The Moody Blues, The #63 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Two

 

(Continued from Part One)

 

By now, the Moodies had become known for their progressive rock, on full display on their 1970 album A Question of Balance.  The album went to #1 in the U.K. and #3 in the United States.  But with a peak of #21, the group was once again way ahead of their time with a song that ranks high among The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

 "Dawning Is The Day" urges us to escape the trappings of the modern world.

 

The group was a huge hit at the Isle of Wight Festival.  The Moodies continued their hot streak with the album Every Good Boy Deserves Favour in 1971.  "The Story In Your Eyes" peaked at #23, another of The Top Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era*.

 

"You Can Never Go Home" is a song Hayward wrote about the death of his father.  It is inspired by the book You Can't Go Home by Thomas Wolfe.

 

The band released the album Seventh Sojourn in 1971, a #1 album in the United States, also characterized by the orchestral sound they had begun with Days of Future Passed.  "Isn't Life Strange" reached #9 in Canada.

 

The great song "I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)" is yet another example of chart methodology unable to correctly ascertain the huge popularity of the group.  It stalled at #12, although it did reach #4 in Canada.

 

"For My Lady" is another of the group's solid ballads.

 

We also want to feature this tasty number, "You And Me".

Days of Future Passed received new life in 1972 and this time, it generated tremendous interest, reaching #3 on the U.S. Album chart.  "Nights In White Satin", largely ignored when originally released because of the decision to cut the length so it could be a single, became the biggest career hit by the Moody Blues, and ranks as one of The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era*.

After an extensive world tour, the group took a hiatus from recording and performing, although they did oversee the completion of their compilation album This Is The Moody Blues, which went Gold.  During this time, Hayward and Lodge recorded an album together, Hayward released the first of several solo albums while Lodge also released a solo project, Pinder recorded a solo album and Edge produced two albums.

 

The group reunited for another studio album, although the Moodies had to work through internal tensions between the members.  Finally, the group completed the album Octave, released in 1978, but Pinder did not tour with the group.  Keyboardist Patrick Moraz, formerly with Yes, joined the Moody Blues on tour.  "The Day We Meet Again" is one of the best songs on the album.

The group toured the United States and Europe before working on their next album.  Moraz joined the group in the studio, but Pinder, who thought he was still in the Moodies for studio recordings, sued to stop the album.  He lost the lawsuit and never joined the group again.

 

In 1981, the Moody Blues made a big comeback with the album Long Distance Voyager, their first #1 album since Seventh Sojourn nine years before. The single "Gemini Dream" rose to #1 in Canada but only #12 in the United States, yet another underrated song.

 

"The Voice" is another of those underrated songs, peaking at #16.

 

The band scored a #9 hit, #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart, with "Your Wildest Dreams".

"Your Wildest Dreams" won a Billboard Award for Video of the Year.  

In 1983, the group released the album The Present, which yielded the #3 Mainstream Rock hit "Sitting At The Wheel".

 

In 1988, the group signed with Polydor Records and returned with the album Sur La Mer.  "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" hit #2 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #9 on the AC chart.

 

The group released the album The Present in 1983, which didn't come close to their previous album.  But the Moodies once again enjoyed success with their 1986 album The Other Side of Life, which reached #9 and sold over one million copies in the U.S.  "Candle Of Life".

The Moodies released the compilation The Story of the Moody Blues - Legend of a Band in 1990, followed by the superb box set Time Traveler in 1994.  Both went Gold.

In 1991, while working on a new album, Moraz was fired and replaced by Bias Boshell and Paul Bliss, who had been added to their live shows.  With that lineup, the Moody Blues released the album Keys of the Kingdom.

The group continued to do well on the road, and their concert at Red Rocks in Colorado was especially memorable, with a recording of the 1992 concert released on DVD.  The album was certified Gold.  

Bliss became a permanent fixture on stage until he was replaced in 2010.  After Edge was injured in 1991, Gordon Marshall was recruited and became a second drummer until 2015.  But none of the new musicians became official full-time members of the band.

The Moody Blues did not release another studio album until 1999 with Strange Times.  In 2000, they released a recording from their show at the Royal Albert Hall in London on both CD and DVD, called Hall of Fame.  This was the last tour for Boshell, with Bliss taking over from there.

In 2002, Thomas retired, and the remaining three members (Hayward, Lodge and Edge) recruited flautist and rhythm guitarist Norda Mullen for a North American tour.  Mullen continues to perform with the group to this day.

In 2003, the Moody Blues released the album December.  In 2007, the Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina featured a ride called "Nights in White Satin:  The Trip", which included the playing of the group's signature song with new orchestration.  The ride only lasted two years when the company was bought by new owners.

The group continued to tour regularly through 2010, the same year that producer Tony Clarke died.  The Moodies added keyboardist Alan Hewitt for their 2010 world tour.

In 2013, the Moody Blues released the compilation Timeless Flight.  They continued to tour through 2015 and appeared at the Glastonbury Festival in June of that year.

On January 4, 2018, Thomas died at the age of 76, shortly before the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Moody Blues have influenced countless groups such as ELO, Genesis and Yes.

The band had 21 career hits with three reaching the Top 10.  Just as was the case with Joni Mitchell, AC/DC, Jackson Browne and others, hits don't tell the whole story.  They had eight hits on the Mainstream Rock chart, with four reaching the Top 10 and one #1, and that chart has been in existence for a fraction of the time the Moodies have been recording music.  If it had been, those numbers would easily triple or quadruple--sure, the band had its hits, even though many were underrated, but what drew millions of fans to them was their incredible albums.

The Moody Blues have sold over 70 million albums worldwide.  They are a member of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame.