Higher & Higher - The Moody Blues Magazine
A Nostalgic Look Back
Online since around 1999 Higher & Higher - The Moody Blues Magazine was the premier source for Moody Blues news and information. Higher & Higher has reached thousands of readers around the world since its introduction in 1984. Higher & Higher was published around 4 times per year. Catch info on the current issue and see what's in store for the very near future.
This was the official website for Higher & Higher
The new owners of the domain who are Moody Blues fans decided to share a very limited amount of the archived content from the original site as well as from other outside sources. We apologize that this one page does not do justice to the loads of information about The Moody Blues that actually was available in archived form.
Nevertheless...Enjoy the nostalgic look back at Higher & Higher - The Moody Blues Magazine from circa 2003-2006.
Moody Blues - The Story In Your Eyes (original version)
Original vocals (before overdubbing) on this rare extended version. Recorded around Nov., 1970 and previously unreleased, this track appears on the 2008 remastered edition of 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favour' cd. At the beginning, Ray says, "It's the marriage of classical and rock." Also, the picture at 2:48 is a Coke ad from a Dutch magazine.
Lovely to See You Again ... We're Higher & Higher -- The Moody Blues MagazineTM
Welcome to the home page for Higher & Higher -- The Moody Blues MagazineTM
We published the first issue of our all Moody Blues fanzine in 1984. That original eight-page black-and-white tabloid-style 'zine has since morphed into a professionally produced color magazine that is enjoyed by thousands of Moodies fans around the globe. Twenty-two years later, we continue to serve fans of the band who popularized "Nights in White Satin," "Tuesday Afternoon," "The Story in Your Eyes," "Isn't Life Strange," "Your Wildest Dreams," and so many more.
Although we are an unofficial magazine and separate from the Moody Blues' record company and own fan organization, the band has been extremely supportive of H&H over the years, and we maintain solid ties with both current and former members, their management and many of the production and tour personnel associated with these fabulous musicians.
In addition to providing ongoing information on the band to rock and mainstream media, we are credited consultants on several major band-related projects, including the Moodies' 1994 box set, Time Traveller and The Other Side of Red Rocks video. We are frequently asked by the press to provide information on the band and are happy to do so.
Who are the Moody Blues?
The Moody Blues have been a driving force in popular music since their formation in 1964. Their hit songs and rich, thoughtfully crafted albums are known to millions of fans worldwide. The Moodies are generally credited with developing and popularizing "orchestral rock," mostly on the strength of their 1967 album, Days of Future Passed, and through the use of the Mellotron, a keyboard instrument that allowed the group to replicate orchestral sounds live and in the studio.
The Moody Blues are Justin Hayward (guitar and vocals), John Lodge (bass and vocals) and Graeme Edge (percussion and spoken word). The current incarnation of the band -- or "Mark IV" edition as it is known by fans -- has been together since 1978, when founding member Mike Pinder (keyboards, vocals) left the group to focus on family life and his solo career. (Edge has is the only remaining original member; Hayward and Lodge joined two years later, following the departure of original vocalist Denny Laine and bassist Clint Warwick.) Keyboard master Patrick Moraz recorded and performed live with the band between 1978 and 1991. In 1992, the band performed with an orchestra in a live setting for the first time and embarked on a series of well-received tours with same over the next several years. And fan favorite Ray Thomas retired from the band in 2002.
Some of the Moodies' most well known songs include "Go Now," "The Story in Your Eyes," "Isn't Life Strange," "Question," "I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock 'n' Roll Band)," "The Voice," "Gemini Dream," "Your Wildest Dreams," "I Know You're Out There Somewhere," "Ride My See-Saw," and the perennial favorite, "Nights in White Satin." As the band approaches its 40th anniversary, it remains an active touring and recording force.
The Moody Blues' have remained active in recent years, both in the studio and in live performance. In 1999, the Moodies released Strange Times, their first new studio album since 1991's Keys of the Kingdom. In 2001, the Moodies contributed heavily to the IMAX soundtrack, Journey Into Amazing Caves. The band's most recent studio album is 2003's December, a collection of Christmas-themed originals and standards. The Moodies will tour New Zealand and Australia in spring 2005, and a summer U.S. tour is on the boards as well.
What is Higher & Higher--The Moody Blues MagazineTM?
Higher & Higher is a full-color fan-produced magazine that covers all aspects of the Moody Blues universe. Each colorful issue features articles, news, interviews, reviews, previously unpublished photos, reader comments and much more. Our editorial imperative calls for providing accurate, timely news and uncovering and reporting on background details on how the music is made. We're especially proud of our numerous album retrospective issues in which we interview as many participants as possible to reveal behind-the-scene details that ultimately enrich our listening experience and appreciation of the band's musical artistry.
Many Moodies Resources, One Pro 'Zine & Web site
There are a vast number of online resources relating to the magnificent Moody Blues, both fan-based and professional. As such, this site does not attempt to be all things to all fans. Instead, we concentrate on providing the most up-to-date and accurate news as it relates to Moodies' album releases, happenings, tour dates and media appearances and to promote sales of our fan magazine. Be sure and check out our Links section for access to other valuable Moodies information sources.
Magazine Supports Web Site
Sales of current and back issues of our magazine ensures the continuance of our Web site and, of course, H&H itself. Our magazine is expensive, because we believe a quality band is best served by quality publication. H&H is not your typical fanzine. Each issue is professionally laid out and printed on glossy stock and features full-color process throughout. We encourage you to check out our magazine, which is backed by our no-hassle money-back guarantee. For a sample issue, send $10 in U.S. funds to: Sample Offer, c/o Higher & Higher, P.O. Box 829, Geneva, FL 32732 or PayPal $10 to HHemail@aol.com with your name and address. Quality costs, but thousands of fans over the last 22 years agree: H&H is worth it.
~~~~~
2022 TOUR NEWS UPDATE
I am glad to report that The Moody Blues USA tour dates for 2022 are now available at www.moodybluestoday.com/tour/. There are 12 dates spanning the month of March. I have been looking forward to the band resuming live concerts. With the Covid pandemic sweeping the world, these past 18+ months saw a sharp demise in live concerts. It's exciting that band tours are resuming. With the US opening its borders to overseas visitors, perhaps I will make the trip from Australia to the US to catch The Moody Blues in Atlanta. I've already contacted a friend who lives there to buy tickets. It will be great to see them. I just hope Covid doesn't resurge in the winter months here in Australia. Living in Melbourne we have experienced so many shut downs. For months, quarantined at home, I like many other Aussies ended up listening to music and playing pokies online (that's slots to you US folks). If you are into pokies check out this affiliate casino site, Online-Casino-Party.co, to see the latest weekly promos at Aussie player friendly online casinos, put some of The Moody Blues music blasting through your headphones, and start playing. In the meantime, I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will make it to the US to catch one of The Moody Blues concerts.
NOW back to the 2006 archived content....
~~~~~
The Moody Blues - December Snow Live 2006
The Moody Blues perform December Snow in 2006.
Enjoy,
MoodiesFan
From the Editors Update - February 5, 2006
Thanks to Image Entertainment providing us with an advance copy, here's Melanie Rose White's review of Lovely to See You:
The Moody Blues Live: Lovely to See You Again
The Moody Blues / 105 minute / Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo / Image Entertainment
Song list:
1. Lovely To See You, 2. Tuesday Afternoon, 3. Lean On Me (Tonight), 4. The Actor, 5. Steppin' In A Slide Zone, 6. The Voice, 7. Talking Out Of Turn, 8. I Know You're Out There Somewhere, 9. The Story In Your Eyes, 10. Forever Autumn, 11. Your Wildest Dreams, 12. Isn't Life Strange, 13. The Other Side of Life, 14. December Snow, 15. Higher & Higher, 16. Are You Sitting Comfortably, 17. I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock & Roll Band), 18. Nights In White Satin, 19. Question, 20. Ride My See-Saw
It’s Lovely To See The Moodies Again
True-blue and casual fans alike will enjoy the long-awaited DVD The Moody Blues Live: Lovely To See You to be released on Valentine’s Day. The concert was filmed on June 11, 2005, at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles by Image Entertainment. This is the same company that produced The Moody Blues Hall of Fame—Live from the Royal Albert Hall in 2000.
Unlike the Hall of Fame DVD—which omitted portions of the concert, including “Nothing Changes” and the much-loved instrumental break between Ray Thomas and Bias Boshell in “Legend Of A Mind—all of the songs performed at the Greek Theatre are presented in their entirety. The only segments of the concert that were edited out are the moments when the band walks on and walks off stage. Applause between songs (particularly after “Nights”) has also been shortened.
Lovely To See You was recorded with 11 high-definition cameras and is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. “This was one of the most incredible live Moody Blues performances in recent history,” said Barry Gordon, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Programming at Image Entertainment. “We used state-of-the-art technology and the best technical staff to capture all the energy and excitement of the actual performance.”
