News

Days of Future Passed Now Mastered for iTunes

Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed
45 years after it's debut, the future of Days Of Future Passed is here! Once again, much like this iconic album, the Moody Blues seeks out the cutting edge of a music trend and embraces it! Mastering an album for iTunes especially takes into consideration the sound on digital devices, using the same techniques Apple uses to prepare it's audio for sale on iTunes. This way, when you listen to Days of Future Passed on your computer, iPod, iPad, iPhone or other device, you will have the advantage of the best listening experience and highest quality fidelity that's digitally possible. The difference is in the master... In preparing music for digital downloading, the source audio is even more imporatnt than the end format in many ways, and iTunes mastering starts with the highest resolution master available, usually much higher than the resolution available from a commercial CD. From there, the new master is optimized based on how it sounds on the types of devices the end-user is expected to listen with. This is a completely different way of approaching the subject than previously done, and the end result is audio that will sound great no matter what you play it on. Days of Future Passed now available on iTunes

Lifting The Mood

Prolific songwriter, singer and guitarist Justin Hayward has been one of the point men for multi-million selling rockers The Moody Blues for over 40 years. By: BRUCE DENNILL Citizen.co.za Prolific songwriter, singer and guitarist Justin Hayward has been one of the point men for multi-million selling rockers The Moody Blues for over 40 years. It was his songwriting that gained him entrance to the band in the first place – an unusual route to take considering that songwriters are often the central figures in a band. “The times were changing,” says Hayward (apparently unaware that he even speaks in lyrical soundbites). “Bands were not doing cover versions anymore, and there was a movement towards writing songs within bands. “When Denny left, he took the old approach with him. We con-tinued that way for a while – promoters expected it. We even wore those old blue suits...” With all his experience as a singer, guitarist and touring and recording artist, how does Hayward view songwriting’s place in the creative hierarchy? “It used to be what needed doing most urgently,” he says. “It would kick off the process; new songs gave us something to work on. And for me, songwriting is the part of my life I value the most. Touring is great too – hanging out with mates; being in a really good band – but songwriting is like having a room in your house only you have the key to.” Presumably, then, Hayward would offer advice to that effect to up-and-comers? “Absolutely,” he agrees. “New artists should look at songwriting seriously. It’s the most important part of what they do – they will own that part of the music until 50 years after their deaths. I signed a bad contract at age 16 and lost a lot of the rights to my early songs. So I’ve never signed another contract. “All of that said, in the last few years, The Moody Blues have been offered more work then when we were younger, so our live act is also lucrative.” A large part of Hayward’s success is his incredible work ethic, as evidenced by the huge number of songs he’s written, recorded and covered. “I’ve had a wonderful time the last two or three years, when I’ve been able to record almost everything I’ve been storing up,” Hayward says. “With The Moody Blues, our biggest competitor is our own catalogue. If we approach someone and say we want to release an album, they always see that as an opportunity to release another greatest hits collection. It’s great to have this new stuff done. It’s a duty, but I’m pleased I’ve been able to do it.” That sort of hard work and discipline doesn’t come easy to many people. Did Hayward ever get frustrated with the pace at which his bandmates worked? “A little bit, in the early days,” admits Hayward. “I was always like a schoolboy with his homework; I had every- thing prepared. The other guys would sometimes have nothing at all, but I could never take that risk.” The Moody Blues were famous for combining rock and classical music, along with the Electric Light Orchestra and others. Arguably, they’ve endured better than almost all of their competition. Why? “To my knowledge, we were the first to do it, by about a year, I think,” says Hayward. “We were also fortunate that the first album we did in that style was Days Of Future Passed, which was beautifully recorded, and so has endured. And the introduction of the Mellotron really worked for us and our songs, and other bands stopped using that sound, which made us sound unique.” Use the phrase “combining rock and classical music” now and people will think Il Divo and Josh Groban rather than the atmospheric, orchestral power of the work of The Moody Blues or their peers. “Everyone uses that phrase now. The feel of it is very evocative,” says Hayward. “And until this current generation is gone, it may be that trends like this just repeat,” he says. “If you were brought up on early rock and roll, you play a certain way – you slide into the note, for instance – while nowadays, everything is auto-corrected and very precise. Things will take time to change.”

