One trivia bit about Octave is that session horn player R.A. Martin would join Frank Zappa's band in the 80's (usually called Bobby Martin on Zappa's albums, later asked to be called Robert Martin).
Band reformation, Octave and departure In 1977, the band returned to recording and performing; Pinder declined full participation, although he collaborated on the 1978 release Octave by recording an unused Promise-era song "One Step Into the Light" with the band. He also added some synthesizer and backing vocals to the album, notably the album intro to Lodge's "Steppin' in a Slide Zone" and the instrumental climax on Edge's "I'll Be Level with You"; he then stopped coming to the sessions when interpersonal conflicts (mostly with Edge) arose.[citation needed] During this time, Pinder was also in a new relationship resulting in marriage and children, thus he preferred not to tour with the band at the time. As a result, the band hired Swiss keyboardist Patrick Moraz, formerly of Yes, in his place.
Check out the CD Live in Seattle 79 (pictured on page one of this thread. Plenty of live versions of Octave, which is how i learned to like those songs more, they’re even better live.
Not a reliable source. More likely, for example, that Lodge plays guitar (I'm thinking of "Survival") rather than keyboards anywhere. But who knows?
In the booklet for the remastered version of Octave, Justin says "It was quite obvious after a few weeks that Mike's heart wasn't really into it anymore and so he left in the middle of the sessions." He also talks about Tony Clarke flying back to England to try and save his marriage while the band finished up the album. The Moody Blues - Octave
I know this thread is supposed to put on the brakes after 1978, but seeing that it’s gone on for awhile I’d like to just give a quick mention that if you can make peace with the sort of overbearing synth bass and some of the other 80's production cliches this disc is a really enjoyable listen. The songs themselves are very catchy and this disc from the Time Traveller box sort of separates the wheat from the chaff for their later albums. Like many of us, I also dismissed the band after Long Distance Voyager but I like most of these songs. Disc: 4 Forever Autumn The Voice Talking Out Of Turn Gemini Dream Blue World Sitting At The Wheel Running Water Your Wildest Dreams The Other Side Of Life I Know You're Out There Somewhere No More Lies Say It With Love Bless The Wings (That Bring You Back Lean On Me (Tonight) Highway
Also not reliable. In interviews, Tony Clarke insisted he was at sessions until the very last note was mixed. Also, how could Pinder have left halfway through if the thing was being recorded in his studio?
I bought Octave when it came out and was pretty disappointed. I really liked Driftwood but hated that stupid sax competing with Justin’s lead guitar. It felt like, “hey, we need to give this track some Baker Street sax!” Ugh. Question: What would you consider Justin’s greatest MB guitar moment? I love his guitar playing but doesn’t really have a Comfortably Numb epic solo thing? I guess I’d pick his soloing in “I’m Just A Singer” or the acoustic playing on “Question.” Maybe “See Saw”? I really like how he snuck in a bunch of cool lecture guitar bits on stuff like “Lovely To See You.” Cool stuff.
So Tony Clarke is more reliable than Justin Hayward? Got it. Pinder could quit or left and the band could've still used his studio as I'm sure he was getting paid for it's use and it's not like it was in his house. It was a separate studio. All sides agree that Mike was the one who quit but the point of contention seems to be when. I know that the interview in the liner notes to the remaster of Octave is not the first time that I've heard that Tony bailed early which is probably so insistent that he was there the whole time. At this point, it's who do you believe. Mike and Tony or Justin, John, Ray and Graeme. I believe the Moodies so have a nice day. The Moody Blues - Time Traveller
Yeah he’s not about the solo so much is he, his playing the songs is where he shines, very tasty. I would say his solo in peak hour is a classic 60s tear.
He has a killer song on every album, sometimes two. And they’re always fabulous guitar. He had the coolest fuzzy tone then!
Hayward's doodly guitar after the guitar with only one string line in Nice to Be Here is a stroke of brilliance. Always thought he was underrated in the general view of guitarists; definitely had his own sound. Subdued, fuzzy, a bit moaning maybe. Suited all the songs just fine. It's Up to You has an acoustic pattern, same can be said for New Horizons, that has a definite Hayward sound to it. Has an aura of getting over sorrow, feeling better again. It's a comforting kind of sound.
It's been a while since I've watched the Classic Artists DVD documentary, so I don't remember if they say Tony left the Octave sessions early, but I believe Graeme said that Tony was somewhat checked out at the time and that he's "never been the same" since his marriage fell apart. It's possible that, even while Tony was in the room, he wasn't able or willing to contribute much. Seconded. Hayward is a somewhat underrated guitarist, possibly because he excels at the rockers but leans more toward ballads. In the late 1960s, he wrote some really catchy rockers that might have been hits, but instead they kept putting out ballads as singles - apparently hoping for another "Nights in White Satin" - but many of those ballad singles tanked.
It's he said, she said for sure. However, I've noticed over the years that the band members seem to mould their statements according to the circumstances, and tend not to "remember" anything unflattering. Also, as the legend grew with the retelling, certain stories began to take on a mythic quality (like the Days of Future Passed and Dvorak yarn). I think there was less at stake for Clarke, who comes across in interviews as credible and lucid about the band's history. For what he has to say about Octave, check out pages 16-17 here: Moody Blues Attitude-Higher & Higher Issue 30 Spring 1996 Also, remember that the notorious "garden-party" album launch for Octave, Clarke stood in for Pinder — suggesting to me that he wasn't yet completely on the outs with the band. And yes, Pinder's studio was at his house!
I don't know where the studio was, but I'm pretty sure one of you guys is talking through his hat. Does anyone actually know where the studio was, and whether Mike was paid for its use by the Moodies? (If I had to guess, I'd say probably he probably wasn't, considering that he is listed as a band member on the album; you don't usually charge your own band for use of your studio, since you get royalties from the resulting recordings anyway. The fact that he quit may have changed things, but unless somebody really knows what arrangements were made, let's not just guess, please, and let us certainly not present our guesses as fact.)
I believe it was called Indigo Ranch Studios and it was up in the hills in Southern California. It rained really hard while the band was recording Octave and there were mudslides. FWIW I have no idea what the arrangement was for using Mike Pinder's studio. My point was that it could've been any number of things even if Pinder quit.
Listening to my old copy of Octave. Once again it’s the live versions of these songs on the Live In Seattle 1979 CD that bring them to life for me. Particularly Ray’s I’m Your Man, but the others too. Side one is good, side two lets me down with Top Rank Suite and it’s damned saxophone. Lodge’s Survival is a bit weak, not a great song. He really isn’t much of a solo singer which is why I can’t do Natural Avenue, his singing isn’t strong enough to carry a whole album for me. Pinder’s lone contribution is nice but I’m not even sure that’s a mellotron he’s playing when he sings “one thing i can do, play my mellotron for you…”
I was thinking as we were talking about Justin’s song how collecting all his songs from the 7 albums what a killer album that would make. Then i thought how about if you did that with all the others, divided them up into each member’s songs compiled in one place. I think i would like Pinder’s as much as Justin’s. After that it’s gotta be Ray. I even like From Mighty Oaks. I’m not a huge Lodge fan it seems in the end. his songs are pretty much never my faves on any given album. Peak Hour remians my fave of his. check out this performance!
I watch this one every so often. The first 13 minutes are really great: 1) You get to hear GE drums for real! and 2) watch MP bend that Mellotron to his will. Spellbinding in its own way.
