Incredible. and for giggles, compare the drummer with Animal drumming in the Muppet band. Epic. Always make me happy, and not a lot does in these times!!
@@Sasfoot John is up tempo anyway. I've been to John's solo gig as well as Justin's (Justin's more so because I fell in love with that haunting voice in Nights in White Satin when I heard that song back in 1970.) Anyway, John's gigs are up tempo where Justin's is a little more mellow.
@@ladyhecate9450 I know. TMB were my parents' fave band and I practically got raised on them. They saw them multiple times and my mom has seen Justin a few since my dad died. It's ironic that you also mentioned Nights in White Satin since that was their wedding song.
@@Sasfoot Really.....Nights was their wedding song? But that is a song about a man whose love of his life broke up with him. It is a sad song. He was not really living until he met her and then saw things in a different light. Everything was brighter after he met her. Now that she broke up with him, It makes him sad to see other couples so in love, walking hand-in-hand, but he is hopelessly in love with the gal who broke up with him and cries out oh how he loves her. I have a DVD of one of Justin's releases and in that video, he said that when in love and a person breaks up with you, it is like a death. You mourn the loss and have to go throw the steps of grieving over the lost love and that is what the man in the song is going through. He said that he does not talk about that aspect because people see Nights as a romance song. For me, it is a sad song. He said he wrote that song after a gal broke up with him and then later met up with a gal who gave him while satin sheets. It is hard to believe, but he said several gals broke up with him. Poor guy. But that is the first song I heard and between his haunting voice, the music and the lyrics, I fell in love with that song. I think it is better than any Beatles' record regard they have ever made and I loved the Beatles. I even saw them the first time the came to America. It was awesome seeing them and all the screaming that went on. I just sat there and absorbed each moment. I was 12 years old.
yes so timeless like so much of the music back then. most the music in 60s & 70s you could hear and understand the words. such a loving time then and the music that'll never die. I like watching vids of people hearing music of the time for the first time they're always blown away
I am 66 remember all these masterpieces being played by my 16 And 18 sisters. Now I realize just how truly great they were hearing them play on radios or records. Thank you Moody Blues for the memories
It makes you wonder how truly great musicians find each other and come together. Then add exceptional songwriting skills within the band as well! Legendary performance!
I wish people would stop calling Pinder the last of the originals what are Justin and John chopped liver? Those two have been there on every major studio album and wrote most of the bands hits😮😊❤signed some one who knows more about goodies than anyone named my son justin😊😊😊
In some songs, particularly the Blue Jays ones, he used single line guitar parts often not as a lead instrument but as harmonic accompaniment, like an orchestral string backing. He knew how to use the fuzz pedal to get just the perfect tone for this.
I was 19 and a wife and mother when this came out! I remember dancing with my son in my arms in my living room to this song! Love it today as a 63 year old Great Grandma! ♥♥♥
I saw Moody Blue twice (back then). What they did better than just about anyone is reproduce their studio sound immaculately, which considering the complexity of their sound, is quite a feat. Tempos, instrumentation and vocals were all spot on. Incredibly tight and talented performers. Hayward never gets credit for being one of the great guitarists of the age as he is often lost in the arrangements rather than the 'front'. Even so, his guitar work, timing and delivery, ranks with the best.
Spot on. It's a rare thing to see a band perform as well live as it does in studio. The Moody Blues was definitely one of the rare ones with that ability.
Oh I so agree! So many times you would go to a concert and the artists just didn't quite meet the mark of putting all of themselves in a performance. The music that came out of these guys is amazing. They are my fav band of all time. I have been a fan since the first time I heard them.
I am lucky enough to seen them about 4-5 times including 2 times in the 90s accompanied by a local orchestra. The tours with the full orchestras were different but it almost seems like they were born for that, too.
I've been to many concerts in my day and the band that sticks out of just being out if sink or played like crap was Aerosmith in 1984 or 85 down in the Miami Baseball stadium if Florida.