The camera work is well done and inviting. There are tight close-ups of everyone on stage (including Justin and Paul’s hands); sweeping, wide-angle shots of an enthusiastic audience, and lots of cross-fades that enhance the music and provide almost another dimension to the presentation. Cameras overhead capture a bird’s eye view of Graeme drumming and of revolving patterns from the light show hitting the stage surface. Those are images that most fans will never see outside of a video. And if you’ve ever wondered what the audience looks like from the band’s perspective—there are enough shots of the first five rows for you to get a good idea! Unlike the Moody Blues Red Rocks production, the audience shots from the Greek are somewhat fleeting—it’s best to use your freeze frame button to find folks you know. From a visual standpoint, the only troubling sights are a few inadvertent shots of too many empty seats in the second row of the pit!
For many fans, the highlight of this DVD will be Justin’s poignant, heartrending performance of “Forever Autumn.” Unless you were lucky enough to catch Justin at one of his solo concerts or attended a Moodies show in the early 90s or in the UK or Europe, seeing “Forever Autumn” performed is a rare treat. This track alone makes the DVD worth buying.
It’s also wonderful to have songs such as “The Actor,” “Talking Out Of Turn,” “Are You Sitting Comfortably,” and “December Snow” preserved on DVD.
Overall, the band’s performance is animated, with everyone in fine voice. Along with “Forever Autumn” and “Nights,” the crowd pleasers included “Higher & Higher,” “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere,” and “I’m Just A Singer.”
Someone with a more sophisticated theater system could probably add to this review regarding the audio quality, but to my ears the DVD sounds fine. The mix is clear and it’s a pleasure to hear each musician and the lyrics, without the background noise you encounter at live shows. Perhaps the best comments about this concert’s sound come from Justin himself: “As soon as we finished the summer tour I went to LogicalBox Studios in Genoa to do the 5.1 sound mix for the DVD we’ll be releasing. I thought I’d be able to get some nerdy satisfaction from correcting things, but I didn’t do anything but close off a few mikes picking up audience reaction. Everything had the right feeling. We all played the right notes at the right time. We’re playing as good, or better, than we ever have. Not too bad for three old guys and our longtime partners.” (From the San Francisco Chronicle, November 13, 2005)
The DVD includes one special feature—an excellent conversational interview (approximately 30 minutes long) with Justin, John, and Graeme, conducted by Angela Fairhurst. The guys sit in front of the stage, with the interviewer off camera. Her questions have been edited out, and the guys’ responses are presented in a round-robin style. It’s not hard to figure out the topic or question that has been asked.
Although longtime fans will recall some of the stories the Moodies tell, there is a lot of fresh material that will appeal to a wide audience. For example, many Moody Blues songs share a common theme about the nature of “time,” but have you ever wondered which is the favorite time of day for each of the Moodies? Or which songs the band dislikes? It’s a delight to see the good-natured teasing and easygoing interactions between the band members.
The interview is a nice mix of laugh-out loud moments interspersed with more serious introspection and makes a perfect bonus for the DVD. It’s also a nice addition to a concert where there is relatively little or no chit-chat between songs.
For many concert-going fans, hearing the opening drum beats of “Ride My Seesaw” brings on a touch of sadness with the realization that the concert is about to finish. The Lovely To See You DVD is a perfect antidote. This is one concert that never has to end—you can watch it over and over again—in the best seat of the house . . . your house!
Moody News
Here's what happening with the Moody Blues and here at H&H...
News contributors this installment: Stephen Davis, Randey Faulkner, Sandy Frank, Jane Fieberts, Laurie Koster, Randy Salas, Anthony Vincent, Melanie Rose White
Note: If news is reposted to any other source, please include the following credit/link: News item courtesy ofHigher & Higher -- The Moody Blues MagazineTM at www.Moodies-Magazine.com.
Moody News from August 30, 2006 - See News Archive for additional recent Moody News
H&H #50 -- which includes Mark's August 21, 2006 interview with Justin -- is currently at our printer...visit the H&H Online Store for Ordering Details!
Charity guitar raffle. Click here for details.
H&H accepting credit cards again. As a convenience to our overseas readers (and U.S. and Canadian readers, too), we are again accepting major credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover & American Express). The fees assessed by our previous processor were outrageously high. Fortunately, we're now set up with PayPal's much less pricey Virtual Terminal. If you'd like to order H&H issues with a credit card and don't have (or don't want to use) a PayPal account, just tell us what issues you want and send the following credit card info: (1) Name as it appears on your card; (2) Card number; (3) Exp. date; (4) Your exact billing address; and (5) the Card Verification Number. (This is the last 3 digits of the number on the back of your card, except for AmEx cardholders, where the number is 4 digits and on the front of the card.) Please be sure and send all the requested info, or we cannot process your order. You can email your card details (if so, we suggest you split them over 2 separate emails for better security) or fax them to (407) 349-5236 (best to fax after 11 pm when we're usually off the phone). You're also welcome to snail-mail us at PO Box 829, Geneva, FL 32732 USA. Thanks!
Hayward again recording with French artist. Justin Hayward is again recording with French artist Alan Simon, with whom he worked on Simon’s Gaia album in 2003. Said Justin in an August 21, 2006 interview with H&H: “He’s got a new project with a number of different artists, and I’m singing some things on that. In fact, I’m going to record them later this week in Paris. I think I’ve got one song, which is my lead, and then another song, which, I believe, has a number of different singers, but I’m one of them.” No word yet when Simon’s CD will be released.
Lodge visits children's hospice. John Lodge was part of a ceremony to present a new wheelchair-adapted mini-van to the Shooting Star Hospice, an organization that supports terminally ill children and their families. Lodge, and others, were present as the Royal Variety Club of Great Britain presented the van.
Shooting Stars across the City
www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk
There were smiles all round when Moody Blues star John Lodge dropped into the Shooting Star Hospice to hand over the keys to their new Variety Club minibus.
John, along with children and families from the Hampton hospice, was there to watch The Royal Variety Club of Great Britain present a wheelchair adapted minibus.
The bus will be an asset to the hospice's care team, which takes children and their families for exciting days out throughout London and the south.
UK music mag includes CD w/Moodies tracks. The September issue of Q Magazine includes a free CD entitled Take It Easy: 15 Soft Rock Anthems. The disc includes The Afternoon section from Days of Future Passed, with "Tuesday Afternoon" and "(Evening) Time To Get Away." Related text adds: "In 1967 no one was quite expecting Days of Future Passed..." and that "The Afternoon's operatic harmonies and changing tempos were an influence on Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' eight years later."
Moraz on the Moodies, other topics. Author Tim Morse's interview with former Moodies keyboardist Patrick Moraz appears on ww.YesWorld.com. Moraz explains in the interview why he decided against appearing in Impact Film's Moody Blues documentary, which will be released later this year.
Three U.S. SACD releases en route; remaining 2 SACDs coming soon. www.HighFidelityReview.com has announced that three additional SACD Moodies CDs -- Days of Future Passed, In Search of the Lost Chord, and To Our Children's Children's Children -- will be released in the States in September. (Until that date, these discs are only available as imports.) For more details, click here. Meanwhile, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour and Seventh Sojourn are reportedly set for UK release next month. More details to follow.
Danilo Madonia disc shipping now. Danilo Madonia, who has worked (and performed) with the band in recent years, has released his first CD, titled Moving. Danilo sent us a copy, and we love it. If you're into cool, atmospheric contemporary jazz with a hint of "lush soundtrack," as are we, then this disc is for you. To listen to some short audio clips, click here. To order, click here to jump to Danilo's website where you can place your order. If you DO order, please order through Danilo's website or through www.cdbaby.com/cd/danilo, because if he reaches a certain number of sold copies on CDBaby by Aug 31st, one of his tunes will go on a 5000-copies compilation that CDBaby will send to every customer. (Orders place through his site will automatically be processed by CD-Baby.) By the way, we'll be printing Danilo's comments in H&H #50 on his remastering work on the Classic 7 SACDs.
Wildest Dreams" makes columnist's top 10 list. Click here to see the list and view "Wildest Dreams" and other listed videos.
Updated: Old Moodies Coke commercial, other vids, on website. Several readers wrote to let us know that one of the 1960s commercials the Moodies did for Coca-Cola can be seen at www.youtube.com. Just type "Moody Blues Coke Commercial" in the site's search field. Addendum: Jim Reed writes that several other Moodies, Blue Jays and Hayward vids are on this site, including" Tracks of My Tears," "Let it Begin," "Tuesday Afternoon" live from 1968, and more.
Moody Blues contract: Send us no non-French, non-Californian wines. According to an article appearing in the Los Angeles Times, the Moodies specify in their performance contact with local county fairs that wine served to the band backstage must be either French or Californian. Click here to read the entire article.
"Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Rocked by Scandal." Click to read.
Brief review of Pinder Brothers' CD. Click here to read John Metzger's review of Jupiter Falls, the debut CD from Mike Pinder progeny Matt and Michael Lee.
