The Moody Blues’ first album of the Nineteen Eighties was created in a storm of line-up modifications, manufacturing alterations and authorized battles. However regardless of all of the chaos surrounding, in some way the band produced what they consider to be one of the vital essential information in Lengthy Distance Voyager. In 2014 Prog seemed again with John Lodge and Justin Hayward.
It was the album that firmly introduced The Moody Blues into the Nineteen Eighties. It was additionally the one which precipitated a doubtlessly damaging courtroom case between the band and a former member, whereas additionally seeing them lastly recording in their very own studio – almost a decade after it was constructed. The album was Lengthy Distance Voyager, and it gave the Moodies an enormous business and inventive increase, proving their choice in 1977 to reunite after a three-year hiatus was a reputable transfer.
“The Octave album [1978] was a tough one to make,” remembers bassist and vocalist John Lodge. “We started it on the Report Plant in LA, nevertheless it burned down. So we moved to Indigo Ranch Studios, however we had quite a lot of hassle there.”
Including to their issues, keyboard participant Mike Pinder determined he didn’t wish to tour any extra, forcing them to usher in former Sure man Patrick Moraz for the highway journey in help of Octave. And he was the plain selection to interchange Pinder for the following album.
“Patrick introduced a higher consciousness of recent expertise into the band,” says guitarist and vocalist Justin Hayward. “He launched us to programming, sampling and what computer systems might do normally for our music. Our private relationship with him wasn’t nice – however there’s no doubting he did quite a lot of good issues musically.”
The lack of founding member Pinder wasn’t the one radical change dealing with Lodge, Hayward, Ray Thomas (flute/harmonica/vocals) and Graeme Edge (drums). Lengthy-time producer Tony Clarke, who had labored on each Moody Blues album since 1967’s Days Of Future Handed, additionally determined to bow out.
“We have been all having private issues on the time of Octave,” says Lodge. “Tony determined to stroll away. The man I instantly considered to provide us was Pip Williams. I’d labored with him on the tune Threw It All Away, which was the B-side of my 1980 solo single Road Café. Pip had labored with Standing Quo, and he introduced that edge into what we have been doing.”
Hayward additionally feels that engineer Greg Jackman performed a vital position within the studio. “I met Greg after I was performing some recording at RAK Studios in London. He’d been intently related to Mickie Most, and we felt he can be an ideal accomplice for Pip on the manufacturing facet.
“Greg had a really trendy method to recording. This was, as an example, the primary time we’d ever used timecode. That meant we didn’t should get issues spot on all through. If I made a mistake it might be simply corrected with out having to do your complete sequence over again.”
We simply weren’t prepared to enter the studio by the point we have been speculated to. But it surely labored in our favour
John Lodge
For the primary time, they used their very own Threshold Studios in Cobham, Surrey, for a Moody Blues file. “Justin and I had executed the Blue Jays album there in 1975,” says Lodge. “And I’d executed my Pure Avenue solo file there two years later. However we’d simply not executed a Moodies album on the place.”
“There’s a easy purpose,” says Hayward. “It may need been in-built 1972, nevertheless it hadn’t been prepared for us to go in and do a Moody Blues file. By then it was, so it appeared daft to spend cash elsewhere once we had this facility accessible.”
The band have been initially to start out recording in October 1980. However in the long run the work was delayed by 4 months, resulting from modifications they’d been going via.“We simply needed to rethink what we have been doing,” admits Lodge. “We simply weren’t prepared to enter the studio by the point we have been speculated to. But it surely labored in our favour – once we did get issues finalised, the songs and our angle couldn’t have been higher.”
The album was recorded in a two-month interval. Each Hayward and Lodge giving huge credit score to Williams for the best way it got here throughout. “Pip labored so properly with us,” says Lodge. “He made your complete course of painless, and in addition gave the music an actual carry.”
“What Pip did was replace The Moody Blues with out altering us,” provides Hayward. “We’re tough to provide, but unusually straightforward to engineer. However Pip bought past the issues and revitalised us. It was such a breath of contemporary air after Octave.”
It’s typically been debated whether or not Lengthy Distance Voyager is an idea album in any respect. It seems that the definitive reply to this query from the band themselves is… properly, there’s no definitive reply.
It’s wonderful how many individuals have a look at the quilt and don’t spot the spacecraft
Justin Hayward
“So far as I’m involved, there’s a free idea linking among the songs,” says Lodge. “I suppose you might say it’s about, ‘The additional issues are taken on a private stage, the extra they continue to be the identical.’ However not all of the tracks are linked in that method, which is why there was no preconceived plan to make it an idea album as such.”