I have contended for fifty years that the Moody Blues are the greatest rock band in history. Their lyrics, orchestral compositions, and personas have never been matched. I have seen them several times, but the greatest was at The Gorge in Washington state. They had an eighty piece orchestra behind them on risers, and the crowd (26,000) watched the sun set over the Cascade Mts. as the Lads played Tuesday Afternoon. With the evening glow casting a hint of glory over the mountains they played Nights In White Satin. They rocked the darkness with such as I’m Just a Singer,... You get the picture. Thank you Ray, and farewell!
I am very sorry to have missed that -- with all the other great shows I've witnessed at The Gorge, and being from Wash. State I have no excuse. Saw Steely Dan, Yes, Rush, Sting, Supertramp, and Pearl Jam but would love to have seen the Moodies play there!
And it turned out to be necessary. People were asking them to bless their children and things like that. This was probably because nobody's message was a positive as theirs.
That's one interpretation, but I have a different one. Sometimes artists give more thought to the issues of the day than we do, and we know the Moodies spoke out against humanitarian offenses of all kinds. So when they sing: "So if you want this world of yours to turn about you(rself) and you can see exactly what to do, please tell me I'm just a singer in a rock and roll band." I interpret that as a challenge to the narcissistic politicians of the day who would prefer to insulate themselves from criticism and not listen to the activism in the musical lyrics and demonstrations around them, preferring to dismiss musical criticism as nothing more than rock-n-roll. Not saying you're wrong, but I think that's why it's a faster, more aggressive song - it's a challenge to the existing powers. Peace.
DRRwine As an African American Moodies fan,I couldn't agree more,I'm now in my late fifties and this song is as fresh as it was in high school in the seventies!
I haven't heard this song for years and what a treat to hear it again! THIS, ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls, is ROCK AND FUCKING ROLL by one of the greatest rock bands in history!!! And what are we exposed to today? Tribal chants accompanied by primitive jungle beats, aka: (C)rap. And NONE of those pushing it could even carry any of these guys' instruments. You have to feel sorry for today's youth being exposed to such garbage today, especially when compared to such iconic songs/groups like The Moody Blues.
"Tribal chants accompanied by primitive jungle beats" - some people thought that of this when it was released! Just like most of rock and roll. We called them old people.
@@sslaytor Well, I was one of those (now old) "rock and roll musicians" back in that era and I, along with many of my fellow musicians LOVED music from the Big Band era...Miller, Dorsey, et. al and we always admired how "tight" those swing bands were, not to mention talented. Granted, some of them did frown on R&R but groups like The Moody Blues, Yes and others really knew what they were doing, not to mention The Beatles of course. Even though "Story In You Eyes" is one of their "rockers", songs like "Isn't Life Strange", "Nights In White Satin" and "Tuesday Afternoon" have beautiful arrangements. Calling "(C)rap chants" music at all is an insult, even to us "classic rockers".
I am 66 and a bass player. Today's music is garbage with snippets from the past rock greats passing for creativity. Boston, Earth, Wind and Fire, Chicago, Moody Blues, The Who, Beatles, Tower of Power, Heart, Led Zepplin and many others created, sang, and played their music. Real rock.
Hit our airwaves (in the US) in Feb, 1973 and I knew it would be a big hit (reached #12) Classics like this make this old guy teary eyed. A great year for music. I hum this one frequently.
As a 8 yr old hearing it on our bus drivers brown leather covered (Filco/ford)am/fm radio still takes me back to the best of times growing up South of Detroit
I just watched this video with the Closed Caption on, so I could see the words. I've heard the song a hundred times but never got a handle on what the lyrics were. Wow. Those lyrics are very thoughtful and poignant.
Although the song makes liberal use of the Chamberlin keyboard (precursor to the Mellotron and later, digital samplers) which some back then thought of as "cheating." From Wikipedia: "The Chamberlin has a piano-style keyboard. Underneath each key is a tape-playing mechanism. Each tape is prerecorded with various musical instruments or special effects. When the musician presses a key, a pressure pad pushes the tape against a tape head." All the sting and horn parts you hear in the song are played on the Chamberlin. I think it sounds great, but you know, there are always people out there that want to complain about something.