In the Mood with Justin Hayward

Greenvilleonline.com Written by: Stephanie Trotter Music usually cuts one of two ways. Hearing a favorite song from childhood takes you right back to those heady days of youth or makes you feel older than dirt. If you’re predisposed to the latter, read on with caution. The Moody Blues are celebrating the 45th anniversary of the release of their hallmark album “Days of Future Passed.” Yes, it’s been four decades and then some since scratchy vinyl discs of “Nights in White Satin” and “Tuesday Afternoon” spun around on the ol’ hi-fi. The symphonic rock album sold millions of copies and solidified the Moodies as early pioneers in classical and progressive rock. Today their legacy rests soundly upon 70 million albums and SRO tours that crisscross the globe. Their new schedule includes a March 28 stop at the Peace Center, following their last appearance here in 2008. TALK caught up with vocalist and lead guitarist Justin Hayward at his office between Monaco and the Italian border. Just what does he think of “Nights” all these years after writing it? His answer may surprise you. TALK Greenville: Bonjour. Thanks for meeting with us. So you’re ready to hit the road for the big anniversary year? Justin Hayward: Yes. We’re looking forward to it very much. It’s amazing to think we’re celebrating such a number of years, although I can’t say it seems like yesterday! TG: Growing up in Wiltshire, England, dabbling with piano at 7 and ukulele at 9, did you ever think this kind of success would follow and be so long-lasting? JH: Not specifically! (laughing) I certainly knew from age 8 or 9 my life was going to be about music. I was committed and dedicated to that. So I think I’d still be in a group playing in the pub up on the corner (if not this). TG: What were your early influences? JH: Radio Luxembourg was the only radio station that really played 45s, and every night you could listen to that. Britain was controlled by the BBC. It was very limited in what you could hear. So my early years were Radio Luxembourg and sharing music with other people, and going to their houses and listening to their records and girlfriends, you know what it’s like. You know, being turned on to music by your friends. TG: What influence has American music had on you? JH: I always look west. I think my great heroes were American. The first one actually was Johnnie Ray. He had a sort of cry in his voice and he really turned me on when I was a small child. Just listening to that, how he did that thing, that cry in his voice when he sang. And then Elvis, but I could never identify with Elvis because he was sort of out front of the band. And it was Buddy Holly that really made me focus on what I wanted to do because he was in a group, and he wrote and played guitar, and he sang. And so that was it really. TG: What about closer to home? JH: There was only one real British rock-and-roll record before The Beatles and that was “Move It,” which was Cliff (Richards). And you know fortunately The Beatles changed everything and opened doors for people like me. I just happened to be right in the middle of it when it was happening in London, so that was wonderful too. TG: Did y’all compete with The Beatles and Stones, or feed off each other creatively? JH: We were definitely influenced by them, The Beatles particularly. I think what they were doing and the way they were doing things in the studio, influenced us a great deal. I think the album from “Hard Days Night” onward, when they really started to focus on how to record their own songs, that’s what interested us. TG: Were you following a formula? JH: We just had a couple of few lucky breaks in the early days. A wonderful accident. It wasn’t something that we planned. I can remember nothing in our career over the 45 years that’s been planned and thought through and gone to that plan at all. We’ve lurched and stumbled through this wonderful music. TG: You’ve been with MB since ’66. How have y’all avoided the pitfalls of fame — excessive money, drugs, egos — and stayed together? JH: (laughing) Well, we had the egos, you know, five guys in the band? Internally there’s always competition and a struggle between you, but it’s not always unpleasant. We were fortunate in that we focused completely on the music for the first seven to eight albums without focusing on ourselves as personalities. And so that gave us a different kind of style. That really helped us, particularly when we came to America. They didn’t want celebrity, they just wanted the music and our stuff was perfect for it. TG: Recently, you heard the virgin cuts off MB’s first albums while working on a re-release. What did you think? JH: My impression was, “How on earth did we do that?” I was stoned all the time. Not badly, just a gentle buzz going on and yet I delivered these songs. My songs would always be the first to be recorded. As I was going through the re-master, I was thinking, “How did I manage to do that? Where did all this stuff come from?” We were very, very fortunate. TG: Many of your songs are autobiographical. When you sing them now, do you enjoy it, do they stand the test of time? JH: Yes. There’s something about delivering songs like that to an audience and the feeling you get from the audience. A lot of people are hearing it for the first time live and that’s a wonderful thing to be able to share. It never fails to turn me on, really. I get involved with the emotion of that right from the very first bar. TG: You’ve toured and traveled the world. How does Greenville fare on your itinerary? JH: It lives always in memory. That’s the television series, with the policeman, and Barney and the kid, right? TG: (laughing) Yes, that’s us. Andy Griffith. JH: Andy Griffith, yes! That was huge when I was growing up in the ’60s. The first couple of times we went to America, we only saw the large industrial centers and I couldn’t wait to get out to South Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee. It really turned me on the first time we did. Your voice resonates with something from my childhood. It’s superb, it really is. TG: Well thank you, we’ll keep the Southern drawl going. Are crowds in the U.S. different? JH: Yes. I can only say that when I’m talking to an American. Because if you say that to a British person, they’ll say, “Oh really?” But it is. I think Americans have always known how to enjoy live music and be part of it and include themselves in a concert and take part emotionally. The British are wonderful and I would never knock it, but it’s a much more reserved kind of thing. To get back into the U.S. where people are demonstrative in their feelings is wonderful, it’s why we keep coming back. TG: Sounds like you’re one step shy of saying we rip our shirts off. JH: Well, I have seen that. Right in front of us. In the ’60s and ’70s it was a little crazy, even in the ’80s too. It’s still OK by me. (smiling.) TG: Where do you find inspiration today when writing? JH: Thankfully, I’ve had a wonderful few years of writing and have recorded a lot. I’m very pleased with the things I’ve done. Whether it will come out as a Moodies record or some other thing, I don’t know yet. I’ve never really tried to analyze inspiration for songs too much. Inspiration must find me working. I think Picasso said that. And that’s absolutely right. So to play the guitar every day and have my keyboards around me, hopefully something will come out of that. TG: And we can’t wait to hear it all in Greenville. See you then. For more on the group and their show at the Peace Center, go to MoodyBluesToday.com.

Moody Blues to Play Peace Center

Moody Blues The Voyage Continues Highway 45 Tour Moody Blues The Voyage Continues Highway 45 Tour
via GroupState.com The Moody Blues, one of the most iconic rock bands of all-time, has just announced an upcoming concert in the Upstate. In conjunction with the 45th anniversary of its landmark album, “Days of Future Passed,” the legendary British band will bring its 32-city U.S. tour, titled “The Moody Blues: The Voyage Continues – Highway 45,” to the Peace Center for the Performing Arts in Greenville on March 28. Tickets for the show go on sale to the public Saturday at www.peacecenter.org or at the Peace Center box office. Tickets are $70, $55 and $45. For more information, call 864-467-3000. The Moody Blues' last appearance at the Peace Center was a sold-out performance in April 2008. Known for its innovative blend of rock and classical music, the Moody Blues has an impressive catalog of hits that includes “Nights in White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Ride My See Saw,” “The Story in Your Eyes,” “Isn't Life Strange,” “Question,” “I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band),” “Your Wildest Dreams” and “I Know You're Out There Somewhere.” The Moody Blues has sold in excess of 70 million albums worldwide and has been awarded 14 platinum and gold discs. Its current lineup includes one member from the original R&B-inspired band from 1964 (drummer Graeme Edge) and two more from the classic 1967 lineup that played on “Days of Future Passed” (bassist John Lodge and guitarist Justin Hayward). View all 2012 Tour Dates

Moody Blues Celebrate 45 Years Since 'Days of Future Passed" With 2012 Spring Tour

Moodies Continue to Offer Fans Special VIP Treatment With Exclusive 'Storytellers Experiences' and 'Backstage Tours' on 'The Moody Blues: The Voyage Continues - Highway 45 Tour'