“There’s no idea in any respect,” states Hayward. “No subject material hyperlinks the songs. We truly had the title Lengthy Distance Voyager in thoughts earlier than we completed recording, nevertheless it was only a jumble of phrases that appealed to us. There was no grand design behind the selection in any respect.”
The duvet additionally occurred by chance, as Lodge explains. “We did a photograph session in London, at a museum, and on the wall was a sepia print that caught my consideration. It appeared to inform the story of the Lengthy Distance Voyager, so I steered we should always use it for the album sleeve, simply including within the Voyager spacecraft – and it labored very well. A while later, I got here throughout the unique portray in a South London antiques retailer and acquired it.”
“It’s wonderful how many individuals have a look at the quilt and don’t spot the spacecraft,” laughs Hayward. “I believe it was so significantly better than the Octave cowl, which has the band on it. There’s much more element to carry individuals’s consideration.”
In Could 1981, when Lengthy Distance Voyager was scheduled for launch, it was flip of the band’s label, London/Decca, to endure main upheaval. That might have been of appreciable concern to most massive acts signed to the corporate – however as Hayward explains, it labored to The Moody Blues’ benefit.
“Lots of people working for the label noticed us as being properly previous our business peak. Octave had executed OK (No.6 within the UK and No.13 in America), however there hadn’t been an enormous hit single on it (though Steppin’ In A Slide Zone bought to No.39 within the US), and the sensation we bought was they didn’t care concerning the band any extra.
“Then, instantly, all these individuals have been gone, and the brand new lot who got here in have been extremely smitten by us! They thought Lengthy Distance Voyager fitted completely into what FM radio was doing within the States, which was changing into extra pop-oriented. Our method was precisely proper for the brand new format.
“We’d been fortunate as soon as earlier than with US radio, as a result of Days Of Future Handed got here out when FM first occurred, and it had had the correct sound to return throughout brilliantly on air.”
Nevertheless, the band confronted a courtroom battle earlier than they might lastly chill out and get the album out. It was a lawsuit introduced towards them by a mixture of Pinder and Clarke. “Mike had introduced the unique case towards us,” explains Hayward. “And his attorneys determined so as to add weight to their facet by together with Tony Clarke.”
What was the crux of the lawsuit? “Mike and Tony felt that with out their involvement, we shouldn’t be utilizing the identify The Moody Blues,” shrugs Lodge. “We knew it was coming – the label had inside data on what they have been planning, and warned us what to anticipate. However we saved on the sidelines and let our authorized individuals take care of all of it. The case did find yourself in courtroom, however the remaining judgement was in our favour so it didn’t derail us in any respect.”
Pinder appeared to really feel that the band had sidelined him, and whereas he wasn’t ready to tour, he’d been able to contribute within the studio. However the declare is hotly disputed by Lodge. “So far as we have been all involved, Mike had absolutely left us. He by no means stated he needed to stay a recording member. He gave us the impression he was quitting The Moody Blues completely. We by no means froze him out.”
Lengthy Distance Voyager bought to No.7 within the UK charts, a spot decrease than Octave, however in America it was their second chart-topper following Seventh Sojourn in 1972. Its success was propelled by two Prime 20 hits within the States: Gemini Dream, which peaked at No.12, and The Voice, which bought to No.15.
It was a case of the correct album on the proper time. It was very introspective but additionally accessible
Justin Hayward
“Gemini Dream was initially referred to as Touring The USA,” says Lodge. “It was the primary tune we recorded for the album, and it was written after we’d spent 18 months on the highway in America. It was about the best way you develop into two totally different individuals while you’re in a high-profile band – there’s the particular person onstage, after which there’s the personal model of you.”
“We by no means thought Gemini Dream can be an enormous single for us,” admits Hayward. “Come to think about it, The Voice by no means stood out for us both. These selections have been left to the label. They understood that type of factor higher than us.”
Each Hayward and Lodge now consider Lengthy Distance Voyager must be thought of one of many Moodies’ most vital releases. “I regard it as being the pure successor to Seventh Sojourn,” says Hayward. “It was a case of the correct album on the proper time. It was very introspective but additionally accessible.”
“It was the beginning of a brand new chapter in our profession,” says Lodge. “Each tune on the album was approached in a different way; we have been firing on all cylinders, the environment within the studio was nice, and it gave us a brand new lease of life.
“But it surely did spoil issues slightly for us,” he provides. “We tried to recreate the vibe on our subsequent album, The Current, working once more with Pip and Greg. But it surely didn’t work. That made us recognize how particular Lengthy Distance Voyager was.”
