As a huge Moodies fan I am too late here. Love the posts in this thread. I have an extra “Blue.” Single edits of Candle of Life, Steppin In A Slide Zone and Question among others. Agreed!! Caught that too!!
Love TOCCC and Every Good Boy Deserves Favour! Thoughts on The Moody Blues The Collection for SQ? I have it for more thorough coverage from Octave forward.
Just for a heads up .. Good lord, there is actually a four or five page Moody Blues article in the February 2019 Mojo magazine. (The issue with some unknown guy , Jim Morrison on the cover ) I hardly ever see the band get any articles written about them, although the Days of Future Passed and In Search of the Lost Chord Anniversary releases have gotten cursory reviews. Anyway, there are a few fresh quotes from band members and a few tidbits that were new to me so if you are interested you might want to check it out .
Glen you are the resident Moodie's inhouse expert & cheerleader ! Kudo's On a sidebar, not making a new album in 20 years, doesn't help the allure. Since Ray Thomas died, i'd hoped Edge Hayward & Lodge might do something. Although apparently Mike Pinder is too ill ? Pinder & Thomas did one nice song with Lodge, on his recent solo album, if only that had been a Moodies album. Lodge & Hayward each released a solo album, within a year or so of each other. If you condensed that, to just the 10-12 best tracks it could've been super. Oh well. Without Ray Thomas i guess the other 3 didin't feel right doing new music under tbe Moodies banner.
I have the US version called THE MOODY BLUES ANTHOLOGY. Sounds nice to me. Manufactured and marketed by A&M Records, Inc. under the PolyGram label.
They did do the Christmas album 'December' after Ray retired so it was not specifically losing Ray Thomas that made albums dry up I suspect the lack of bigger sales of 'Strange Times' made Hayward lose interest in doing anything further group wise re new albums - the Christmas project was a record company idea I think and initially it was paired with 'Very Best of...' or 'Ballards' compilations to help boost sales The band structure was very much Justin and John with first Ray then Graeme rather sidelined besides the odd song, poem or cameo on 'Keys' and 'ST' which were nearly a decade apart during which live sets, best of compilations, and remastered 'core seven' releases replaced any new material as they became in effect their own tribute band in truth Justin and John do seem to have drifted apart which is probably the chief reason we had no further albums of original content after that Christmas set - and despite Justin forever 'bigging up' the 80's era he readily admits 'OTTOAD' remains his own personal fav Moodies album and that it's the 'core seven' for which the band will be remembered maybe that is just too big an albatross around their necks now to attempt to follow up ? - they well know later albums were only partially strong with 'fillers' on them (Justin has admitted that) and I think after they jettisoned Patrick Moraz the concept of a proper five piece band was over with 'sidemen and women' added, Ray gone and Graeme effectively gone it was very much just the duo and they have really kept it going while decent concert attendances mainly in the USA have made it too good a 'cash cow' to drop ! that sounds a bit cynical I know but I suspect it's the truth as both know their solo albums wern't massive sellers even back in the seventies so now they are happy to run their solo careers but retain the safety net of the band name for money making shows purposes Graeme's inevitable retirement will probably bring down the curtain in the end, it's just a shame they didn't put aside some 'Moodies' style stronger numbers they each had to make up one or two more studio sets in the 90's and after Ray retired - tho' I suspect the fear of releasing a thumping great failure under the band name may have haunted them and was the main reason they ended the recording band...
Billo, or whatever your real name is, you’re a huge MBs fan also, did you pick up the Mojo I mentioned? For a short article it’s pretty interesting . Heck, you can probably read the entire article in a store and not even buy the magazine . For an article that is only about four pages long there is quite a bit of “fresh” info, to my eyes anyway, except the story of a guy coming back stage at one of their cabaret gigs to tell them they stunk. I’ll give you one quote but won’t post anymore until the magazine is off the stands, so I don’t spoil the article for people who might pick it up. Justin: “Nobody was ‘pals’, says Hayward. It’s what made the group interesting .”
First off, thanks for the kind words Jeff. I love the Moody Blues. Yes, I think the Moody Blues ship has sailed at this point, and I’m not talking about their cruise ship shows a couple of years ago.
