The Moody Blues

[Shanra the Dragon Bard]

The Moody Blues

Mike Pinder, Ray Thomas, Justin Hayward
John Lodge, Graeme Edge

Official Moody Blues website: http://www.moodyblues.co.uk/index_main.html  

[Shanra the Dragon Bard]

Justin Hayward

Justin Hayward was born on 14th October 1946 in the upstairs bedroom of the house next door to his grandfather's in Dean Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, next to the giant Great Western Railway Works. He was educated at Shrivenham School, Berkshire and Commonwealth Grammar School, Swindon, where he gained five 'O'-Level passes.

From the age of 5 he enjoyed singing and he inherited his paternal grandfather's collection of 78s when he was 6, which opened up the musical world of music to him as his grandpa had collected many hits of the 30s and 40s. He had a few piano lessons at 7, learned to play the ukulele at 9, and this progressed to a strong desire to own a guitar. With help from his parents and hire purchase, Justin had achieved this ambition by the age of 10.

Whilst still at school, Justin played in youth clubs and in back rooms of pubs around Swindon, starting in the late '50s with his group The Woodpeckers, then with The Satellites, The Rebel Rock Group (who changed their name to The Off-Beats and played two full summer season bookings in 1961 and 1962), and, thereafter, The Whispers, later called All Things Bright, who played a great success throughout the West country.

In early 1965 Justin answered an advertisement for a guitar player in "The Melody Maker" and soon found himself one-third of The Wilde Three with Marty Wilde and his wife Joyce, appearing on stage at the London Palladium in April of that year as well as touring all over the UK and performing on a long tour of the middle east. He recorded two singles with The Wilde Three - JUST AS LONG/SINCE YOU'VE GONE and I CRIED/WELL WHO'S THAT - before branching out on his own and recording two self-penned solo singles in 1966 - LONDON IS BEHIND ME/DAY MUST COME for Pye records and I CAN'T FACE THE WORLD WITHOUT YOU/I'LL BE HERE TOMORROW for Parlaphone (the Beatles original label). To this day, he credits Marty Wilde as having encouraged him to write his own material. Soon after the release of his solo singles, Justin wrote to Eric Burden of the Animals and sent him some of his compositions. Eric passed them on to Mike Pinder of The Moody Blues in the summer of 1966, so beginning a famous and acclaimed 36-year career, which started with the recording of Justin's FLY ME HIGH at the famous Decca studios, engineered by Gus Dudgeon. Within a few weeks Justin had written, many other songs for the band including NIGHTS IN WHITE SATIN.

The next seven years, and seven legendary albums, are of course well documented. For more on Justin, visit the official website.  

[Shanra the Dragon Bard]

John Lodge

The Moody Blues have been musical mainstays on concert stages, recordings and the airwaves for over thirty years. Their remarkable consistency has generated the sale of over 55 million albums and created a standard for classic rock music which has brought them numerous awards throughout the world.

John Lodge is bass player, singer and songwriter for this classic English band.

John was born on 20th July 1945 in Birmingham and attended Birches Green Junior School, Central Grammar School and the Birmingham College of Advanced Technology, where he was an Engineering Student.

John was first introduced to rock'n'roll via American artists such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, American movies ("The Girl Can't Help It"). And then Buddy Holly, not only a songwriter but an artist whose music made John realise that there was harmony in music, too. John then made up his mind which road to follow.

At school, he was moved from the music class to the woodwork class for not knowing the birthdate of Beethoven, but at the age of 15 met up with Ray Thomas and later Mike Pinder and formed El Riot and the Rebels, which became one of the most popular bands in Birmingham. However, Ray and Mike wanted to move to London but John decided to stay at College and complete his education. Not wishing to give up music completely, he formed The Carpetbaggers (who for a time were going to be Gene Vincent's backing group) and started to write his own songs.

After obtaining a Degree in Engineering, he again met up with Ray Thomas from El Riot and the Rebels who, by that time, had formed the M & B 5 with Mike Pinder and Graeme Edge, which had evolved into The Moody Blues, who had already enjoyed a hit single with "Go Now". Personnel changes were afoot and following his reunion with Ray, John was asked to join the Moodies in 1966, at the same time as Justin Hayward.

John's prolific songwriting for The Moody Blues has produced such hits as RIDE MY SEE-SAW, ISN'T LIFE STRANGE, I'M JUST A SINGER (IN A ROCK AND ROLL BAND) (which won John an ASCAP songwriting award), STEPPIN' IN A SLIDE ZONE, TALKING OUT OF TURN, SITTING AT THE WHEEL, LEAN ON ME (TONIGHT) and GEMINI DREAM (with Justin), which won them both a joint ASCAP songwriting award.

John has received two Ivor Novello Awards for contributions to British music. He is also a member of the Performing Rights Society of Great Britain, and the American Songwriters' Guild.

For more information on John's career see the official website.  

[Shanra the Dragon Bard]

Graeme Edge

Graeme Charles Edge was born on 30th March 1941 in Rochester, Staffordshire, and at the age of six months his family returned to Birmingham. His mother was a pianist for the silent movies and his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all music-hall singers.

Graeme trained as a draughtsman but soon went into music full time. He never started out to be a drummer, he was, in fact the Manager of a group called the Blue Rhythm Band - in those days a Manager of a group was somebody who could move the equipment about and had a house big enough for the band to practice in. Graeme always watched the drummer in the group and fooled around on the drums, but never really drummed professionally until that drummer quit and he had to fill in. He played with the group for three weeks until a replacement was found and then bought his own kit and went to work in earnest.

The first band that Graeme formed was the Silhouettes and then The Blue Rhythm Band. He then helped to form Gerry Levene and the Avengers, who recorded one single for Decca, DR. FEELGOOD/IT'S DRIVING ME WILD, and appeared on TV in "Thank Your Lucky Stars". The group included Graeme, Spike Hopkins, Johnny Marshall, Gerry Levene plus one other band member.

Roy Wood (later to join The Move and Wizzard) played with the band for a short time. When this group collapsed in April 1964 Graeme formed The R & B Preachers, which included Denny Laine and Clint Warwick, and when that group disbanded the three of them linked up with Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder to form The M & B 5, which later of course, changed its name to The Moody Blues.

During the Moodies' break in recording and touring, Graeme released his first solo single recording in 1974 - WE LIKE TO DO IT/SHOTGUN - and in 1975 released his first solo album KICK OFF YOUR MUDDY BOOTS, together with the single THE TUNNEL/BAREBACK RIDER. He lived on the Greek island of Corfu in his 70ft yacht, Delia, and during his ocean-going voyage around the World he became particularly enamoured with the salsa, calypso, samba and reggae beats when he visited the Caribbean. The voyage helped to inspire his second solo album PARADISE BALLROOM, released in 1977 together with a single EVERYBODY NEEDS SOMEBODY/BE MY EYES.

Graeme drums with a percision beat while spicing the Moodies' sound with a wide range of percussion instruments. When away from the spotlight he lists his hobbies as sailing, golf, war films and sci-fi - Graeme is a confirmed Trekkie. (OK, he is my official hero now).

For more information on Graeme see the official website.