The drummer reminds me of Animal on the Muppets, or vice versa. And watch at 3:36, and imagine he isn't playing the guitar. What kind of passion does that remind you of? They gave so much to the music. So blessed to have their music in my soul forever!
@@chitlika Written by bassist John Lodge, although Graeme, who wrote many spoken word pieces, did collaborate with Justin Hayward occasionally on later songs
An unforgettable Drum-Intro that gets faster and faster . . . leading into John's melodic Bass--Groove and singing about the uncertainty going on in the World. In 74 or 75 when I was 13 or 14 years old = I walked into a dime store and bought a 2-record set entitled " This is the Moody Blues " - and after a week of listening I was Absolutely mesmerized and spell-bounded by this music and totally forgot what a Basketball or Sports was . . . and now its 2021 and I'm 60 years old and sad to hear of Graeme's recent passing. Whether physically on this planet / or not , Justin Hayward , John Lodge , Ray Thomas , Mike Pinder and Graeme Edge will always be COSMIC ROCKERS . Thanks boys - for filling my Brain with such great Melodies and Lullaby's .
Hello, there are many things I do not know about which is why I try to learn something new every day. Have you every met Justin Hayward and John Lodge?
This song was written by John Lodge (the bassist) and was the closing song for their album "Seventh Sojourn". Wonderful performance by the band -- they really ended this album with an exclamation point!
So much energy, vitality, and a heavy drum beat to this song. Every band member does a stellar performance 👏 from beginning to end. "I'm Just a Singer in a Rock 'n Roll Band" is one of my favorite songs from one of my favorite groups. Even my grandchildren listens to them.
When I hear this song, every cell of my being feels like I am 20 years old again.... and talk about awesome artistic energy just bursting out of all of these guys...
+Randy Ventresca First time listener . Instantly captivated by the drums intro leading into the bass line . For me , the rest of the song has far too much going on. It's like a fight between the different instruments and the vocals to be at the forefront of the song . I think the song would benefit from being leveled better or lose one of the instruments in the main riff and give it an interlude part or something.
The interplay of the instruments is what makes the song so good IMO. And, so true, it's a great rock intro. Love the bass in this and other songs in the early 70s period.
Unfortunately on the original album they faded it in (I guess the effect was to segue from the previous song and for the song to reach full volume once the band kicks in) so the effect of the drums picking up steam is greatly reduced. One of the few songs where the Greatest Hits version is vastly superior to the album version, if only for this reason.
Still listening to them, in 2023!!!! They are such great artist's!!!!! Justin, can sing!!!!! John can too!!!!!! So exhilarating, energy filled!!! Makes you want to get up and dance!!!!! 💃💃💃💃... 💙💙💙💙... 🌟🌟🌟🌟....
Yes they are and were! I don't know why they never got the adulation and attention from the Rock press in general that they were indeed the greatest band with the greatest songs ever written! The only ones who have really appreciated them and have stayed true to them and what they wrote, are us...their fans!
I didn't hear them until I think it was the Freedom Rock commercial , Story In Your Eyes, and then I was lead to Nights In White Satin, I slept on this group, and I was listening to I Know You're Out There Somewhere. I heard it played in some stores, but didn't realize it was the Moody Blues who sang it. This song is awesome.
What makes me happy and content I guess is that I was alive and of an age when I could and did walk into a record shop and buy this piece of genius on vinyl and still have it in it's original sleeve on my shelf.
IF I remember correctly this song was an answer to the situation where the Beatles were accused of saying they were more popular than Jesus Christ. The Moody Blues made a clear statement that they were "just singers in a rock n roll band"! And what a band it was!
@@Patrick-hb7bk I believe it was from an interview I watched on RU-vid of one of the band's members talking about the inspiration for the song. That the Beatles had just gotten a bunch of backlash about John Lennon's comment that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus now!
Thing is this is more of a classical masterpiece than a 'rock and roll' song. It's freaking epic musically. For me one of the cooooolest songs ever, totally unique
Unbelievable! We are privileged to hear this music. I say this in part because the quality of this music is testimony of the measured rise and decline of humanity. The irony is that many who read this won’t understand what I am saying.