Moody Blues The Voyage Continues Highway 45 Tour Moody Blues The Voyage Continues Highway 45 Tour
The Moody Blues will launch their 32-city 2012 U.S. tour titled "The Moody Blues: The Voyage Continues - Highway 45", in conjunction with the 45th Anniversary of their landmark album DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED. The tour kicks off next March 2012 in Florida, and continues through April 21, 2012, ending in Niagara Falls, New York. The band, whose legacy spans four decades of hit-making and sell-out tours, will continue to entertain audiences with their timeless music. Says the New York Post of their live show: ”The rockers played a set that reminded the sold-out Music Hall why (The Moody Blues are) one of the most important rock acts to ever come out of the U.K…the trio looked remarkably sound and sounded untouched by time…” Echoes USA Weekend: “Fans were on their feet applauding great music from a great rock n’ roll band with staying power beyond anybody’s ‘wildest dreams.’” Says the St. Louis Post Dispatch: “The Moodies depend on nostalgic memories of their fans' youth, but they also know that in the present, these songs can still move the listener.” The Moody Blues’ No. 1, Top 5, Top 10, Top 20, Top 40, Multi-Platinum, Platinum and Gold albums and singles, have generated sold-out tours on a consistent basis over the course of several decades, making them one of the top-grossing album and touring bands in existence. The band has sold in excess of 70 million albums worldwide and has been awarded 14 platinum and gold discs. Their vast roster of hits includes: “Nights In White Satin,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Ride My See Saw,” “The Story In Your Eyes,” “Isn’t Life Strange,” “Question,” “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band),” “Your Wildest Dreams,” and “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere,” to name a few. Guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward, bassist/vocalist John Lodge and drummer Graeme Edge, on this tour, will also offer their fans a special opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with them on their exclusive “Storytellers Experiences” and “Backstage Tours” exclusives, which will be available on select tour dates. The ultimate Moody Blues VIP experiences now available, will give fans the rare opportunity to join the rock legends pre-show, telling some of their wildest personal stories and recounting decades of international performances to an intimate group of fans. The exclusive “Storytellers Experiences” will be available to purchase online on a first-come-first serve basis, and will take place before four select performances. View Tour Dates & VIP Availability

Justin Hayward on Vox Pop

Justin Hayward Justin Hayward
Vox Pop: How Dartford Powered the British Beat Boom Iain Lee discovers how Vox, a small music-equipment manufacturer based in Dartford, helped the Moody Blues, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones define the sound of the 1960s with its amplifiers. The comedian tells the company's story, hearing from musicians Justin Hayward, Brian May and Bruce Welch, along with some of the staff who worked at the Vox factory at the time. The segment is set to air next Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 22:35 on BBC 1 South East. Get more info at RadioTimes.com

Moody Blues to Play BergenPAC 4/16 - Tix on Sale 11/18

via BroadwayWorld.com

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues
Rock Icons THE MOODY BLUES are coming to BergenPAC on April 16, 2012 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $149, $119, $99, $79 and go on sale November 18th. The Moody Blues will embark on their 2012 Spring U.S. tour this March. Guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward, bassist/vocalist John Lodge, and drummer Graeme Edge will take the stage April 16th at 8pm at bergenPAC in Englewood, New Jersey. The band, whose legacy spans four decades of hit-making and sell-out tours, will continue to entertain audiences with their timeless music. Says the New York Post of their live show: "The rockers played a set that reminded the sold-out Music Hall why (The Moody Blues are) one of the most important rock acts to ever come out of the U.K...the trio looked remarkably sound and sounded untouched by time..." Echoes USA Weekend: "Fans were on their feet applauding great music from a great rock n' roll band with staying power beyond anybody's ‘wildest dreams.'" Says the St. Louis Post Dispatch: "The Moodies depend on nostalgic memories of their fans' youth, but they also know that in the present, these songs can still move the listener." The Moodies' legendary hit "Nights In White Satin" originally released in 1967 from their landmark Days Of Future Passed album, recently landed at #2 on the UK Rock Chart, and at #27 on the BBC Radio 1 chart, making it the fourth time that "Nights" has charted in its 40-plus year history. The song's resurgence ignited from a recent smash cover performance by Matt Cardle, current winner of Simon Cowell's hit UK show "The X Factor" (check out Cardle's performance of the song at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUTGJN9qCnc). The band's latest release (July 2011) was part of Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) highly successful Icon series releases -- Icon and Icon 2 -- single disc and double disc formats -- include The Moody Blues' legendary hits and fan favorites from their 14 studio albums that have spanned more than 35 years of groundbreaking music. UMe's Icon series features "great artists and great songs at a great price." Get Tickets Continue Reading...

Moody Blues on Afternoons with James Valentine

ABC.net/AU On Thursday we were visted by two members of English rock legends, The Moody Blues. Justin Hayward and Graeme Edge are in town for two shows at the State Theatre, one on the 1tth of November and one on the 22nd of November. The interview went from James being spooked by "Nights in White Satin" as a child to the early days of The Moody Blues and beyond. Enjoy listening to it again, or for the first time!

On Air Highlights - Justin Hayward

The Moody Blues hit the top of the charts in 1967 with "Nights In White Satin" and have been touring the world ever since. The band's songwriter and singer Justin Hayward says while the world has seen some major changes in that time, many of the issues they were dealing with in the early days have not gone away.

In The Mood

The Moody Blues are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. In the last five years, the group has constantly been performing to sold-out shows around the world including New Zealand where an extra date has been added for its concerts here in November. Justin Hayward, the writer of its cherished hit Nights In White Satin, believes his band has endured because it steered its own musical path and did not get trapped into any trend or fashion. Beginning in the 60s, it became an innovative band when, after its hit single Go Now, it decided to combine rock music with an orchestra. It heralded its new sound with the London Symphony Orchestra on its album Days of Future Passed. By incorporating hints of psychedelia, further releases including In Search of the Lost Chord, On the Threshold of a Dream and To Our Children's Children's Children increased its following in the late 60s. Into the early 70s, The Moody Blues emerged as a tighter unit, minus the sweeping strings as revealed on its album Seventh Sojourn. A decade later the release of two singles Wildest Dreams and I Know You're Out There Somewhere gave the group surprising chart success and breathed new life into the band. "Those songs seemed to bring a new audience to the group," says Hayward. "We weren't struggling before that, but it was getting a bit thin on the ground in the early 80s. "But upon the release of the album those songs were from, attendance at concerts just seemed to explode for us. And that seems to be the audience that is still with us today." However, Hayward is quick to establish older fans are in for a treat because The Moody Blues can now emulate their orchestral sound of old, live on stage. And it is all down to the memotron, an update of the mellotron – a small keyboard-type instrument, which they used to sample orchestral sounds in the 60s. "About two years ago, I was contacted by a German company that took over the mellotron sound library and put them into a real digital keyboard which looked exactly like the mellotron called the memotron. "They sent me one and I just fell in love with the thing. The mellotron was somewhat limited but now the memotron sounds exactly like the sound of the things we did back then and with the group today, I think it is the best incarnation of the band that we have at the moment in being true to the original recordings." And fans can expect a "selection from most of their albums" delivered at their Auckland and Wellington concerts. Alongside original Moody Blues members Justin Hayward, bassist John Lodge and drummer Graeme Edge are second drummer Gordon Marshall, keyboardist Alan Hewitt, Julie Ragins also on keyboards, guitar and vocals and flautist Norda Mullen. Growing up in Mississippi as a fan of the Moody Blues music, Mullen is now a fulltime member and Hayward says she is a fantastic flute player. "About 10 years ago I was doing a showcase for a solo album in Los Angeles. "My agent told me he had heard this girl that played for the LA Symphony Orchestra and she knows all our songs. "I got her to come along and play Nights In White Satin and Tuesday Afternoon. I realised she had grown up with our stuff. She is exceptional and a great presence on stage." Reflecting on a 50-year career and with Moody Blues album sales passing 70 million, Hayward says they were lucky. "We were very lucky to be given the opportunity by Decca Records to be recognised early on as a band that could make albums instead of just doing singles. "Also they had one of the greatest recording studios in the world that they just gave over to us and I have to say our producer Tony Clarke was also the brainchild behind our early albums. "It was a special time." Just 19 years of age when he composed Nights in White Satin, Hayward considers whatever he writes "is from the heart" and says being in a band is all he ever wanted. "For me personally, to be in a group of people that I like and who play my songs well where I can sing and generally have a good time, is all I ever wanted." The Moody Blues perform at The Civic Theatre, Auckland, on Sunday, November 27 (sold out), and Monday, November 28. Wellington, Michael Fowler Centre, November 26. - Waikato Times

