The Best Of The Moody Blues [1997]

The Moody Blues
Formed
1964 in Birmingham, England

Biography by Bruce Eder [edited]

Although they're best known today for their lush,
lyrically and musically profound (some would say bombastic) psychedelic-era albums,
the Moody Blues started out as one of the better R&B-based combos of the British Invasion.
The group's history began in Birmingham, England with Ray Thomas (harmonica, vocals)
and Mike Pinder (keyboards, vocals), who had played together in El Riot & the Rebels and the Krew Cats. They began recruiting members of some of the best rival groups working in Birmingham, including Denny Laine (vocals, guitar), Graeme Edge (drums), and Clint Warwick (bass, vocals). The Moody Blues, as they came to be known, made their debut in Birmingham in May of 1964, and quickly earned the notice and later the services of manager Tony Secunda. A major tour was quickly booked, and the band landed an engagement at the Marquee Club, which resulted in a contract with England's Decca Records less than six months after their formation. The group's first single, "Steal Your Heart Away," released in September of 1964, didn't touch the British charts.
But their second single, "Go Now," released in November of 1964 --
a cover of a nearly identical American single by R&B singer Bessie Banks,
heavily featuring Laine's mournful lead vocal -- fulfilled every expectation and more,
reaching number one in England and earning them a berth in some of the nation's top performing venues (including the New Musical Express Poll Winners Concert, appearing with some of the top acts of the period); its number ten chart placement in America also earned them a place as a support act for the Beatles on one tour, and the release of a follow-up LP (Magnificent Moodies in England, Go Now in America) on both sides of the Atlantic.

Introduced at the start of the '60s as a potential rival to the Hammond organ,
the Mellotron had worked its way into rock music slowly, in acts such as the Graham Bond Organisation, and had emerged to some public prominence on Beatles' records such as "Strawberry Fields Forever" and, more recently, "I Am the Walrus";
during that same year, in a similar supporting capacity,
it would also turn up on the Rolling Stones' Their Satanic Majesties Request.

As it happened, Pinder not only knew how to play the Mellotron,
but had also worked in the factory that built them,
which enabled him over the years to re-engineer, modify,
and customize the instruments to his specifications.
(The resulting instruments were nicknamed "Pindertrons.")

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Moody Blues dikenal sebagai Band dari era Psychedelic, tapi sebenarnya musik mereka berakar dari British R&B.
Dibentuk di Birmingham, England oleh Ray Thomas (harmonica, vocals) & Mike Pinder (keyboards, vocals) yang telah bermain bersama sejak di El Riot & The Rebel and The Krew Cats. Setelah merekrut Denny Laine (vocals, guitar), Graeme Edge (drums), dan Clint Warwick (bass, vocals), mereka memulai debutnya di Birmingham May 1964.

The Best Of The Moody Blues -1997-
Release Date - Jan 28, 1997 [Polydor]


Line-up / Musicians
- Justin Hayward - guitars, vocals
- John Lodge - bass guitar, vocals
- Ray Thomas - harmonica, flute, vocals
- Graeme Edge - drums, percussion
- Mike Pinder - keyboards on tracks 1-9 and track 11
- Patrick Moraz - keyboards on tracks 13-17
- Denny Laine - guitar and vocals on track 1
- Clint Warwick - bass guitar and vocals on track 1


 Tracks 
1. Go Now (3:12) 
2. Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon) (4:14)
3. Nights In White Satin (4:27)
4. Ride My See-Saw (3:45)
5. Voices In The Sky (3:32)
6. Question (5:46)
7. The Story In Your Eyes (3:06)
8. Isn't Life Strange (6:07)
9. I'm Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)(4:18)
10. Blue Guitar (3:40)
11. Steppin' In A Slide Zone (5:31)
12. Forever Autumn (4:33)
13. The Voice (5:17)
14. Gemini Dream (4:06)
15. Blue World (5:15)
16. Your Wildest Dreams (4:53)
17. I Know You're Out There Somewhere (6:37)
Total Time: 78:22

Song 1 ~ 9   

Song 10 ~ 17