That doesn't really make sense though, since they've had no problem touring under said banner for almost two decades at this point. I also thought it was weird they both did solo albums that could've easily been combined to make a nice Moodies record. There was nothing on either that seemed too far outside the box to be released under the MB moniker. Surely more people would've heard it had it been under the band name. Both have been touring small venues as solo artists, so maybe they just wanted to promote their solo gigs more than the Moodies brand at this point. Doesn't make a lot of sense to me, but I'm also not factoring egos into this.
So what does everyone here think of the likelihood of 50th anniv. editions of Threshold Children’s this year...? Skeptical that they would do TWO releases. The “Lost Chord” Box booklet from last year’s box had many photos from the “Threshold” period, which was odd, and perhaps foreshadows no 50th edition of that album. Perhaps “Children’s” could occur, and would not be surprised if it’s padded with the “Caught Live” concert. There’s really not a lot left in the can. Thoughts??
Well, when they did the Days of Future Passed anniversary release I could understand it because it’s their most iconic album. But when they proceeded to do an anniversary In Search of the Lost Chord release also, it gives me hope that they will keep the series going , because even though it’s one of my favorite albums it doesn’t have that iconic status. As you have mentioned though, as far as I know there’s not much, if any studio things left in the can. I’ll have to look at these on an album by album case . I have so many vinyl and CD versions of their core albums already that the extremely minor alternate mixes or whatever that I don’t have already on the 2 CD deluxes don’t really seem worth it to me.
Indeed I always loved the Moodies from Days ... through Seventh Sojourn, and I have a soft spot for the Moraz albums Long Distance and The Present ... but lord has the ship sailed. I will leave it to periodic re-listens of the albums
I would like to see 50th Anniversary Editions of the remaining core 7 albums. Don't forget we also got an expanded Magnificent Moodies (although without a 5.1 disc) , so we're already past our third multi-disc set. On one hand, I doubt we'll see any more, considering the trend towards download only (for example the "new" Marvin Gaye release). On the other hand, Universal does still put out expanded editions of some artists' existing releases. I would love to see all of the remaining core 7 records get multi-disc sets, even with duplication of what we already have, especially if they include a 5.1 DVD, as I don't have SACD capability. And they could add Blue Jays to the list, too.
I would expect after Graeme retires and they duly retire the band name that the group WILL live on via archive releases of live recordings plus the deluxe versions of each of the remaining 'core seven' albums and hopefully 'Blue Jays' - which could be boosted by the tracks cut for the abandoned follow up studio album plus the 'long version' of 'Remember Me My Friend' (which was at least on the Italian version of the album on cassette !) etc Some years ago I think on Mike Pinder's old fans forum a guy was on about a vintage USA concert soundboard recording circa 1973 or 1974 from the world tour which he said was of releasable quality he was trying to get them interested in putting it out - however while the current touring Moodies band were still popular that would seem to have been unlikely....however in the future post the current Moodies such a concert recording MIGHT well be a viable release (??) that 1979 concert with Patrick Moraz in Seattle was a pretty decent live CD considering how new to the band Patrick was then - I much preferred the live version of 'Top Rank Suite' with Justin's guitar instead of the sax on the studio version ! a vintage set of 'odds and ends' like Justin's early PYE and Parlophone singles plus say 'This is The Moment', 'We Can Fly' etc - plus that 1983 'The Present' album out take 'Burnin Gas Smokin Grass' or whatever sung by Ray - and anything we don't have or know of including TV performances that could be compiled would be worthwhile too - the instrumental version of Justin's 'Land of Make Believe' is one I'd love to have (someone once said it was just the quad mix back tracks but I've also been told it's not that but rather a unreleased 'working version') whatever it gives a new perspective to the piece and makes me pine for those days when Justin and Mike were working together ! So I would think there is likely to be a fair bit of unissued material if only in 'out takes' form and live recordings I recall some years ago when Justin moved house he apparently discovered two pieces of music recorded by the classic