And here he is performing it with Justin Hayward: As for Days of Future Passed, I mostly have to echo everything that's already been said here. This is a brilliant set from start to finish that I think could challenge King Crimson's In the Court of the Crimson King for the title of "first prog rock album" (I've a feeling Robert Fripp and co. were listening to the Moodies attentively). Like many others, I came a bit late to the party, discovering Days mainly though hearing "Nights in White Satin" and "Tuesday Afternoon" on the radio, then later purchasing the CD in the 80's (didn't know about the earlier mix until coming to this forum), and finally supplementing that with the original vinyl. I once also had The Magnificent Moodies on CD as well, but have since unloaded that in favor of the other "classic 7" titles, plus Prelude, Long Distance Voyager, and the Hayward/Lodge Blue Jays album. There has been some discussion about Prelude already, but my guess is we'll get to all those in this thread eventually. It remains to be seen whether Days will receive a deluxe 50th anniversary treatment. I'd say it is certainly deserving of such recognition.
Since there has been so much talk about the +5 songs from The Moody Blues Live +5, I have to say those songs are my favorite part of that album. It took me a while to know what era they were from as (iirc) the album doesn't say. I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of live albums in general, but this one has never really resonated with me. I'll wait until later to elaborate on that album, though. But it was always perplexing to me that some of those songs never saw release. Gimme a Little Something, Long Summer Days and King and Queen are fantastic. And it seems (imho) they could have fit on some of those early albums, especially ISOTLC, which feels shy of the usual great Hayward songs.
Some interesting insights from Hayward, and a couple of great early BBC recordings in this program on Days of Future Passed available on the BBC for the next four weeks: BBC Radio 2 - Johnnie Walker's Long Players, Series 8, 1967 Special - Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues
I was a huge The Moody Blues fan for years. For me, the band begins with Days Of Future Passed though I haven't listened to the entire album in years. Obviously, there are few standout tunes on the album like the overplayed "Nights in White Satin" (still doesn't mean it isn't a great song) or the great "Tuesday Morning". DoFP is certainly an album of its time as it seems it came out when it was becoming kind of the en vogue thing for rock bands to perform with a symphony orchestra though The Moody Blues don't play with it except for one song (unlike Deep Purple's Concerto for Group and Orchestra which was, admittedly, some two years later). Were the Moody Blues one of the first bands to do this? Anyway, my memories of this album aren't great as I don't recall the whole thing, but I do like it and think for its time it's a pretty forward thinking album. I will say the hippy dippy poetry by Graeme Edge has almost felt a little cringeworthy no matter what album he's doing it on; kind of kitsch.
It's Tuesday Afternoon. And I agree that some of the spoken word stuff does date the music. I still like some of it though, like Departure, right before Ride My See Saw. Who does this spoken bit, btw? I know Mike Pinder did much of it, esp. on DOFP, but Departure doesn't sound like him. Is it Graeme?
Whoops, sorry. Yes, "Tuesday Afternoon". Tuesday Morning is a set of thrift stores here in Texas. My bad.
Back in 1968, I was assistant manager (later manager) of the second biggest record store in Milwaukee (Record World on 3rd and Wisconsin), and the chain supervisor suggested I listen to Days Of Future Passed. I had never heard of it, and I clearly recall we had two or three copies in the huge CLASSICAL music section of the store. The company obviously assumed it was a classical album because of the symphony orchestra title on the cover. At any rate, the first time I played it, I was blown away and, to this day, I consider it a true classic in rock history. And I still feel "Dawn Is A Feeling" is one of the most beautiful recordings, and vocals, by any group in history. Also, I clearly remember when Deram finally released "Nights In White Satin" as a single, and it started to take off, they put a sticker on the LP, but it said "Includes Knights In White Satin" instead of "Nights". Obviously they corrected it shortly after, but for years I was confused as to what the correct title was. Anyone recall this? (I did a google cover search, but no dice....maybe it's completely forgotten today).
Well, there are at least two knights on the DAFP album cover (top left, bottom right), so that could have been part of the problem!
Days Of Future Passed was the only record I could blast in my parents house and get away with it. I turned many "older" people on to this record. Nights In White Satin.....my wedding song.
Besides passages on 'The Sun Set' and the album version of 'Nights' the band and orchestra never play together on DOFP - Peter Knight listened to their tracks then quickly dashed off his orchestral parts with Decca musicians who were the non existent 'London Festival Orchestra' ! recording engineer Derek Varnals had worked as Decca staff engineer on Mantovani albums and was expert at layering 'sweeping strings' sounds, his work recording Mike Pinder's superb playing made them sound orchestral for such a consummate work it was all done in a very 'off the cuff' manner in about a week in the Decca studios ! while Justin's song is; 'Tuesday Afternoon' it was titled; 'Forever Afternoon (Tuesday ?)' on DOFP - is it referenced the following year in The Beatles 1968 song 'Lady Madonna' ('Tuesday afternoon is never ending...') Mike Pinder does most narration of Graeme's poems tho' Graeme does 'Departure' and Justin, Graeme then Mike do 'In The Beginning' on OTTOAD album 'Long Summer Days', 'King and Queen', 'What Am I Doing Here' were each attempts to come up with a 1968 hit single...before 'Ride My See Saw' was lifted from ISOTLC album c/w Mike's non album 'A Simple Game' (which Justin also sang a version of - unissued at the time - as a possible single)
Thanks so much for posting this. The early Moodies should not be overlooked by fans of the Mark II stuff - they are more alike than they are different. The fact that they recorded a few covers at the beginning shouldn't matter. They put an original spin on them, and the majority of their output consists of self composed little pop gems ("Everyday" is brilliant for one) that are as sophisticated musically as anything the second line up did.