The Moody Blues progress

VICTORIA, B.C.: October, 8, 2011 - Bassist John Lodge of the Moody Blues plays the Save-on-Foods Memorial Arena in VICTORIA, B.C. October 8, 2011. (ARNOLD LIM, TIMES COLONIST) VICTORIA, B.C.: October, 8, 2011 - Bassist John Lodge of the Moody Blues plays the Save-on-Foods Memorial Arena in VICTORIA, B.C. October 8, 2011. (ARNOLD LIM, TIMES COLONIST)

What: The Moody Blues

When: Saturday

Where: Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre

Rating: Four stars (out of five)

The Moody Blues know exactly what they’re doing. Forty years ago, they may have been one of a few bands breaking ground in a new genre called prog-rock. Today, as they proved last night at their final performance of tour that began in Nova Scotia, they have entirely embraced the nostalgic, public service they now perform. Let me begin with a disclaimer. By the time I was born, The Moody Blues had released their groundbreaking 1967 album, Days of Future Passed, the album they’re still most fondly remembered for. It was an album that has been called, with some debate, the first ever prog-rock album, taking a step out of underground psychedelia, building longer songs, shifting tempos, inviting symphonic orchestras in on the fun, and more. By the time I was born, they had also exchanged that orchestra for the Mellotron’s string and flute-like sounds, they had passed through a “concept-rock” phase, they had experimented with new sounds. Around the time I was born, they drew new audiences, or at least reminded older ones that they are still kicking it, with the 1986 release of The Other Side of Life and one of their biggest selling singles, Your Wildest Dreams. The electro-pop sound may not have been their strongest but their fans loved it. From there, as I grew and they grew old, it was only natural that they entered the box set, greatest hit packages and PBS specials stage of their lives. Should anyone be surprised that, four decades since their young, crazy days, they now appear to share the same hairstylist as those dashing ladies from The View? As a band who built their sound in sensitivity to their audience — remember, it was after they overheard an audience member call their rhythm and blues tunes rubbish that they took the fresh approach that culminated in the new sound of Days of Future Passed — it’s no surprise that they continue to be loyal to that special relationship. Past their golden years, they rightfully give the people what they want: those classic hits that they owe their success to. It was apparent the moment they marched on stage — bassist/vocalist John Lodge in leather pants, drummer Graeme Edge in tie-dye and guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward in jeans and a tee — and began performing 1981’s The Voice before psychedelic graphics for the somewhat spotty audience at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre Saturday. It was a set that carried the audience through time, of course including favourites such Nights in White Satin and Tuesday Afternoon, as the graphics moved between footage of spaceship launches and old photos of themselves. The Moodies have avoided the hazards that have befallen some of the other few surviving bands of their vintage who continue to tour: they show no signs of exhaustion or resentment and they aren’t trying to woo fans with new material that will inevitably disappoint. Lodge was a particularly charming showman, shielding his eyes and pointing out to the sea of people, as if you’re the old friend he’s looking for. “I know you’re out there somewhere,” he sings. Yes, nostalgia was fully embraced tonight — even in the moments of banter. “We’re going to transport you back to a time of festivals, Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead,” Lodge promises. Edge makes a quip about recently turning 70, “It does mean I’ve been through the 60s twice,” he says, before leaping a performance of Higher and Higher that involves a microphone dip, an Irish jig and a toss of his tamborine over the shoulder. Yes, it was a tight performance — as is to be expected when they band has had 40 years to rehearse some of the songs. But it was made better by the surprising fact that both Lodge and Hayward’s vocals remain enormously strong, along with support from four additional multi-instrumentalists — most notably, Gordon Marshall on the second drumkit, who, at certain points, rose from his seat and percussed in a measured, but wild rotation of limbs not unlike Animal from the Muppet Show. No, this was not a concert for me — it was for the two women who loyally shimmied, shook, and whipped their hair around from the centre-100s seats. It was for the elderly woman in the nosebleed section who gently wiggled her shoulders to Peak Hour. It was for the man in the front row who pointed directly at Lodge and sang back to him, “Oh how I love you, oh how I love you.” This story has been updated with corrected information © Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist

Moody Blues: Time Travelers Touch Down for Appreciative Fans

Kamloops News

Justin Hayward and John Lodge (Moody Blues) Justin Hayward and John Lodge (Moody Blues)
Photo: Murray Mitchell
They opened the show with The Voice and it was with unmistakeable vocal harmonies that The Moody Blues stayed truest to their classic sound in a concert Wednesday night. The band behind Nights in White Satin, a No. 2 hit in the U.K. this past summer thanks to Simon Cowell's The X Factor, brought their familiar melodies to Interior Savings Centre for two hours of nostalgic rock 'n' roll. Reinforced with backup singers and instrumentalists to recreate the depth of their symphonic rock sound, the Moodies played two one-hour sets before an appreciative crowd of about 1,500 at Interior Savings Centre. Justin Hayward and John Lodge, who joined the group in 1967, front the band. Graeme Edge, the sole original member from '64, still keeps beat on a small kit, but he plays second fiddle to percussionist Gordon Marshall, surrounded by a super-sized set that lends the lineup its thunder. Marshall has been backing the band on tour for more than a decade. Newer additions to the lineup include Alan Hewitt on keyboards, Nora Mullen on flute/guitar/vocals and Julie Ragins on keys/guitar/vocals. The younger players added energy and flair to the performance. After opening with a few numbers from their middle period — including It Was The Way of Long Distance Traveller and the 1978 single Stepping in a Slide Zone — the group headed back down the time tunnel with hits such as Tuesday Afternoon and I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock 'n' Roll Band). "Welcome back," Lodge shouted from the 1960s as psychedelic graphics and vintage photos flashed on the video screen behind. They drew from the fuller breadth of their song catalogue, but the audience, people ranging in age from their 40s through their 60s, loved those old tunes the most. Each one seemed to spur a standing ovation. Hayward's and Lodge's vocal harmonies, which helped to characterize their music at the height of their popularity in the late '60s and early '70s, were most evocative of that period. For the fans who shelled out $50-$60 on a rainy night, the show was well worth it, especially since it's unlikely The Moody Blues will ever pass this way again. Earlier this year, the band released its newest greatest hits collection in two editions, Icon and Icon2.