@@h.antonionetzer8398 Thank you for the comment. I’ve been listening to Moody Blues music since 1970 and saw the band in concert at the Baltimore Civic Center in Oct 1972. I had just returned from Vietnam. Saw the Moody Blues again in concert Oct 2013 at the Paramount in Seattle. The lyrics in the songs of the Moody Blues are always thought provoking.
This is SO LEGEND (from my teen years).. genius and brilliant.. one of the BEST rock and roll performances of ALL time in my opinion! I never get tired of this!
At 70 yrs old I never was a M.Blues fan though I did like their songs. BUT - Seeing their videos gives a new meaning to their music! As "As a below commenter said "This is one of the most kick-ass energy packed numbers" !
Sadly, Brian Wilson was just recently diagnosed with Dementia, truly one of the greatest voices and of composing some of rhe most beautiful melodies. Pray for him. My wife also suffers from Dementia, such an insidious disease. It literally takes everything a person has in the ways of just everyday living.
An incredibly talented band, playing a very complex piece of music, and playing it incredibly well - THAT was the Moody Blues!! One of my favourite bands of all time, and I've been listening to their music since the 70's!
The transition from drums like a machine starting up to the base intro to the full band singing together to soaring organ, then piano, guitar solo-the transitions are so great! It brings me back to my youth in the car with my family driving up and down the lengh of Vancouver Island-good times!
In the '70s, we were musicians experimenting with drugs, today it is drug addicts experimenting with music. - Steven Tyler He said this in the 1990s at the height of tha Grunge movement. The industry never recovered. Even show bands, like KISS, used to put more effort into the craft than bands do today. Moody Blues were craftsmen as well as artists who were dedicated to the music before the money, women and other rewards came.
I love this video, we get to watch each musician giving it all they got, I especially enjoy watching “Animal” on the drums, I think Sesame Street made a muppet with him in mind 😎
Probably one of the high points in the Moodies' career came during what was a down time for the band. During what would be a five-year hiatus, Justin Hayward and John Lodge came together and collaborated on an album called "Blue Jays". Still one of my favorite albums.
Every member of this great band contributes something musically, I have loved them since I was young but never managed to see them live. Unfortunately I never will get to be this line up but I hope their great music lives on.
@@keithbrooks1072 Sadly I will now never get to see him perform. Although I loved all the members of the band but when they reformed missed I Mike Pinders music most.
I'm a classic rock fan but once I saw them live I was hooked and saw them over 25 times and always a great time and did a lot of smoking joints and singing until I was hoarse..GREAT TIMES!!!
I had the pleasure to see them play this live at the Greensboro Coliseum in North Carolina, 11/14/1978, it was a wall of sound that swallowed me up & I’ve been a fan ever since
The most UNDERRATED band of all time. Took so long to get in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their music has so many layers. Such a talented group of musicians.
I am obsessed with this song. Drummer 10/10, bassist 10/10 don't know what else to say. I have always loved The Moody Blues. Had a bad divorce and as consolation went to concerts to bands I liked. Saw them Live about 5-7 years ago. I had been going to lots of concerts at the time. I felt under dressed. I had jeans and a T-shirt. Everyone else 3 piece suits. WTF? They were awesome.
RIP Graeme Edge. you and the Moodys remain one of the greatest bands. thank you for your incredible, transformative music. this is one of the greatest power rock songs ever and you bring the fury from the first moment. much love
I say that if I had a time machine I would travel back and attend a LOT of iconic concerts : Beatles, Stones, Moody Blues, the Supremes, Temptations, the Who, Doors, Zeppelin, CCR, CSN, Jefferson Airplane, Mamas & Papas, Cream, Queen, Simon & Garfunkel for a start. Then I'd come back and have a shitload of musical memories to carry me till the day I die with a smile on my face.
With media wizardry, augmented reality and A.I., many young people can get close to the experience. They too can not only have memories but will be able to relive things. Even great music from the past that has been recorded will become timeless.
