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Rock and Roll Hall of Famer from the Moody Blues, John Lodge is out playing the classic album Days Of Future Passed in it's entirety along with other Moody Blues classic songs.  He and his great band that includes current Yes singer Jon Davison will be rolling into Columbus on November 17 at TempleLive.

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We had the chance to do a Zoom call with John where he discussed playing the entire Days Of Future Passed album live, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and more!

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Greg Drugan:  Hey John, You are going to be hitting the road soon.  This time you are going to be doing the classic Days of Future Passed.  What made you decide to play this album in its entirety?

 

John Lodge:  Three years ago, it was coming up on the anniversary of Days of Future Passed, and I thought I’d like to do Days of Future Passed live on the road.  We’d never done it as the Moody Blues and there’s no chance the Moody Blues were going to do it.  I had to figure out, how we were going to do it.  I realized one thing that was really important and that was the poetry. So I went to see Graeme Edge and I said, “Graeme, would you record the poetry for me?  If you do, I’ll record and film you and you’ll always have a place on stage with me.”  He said, “John, I’d love to do it!” I said, “We’ll keep the Moody Blues music alive.”  That was a big thing.  Jon Davison has been touring with me, from Yes.  I said, “Jon, you love to sing “Nights in White Satin,” I’m not going to do it, I just want to play the bass for that song and do the harmonies.”  He said he’d love to do it. We rehearsed for eighteen months until we got the show exactly right. I’m really pleased with it. The album was really important for the Moody Blues and for me. I wanted to give the live version total respect to the other guys in the band an to the music of the Moody Blues. 

 

GD:  Many people consider that album to be the start of Progressive Rock.  Did you feel you were doing something different and unique when you recorded that album?

 

JL:  You know, it was different.  We didn’t know what the difference was.  All we knew was that we weren’t a pop band anymore.  We were doing something totally different. I remember when the album came out, everybody knew it was different than mainstream pop. They gave us names like underground, classical, every name under the sun because they wanted to pigeonhole us.  I said, no it’s Moody Blues music, I don’t know what it is. I think all of us in the band said that.  We don’t know what it is, but it’s Moody Blues music.  I remember a promoter said to me, “I was promoting your concert in those days.  It’s amazing because you went on stage and said 'if you don’t want to stand up, sit down on the floor and listen!’  Nobody ever said that before!”  That was something about Moody Blues music, you could sit there and listen to it. 

 

GD:  You did have some singles from that album.  Do you remember the first time you heard yourself on the radio and where you were?

 

JL:  No I don’t.  We would’ve been in London and it would have been the BBC of course. It’s strange, in those days and it didn’t happen anywhere else in the world, the BBC had a time limit on records they could play. It was called needle time.  If you wanted your record played on the radio, they only had five or six records they could play, but you could go into their studio and re-record your songs.  I remember going into the studio, the BBC, and re-recording “Nights in White Satin” for the BBC on a two track machine! That was played quite a lot, the two track version. 

 

GD: Wow, how about that!  After all of these years, do you still get excited to perform these classic tunes and do you have a favorite to play live?

 

JL:  Yeah, absolutely because they mean so much, not only to me and the band, but the listener. I think the songs have a special place for everyone. Also, they are our songs, no one else’s. That makes a big difference.  I’m not playing a song which someone I don’t know has written or someone I don’t know has produced. I am singing our own songs and that’s really special.  Every concert you do, you try and perform yourself vocally and musically on the bass and the rest of the band. You try to achieve a higher level every time. 

 

GD:  With today’s technology, it helps getting that full sound, right?

 

JL:  Yes! Absolutely.  Technology.  That’s why I wanted to release a record on an album 180 gram.  I sent the masters to five different companies throughout the world to get them to make a master for me. I rejected four different companies until I got the one that sounded right to me and that’s the one that’s been released. 

 

GD:  Right, I was going to ask about that but you mentioned Jon Davisson is on tour with you.  What is it like to play with your son-in-law on stage and how many songs does he sing?

 

JL:  It’s great!  Jon is a fantastic musician.  He’s a wonderful vocalist and he’s a great friend. It’s lovely that he’s my son-in-law. He sings on stage, four songs really and he’s brilliant. 

 

GD:  Excellent, I’ve seen Jon with Yes several times, so this combination is going to be something special I’m sure. 

 

JL:  Yes, yes it is!

 

GD:  I was at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions in 2018 when The Moodies got in.  I loved when Graeme Edge read “Late Lament” at the end of your set.  Is this poem going to be a part of your show?