The Mark I band had unique instrumentation (piano and flute) and the Laine-Pinder originals were surprisingly sophisticated musically. As Tages mentioned on Page 1, the Esoteric set is truly a revelation, with the mid-1966 sessions (in glorious stereo) representing a fascinating missing link between the Mark I and II lineups.
There are references to this song in the playlist in some of the period reviews (1968) . It's a guess, but I think this song may have bee considered as single material. It's a strong, excellent song.
Fascinating...I never noticed that before, and perhaps "Knights In White Satin" was actually the original correct title based on the cover images. More investigation is called for.........
Still on Days ..not Passed yet album thread in motion, no doubt in the Future if the thread starter deems it we move on to the Moodys next magnum opus.
if you check out the mark 1 Moodies music there IS a clear progression towards the 'classic' mark 2 version of the band with the Laine-Pinder originals most notably moving towards the later era musical style those early original tracks have fascinating musical structures that are imaginative and most unusual for 1965-66 with unexpected chord changes (presumably early searching for the 'lost' one !) and strange solos - listen to the solo on 'And My Baby's Gone' 'Everyday' (Someone finds a love they say) and 'This is My House (But Nobody Calls)' both explore loneliness ('Lonely man cries for love and has none...' / 'I'm a very Lonely man...') while later French titles such as 'Seventh Sojourn' and 'Sur La Mer'...were preceeded by 'Boulevard de la Madelene' with it's French theme and reference to Paris in the lyrics showing even early on the French connection was there for the band - 'Bye Bye Bird' was a top five French hit and later 'Melancholy Man' topped the French singles chart in fact the 'mark 2' Moodies were STILL performing 'Bye Bye Bird' as late as 1968, sung by Ray Thomas Mike's driving Little Richard style 'Really Haven't Got The Time' was recorded by both 'mark 1' and 'mark 2' versions of The Moodies while latter 'mark 1' sessions in 1966 produced 'Hang On To A Dream'....which they certainly would do ! with 'On The Threshold of...' keeping the dream angle Ray's haunting flute was an unusual instrument back then - only a few groups such as Manfred Mann and The Moodies featured a flute player, Ray showcasing his on 'I've Got A Dream' (another dream reference) on their debut album, then more so on later tracks such as 'From The Bottom of My Heart' the original Moodies obviously featured Denny as main lead singer, but Mike, Ray and Clint Warwick also took lead vocals and the tight vocal harmonies of the combined quartet clearly point towards the 'mark 2' version of the group with a surging gospel like male choir sound that was quite unique to them - and this is evident in 'mark 1', classic 'mark 2' and the post-Pinder 'mark 3' Moodies with the three part harmonies (listen to '22,000 Days', 'In My World', etc) the 'mark 1' Moodies were moving away from R & B / Blues and more towards a more acoustic themed 'folky' style per the then unissued 1966 latter sessions - which is evident in a portion of the 'mark 2' Moodies works on songs such as 'Cities', 'Long Summer Days', 'King and Queen', 'Tuesday Afternoon' as Justin also was writing in that style (tho' electric rock music was retained too) - the mellotron addition transforming the entire musical landscape dramatically for the 'mark 2' Moodies but often added to songs that initially are quite acoustic folk style - 'The Actor','Are You Sitting Comfortably', 'Never Comes The Day', 'Gypsy', 'Question' etc... examination of the Human condition is what DOFP is really about and a key factor over the 'core seven' albums plus many later songs too - and that actually begins back with those 'mark 1' Moodies originals by Laine-Pinder such as; 'You Don't (All The Time)', 'Everyday', 'This is My House', 'And My Baby's Gone', and 'From The Bottom of My Heart' the final 'mark 1' Moodies Laine-Pinder composed single was significantly titled; 'Life's Not Life' - a love song but indicating the deepness of a failed relationship affecting a person's very view of their life as a result ...and that reflection on life itself, it's span, scope and destiny would be a recurring theme the classic 'Mark 2' Moodies (and thereafter) would often revisit: ...'new mother picks up and suckles her son, senior citizens wish they were young...'And Life is still A Simple Game', ''Candle of Life', 'Out and In' ('wonders of a lifetime right there before your eyes...'), 'Question' ('I'm looking for a miracle in my life...') 'Isn't Life Strange', 'Lazy Day' ('that's how your life goes by...until the day you die'), 'The Story in Your Eyes' ('...and the life that we are living is in vain...') 'Emily's Song' ('and now we journey through our lives till what will be...'), 'One More Time To Live' ('changes in my life...'), 'You Can Never Go Home' ('all my life I never really knew me till today...'), 'For My Lady' ('oh I'd give my life so lightly for a gentle lady...') and again later 'I'll Be Level With You' ('Life is here love will come in the end...') '22.000 Days' (the length of an average human lifetime in days - chillingly short too !) and of course 'The Other Side of Life' and 'we're living in Strange Times' (which ends on '....and life is still A Simple Game') the first incarnation of The Moodies from 1965 were beginning to explore deeper themes both musical and in their lyrics in their original songs and a few later covers, re the nature of life, loneliness, love, the human condition, clearly creatively moving away from just covering R & B / Blues material onwards and upwards....
