The Moody Blues

Originally emerging with the Merseybeat-flavoured 1964 hit 'Go Now', The Moody Blues reinvented themselves by replacing their blues-based rhythms with a pseudo-classical style that took pop into a new choral/symphonic era of concept albums. The original band featured Mike Pinder, Ray Thomas, Graeme Edge, Clint Warwick and singer Denny Laine but after 'Go Now', subsequent singles flopped and several members called it a day. Their career was revived by Justin Hayward and John Lodge who joined Edge and Pinder in developing a big new sound largely built around Pinder's arrangements on the new electronic instrument, the Mellotron. A planned modern interpretation of Dvorjak's 'New World Symphony' evolved into their own ambitious lush concept album 'Days of Future Past' which included the classic hit single 'Nights in White Satin'. Its success inspired them to make ever more complex albums like 'In Search of the Lost Chord', 'To Our Children's Children' and 'A Question of Balance'. They took an extended break in 1974, leading Hayward and Lodge to form a successful splinter duo, but The Moody Blues reunited in 1977, with Patrick Moraz replacing Pinder, to continue their success. Moraz left in 1991 but the group remained a popular live act. Thomas retiremed in 2002 leaving Hayward, Lodge and Edge to continue as a trio. In 2003 they released 'December', an album of originals and covers of Christmas songs including 'White Christmas' and 'When a Child Is Born'. They embarked on tours of the US, UK and Canada through the latter 2000s and in 2015 they made their debut appearance at Glastonbury Festival. In January 2018 original singer and flautist Ray Thomas passed away, missing just by a few months the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Please enable Javascript to view this page competely.