Moody Blues 'Band Bench' Sweepstakes

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues
On October 13, 2011 The Moody Blues will be performing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Here is where you come in... How would you like a chance to be close to The Moody Blues' performance on the show? Head over to the "Band Bench" Sweepstakes entry form and enter for a chance to win seats on the band benches and an opportunity to surround the stage during The Moody Blues' performance. Please make sure you include the following band code: MOO, in your entry form. FallonBandBench.com
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Moody Blues Try To Keep The Old Favourites Fresh

Times Colonist

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues
The question is, how many times can the Moody Blues play Nights in White Satin? The English prog-rock band — which has sold more than 70 million albums worldwide — released its seven-minute opus back in 1967. This means the boys have been singing their romantic ballad about never-sent letters and missed beauty for 44 solid years. Drummer Graeme Edge, 70, says he keeps vintage hits fresh in concert simply by connecting with the fans. "With the reflected light off the stage, I can see the first five or six rows," he said from Toronto recently. "You hit the first bar , the people turn and just look at each other. The ones that it's special for, I just pick them out and I watch them. And I draw energy from them." Like most classic rock bands, the Moody Blues often tell interviewers they're attracting new young followers all the time. Still, the bedrock of Moodies fandom is unquestionably baby boomers who remember their late-'60s early '70s heyday. Days of Future Passed (1967), featuring the songs Nights in White Satin and Tuesday Afternoon, remains the essential Moody Blues recording, although they went on to cut other successful albums including Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971) and Seventh Sojourn (1972). The 17-city Canadian tour finishing in Victoria on Saturday night features original Moody Blues members Edge, John Lodge and Justin Hayward. However, it is Edge who's considered the longest-serving member (Lodge was also there at the beginning, but left for a time to attend college). Edge was a Moody Blue when they were, like many British groups, an R&B outfit. The early Moodies had a 1964 hit with Go Now. But, says Edge, blues-oriented music wasn't truly an authentic path for the young Brits. "We suddenly found ourselves singing about picking a bale of cotton and smokestack lightning. We didn't really know what the words meant," said Edge, whose voice recalls the gravelly cadences of actor Bob Hoskins. As well as playing favourites, Edge says the Moody Blues keep things interesting by regularly reintroducing old songs from their catalogue. The current tour includes dusted-off versions of Talking Out of Turn (1981) and The Day We Meet Again (1978). "It's fun for us to get them out. We don't really change them," he said, adding that the band returns to the original recordings to ensure details are correct. As for the future of the Moodies, the band plans to keep on keepin' on. Edge says they recently met with their agent, making plans to continue as far as a 2013 tour of England. An avid sailor, Edge has for 20 years lived south of Tampa Bay, Florida. He loves the area. But there are two things the Birmingham native still misses about home: Cornish pasties and British sausages. "Here in Canada they do a good sausage … the almost-English sausages are very good. But unfortunately, and I checked it out, you can't import them into America," he said.

Veteran Rockers Moody Blues Don't Take Past Success For Granted

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues
Calgary Herald You’d think that after 45 years there would be some sort of level of comfort, some sense of contentment for all that you’ve accomplished and your place in the world. If there is, John Lodge says it’s yet to hit him. And he’s glad. Because even after almost half a century as the bassist for classic rock mainstays The Moody Blues, he admits what still drives him and the band in general is that they’ve never reached a place of apathy. “From the very first day we were always surprised someone would want to come and listen to our music, to be honest,” Lodge says from his hotel in Montreal. “You can never take if for granted, so it’s always a surprise when our agent says, ‘Would you like to tour this year, would you like to do these concerts?’ “It always bemuses me when you get stuck in your own traffic jam coming from your own concert. It’s always surprising that they’ve come to listen to The Moody Blues’ music. You can never take it for granted.” Again, if there’s an act that could, it very well might be the one that Lodge joined in the mid ’60s and saw become one of England’s most innovative rock acts, selling more than 70 million albums around the world, while also creating a plethora of hits such as I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock and Roll Band), Your Wildest Dreams and the seminal recording Nights In White Satin — all of which are featured on yet another recently greatest hits package, Icon They are firmly entrenched in the minds of generations of fans and, yet, still the core — Lodge, guitarist Justin Hayward and drummer Graeme Edge — continued releasing new studio albums into the 2000s and tours consistently, including a current string of Canadian dates which will bring them to the Jubilee this evening. For Lodge, other than the mere surprise he gets that there’s an audience when he shows up, one of the main factors that keeps him going, keeps him out on the road when a very well-deserved retirement seems in order, is that the music still very resonates with him despite its familiarity. “I think the difference between (us) and a lot of bands or musicians from that period of time that we’ve come through is that it’s our own music and we’re not playing songs that someone’s written for us. All of the songs we do onstage are very personal to us,” he says. “And you do have the element of, ‘Yes, I’ve been doing this since I was 14, being onstage and whatever,’ but the most important thing, I think, is that the songs we’ve written over the years they’re indelible into Moody Blues’ heartland. They’re what I want to perform and play onstage.” Where that heartland lies is another thing entirely, which has also helped keep things fresh and interesting for Lodge and the other members. Over the years, the band has seemingly embraced and explored every other style and genre under the Moody Blues umbrella, leading the ’70s prog rock movement with a sound that could be as indulgent or as simple as the songs required. It allowed them to perform with orchestras or, as they will tonight, in a somewhat more stripped-down seven-piece setting. And it allowed to jump around from song to song, album to album without worrying about alienating their audience or each other. “Obviously, over the years, people have tried to bracket the Moody Blues into a somewhat safe pigeonhole. ‘Are they underground, are they psychedelic, are they classic rock, are they whatever?’ “And I think we’re all of those, because if you . . . took any Moody Blues album and took one song off it and tried to say, ‘That is who the Moody Blues were in that given time in their musical history,’ you wouldn’t get it right. Because the difference between Voices in the Sky, Legend of a Mind and Singer (In A Rock and Roll Band) is so far apart you couldn’t actually put any one of them in the category. “For me, that’s why (our) music is what it is. You can’t pigeonhole it anywhere at all.” Perhaps that’s why when asked if he sees the band’s influence in any of today’s acts, Lodge pauses. He points to an act such as Snow Patrol or Radiohead — not as bands who’ve musically picked up their torch, but more in the way they embody the philosophy that’s guided them all these years. “I think I hope who ever listens to (our) music or grew up with it, find their own way, and not even carry the torch of Moody Blues music, to be perfectly honest.”

