Perhaps after forty five years it's time to update the words to Graeme Edge's poem, "Late Lament" found on the Moody Blues' 1967 album "Days of Future Past." When the 71 year old drummer of the Moody Blues recited the line "senior citizens wish they Read More...
Spanish Folk Metal Legends Mägo De Oz Set To Rock The U.S. With Their
General Onsale Begins on Friday, September 6 at 10am local time on LiveNation.com. Mägo de Oz, the Spanish folk metal band known for their unique fusion of heavy metal with Celtic and Spanish folk influences, return to the U.S. with their Feliz No Cumpleaños Tour. With a career spanning over three decades and a devoted international following, Mägo de Oz will bring their signature sound to ...
Trans-Siberian Orchestra tour 2024: Where to buy tickets, schedule
Trans-Siberian Orchestra announced their 2024 'The Lost Christmas Eve Tour.' On the run, the group will perform at Albany's MVP Arena, Buffalo's KeyBank Center and Newark's Prudential Center.

Gordy Marshall of The Moody Blues

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The Moody Blues

"Mike apparently came up with the name but I always thought I came up with the 'Moody' part because I saw it as a blues band"

"We went on and played our own type of rhythm and blues like 'I Go Crazy' and stuff like that and we went down a storm!"

"You will probably call it contemporary blues - it could be if you want it to be. It doesn't matter, just let it pass through you"

"We were tagged 'one-hit-wonders'. We had nine months of glory and then went back to 50 pound a night on the road!"

"It was all very hippie you know - low lights and incense burning!"

"I know it sounds terribly pretentious now but as young men, that's what we were searching for"

"We were all exhausted and had become prisoners of our own success"

The Moody Blues 1960s Record Releases

Their Days of Future are still passing

This story was published on Feb. 16, 2000, in the Northeast Times in Philadelphia, which owns the copyright. It may not be reproduced anywhere else without permission.

This review was published on Nov. 15, 2000, in the Northeast Times in Philadelphia, which owns the copyright. It may not be reproduced anywhere else without permission.

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The Moody Blues Tour Program

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