The Pinder Brothers
Jupiter Falls
(One Step)
First Appeared in The Music Box, July 2006, Volume 13, #7
Written by John Metzger
The Pinder Brothers’ debut Jupiter Falls provides proof of the age-old adage about the apple not tumbling terribly far from the tree. Throughout the set, the siblings Michael Lee and Matt Pinder traffic in the same sort of romantic innocence that has become The Moody Blues’ bread and butter. The connection, of course, is Mike Pinder, who retired from The Moody Blues several decades ago. Here, he jumps back into the rock and pop world by doing what any good father would do: He not only financially backs his sons’ project, but he also lends his trademark touches of mellotron, percussion, chamberlin, tambourine, and synthesizer to most of the collection’s 10 tracks.
In that sense, Jupiter Falls fares no better or worse than most offspring-oriented endeavors, though its weakest link undeniably is its lyrics. In forsaking the cosmic mysticism that lent a poetic quality to their dad’s work, the specificity of The Pinder Brothers’ ruminations about such things as sexual abstinence and the perils of television feel overly sweet and simplistic. The arrangements, too, occasionally falter by adhering to a contemporary alt-pop framework, but much like the songs penned by Semisonic’s Dan Wilson, the duo’s melodies are endearingly indelible. Better still, when laced with the brief but feisty guitar solos of accompanist Joe Bithorn, the material on Jupiter Falls becomes more vivacious than the majority of The Moody Blues’ latter day efforts. ½
"Gordy" mentioned in drum mag. In the "Who's Playing What" column, of the July 2006 issue of Modern Drummer Magazine, it states: "Now playing DW (Drum Workshop) drums and hardware are.... Gordon Marshall (Moody Blues) ...."
Moody Bluegrass mentioned in AP article. Associated Press scribe John Gerome has penned "Bluegrass Artists Take on Classic Rock," which includes a nice mention of the Moody Bluegrass project, including remarks from MB participant John Cowan. Click here to read the article.
Heyyy! The Fonz digs the Moodies. The USA Weekend supplement of June 30-July 2 included some factoids about actor/director Henry Winkler, best known for his role as "the Fonz" on the 1970s series Happy Days. One noted that "he loves to shuffle his 800-plus songs (on his iPod) by artists such as Emmylou Harris, the Three Tenors, the Moody Blues and Damien Rice.
"Gypsy" wanders into DirecTV broadcast. Dana Grubb wrote to let us know that "Gypsy," from the Moodies' 1969 masterwork, To Our Children's Children's Children, was used as background music on DirecTV's Sports Schedule while recent major league baseball games were listed. Other songs used included tunes from Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, and ELP.
Moody mention on Fox News online. Roger Friedman's column at www.foxnews.com laments that several artists have failed to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including Carly Simon, Billy Preston and the Moody Blues.
Brief review of first 5 "Classic 7" reissues. Did we mention "brief"? Click here.
New letter from Justin. Justin has penned a long update, which was recently posted to his site at www.JustinHayward.com. Lots of great info there on the recent War of the Worlds tour, as well as news on the final two Moodies "Classic 7" SACDs. Check it out by clicking here.
"Moody Blues fans back hospital."
Moody blues fans back the hospital
By Lyndsay Scanlan | www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk
A MOODY Blues fan from America is helping to make sure the Great Western Hospital is given a cash boost.
Fifteen years ago the band's Swindon-born singer Justin Hayward helped raise money for the Princess Margaret Hospital the GWH's predecessor after an old friend's husband died of cancer there.
Lesley Drewett of Bishopstone set up an appeal to raise money for a germ-free room for cancer patients at the PMH, where her husband Gerry was treated.
And now Nancy Jussen, one of Justin's biggest fans, is helping to make sure the appeal continues.
Back in 1991 Mrs Drewett set up the Sunbeam Appeal in memory of her husband, who had died from cancer at the age of 47 earlier in the year.
She asked Justin to give a charity gig in Swindon to raise money for the appeal.
The Swindon born singer's gig at the Holiday Inn was a huge success and the campaign eventually raised £25,000.
Equipment on the Honey and Sunbeam germ-free rooms on the Saturn ward at the Great Western Hospital has been provided from the appeal's funds and the hospital's Day Therapy Centre has also benefited from the fundraising.
GWH's fundraising team is now hoping to match this success.
Moody Blues fans will donate cash in August to the appeal and there will be a fan lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe in London on Tuesday, October 10 to coincide with the Moodies' performances at the Royal Albert Hall, between October 9 to 11.
Raffles will be held to win unique collections of Moody Blues memorabilia with the proceeds going to purchase equipment and special items to make the patients' stay at GWH as comfortable as possible.
Mrs Jussen travelled to Swindon from America last October to see Justin perform at The Apartment, Havelock Square.
She read about the special dedication ceremony Justin attended with the Drewett family 15 years ago to celebrate the opening of the wards in the hospital. And so she wanted to get involved with the fundraising.
She is organising fans' online donations and will be a host at the Hard Rock lunch.
"I remembered an article Lesley had written for a Moody Blues fan magazine called Higher and Higher', telling her story of wanting to find a way to repay the hospital and nurses for the wonderful care they'd given her late husband, Gerry," she said.
"After reading about the dedication ceremony, it gave me a good feeling to see that Lesley's efforts had truly been realised with such wonderful results, but I also knew there is always more work to be done, so why not give Moody fans the opportunity to lend their support to this heartfelt endeavour."
Natalie Prinsloo, fund-raising co-ordinator at GWH said: "We are very grateful that Nancy and all the Moody Blues fans are support-ing the hospital in such an exhilarating manner.
"I do believe the fans will enjoy the Moodies' autumn tour and the lunch at the Hard Rock Caf in London."
MEET THE MOODIES!
Justin, John, and Graeme will be at the South Coast Plaza Borders bookstore, on July 29, in Costa Mesa, Calif., where they will be signing copies of Lovely To See You: Live at the Greek between 1 and 4 p.m.
2006 UK FALL TOUR
9/26/06 -- Cardiff - St. David's Hall
9/27/06 -- Plymouth - Plymouth Pavilions
9/29/06 -- Bristol, Colston Hall
9/30/05 -- Nottingham - Royal Concert Hall
10/1/06 -- Manchester - Apollo
10/3/06 -- Glasgow - Clyde Auditorium
10/4/06 -- Newcastle Upon Tyne - City Hall Upon Tyne
10/6/06 -- Ipswich - Regent Theatre
10/7/06 -- Brighton - Brighton Centre
10/09/06 -- London - Royal Albert Hall
10/10/06 -- London - Royal Albert Hall
10/11/06 -- London - Royal Albert Hall
10/13/06 -- Birmingham - NEC
10/14/06 -- Oxford - New Theatre
10/15/06 -- Bournemouth - Bournemouth International Centre
10/18/06 - Amsterdam - Heineken Music Hall
10/19/06 - Amsterdam - Heineken Music Hall
10/20/06 - Amsterdam - Heineken Music Hall
Is Higher & Higher a Fan Club?
No. Since February 1984 H&H has produced professional magazines that focus on the music of the Moody Blues, both as a group and as solo artists, and we are not a fan organization as such. The Moody Blues' own fan organization, The Official Moody Blues Fan Club, ceased operations in the summer of 2002. However, the band's new official Web site debuted in early '03 and a second related official fan site -- www.MoodyBluesToday.com -- is now up and running.
Is your magazine approved by the Moody Blues?
We have worked with the band and its staff since our magazine's inception in 1984.
What is your connection to ex-Moody Blue Mike Pinder?</p>
H&H reports on Mike's professional activities as information becomes available. He has released solo albums again since 1994, including Among the Stars and A Planet With One Mind.
Do you supply Moody Blues and solo-related concert information?
Fans with Internet access can access Tour News.
How do I get on your mailing list?
A request for information or any purchase automatically places you on our mailing list for one year. Issue announcements are generally mailed to all on this list about 6 weeks prior to issue publication.
Which back issues of H&H are available?
Issue #s16 through our current edition are available, except for double-size issue #18/19 and issue #20. Issue #s 1-15 are long since sold out and only available on the collector's market.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept personal checks, money orders and PayPal. You can use a major credit by ordering through www.PayPal.com.
What if I order your magazine and don't like it?
Simply return it in salable condition within 10 days for a no-hassle refund. The same guarantee applies to all merchandise we sell.
I've been searching everywhere for a special Moody Blues collectible. Can you help?
We recommend that you try one of the following avenues:
- Ken Barnhart. Ken holds regular auctions of Moodies-related material. Send a long SASE to Ken at P.O. Box 1414, Stow, OH 44224-0414.
- Goldmine magazine at www.krause.com
- www.eBay.com
How can I get a backstage or photo pass for an upcoming Moodies show?
Passes, when available, are issued by the band's management and record company and at the performance venue. You must make pass arrangements yourself. Please note that passes have been rarely issued on recent tours, and that it's extremely difficult for non-connected fans to obtain them.