Moodies that were on tapes buried in his garage ! - not 'Island' these were I think likely instrumental.... on the phone I asked (sadly now the late) Wyn Mather at Threshold after this discovery....she did NOT deny it and told me that NO decision had been made regarding the tape Justin found...' which indicates SOMETHING had been discovered (anyone know more about that ?) we are not likely to learn anything more re just what is in their archive until the current Moodies call it a day I would think thanks Glenn for the heads up re 'Mojo' article I will check it out Justin's comments should always be taken with a pinch of salt I think - he's also said; 'we were brothers' in the past ! as I stated he 'bigs up' the 80's as being creatively THE era for the group....then admits 'OTTOAD' from 1969 is his personal fav Moodies album and it's the 'core seven' of 1967-72 for which they will be remembered ! I do think Mike and Ray were friends from way back - the 'co-founders' of the band....while Mike fell out with all circa 1978 he and Ray later were close friends again Ray saying 'it's all water under the bridge now' John appears to have been on good terms with both Ray and Mike after they retired too - there was a telling photo of John and Mike backstage some years ago well before more recent times, at a Moodies USA concert gig despite Mike then saying to the world that he'd NEVER go to see them as it would be like 'watching your ex-wife make love' (the photo suggested otherwise tho') also at the Moraz court case John on the stand says; 'Mike Pinder wrote some fantastic songs for The Moody Blues' during the classic years Justin and Mike clearly were close as artists - in 'Legend of A Band' video / DVD Justin says; 'to this day I still miss Mike very much, I particularly miss his songs...' and the Blue Jays song 'My Brother' written by Justin appears to be a from the heart lament at not seeing Mike (then living in the USA) in his life anymore; 'The higher you fly the less I see you...' / 'so far our voices are divided by an ocean...' like The Beatles they wern't mega close personal friend buddies more 'working buddies' but I think when they relocated to Belgium in the later sixties and then at one point were all local to Cobham Surrey there was a tight unity between them that inevitably drifted apart as time went on, they moved apart, even to different countries plus as with Apple the business issues of Threshold became a mega strain on their relationship as did the massive early seventies success caused things to become hoplessly bloated and out of control ironic but going after Decca years later for a better royalties return on the 'core seven' actually reunited them with Mike on a personal level as a joint expedition member of the combined legal action as together they all set off ....'In Search of The Lost Royalties' ! I'm not sure how things stand re Justin and Mike tho' - Justin clearly felt hurt and betrayed by Mike's past legal actions against the band together with him bailing out of the 'Octave' project in 1978 and I suspect Justin doesn't forgive or forget easily...tho' of course he knows Mike's health is not what it was, Justin seemed to 'forget' Ray very quickly too which was rather sad - maybe Justin for all his open hearted songwriting in actual life can't bring himself to open up anywhere near as much as his heart rending songs do...!!
@GLENN, now that the thread has been resurrected, will you consider making an introductory post about the Blue Jays album? I think it deserves a proper SH Forum discussion. Possibly there might be an interest in also discussing Justin Hayward solo records? I know that a discussion on Ray Thomas albums misfired for whatever reasons, but...
I think it was Glenn Christinse (the thread starter) you wanted, not me. I like the Moodies but I'm a casual fan at best. This kind of job requires an expert!
Yes. Coca Cola songs should (should’ve) been on the reissues. One version of the “coke on a float” song has a flute solo by Thomas. Be nice to have on these reissues
If there are 50th anniversaries, remixes would be a welcome addition. Hopefully better than “Chord” 50th
Would like to hear a nice remix of “Threshold” and “Children’s” Want the cello clearer on “Share our Love”, and the acoustic on “ Candle of Life”.. Hope to hear something is in the works for either of these 50 th anniv. And yes, Blue Jays...need the long version of “Remember Me”
A few interesting events coming shortly, John's (Birmingham) Broad Street Walk of Stars induction and Night of Stars show at the Symphony Hall, with Carl Palmer on April 11th plus, April/May a VERY interesting Justin-related CD release - watch this space! I've been fortunate in digitising a number of unreleased tracks, would make a fantastic compilation but there are way too many complexities.