Rock Legends the Moody Blues To Perform On NBC's "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" On October 13

Moody47Los Angeles, CA—Rock legends The Moody Blues are set to perform on NBC Networks’ “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” on Thursday, October 13. The national television appearance coincides with the release of The Moody Blues’ new greatest hits collection in two editions, ICON and ICON 2 on Universal Music Enterprises. The new CDs, ICON and ICON 2 feature The Moody Blues’ legendary hits and fan favorites from their 14 studio albums that have spanned more than 35 years of groundbreaking music: Days Of Future Passed (1967), In Search Of The Lost Chord (1968), On The Threshold Of A Dream (1969), To Our Children’s Children’s Children (1969), A Question of Balance (1970), Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971), Seventh Sojourn (1972), Octave (1978), Long Distance Voyager (1981), The Present (1983), The Other Side Of Life (1986), Sur La Mer (1988), Keys Of The Kingdom (1991) and Strange Times (1999). The two-disc set also includes a bonus track from the band’s holiday December (2003) album. The Moody Blues have sold more than 70 million albums worldwide and have been awarded an astonishing 14 Platinum and Gold discs. Their incredible roster of hits has generated No. 1, Top 5, Top 10, Top 20, Multi-Platinum, Platinum and Gold albums and singles. The band has sold out tours on a consistent basis over the course of several decades, making them one of the all-time best-selling album and top-grossing touring bands in existence. The band just completed a national U.S. summer tour, and is currently finishing up a Canadian tour this week with remaining shows as follows: October 5 at Interior Savings Center, Kamploops, BC; October 7 at Queen Elizabeth Center, Vancouver, BC; and October 8 at SOFM Center, Victoria, BC. Enter for a chance to win seats on the band benches and an oppotunity to surround the stage at LateNightWithJimmyFallon.com For more information on The Moody Blues, including tour dates, merchandise and more, visit www.MoodyBluesToday.com.

Music Tour Reviews: The Moody Blues

Music Tour Reviews Moody48 64, 68, and 70; those are the ages of the original three members of the classic bluesy-rock band, The Moody Blues. Being together 47 years, the band is still touring world-wide like they haven’t hit the 10 year mark yet. Adding an additional 4 people to their trio to tour, the Moody Blues are still sounding very familiar as they they did when they were releasing their hits in the 60′s. Filling up Pantages Playhouse Theatre, lead singer and guitarist Justin Hayword, and bassist John Lodge, frequently took turns singing lead throughout the show. The band consisted of lead guitar, a bassist, 2 drummers, 2 pianists who sang as well as played other instruments, and a back-up vocalist who frequently played the flute, as well as some guitar. The visual show was definitely more expected with lights surrounding the stage, lighting up the entire theatre. Every few songs, steam and fog would carpet the floor and rush like a waterfall of the stage and evaporate. A large screen was also in the background, playing loops of ‘trippy’ 70′s influenced material. About just over halfway into the night, 70 year old Graeme Edge gave a speech on birthdays. On how you hit these big ones throughout your life, like 18, or 21, or in his case, 70. But he definitely made it evident that age is only a number as he continued to rock on those drums, and even sing a song as if he were a fraction of the age. As expected, the theatre erupted with Nights In White Satin and as the show ended they were brought on for a 1 song encore to end off the night. All in all, fans who had literally been fans for decades, left the theatre more than satisfied, for possibly one of their last viewings of the The Moody Blues. View photos from MusicTourReviews.com

Moodies and Winnipeg fans keep the faith

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues
Examiner.com The Moody Blues brought their 'Precious Cargo' cross-Canada tour to Winnipeg’s Pantages Playhouse Theatre last night (9/30/11), enlivening the old vaudeville stage with their unique brand of laidback progressive rock. Still performing with its core creative team of lead singer/guitarist Justin Hayward and bassist John Lodge who joined upon the released of their groundbreaking 1967 album “Days of Future Passed,” along with drummer Graeme Edge who was a founding member of the Moodys back in their 1964 “Go Now” hitmaking days, they are one of few former superstar groups of the 60’s and early 70’s touring with their membership still largely intact. The band was making its 4th stop in Winnipeg since 2003, but the fans received them as if they hadn’t played here in 20 years. They received a standing ovation from the near capacity crowd just for showing up (a pattern that would be repeated regularly throughout the night, particularly from the fans up front). Hayward, dressed all in white, and Lodge in sharp contrast in a black tee and black leather pants, remain the focal points on stage. Both exude a youthful vitality, which belies their 45-year tenure with the band. Listening to their music has always been a bit like putting on a favourite pair of slippers, yet the songs, and the arrangements have a vitality and emotional significance that seem to transcend period, place or time. The “old slipper” feeling was immediately reinforced as The Moodys launched into their standard set opener, the 2nd single off of 1981's Long Distance Voyager, “The Voice,” complete with dry ice, flashing lights, a jumbotron flashing picture collages of the band back in their heyday, 60’s psychedelic images, and Hayward’s immediately recognizable lead vocals. Hayward followed with the 1978 Octave track “The Day We Meet Again,” before handing lead vocal duties over to Lodge. Acoustics at Pantages were quite good, and the intimate theatre setting gave the fans and the band a good opportunity to interact. Lodge, who still projects a rock star aura, is particularly good at working the crowd, and he soon had the crowd clapping and grooving as he preened and strutted his way through his self-penned 1978 hit single “Steppin’ in a Slide Zone.” The Moodys have always had one of the biggest sounds around, which they achieve with the help of their ace backing band, which features the talents of Norda Mullen on flute/acoustic guitar/harmony vocals, Gordon Marshall who adds extra sock on drums and percussion, along with Alan Hewitt and Julie Ragins on keyboards, acoustic guitar, harmony vocals and synth. Their set list remained pretty much verbatim to its last visit in August 2009, with the exception of adding "Meanwhile" and dropping the On the Threshold of a Dream single "Never Comes the Day." It continues to feature a combination of classic hits such as Hayward’s 1967 Days of Future Past hit “Tuesday Afternoon,” with deep cuts such as Lodge's 1991 Keys of the Kingdom track “Lean on Me.” The 1st set before intermission, wrapped up with the 1-2 punch of Hayward’s 1988 Sur La Mer hit “I Know You're Out There” followed by the 1971 Every Good Boy Deserves Favor hit “The Story in Your Eyes,” which earned the band back to back standing ovations. The 2nd set opened with Hayward's 1986 The Other Side of Life hit “Wildest Dreams” followed by the dynamic 1972 Seventh Sojourn vocal duet with Lodge “Isn’t Life Strange,” as well as hit title track of The Other Side of Life, complete with 80’s video footage flashed on the jumbotron. Next came Hayward’s acoustic rendering of “Driftwood,” which featured a fine flute solo from Mullen. Crowd favourites included, Edge's entertaining and spirited spin at the mike performing his poetic reading of the opening track from 1969's To Our Children's Children " Higher and Higher,” which nabbed him a huge standing ovation. Edge informed the audience that he’d recently turned 70-years old, “I gone through the 60s twice. The first time, my hair was brown and my teeth were white. The 2nd time, my hair was white and my teeth were brown.” In the home stretch, the band went with the tried and true, which included Lodge's Seventh Sojourn anthem “I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band,” Hayward's hauntingly exquisite Days of Future Passed hit ballad “Nights in White Satin” and ending with Hayward exchanging his red electric Gibson ES 335 for his 12 string acoustic to perform the 1970 Question of Balance hit – “Question.” After performing their encore number, the 1968 In Search of a Lost Chord hit “Ride My See Saw,” Lodge thanked the fans for "keeping the faith." I suspect as long as The Moody Blues are willing and able to continue performing, Winnipeg fans will do just that. To quote Winnipeg’s own Neil Young “Long May You Run.”