Do you accept photo and article submissions?
We accept both. However, please inquire before submitting by emailing HHemail@aol.com Please include the words "Submission Inquiry" in the subject line of your email.
***** 3 Selected THE MOODY BLUES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS*****
A brief history of The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues was formed in May 1964. Its members were: Denny Laine, Clint Warwick, Mike Pinder, Ray Thomas and Graeme Edge. During the years 1965 - 1967, they focused primarily on R & B, their most famous single being "Go Now" which reached # 1 on the charts in both the U.S. and Great Britain. During this time, they made several television appearances and opened for the Beatles on that band's last UK tour in 1965.
In 1966, Denny Laine and Clint Warwick left the group and were replaced by Justin Hayward and John Lodge. They abandoned the old R & B and, in 1967, recorded music from a stage show they had been performing, which became their most famous album, Days of Future Passed. Their record company, Decca, asked for a record to demonstrate its version of stereo, which had previously been reserved for symphonic recordings. Decca wanted the Moodies to record a rock version of Dvorak's symphony, "From the New World," to demonstrate that stereo could improve the sound of rock music as it had done for symphonic music. The band conspired with Peter Knight, the orchestra leader, to record their stage show and he composed music to fit around it. The band's recordings were put on tape with spaces for the orchestra's music, so the band never actually played with an orchestra.
Apparently, Decca didn't like Days of Future Passed but they released it anyway, since they'd already spent the money. Luckily they did, since the album contained "Nights In White Satin," which later became the Moodies' most famous song; and "Tuesday Afternoon," which became their first big hit in the U.S. The album remained on Billboard charts a full two years after its release.
During the years 1967 - 1972, they recorded seven very successful albums, all of which went gold and/or platinum. In 1972, Days of Future Passed was re-released and, incredibly, went gold again, a full five years after the original release of the album!
Amidst their skyrocketing popularity, the Moody Blues broke up in February 1974. However, individual members continued recording solo albums, many of which did extremely well on the pop charts. In 1978, the band reunited and recorded Octave, its eighth album with Justin Hayward and John Lodge. This was the last album with Mike Pinder, who declined to go on any more tours, and producer Tony Clarke. Patrick Moraz replaced Mike on the keyboards for the Octave tour and was on every album from Long Distance Voyager to Sur La Mer. Moraz also provided some keyboard work on Keys of the Kingdom, as well.
With the release of Long Distance Voyager in 1981, the band's comeback could not be ignored. The single "The Voice" did very well and the band went back on tour. Next to be released was The Present, which enjoyed a brief stay in the top 40. Both albums were produced by Pip Williams. Thereafter, the band and Williams parted ways. Justin Hayward says Williams was dismissed, citing "working too long on too many things that were never heard." Williams says he declined to produce a third album due to emotional exhaustion after recording The Present.
The Moodies continued recording and touring, and had a number of hit singles in the 1980s, including "Your Wildest Dreams," the video of which was named "Video of the Year" by Billboard magazine. On September 9, 1992, the band commemorated the 25th anniversary of the release of Days of Future Passed with a concert featuring a full symphony orchestra at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado. This concert was released in 1993 as the live album and video A Night At Red Rocks. Larry Baird, the conductor, had to create all the arrangements from listening to previous recordings, as the original music from Days of Future Passed could not be found. The video of this concert aired on PBS stations throughout the United States.
From 1993 - 2000, the band made various tours of the United States and UK, playing with local symphonies in each city. The band released their box set, Time Traveller, on September 27, 1994. That same Tuesday afternoon, they held an Internet Chat session and were welcomed into Hollywood's Rock Walk (they placed their handprints and signatures in cement outside the Guitar Center on Sunset Boulevard). For pictures of this event on the web, go to: www.rockwalk.com/inductees/inductee.cfm?id=103
In 1999, the song "Nights in White Satin" was inducted into the National Academy of Recording Arts and Science (NARAS, the Academy which awards the "Grammys") "Hall of Fame." This honor is reserved for recordings that are at least 25 years old and of lasting historical significance, and Justin Hayward received the ASCAP "Golden Note" lifetime achievement award for songwriters in October, 2000.
On August 17, 1999, the Moody Blues released Strange Times, their first album of new material in 8 years and their first ever self-produced album. The band celebrated the release by kicking off a world tour in Tallahassee, Florida on August 13, 1999. A second live concert video with symphony was made in London at the Royal Albert Hall on May 1, 2000 and widely shown on PBS stations throughout the USA.
2003 began yet another new era for the Moodies, with the retirement of founding member Ray Thomas after the fall 2002 tour. Very little has been officially said, but there has been no public animosity among the band members, and it seems that Ray just reached an age at which he chose to quit. The remaining band members, along with flautist Norda Mullen, released the first Moody album of Christmas music, December in 2003.
The band continues to tour, and according to the insert included in the Gold compilation (released March 2005), the Moody Blues have sold over 80 million records worldwide.
The Moody Blues -- Tour 2006
This one came from the Sarasota and Niagara Falls shows.
Albums released by The Moody Blues
The following are the albums released by the band as a whole. This is not meant to be a complete discography. For the most complete discography, consult Higher & Higher magazine issues #4, #7/8, #11/12 and #17 . The following Moody Blues albums were never released as LPs: Legend Of A Band, and all releases starting with A Night At Red Rocks With the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.
1966 - The Magnificent Moodies (UK)
This release contained 12 tracks by the Denny Laine-era Moodies. Later released in 1988 with 25 tracks (see below).
1966 - Go Now (USA)
The "stereo" version of this album isn't! This is not the same as the British LP, although they have some tracks in common. The liner notes by Donovan were taken from the British LP.
1967 - Days of Future Passed
The first album with Justin Hayward and John Lodge. The original album had no track spaces, with one song smoothly cross-faded into the next. However, seven tracks were listed on the album cover. When released on CD, the same 7 tracks were marked, so that "Tuesday Afternoon" was grouped with "Time to Get Away"; "The Sun Set" was grouped with "Twilight Time" and "Nights in White Satin" was grouped with "Late Lament" through to the gong.
1968 - In Search of the Lost Chord
First album with all instruments (30) played by Moodies. The original album had no track spaces, with one song smoothly cross-faded into the next. However when released on CD, it was divided into 11 tracks.
1969 - On the Threshold of a Dream
First album with lyrics included (these were in a booklet). The original album had no track spaces, with one song smoothly cross-faded into the next. However when released on CD, it was divided into 13 tracks.
1969 - To Our Children's Children's Children
First album on Threshold records, the band's own record company. The original album had no track spaces, with one song smoothly cross-faded into the next. However when released on CD, it was divided into 13 tracks.
1970 - A Question of Balance
An effort to return to music that could be reproduced on stage without any additional instrumentation. The original album had no track spaces, with one song smoothly cross-faded into the next. However when released on CD, it was divided into 10 tracks.
1971 - Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
EGBDF, of course, are the letter names of the lines on a staff of music with a G-clef. E-G-B-D-F are also the first notes heard in "Procession." The original album had no track spaces, with one song smoothly cross-faded into the next. However when released on CD, it was divided into 9 tracks.
1972 - Seventh Sojourn
Last album before they took a break for several years. The original album had no track spaces, with one song smoothly cross-faded into the next. However when released on CD, it was divided into 8 tracks.
1974 - This Is The Moody Blues
Two-album, 26-track compilation featuring songs from "Core 7" albums (Days of Future Passed through Seventh Sojourn).
1977 - Caught Live +5
Fourteen tracks from a live concert at Royal Albert Hall, London on December 12, 1969, plus five previously un-released studio cuts (which were later included on the Prelude CD, released in 1987). Caught Live + 5 was first released as a double album and re-released on October 22, 1996 as a single CD.
1978 - Octave
Ten tracks. Last album with Mike Pinder. Last album produced by Tony Clarke.
1981 - Long Distance Voyager
Ten tracks. The band's biggest international success. The first album with Patrick Moraz on keyboards and the first to be produced by Pip Williams.
1983 - The Present
Ten tracks. Last Moodies album to be produced by Pip Williams.
1984 - Voices in the Sky
Compilation of previously released songs. The CDs (U.S. release has the "boy-on-grass" cover, U.K. release has solid light blue cover) and U.K. LP (solid light blue cover) have the same track listing, which include "After You Came," "Never Comes the Day" and "Talking Out Of Turn." It also lists "Driftwood" as "Driftwodod". The U.S. LP ("boy-on-grass" cover) and Argentina LP ("Moodies-in-leather" cover) have the tracks rearranged and do not have these three songs but do have "Sitting at the Wheel." To further confuse things, the Canadian LP substitutes "Sitting at the Wheel" for "Talking Out of Turn;" otherwise, the song lineup is the same as the UK version.
1986 - The Other Side of Life
Nine tracks. This album signaled a dominance in the studio by Justin Hayward and John Lodge that has continued through Strange Times. First album produced by Tony Visconti.