 

JL:  Graeme’s passed away now but he’s on stage with me on a great big video and his voice comes booming over.  It’s a special part of the concert for me because it doesn’t matter how many people are in the venue, it goes quiet.  They hear Graeme and the orchestra playing and it’s a special moment. 

 

GD:  Very good.  Speaking of the Hall of Fame, we just had the inductions here in Cleveland this past weekend.  It took a long time for the Moody Blues to get in and you should have gotten in years ago.  Is there an artist or group that you would like to see get in?  I think prog-rock is underrepresented and Jethro Tull and King Crimson should be in as well!

 

JL:  If Jethro aren’t in, they should be! As far as I’m concerned, Gene Vincent should be in and also Cliff Gallup should be in, Gene Vincent’s guitarist. Cliff Gallup was one of the beginning rock and roll guitarists, incredible guitar! 

 

GD:  I think Gene is in but I’m not sure about his guitarist.  That rockabilly sound was excellent, right?

 

JL:  Unbelievable, the guitar solo in “Be-Bop-A-Lula.”  Gene Vincent is in.  I was asked to form a band with Gene Vincent in about 1963.  He was touring England and I met up with Gene a couple of times.  I realized I didn’t want to be a backing musician.  It was great to meet these icons, you know. 

 

GD:  I’m jealous of that.  That would have been awesome, for sure. Now, you and Justin Heyward joined The Moody Blues in the same year, you also put out your Blue Jay album with him in the ‘70s.  Is there a chance that you may work with him in the future or play some live shows?

 

JL:  I don’t know.  I don’t live in a hypothetical world so I don’t really know. Justin wanted to wander off and do his own thing, not with the Moody Blues and that was his choice. But I’m a Moody Blue and I always will be a Moody Blue.  I’m just keeping the Moody Blues music alive. 

 

GD:  That’s fantastic.  You are playing Days of Future Passed in it’s entirety but you are also doing some other Moody Blues songs.  Do you have a favorite song to play in that set?

 

JL:  Ray Thomas and I, the flute player in the Moodies.  I met Ray when I was fifteen and we started a band together and our lives have been intertwined since then. My folks and his folks became friends because of Ray and I. They spent many holidays together.  What I’m coming to Ray and I shared apartments in England and we were sharing one in a place called bonds.  He woke up one morning and said, “John, I’ve written this song about this doctor in Los Angeles called Timothy Leary. We never really heard of Timothy Leary except through the grapevine. I play “Legend of the Mind” a song Ray wrote for Tim Leary because Ray was a great mate and I think the song is wonderful.  It captures a whole genre of time in one song.  It really does put you there in the hippie days and the wild west of the west coast. 

 

GD:  The late ‘60s, I’m sure that was crazy. Last year you released, Days of Future Passed- My Sojourn.  Why did you decided to re-record and kind of update that classic album?

 

JL:  When I was listening to the live show, I realized it was my life as well as the Moody Blues.  It’s my life captured in that album.  I thought, there’s probably a whole group of people who may have heard of “Nights in White Satin” but never heard of Days of Future Passed. I thought I’d be great to put this album out there with modern technology, a new look at the album and hopefully the younger generation will come along and listen to the album and say “that’s what it’s all about!” Perhaps they will venture back and buy the original album, I don’t know.  Let this genteratio of concert goers listen to the album which they’ve probably never heard of before. 

 

GD:  John, you are going to be hitting the road soon and you’ll be coming to Columbus.  What can fans expect when you play in Columbus next month?

 

JL:  Hopefully a lot of joy, a little bit of emotion, a lot of energy and I hope that everyone in the audience interacts with one another.  The world’s a difficult place at the moment and if he can escape from that for a couple of hours and what you listen to and what you observe, if you can take that with you perhaps we will all have a nicer place to live. 

 

GD:  For sure.  The last time I saw you was at The Music Box in Cleveland and I left with a big smile on my face.  I’m sure fans are going to be in for a treat. I’m so looking forward to this show and I’m gonna let everyone know about it and we’re gonna pack the place for you. 

 

JL:  Thank you very much, indeed! 

 

GD:  Safe travels John, I appreciate your time and best wishes to you!

 

JL:  Thank you and thanks for keeping the faith! 

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Be sure to catch John Lodge at TempleLive Columbus on November 17.  

Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased by clicking here. 

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You can watch the entire Zoom call below. 

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