The Moody Blues

The Moody Blues were formed in Birmingham (UK) in 1966 with Clint Warwick, Mike Pinder, Denny Laine, Ray Thomas and Graeme Edge. 

Their second single (a cover of Bessie Banks' Go Now) topped the UK chart in 1964, at which point singer Denny Laine and bassist Clint Warwick promptly quit the group.

Justin Hayward and John Lodge then joined and they embraced grisly prog, orchestral symphonies and cosmic guff such as Nights In White Satin (the low-point of the Beatles-influenced Days Of Future Passed album).

By the end of 1974, a roller coaster of albums and world tours left the band exhausted. Their sabbatical was broken when Hayward recommenced working on a side-project, initially with then-keyboardist Mike Pinder, and subsequently with bassist John Lodge. Bringing in 'sixth Moody' Tony Clarke, plus Days Of Future Passed conductor-arranger Peter Knight, meant that Justin Hayward's 'solo' album Blue Jays became almost a Moody Blues album.

The Moodies were derided by purists for their cosmic Brummie jive, their pop sensitivities and for failing to look the part. They started out playing hippie pop and ended up with the keyboard player from Yes. Go figure! They Gregorian chanted as well as The Yardbirds, they structured their song cycles wonderfully, they made better use of the Mellotron than anyone, and nobody sang daft lyrics more beautifully.