1987 - Prelude
Nine tracks. This CD includes all of the non-album recordings to that time made by the Hayward/Lodge configuration of the band, including both sides of their first two singles ("Fly Me High" / "Really Haven't Got the Time" and "Leave This Man Alone" / "Love and Beauty"), plus "Cities" (the flip-side of the "Nights in White Satin" single) and "A Simple Game" (the European flip-side of the "Ride My See Saw" single). The next 5 tracks are the studio tracks from Caught Live +5 and "Late Lament" from Days of Future Passed closes out the CD.
1988 - The Magnificent Moodies (USA)
The CD version of this album has 25 tracks, including the entire original British LP released in 1967 (see above) and the remainder of the Denny Laine-era band's non-album recordings, some of which were on the American LP.
1988 - Sur La Mer
Ten tracks. Although listed as a band member on the liner notes, Ray Thomas did not participate on this album.
1989 - The Moody Blues Greatest Hits
A compilation with "stained glass" cover art released on both LP and CD that was re-released in 1990 as....
1990 - Legend of a Band
Intended as a companion to the video of the same name. The video includes interviews with the Moody Blues. The CD also includes versions of "Question" and "Isn't Life Strange," which were re-recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra. First album to release in the US exclusively as a CD (not as an LP).
1991 - Keys of the Kingdom
Eleven tracks with three different producers and three different keyboardists. It was the last album with Patrick Moraz, and the first (and only) studio album with Bias Boshell and Paul Bliss. "Highway" was produced by Tony Visconti during the recording sessions but not included in the album's release (see Time Traveller below). Released as an LP only in Canada.
1993 - A Night At Red Rocks With the Colorado Symphony Orchestra
Fourteen songs (plus an edited version of the Overture) of a live concert performed at the Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado on September 9, 1992. Also available as a video and DVD , with four songs not heard on the CD. The fifth bonus disk of the Time Traveller box set (see below) contains the remaining eight songs performed at the concert and not included on the Red Rocks CD. On March 4, 2003 a 2-CD "Deluxe Edition" of A Night At Red Rocks was released which reconstitutes the concert in the correct running order and restores the complete 7-plus minute "Overture".
1994 - Time Traveller
4 CD box set covering Moody Blues music from 1966 to 1994, plus "Forever Autumn" and six tracks from Blue Jays. Also includes "Highway," which was recorded during the sessions for Keys of the Kingdom but was omitted from the album. Initial copies of the box set included a fifth bonus CD, which wasn't included in later releases. The bonus CD included the eight live tracks from the Red Rocks concert that were not included on the CD A Night at Red Rocks ("The Story in Your Eyes", "Voices in the Sky", "New Horizons", "Emily's Song", "Bless the Wings", "Say It With Love", "Legend of a Mind", and "Gemini Dream") plus "This Is the Moment," which was previously only available on Soccer Rocks the Globe .
1997 - The Very Best of the Moody Blues
This 17-track compilation CD was originally released in the UK with the "dove over a star field" cover. It was the first compilation to include "Go Now" with the band's later recordings. It was later released as....
1997 - The Best of the Moody Blues
An "international" release with the album title written in a spiral, duplicating the track listing of the UK version (The Very Best of the Moody Blues) described above.
1998 - Master Series
Released by PolyGram and made available only in Europe (available through Threshold Records, this 17-track CD includes the usual hits, but also includes some rarities. Included are: the 7:31 minute remix of "Sitting at the Wheel" (previously only a 12-inch single in Germany); radio edits of "No More Lies" and "Nights in White Satin;" the Anne Dudley orchestral version of "Bless the Wings (That Bring You Back)" (previously only on CD single); "Highway" (previously released only as a single in Europe or on the Time Traveller box set); "I Dreamed Last Night" from Blue Jays; "Gimme A Little Something" from Caught Live + 5 and Prelude; "A Simple Game" from Prelude; and the orchestral version of "Question" re-recorded for Legend of a Band. Liner notes are by John Tracy. Re-released in 2000 with the name Classic Moody Blues or Universal Masters Collection.
1998 - The Moody Blues Anthology
This 2 CD, 33-track set covers the Moody Blues hits chronologically, plus songs from Blue Jays and Justin Hayward's solo ventures. The CD set was released with the "dove over a star field" cover art that was also used on the 1997 The Very Best of the Moody Blues. Re-released in 2001 with the name Moody Blues - The Collection.
1999 - Strange Times
Fourteen tracks, with all four Moodies having song-writing credits and their first studio album since Keys of the Kingdom in 1991. The first self-produced Moodies album and the first studio album in which Graeme speaks his own poetry since In Search of the Lost Chord in 1968. Band members have mentioned in interviews that 18 or 19 tracks were recorded, but the remaining tracks are, as yet, unreleased. The first single released was "English Sunset." Some early cassette versions were released with some song title errors on the cassette, although the correct titles are listed in the liner notes. These cassettes also flattened the bottom of the nautilus shell on the cover art. The Japanese release in 2000 included bonus tracks "Highway" and "This is the Moment". Last studio album with Ray Thomas.
2000 - 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection
"Moodies in Leather" cover art but with Moraz cropped out. Includes 11 tracks of the greatest hits and also "Blue World", perhaps the only song from "The Present" to be included on a "greatest hits" package.
2000 - Hits and Strange Times
This pairing of a The Very Best of (see above) with Strange Times sold well, and at the time of the filming of the concert at the Royal Albert Hall on May 1, 2000, it had reached number 9 in the UK charts.
2000 - Classic Moody Blues or Universal Masters Collection
A renaming of 1998's Master Series (see above).
2000 - The Moody Blues Hall of Fame: Live from Royal Albert Hall
A live concert performed May 1, 2000 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Also available as a video and DVD ), The 14 songs on the CD are the same as those performed on the video and DVD.
2000 - The Moody Blues - Singles and More
A release from Holland, 43 tracks spanning "Go Now" to Sur La Mer, including all 21 of the Billboard chart hits plus some Justin Hayward solo and Blue Jays tunes.
2001 - Moody Blues - The Collection
A renaming of 1998's "Anthology" (see above).
2001 - Journey Into Amazing Caves
Soundtrack CD accompanying IMAX movie of the same name for information on VHS and DVD releases.) - The Moody Blues (in this case, Hayward and Lodge with samples of Thomas' flute and Edge's drums) provide the new songs "We Can Fly" and "Water" (instrumental with Hayward and Lodge only), and re-worked versions of "Nights in White Satin", "Question", "I Know You're Out There Somewhere", "Your Wildest Dreams", and a live concert version of "Ride My See Saw" (which was in the movie, but not included in the soundtrack CD) for the soundtrack of this film. Justin Hayward also provided incidental guitar work. The soundtrack CD was released April 24, 2001.
2003 - Say It With Love
16-track compilation of the love songs of the Moody Blues.
2003 - "Deluxe Edition" A Night At Red Rocks
This 2-CD set reconstitutes the 1992 concert in the correct running order and restores the complete 7-plus minute "Overture".
2003 - December
The Moodies' first Christmas album is made up of five original compositions and six covers. Norda Mullen is credited with the flute parts on "In the Quiet of Christmas Morning" and "The Spirit of Christmas". Justin Hayward and John Lodge produced this first studio album since Ray Thomas' retirement.
2003 - Moody Blues: The Ballads
A 2-CD UK release pairing December (see above) with a 17-track compilation CD of ballads which has eight tracks in common with the US release Say It With Love.
2004 - HitStory
An 18-track compilation, including Denny Laine era songs "Go Now" and "From the Bottom of My Heart", as well as songs which don't usually appear on compilations, like "Procession", "Have You Heard (part 2)", "Watching and Waiting", and "And the Tide Rushes In". The cover is a band photo circa 1978.
2005 (March 1) - Gold
A 2-CD, 34-track compilation including "December Snow", "Forever Autumn" and a couple of Blue Jays tracks.
2005 (November 15) - The Moody Blues: Lovely to See You (Live) A 2-CD, 20-track complete set list from the June 11, 2005 show at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California. This is the Moody Blues' first live CD without an orchestra since 1977's Caught Live + 5.
In addition, members of the band have released the following solo albums:
Justin Hayward and John Lodge:
1975 - Blue Jays
Ten tracks. When released on CD, it included the bonus track "Blue Guitar" which was actually a Justin Hayward solo song.
Justin Hayward:
1977 - Songwriter
Ten tracks. When first released on CD, Songwriter included bonus tracks "Marie" and a cover of Buddy Holly's "Learning the Game". The 2004 CD re-release has all the tracks on the first CD along with "Wrong Time, Right Place" and "Heart of Steel" as additional bonus tracks.
1980 - Night Flight
Ten tracks. When first released on CD, Night Flight did not include any bonus tracks. However, the 2004 CD re-issue included the single version of "Bedtime Stories" and a live version of "Forever Autumn" (from Justin Hayward Live at San Juan Capistrano) as bonus tracks.
