The moody blues band biography sample
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How I wrote ‘I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)’ by The Moody Blues’ John Lodge
The bassist and vocalist from Birmingham’s legendary progressive rock band reveals how his modestly titled hit single came to be
Born and raised in Birmingham, John Lodge is bass guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the iconic rock band, The Moody Blues. After joining keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, drummer Graeme Edge and guitarist Justin Hayward in 1966, John and the band went on to pioneer the development of art rock and progressive rock through the early 70s.
John has been performing and recording with The Moody Blues for more than five decades, selling in excess of 70 million albums, includes 18 platinum and gold LPs, and in 2018 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The band’s eighth album, 1972’s Seventh Sojourn, spawned two singles – Isn’t Life Strange and I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band) – both of which John wrote. As we learn here, the latter release reached No 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it one of their highest-charting hits in the US. We also learn how the song was inspired by the Vietnam War and some crazy fans camped out on John’s lawn…
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Not moody, party blue, throng together cool
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The Moody Blues
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 Moody Blues’ history began in Birmingham, England, where one of the more successful bands during that time was El Riot & the Rebels, co-founded by Ray Thomas (harmonica, vocals) and Mike Pinder(keyboards, vocals). Pinder left the band, first for a gig with Jackie Lynton and then a stint in the Army. In May of 1963, he and Thomas reunited under the auspices of the Krew Cats. Following some success in Germany, Thomas and Pinder decided to try turning professional, recruiting members from some of the best 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, &#