Moody Blues, The

The Moody Blues were originally a British rhythm and blues-based band; they later became best known for psychedelic music and were both early and innovative artists who fueled the progressive rock movement, eventually selling over 50 million records. more...

The Moody Blues originated in Birmingham, England. At the time, Ray Thomas, John Lodge, and Michael Pinder were members of El Riot & the Rebels, a regionally popular band. El Riot disbanded when Lodge went to technical college and Pinder left to join the army. Pinder then rejoined Thomas to form the Krew Cats and had moderate success. The pair recruited Denny Laine, Graeme Edge and Clint Warwick, appearing as the Moody Blues for the first time in Birmingham in 1964.

Soon, the band obtained a London based management company, 'Ridgepride', formed by ex-Decca A&R man Alex Murray(Alex Wharton) and a contract with Decca Records was signed in Spring 1964. They released a single, "Steal Your Heart Away", that year which made it into the charts; but it was "Go Now", released later that year and promoted on TV with the first ever purpose-made promo film (predating Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody by a decade, and produced and directed by their manager/producer, Alex Murray (Alex Wharton)), which became a huge hit, and their only No.1 single in the United Kingdom and in the United States. Their manager and producer, Alex Murray (AlexWharton), left the management group and, after a series of unsuccessful singles, Warwick and Laine departed, replaced by El Riot bandmate John Lodge, and Justin Hayward, formerly of The Wilde Three, in 1966. The band soon realized that their original style of American blues covers and novelty tunes was not working for them, and they decided to develop an original style. Their new style featured the symphonic sounds of the mellotron and Ray Thomas' flute, with the performance organized around a concept—one day in the life of Everyman.

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