Moody Blues: Never reaching the end

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues
What would he do if he gave up touring as a rock drummer, asks Graeme Edge at 70 By Mike Youds Kamloops News Precious Cargo is the name of the first cross-Canada tour ever by The Moody Blues, a remarkable first considering the band has been around since The Beatles were new. “If you strictly read it, it is true,” explained drummer Graeme Edge in an interview from his Sarasota, Fla., home. “It is the first time across Canada and not back and forth across the border, but it’s a long way from our first time playing in Canada.” And Precious Cargo? “John (Lodge, the band’s bassist) thought it up and he meant we were carrying our music around to people.” Only later were they informed that the expression has a double entendre, also meaning, in American military-speak, recovered hostages. They kept the title, though, preferring it over Lap of Honour, which might imply their final tour. For diehard fans of the band — one of the last holdouts from the era of English Beat and the British Rock Invasion — what they’ll bring to Interior Savings Centre Wednesday is indeed precious. The Moody Blues emerged as a rhythm-and-blues outfit but soon created a unique niche as pioneers of symphonic and progressive rock. Their halcyon years were 1967 to 1972, when they recorded seven groundbreaking albums that still resonate with poetic vision: Days of Future Passed; In Search of the Lost Chord; On the Threshold of a Dream; To Our Children’s Children’s Children; A Question of Balance; Every Good Boy Deserves Favour; and Seventh Sojourn. Edge, now 70, is the sole original member, having joined the band when it formed in Birmingham, England in 1964. Lodge and singer/guitarist Justin Hayward, who are also part of this tour, joined in 1967. “The new boys have only been with us 43 years,” Edge quipped. With Ray Thomas, Mike Pinder and Denny Laine (who would later form Wings with Paul McCartney) he formed the shortlived original lineup. Pinder created the name from Duke Ellington’s song Mood Indigo and from M&B Brewery in hopes of a sponsorship, but that fizzled. They opened for a lot of blues artists, such as Sonny Boy Williamson and Memphis Slim, and played blues in those days. The band, however, was only just getting started when they had a No. 1 hit with Go Now in ’64. They opened for The Beatles on the Fab Four’s second to last UK tour in ’65 , but touring was not how The Moody Blues made their name. “Seeing what that kind of stardom did to them really made us want to concentrate on albums as opposed to singles,” Edge said, recalling how The Beatles were often confined to evade mobs of fans. “That was horrible; they couldn’t leave their hotel room.” Wary of becoming one-hit wonders, they changed their sound (infused with Pinder’s revolutionary Mellotron, a forerunner of electronic keyboards) and so began a six-year roll after being signed by Decca Records. Each member of the band had a hand in the creative process. Edge was known as the poet, penning the spoken-word verse that segues between songs, such as The Day Begins/Late Lament: Cold hearted orb that rules the night, Removes the colours from our sight, Red is grey and yellow white, But we decide which is right, And which is an illusion … He hadn’t written that as a poem but as a song to complete the day/night cycle. There was no song that represented the early day. “We were pretty good mid-day through evening, but being rock artists, we didn’t have much for the early day.” His bandmates praised the verse but found it too wordy to sing. Instead, Pinder narrated: “He’d had far more cigarettes and whisky, so he had a gravelly voice.” The finished recording is surprisingly coherent and cohesive. All along, they were merely experimenting, though. “Like a lot of things like that, you sort of stumble into it without realizing what you’re doing.” Surprisingly, the band has not been inducted into the Rock ’N’ Roll Hall of Fame, an oversight that mystifies fans. “It might be better this way because it comes up every year,” Edge said. “People say, ‘They’re not on the induction list again,’ giving the band a bit of extra play, not that they need the publicity.” Not with a catalogue that includes the love ballad Nights in White Satin. “Nights in White Satin charted three months ago in the U.K.,” Edge declared proudly. “It went back to No. 2 in England … . “Some say maybe it’s because we’re not rock. I have no clue. The only thing I can say is, if we’re not rock ’n’ roll, what are we?” Edge doesn’t like travelling but he can’t get enough touring. Every year they’re back on the road — nine months on, three months off. Backup percussionist Gordon Marshall helps reinforce the rhythm. “I don’t know what I’d do (otherwise). I’m now 61/2 years older than my father when he retired. I don’t drink or take drugs anymore. The only drugs I take are across-the-counter painkillers.” Those might come in handy as those septuagenarian hands pound out the solo on Higher and Higher. “But I just love playing live.” IN CONCERT WHO: The Moody Blues WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 5, 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Interior Savings Centre TICKETS: On Sale Now!