1985 - Moving Mountains
Nine tracks. Originally released on LP and cassette on the Towerbell label with triangular "mountains" on the cover. A short time later, it was released on the Anchor label as CD and cassette with a cover photo of Justin, apparently taken during the "Silverbird" video shoot, and with "The Lights Are Low" as a bonus track. The Anchor version was also released on LP in Canada (on the Attic label, under license from Anchor) and re-released on CD in 1996.
1989 - Classic Blue
Thirteen tracks of cover songs.
1994 - Frankfurt Rock Orchestra (FRO) Classic Moody Blues Hits featuring Justin Hayward & Friends (Germany).
Also released in Canada as Moody Blues - Classic Hits Unplugged and Justin Hayward and Friends Sing the Moody Blues Classic Hits; and the U.S. Classic Moody Blues Hits performed by the Classical Rock Orchestra featuring Justin Hayward & Friends (this version contains only 10 songs, compared to 14 tracks for the other FRO releases); and in the UK as Under the Moon of Love with a 2000-ish vintage photo of Justin, although the CD itself has the usual title. An "import" (to the U.S. with an unknown country of origin) was also listed on eBay with the title Justin Hayward and Friends and the Frankfort (sic) Rock Orchestra Sing the Hits of the Moody Blues, also with the 2000-ish vintage Justin photo on the cover.
1996 - The View From The Hill
Eleven tracks, eight of which are new Justin Hayward-penned songs, although he shares writing credits on "Sometimes Less is More" (with Dennis Lambert) and "Children of Paradise" (with Mickey Feat, who also sang and played bass on the album). "The Promised Land" and "Something to Believe In" were written by Phil Palmer and Paul Bliss, who also participated in the album.
1999 - Justin Hayward Live at San Juan Capistrano
Eighteen songs, recorded live over two nights (April 3-4, 1998), at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. It's also available as a video and DVD (see Section 8.1). For a complete set list see www.toadmail.com/~notten/12_Sp98JH.htm. The video includes 4 songs and between song banter not heard on the CD, and the DVD includes everything on the video plus a a backstage interview with Justin, a clip of Justin receiving the ASCAP Golden Note award and doing an acoustic version of "Nights in White Satin", and videos for "Silverbird" and "The Way of the World".
John Lodge:
1977 - Natural Avenue
Ten tracks. Re-released on CD in 1987 with the original album artwork and the bonus track "Street Cafe". Re-released in 1996 with a second bonus track, "Threw It All Away" and a (then) current photo of Lodge on the cover. Re-released again as a limited-edition LP in 2000 with the same cover art and track listing as the 1996 CD.
Ray Thomas:
1975 - From Mighty Oaks
Nine tracks, all of which were co-written by Ray Thomas and Nicky James except "I Wish We Could Fly", which is credited to Ray Thomas alone
1976 - Hopes, Wishes and Dreams
Ten tracks, all of which were co-written by Ray Thomas and Nicky James except "In Your Song", which is credited to Nicky James alone and "The Last Dream" which is credited to Ray Thomas alone
Graeme Edge (The Graeme Edge Band):
1975- Kick Off Your Muddy Boots
Ten tracks all co-written by Graeme Edge and Adrian Gurvitz
1977- Paradise Ballroom
Eight tracks all co-written by Graeme Edge and Adrian Gurvitz
Mike Pinder:
1976- The Promise
Nine tracks. Re-released in 1996 with two bonus tracks and available commercially or through One Step Records.
1993 - Off the Shelf
5 tracks
1994 - Among the Stars
Ten tracks. (Available through One Step Records
1995 - A Planet with One Mind
Eight children's stories told by Mike Pinder with background music. This album was a finalist for the Publishers Marketing Association's prestigious "Benjamin Franklin Award" for children's audio, a finalist for the National Association of Independent Record Distributors and Manufacturer's Award for Children's Storytelling and was awarded the Parents Choice Approval.
1996 - A People with One Heart
Pinder's second children's album with 7 stories. This album was also a finalist for the Publishers Marketing Association's "Benjamin Franklin Award" for children's audio.
1996 - "Shining Lights" (CD single)
This was originally available to members of the Friends of Mike Pinder (FOMP) fan club. Now available through One Step Records,
Families of The Moody Blues
MOODIES FAMILIES - Originally compiled by Thomas E. "TR" Ruddick, who wrote this introduction:
The Moody Blues, as a band, are less reclusive in the 1990s and beyond than they were in the 1970s--but they're still extremely private sorts of fellows.
As a Moodies fan, I've an average (I think...) amount of curiosity about their backgrounds. Since there's no authorized biography, except for a few unreliable entries in Rock Encyclopedias, I started to assemble this genealogy. I've meant to include all who have appeared on stage with the Moodies (except, of course, those union musicians who comprised the various "festival" orchestras). I admit that this approach leaves out some important people and adds some obscure ones (Doug Lock, Rod Clark) but at least it's precise. I have recently added some of the producers and symphonic arrangers to fill some of the gaps.
The information is not always reliable. Any questionable information here is marked (?). Birth years for these men are particularly frustrating to verify. When I'm not certain, I've listed the most credible date first, followed by others in (parentheses). I've placed stars *** before the names of those with songwriting credits.
If you think you can improve the information, please contact me at ruddickatedison.cc.oh.us Please "cc:" the maintainer of the FAQ with the same information: Linda B. (LSBangertataol.com) - remember to substitute @ for "at" in the e-mail addresses. My thanks to the countless Moodies fans who've shared information with me so far, especially the keepers of this FAQ, for their indispensable input and editing.
SOME GENERAL TIDBITS:
The four current Moodies are all naturally athletic. In the early days, the band and its buddies would regularly beat the regular Cobham team in football (soccer for the US audience); Justin Hayward set a sprinting record in his school days; and Graeme and John are competitive golfers. The four long-standing members of the band are also dog lovers. They are essentially self-taught as musicians, none claiming any special training beyond piano lessons or school band activities in childhood.
FOUNDING MEMBERS - The 5 original Moody Blues
1964-1966: the period of rhythm & blues, novelty tunes and "Go Now."
***CLINT WARWICK, bass, voice
b. Albert Eccles, June 25, 1940, in Birmingham
d. May 15, 2004
parents: Albert and Violet
brother: Ray
first wife: Christine (married mid-60s, divorced 1967)
son Paul (b. before 1966 d. 1996) owner/operator of a meat company
son: Lee (b. before 1966) managing editor of a graphic design company
grandsons: Sean and Gary
son: Neal
second wife: ? (divorced)
Formerly with local Birmingham band "The Rainbow." Helped to create the Moodies in 1964 but quit the band in August 1966, became a carpenter and lived near Birmingham. Eccles began his comeback by meeting with fans at the May, 2000 concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. In 2002 he launched a now-defunct website at www.clintwarwick.co.uk and on March 14, 2002, released a CD single, "My Life, The Waltz", which is available only from the website. He passed away May 15, 2004.
***MICHAEL THOMAS PINDER, piano, mellotron, guitar, synthesizer, cello, voice
b. Dec. 27, 1941, in Birmingham.
parents: Bert Thomas and Gladys Pinder
brother: Reg
sisters: Maisie, Monica
first wife: Donna (married around 1970; divorced sometime after '72)
son: Daniel (b. Nov. 23, 1971. Electric bassist) married Sarah
grandson: Will (b. 2001)
second wife: Taralee (married early 1980s)
son: Michael Lee (b. early 1979)
son: Matthew (b. early 1981) plays bass and provides backing vocals for a California band called "The Velvet Jones"
Pinder played in El Riot and the Rebels with Ray Thomas and John Lodge in the early 1960s, and worked in a mellotron factory. Later he and Thomas played in a group called the Krew Cats (or Crew Cats), working in many of the German pubs where the Beatles started out. Unfortunately, the Krew Cats went broke and Pinder and Thomas wound up walking back to England. It was third time lucky for Pinder after he co-founded the Moody Blues. He relocated to California around 1974, and quit the Moodies in 1978 after recording Octave.
He worked as a consultant for Atari computers through the 1980s and finally returned to the recording studio to produce new solo albums and two award-winning spoken word albums of children's stories.
He admires the work of Joseph Campbell (mythology professor who was featured on a series of PBS television shows and who consulted on scripts for the second and third "Star Wars" movies). He recommends that we all read Diet for a New America by John Robbins.
***GRAEME EDGE, percussion, electronics and spoken word
b. 4:00 am Mar. 30, 1941, in Rochester, Staffordshire
father: (d. November or December 1999 former music hall singer)
mother: (pianist for silent movies)
first wife: Carol (former model) (m. Jan. 1, 1969; divorced mid-1970)
daughter: Samantha Zara (b. mid-1969; m. July 20, 1996 resides in Hong Kong)
granddaughter: "Tiger" Olivia (b. Nov. 29, 1997)
granddaughter: Jade (b. May 27, 2000)
second wife: Sue (former typist) (m. mid 1970s; divorced mid-1980s)
son: Matthew (b. around 1976 works in banking in London)
third wife: "Commander" Amanda (m. Aug. 13, 1998, after being engaged since around 1991)
Edge started out in Birmingham as a "manager" for other bands ("manager" meant that the band could practice in your home). He filled in when a drummer in one of his bands quit suddenly. Prior to the Moodies, he played in Gerry Levene and the Avengers in Birmingham (along with Roy Wood, later of Electric Light Orchestra). He was also employed as a draughtsman and a pioneer in the use of electronic drums. Graeme is the only founding member still active in the Moodies.
His many hobbies include sailing (especially deep-water craft), golf, war films, aquariums, ultra-light aircraft, sci-fi and he's a confirmed "Trekkie."
***RAY THOMAS, flute, harmonica, sax, oboe, tambourine, voice
b. 5:30 am Dec. 29, 1941, in Stourport-on-Severn
youngest of 4 (?) siblings
wife Gillian Jary (m. 1969; divorced around 1981)
son: Adam (b. May 2, 1973)
daughter: Anna (nicknamed Nancy?) (b.?)
daughter: Zoe (b.?)
grandson: Robert Nathan (b. 2:51 am, Jan. 17, 1997, California, USA)
grandson: Marcus Dylan (b. May 28, 000)
Thomas played in El Riot and the Rebels and the Krew Cats before founding the Moodies. He also worked as a toolmaker. Ray retired from the Moodies after the fall 2002 tour.
Hobbies include fishing (fresh and saltwater), gardening and cooking (all cuisines).
***DENNY LAINE, lead guitar, harmonica, ukulele, mandolin, banjo, lead voice
b. Brian Hines, Oct. 28, 1944, in a boat off the Jersey coast
first wife: Joanne "JoJo" Alice Patrie (married Nov. 5, 1978)
daughter: Heidi Jo Hines (d.o.b. ?)
reports having a total of 5 children with 4 different women- most recent Significant Other: Helen Grant (b. 1964; lived with Denny 1987-96
daughter: Lucienne (b. 1987)
He fronted Denny Laine and the Diplomats in Birmingham (one bandmate was Bev Bevan, later of Electric Light Orchestra). Co-founded the Moodies, then in 1966 he departed for a series of moderately successful musical ventures (Balls, Ginger Baker's Air Force, some solo albums) and a sojourn in Spain where he was influenced by flamenco. His greatest post-Moodies success came in Paul McCartney's "Wings," during their glory years from the mid-70s to 1980. Since Wings broke up following McCartney's arrest for marijuana in Japan, Denny has worked as a solo artist.
MOODIES, MARK II
1966-78, after the departure of Laine & Warwick: The Flower Power years.
ROD CLARKE, bass
Replaced Clint Warwick on bass for part of 1966. There are a few TV clips with Clarke performing in the band and a concert review in Kink (a Dutch magazine) which pictures him, but, he was quickly replaced with John Lodge.
***JOHN CHARLES LODGE, bass, acoustic guitar, cello, voice
b. morning of July 20, 1942 or 1943, in Birmingham (Although the official website lists his birth year as 1945, Ray Thomas mentioned in an interview (The Other Side of Red Rocks DVD, that when they were first in a band together, Ray was 15 and John was 14.)
father: Charles Lodge (d. January 1992)
mother: Olive
wife: Kirsten (b. Denmark; m. July 31, 1968)
daughter: Emily (b. May 18, 1970; has been employed by the Monty Python company, is a scuba diver and in 2001 participated in the BT Global Challenge yacht race on the "VERITAS")
son: Kristian (b. May 27, 1972; marketing professional; formerly worked for Threshold records; reputedly a fine soccer player; and had a leading role in the 1999 critically lauded play "Four Dogs and a Bone". Produced the Access All Areas video for the Moodies.
Lodge, when he was "just a young lad," formed El Riot and the Rebels with Thomas and Pinder. He probably would have been the original bass player in the Moodies but, instead, devoted 1962(?)-66 to studying metallurgy at Birmingham Tech. He played briefly with other bands after commencement (Carpetbaggers, The Falcons, and the John Bull Breed - under the name, Johnny Storme). As the bassist that Pinder & Thomas would have wanted in the first place, John was almost automatic as Clint Warwick's replacement.
Lodge enjoys travel (especially in the American west), wine, tennis and, especially, golf; he's played in several pro-am tournaments and has produced a cassette describing how musical rhythms can help the golfer's swing. John also launched his own website in 2000 at www.johnlodge.com
***DAVID JUSTIN HAYWARD, lead guitar, sitar, voice
b. 8:00 am Oct. 14, 1946, in Swindon
father: Fredrick Hayward (b. 1910; d. 1969)
mother: Gwendolyn (Binks) Hayward (b. 1918; d. Jan 1, 2000)
brother: Richard (b. March 1945; d. 1986 at age 41)
nephew: Galen; m. Rosa, 1996
sister: Teresa (b. 1955?)
wife: Ann Marie Guirron (b. Jan 2, 1944; m. Dec 19, 1970; respected amateur golfer)
daughter: Doremi Celeste (b. Dec 3, 1972; m. May 14, 2005 to Sean Vaardall, a writer, in St. Ives, Cornwall; American Studies degree from Birmingham, former VH-1 intern)
Hayward was earning his keep as a musician while still in secondary school, attaining some regional recognition in the trio All Things Bright. His parents (teachers, both of them!) discouraged him from dropping out of high school at 15. So he completed his "O" levels, and at 16, and joined pop veteran Marty Wilde and his wife Joyce (parents of vocalist Kim Wilde) in the Wilde Three, and stayed with them for about two and a half years. Around this time, he reportedly did a short stint as a sales representative for a building supplies firm. A brief solo career in 1966 ended after he responded to an anonymous ad in Melody Maker for a guitarist. The advertiser turned out to be Eric Burdon, who was re-forming the Animals. Burdon didn't audition Hayward but passed his extra resumes along to the Moodies when he learned they needed a new guitarist/vocalist. Justin's was the first and only resume that Thomas/Pinder/Edge examined. He joined in September 1966, and the rest of the band (and their fans) have been thanking fortune ever since.
Justin's hobbies include regular exercise, cooking, watching football (soccer to Americans) and riding (though he does less since he divested himself of a thoroughbred farm sometime between 1977 and 1987). Justin also launched his own website in 2000 at www.justinhayward.com
***PETER KNIGHT, conductor, composer, arranger
b. June 23, 1917, in Exmouth, Devon; d. August 1985
wife: Pat
In 1967, Knight was asked to arrange, in a rock format, Dvorak's "A New World Symphony" featuring the Moodies. Instead, he wrote, arranged and conducted the London Festival Orchestra's contributions to the Moodies Days Of Future Passed. Knight also contributed orchestrations for John Lodge and Justin Hayward's album Blue Jays ("Nights Winters Years," "I Dreamed Last Night" and "Maybe"); and Justin Hayward's solo albums Songwriter ("One Lonely Room" and "Stage Door") and Moving Mountains ("The Best Is Yet To Come" and "Who Knows").
Knight also worked with, among others: the Carpenters, including their concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra; Barbra Striesand on her Striesand and Other Musical Instruments; and Roman Polanski's movie, "Tess".
TONY CLARKE, producer
b. 1941 in Coventry, England
Produced the Moodies from 1966's "Fly Me High" through Octave in 1978. The band considered him "the sixth Moody Blue." Clarke also produced many songs on Moody members solo albums, including: Songwriter (Justin Hayward); Blue Jays (Justin Hayward & John Lodge); Natural Avenue (John Lodge); and Kick Off Your Muddy Boots (The Graeme Edge Band).
After his relationship with the Moodies ended, Clarke recorded special effects for the movie "Supergirl;" produced Clannad's Legend album; and worked with Rick Wakeman and Nicky Hopkins, among others. Tony has a website at www.tonyclarkestudio.co.uk
TIMOTHY LEARY
b. Oct. 22, 1920; d. May 31, 1996
In the interview portion of the DVD An Audience with Justin Hayward at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , Hayward mentions that Leary sat in on tambourine during the Elysian Park Love-in (November 1-2, 1969).
MOODIES, MARK III
1979 - 1991, following departure of Michael Pinder: The "Moraz Years" or "Hired Gun Years - Part 1"
***PATRICK MORAZ, keyboards
b. June 24, 1944, in Morges, Switzerland
daughter: Raina-Alegra (b. around 1977; mother's first name Liane)
wife: Diane (m. around 1978; separated around 1994)
son: David (b. Nov 24 or 27, 1980)
Moraz broke into the rock scene in Yes as the replacement for Rick Wakeman, appearing on only one Yes album, Relayer. Mike Pinder's departure after the Octave recording sessions led to selecting Moraz to play keys on the 1978 tour. Although never legally a member of the band, he remained as chief keyboard player for the Moodies Keys of the Kingdom album and left in 1991.