Moody Blues more than a one-hit wonder

LeaderPost.com

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues
Not everyone would put the Moody Blues alongside the Beatles and Rolling Stones, but they also rode the wave of success during Britain's historic rock invasion. Their most notable album, 1967's Days of Future Passed, was supposed to be about experimenting with sound. Justin Hayward, the lead guitarist and vocalist for the Moody Blues, was only 21 years old when the album was released. "At that time I thought we were making an arty little record that a few groovy hipsters would like . and that's about it," Hayward said from a hotel in Quebec City. For decades, people have fallen in and out of love to the album's biggest single, Nights in White Satin. "I sang the first line to the other guys and they were like, 'Oh it's all right,'" he said. "I sang the whole song and nobody was that enthusiastic." For whatever reason, the song exploded and has stayed in pop culture. "Nights in White Satin is a curious thing," he said. "I was a bit stoned all through and I never thought I'd have to remember (it). All I can say is that Nights came from the heart - I felt it." But Hayward never felt like a one-hit wonder - which is understandable considering the Moody Blues have sold more than 70 million albums worldwide. "The first seven years of the band really set us up beautifully for a wonderful career without pigeonholing us too much or connecting us to any trend or fashion," he said. Hayward said he knew what made them successful - complex, symphonic music that provided a more palatable aural experience. "We had great classical engineers and it took a lot of care to record our stuff beautifully because we loved the whole stereo picture that music could create," he said. "When (Days of Future Passed) hit, it was just perfect for that medium. I love every Beatles record but the stereo mixes on them are awful - drums on the right, voices on the left - there is just no thought put into it." Even with the success of Days of Future Passed, Hayward said the majority of their success has come in the last 20 years. "It's only in the last few years that people of our own generation have really come back to us," he said. The challenge is being able to play songs with the same clean, wide-ranging sound to the stage the way audiences dream of hearing them. "We play things from every album," he said. "The first half of the show is some of the newer things and then the last (half) really is the greatest hits the stuff that you wouldn't want to leave the stage without playing." Like his unpredictable music, Hayward said playing in Canada is always a venture into the unknown. "Canada is always the unexpected," he said. "So far we've just done ice hockey arenas and . it's stepping into Alice in Wonderland. It's like stepping into the looking glass and you're into this other world of all this ice hockey stuff backstage." As for the success of their shows and records, Hayward said Canadians don't simply want what the rest of the world is listening to. "It's not quite as predictable . A success in Canada does not always run parallel to the success in North America," he said. "It's always enjoyable and demonstrative crowds - they say what they mean. They're honest and I like it." The Precious Cargo tour, which includes seven Canadian dates, features the three remaining members of the Moody Blues - Hayward, Graeme Edge (drums) and John Lodge (bass and vocals).

Moody Blues Draw Heavily On Their Past

Chatham Daily News

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues
...But each and every year, the band has toured the world for at least four or five months, bringing their music to not only its legions of long-time fans, but also a growing number of younger admirers. "I'd say we have two major blocks of fans, which are the 1968 to 1974 bunch, and then the mid-1980s bunch, because we had a big resurgence then. So they are our two major blocks. But more so, just lately, we've been getting a lot of males around 22 to 24, who seem to be interested in the instrumental performances and the musicality of the band. And I think they may have started off being interested in the very simple and not very musically challenging rap, and are finding themselves at that age where they want to start stretching their legs and their interests, and we're one of the ways they seem to go," said Edge from his hotel room in Halifax where the Moody Blues began the Canadian portion of their current tour. "And you never know when someone is seeing you for the first time too. Justin said a good line when people were asking us about the younger people coming out to the shows, and he said the thing is, they're at the age now that we were when we wrote some of these songs. So they have that angst and heartbreak and all that stuff." Edge, 70, has actually lived in Florida for the past 24 years, and said he likes to be off the road for no more than three months at a time. "We sort of tell the agent when we want to work, and what countries we would like to play in. Normally we do an early February/March casino tour in the U.S., and then a six-week run through June and July. Then we're in Canada for a month, and then we have a month off before we go to Australia and New Zealand," Edge said. "You don't like to be off the road for more than three months because it's a long way back in fitness terms. So it's best to not let it go more than three months because no matter how much work you do at home, you're just not match fit. Nothing gets you there like actually doing it." Edge said the band decided to do an extensive Canadian tour because the Great White North has always been a big booster of the Moody Blues. "We have always enjoyed playing there. And I think we have the most platinum records from Canada than any other country in the world. So it's going to be fun to play some places we haven't been in a long time, or been ever in Canada," he said. At 70, and after nearly 50 years with the Moody Blues, Edge said he still loves to play live, and play the songs that the band has been playing for longer than many in their audience have been alive. "I just love the music and love playing it, and I love playing it to the people. I really steal my energy from the audience. From the reflected light from the stage, I can only see maybe six or seven rows back, and I just look along the front, and I sort of set my gaze on maybe five or six couples, picking the ones that are obviously enjoying themselves, and I just watch them, their reactions, and feed off their energy," he said. "And I really love when you announce the next song, or start to play the first few notes of the next song, and you quickly glance at them and see which ones are their particular favourite. When you see the couple look at each other, its nice, because you know there's a special connection of that couple to that song." Edge said he has no problem playing the old hits because as a fan of music, that's what he wants to see when he goes to a rock show. "What keeps the songs interesting and fun to play is the audience, and also some personal experiences. I went to see Elton John one time, and he had a new album out, which was a very good album, but he didn't play any of his old songs. And I walked away really disappointed. And I suddenly realized, in myself as a touring musician, it's a conceit if you just want to do your new stuff. Those people at the show are there for memories as well as for music. There's always a nostalgia element. And you owe it to them to do that, after all they've given you. The fans have given me such a wonderful life, I feel I owe it to them to play those songs," he said. "You owe it to them to perform those old songs really well, to the best of your ability, and what helps you is when you look down, and you can tell the couples where you can see Nights in White Satin is what they got married to, or engaged to, or lost their honour to ... all of the important moments. So you feed off them, and you play to them." Edge said the band does change up the set list regularly, playing songs they might not have played live for years, or in some cases ever. "The one's we haven't played for a long time, or ever at all are fun, because you get to see the crowd reaction, but it's also more challenging to play them. Of course I love playing Nights in White Satin, because every audience just loves that song. But my favourite to perform right now, well there's two: It's either The Day We Meet Again, because it's a new one to the set, and I am really enjoying working out how many more drum fills I can get in before Justin turns around and says, 'cool it a bit Gray.' And the other one is Question, because, in one song, it sort of highlights the melodic side of The Moody Blues, and the hard rock side of the Moody Blues," Edge said. Read the Full Article

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