While with the Moodies, he released solo albums and composed film scores for the "psychological thrillers" genre. Since leaving the Moodies, he's continued as a solo artist and also toured with jazz musicians. An "announcement-only" mailing list was created to provide information about Patrick Moraz's music activities to his fans and friends. Messages are sent as news becomes available. Sign up at groups.yahoo.com/group/MorazNews
PIP WILLIAMS, producer
b. October 7, 1947, in Hillingdon, England
Produced the Moodies Long Distance Voyager (their most immediately successful album) and The Present albums.
Williams has also worked with the likes of Status Quo, Al Green and Kiki Dee.
DOUG LOCK, guitar technician
Toured with the group in the early 80s, his primary job was to keep Justin's EES Gibson and Strat in fine working order. However, the band had him play second guitar parts from offstage in the early 80s, and he contributed bits here and there to The Present.
WENNDY MACKENZIE, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band, 1986 - 87 and is now working as a vocal coach. Her website at www.improv.net/Wenndy/index.html lists Justin Hayward and Melissa Manchester among her vocal students.
JANIS LIEBHART, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band 1986 - 87 and is now singing backup to Michael Bolton.
TONY VISCONTI, producer
b. April 24, 1944, in Brooklyn, NY
first wife: Siegrid; divorced
second wife: Mary Hopkin; divorced
third wife: May Pang, m. 1989 (Justin Hayward was best man at the wedding); divorced
Produced the Moodies The Other Side of Life, Sur La Mer and 6 of 12 tracks from the Keys Of The Kingdom recording sessions. He also produced "One Again" on Justin Hayward's solo album Moving Mountains, and worked with Justin on "It Won't Be Easy" and "Outer Space" for the UK television show "Star Cops."
Visconti has also produced, among others, T. Rex, David Bowie, Thin Lizzy, Annie Haslam and, most recently, Alex Forbes and The Seahorses. Tony maintains a web site at: www.tonyvisconti.com
BIAS BOSHELL, keyboards
b. July 20, (1950?) Tobias (aka Tobey)
Studio musician who has worked with, among others, Barclay James Harvest, Tony Visconti and Kiki Dee (five of her albums; authored several tunes for her including "I Got The Music In Me." (Other Moody links to Kiki Dee on these albums include Pip Williams, Patrick Moraz and "Forever Autumn" authors Paul Vigrass and David Osborne.) Bias recorded as a member of two groups: "Casablanca" (one self-titled album, 1974; Vigrass and Osborne were also members) and "Trees" (two albums: The Garden of Jane Delawney and On The Shore, both in 1970).
Hired as second keyboard player to Patruck Moraz for tours in 1986 and rehired in 1990. Bias assumed first-chair status upon the departure of Patrick Moraz in 1991. Also played some guitar parts, in addition to keyboards, during the "Red Rocks" tours. He participated in the recording of 1991's Keys of the Kingdom and left the Moodies after the April 2001 tour.
GUY ALLISON, keyboards
Hired as backup keyboard player for touring 1987 - 89, between Bias' first two tours. As of 2002 he was touring as a member of the Doobie Brothers and was credited for co-writing one of the songs they performed.
SHAWN MURPHY, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band, 1988 - 90. She is now the lead vocalist with Little Feat since 1994; has been known to cook up some wonderful Cajun food from time to time.
NAOMI STARR, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band, 1988 - 90.
BEKKA BRAMLETT, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band in 1990. Also had a brief stint in Fleetwood Mac and maintains a website at www.bekka-bramlett.com
TERRY WOOD, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band in 1990. She has sung for film and television, and has also backed Neil Diamond, Dolly Parton, Travis Tritt and many others.
MOODIES, MARK IV
1991 - 2002, following departure of Patrick Moraz: "The Hired Gun Years- Part 2"
PAUL BLISS, keyboards, guitar
b. June 26, 1953
daughter: Amy (b. 1981 or '82)
daughter: Hannah (b. 1984 or '85)
Formerly studio musician (heard on the Hollies' 1983 album What Goes Around); recorded as a member of "Dog Soldier" (one self-titled album, 1975 -- Paul played bass) and leader of "The Bliss Band" (two albums, Dinner with Raoul, (1978); Neon Smiles (date?)). Co-wrote songs for Celine Dion ("If You Asked Me To" 1992) and Olivia Newton-John ("Heart Attack" 1983). Released solo album Edge of Coincidence in 1997.
Hired as second keyboard player in 1991 when Bias Boshell moved to first after the departure of Patrick Moraz. Participated on the recording of 1991's Keys of the Kingdom. He was also a major contributor to Justin Hayward's solo album, The View from the Hill and toured with Justin Hayward's solo band promoting that album. Also played some guitar parts, in addition to keyboards, during the Strange Times tour and beyond. Moved to first keyboard after Bias Boshell's departure in 2001, and is still working for the Moodies. Paul also launched his own website in 2000 at www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Palladium/2799
GORDON MARSHALL, drums
b. March 16, 1960
wife: Susan
daughter: Phoebe (b. Sept. 29, 1995)
daughter: Francesca (b. Dec. 1, 1997)
Hired as second drummer in 1991 and still working for the Moodies. He also toured with Justin Hayward's solo band which toured to promote The View From the Hill in which he played drums and flute. Released solo album Marshall in 2000 with support from Bias Boshell and Tracy Graham, and when not touring with the Moodies is the drummer for "TinTin Out" featuring Emma Bunton (aka Baby Spice). Gordon also launched his own website in 2000 at www.gordymarshall.com
JUNE BOYCE, female backing vocalist
Toured with the band, 1991 - 93 (winter casino tour) and quit due to parenthood.
SUE SHATTOCK, female backing vocalist
b. April 1, (?)
Toured with the band, 1991 - 2000 (May UK tour), leaving for family and other recording projects. She released a solo album, Trapped in Paradise under her new stage name "Susan Kay" and launched a website at susankayrecords.com in 2002.
LARRY BAIRD, arranger and orchestra conductor for the Red Rocks concert on September 9, 1992, and was the arranger and conductor for all subsequent tours with the symphony.
TRACY GRAHAM, female backing vocalist
b. February 14, (?)
Toured with the Moodies, 1993 (summer tour) - 2001 (April tour) as a backing vocalist (and the only backing vocalist starting with the fall 2000 tour).
As a child, she acted and sang in West End musicals, and starred in a (UK) TV commercial for the Red-Headed Cindy Doll. She's also worked with Paul Young and ABC, among others. She has released solo albums Up Front in 1996 and Don't Look Down in 2000. Tracy also did a solo shows in London in 2001 and 2002 to support of both her albums, and the 2002 concert was webcast at www.kashmirklub.com Tracy is still very active, most recently with a new group called "Pussy Glamore" (www.pussyglamore.com) and enjoys meeting with the fans, most recently at the 2004 London Hard Rock CafÈ. She also has a website at www.tracygraham.com
DANILO MADONIA, keyboards
Credited with "programming, keyboards, and orchestration" on Strange Times, and "keyboard and programming" on the tracks "Water" and "We Can Fly" on the Journey into Amazing Caves soundtrack. He also performed with the Moodies on "Good Morning America" (August 9, 1999) and "Live with Regis & Kathie Lee" (October 25, 1999), assisted in preparations for the world tour to promote Strange Times and assumed soundboard duties on the 2000 tours.
BERNIE (Bernadette) BARLOW, female backing vocalist and "light" keyboards
b. June 26, (?)
A Los Angles studio singer, who has reportedly backed Alanis Morissette, Enya and many others. Toured with the band starting with the August 2001 tour. Bernie can also be seen performing in the live studio band on the season finale of the TV show "Survivor Africa". She maintains a website at www.berniebarlow.com and released a CD, Golden, in 2003, which is available through her website.
MOODIES, MARK V
2002 - present, following departure of Ray Thomas: "The Hired Gun Years- Part 3"
NORDA MULLEN, flute, guitars, backing vocals
b. April 27
Replaced Ray Thomas' flute parts in concert beginning on the March 2003 tour and provided additional guitars and backing vocals. She also provided flute and backing vocals for Justin Hayward's solo shows at the Coach House, San Juan Capistrano on December 3, 1996, and is credited with the flute parts on "In the Quiet of Christmas Morning" and "The Spirit of Christmas" on the album December.
Her extensive list of credits include performing in the West Coast Chamber Orchestra, Los Angeles Flute Orchestra, Bach to Blues Trio, The Warner Brothers Symphony, Bahu-Rang, and Dennis Quaid & The Sharks; and in motion pictures and television soundtracks ("Monsters, Inc.", "Meet The Parents", "I Spy", "Death To Smoochy", "Toy Story II", etc.)
JULIE RAGIN, female backing vocalist and "light" keyboards
Filled in for Berne Barlow on the April 2005 tour of Australia and New Zealand.