We’d Like to Introduce to You the One and Only Billy Shears!

beatles-sgt-pepper50anniversary-002

THE BEATLES CELEBRATE ‘SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND!

WITH SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION RELEASES

sgt-pep

Sgt. Pepper’ Presented with New Mixes in Stereo and 5.1 Surround Audio; Expanded with Previously Unreleased Session Recordings, Video Features & Special Packaging

 Previously Unreleased 1992 Documentary Film, ‘The Making of Sgt. Pepper,’ Restored for Anniversary Edition’s Super Deluxe Boxed Set

London – April 5, 2017 – It was 50 years ago this June 1st when The Beatles’ John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr astonished and delighted the world, ushering in the Summer of Love with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, a groundbreaking masterwork that became popular music’s most universally acclaimed album. To salute the occasion, The Beatles will release a suite of lavishly presented ‘Sgt. Pepper’ Anniversary Edition packages on May 26 (Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe). The album is newly mixed by Giles Martin and Sam Okell in stereo and 5.1 surround audio and expanded with early takes from the studio sessions, including no fewer than 34 previously unreleased recordings.

“It’s crazy to think that 50 years later we are looking back on this project with such fondness and a little bit of amazement at how four guys, a great producer and his engineers could make such a lasting piece of art,” says Paul McCartney in his newly-penned introduction for the ‘Sgt. Pepper’ Anniversary Edition.

“‘Sgt. Pepper’ seemed to capture the mood of that year, and it also allowed a lot of other people to kick off from there and to really go for it,” Ringo Starr recalls in the Anniversary Edition’s book.

For Record Store Day on April 22, Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe will release an exclusive, limited edition seven-inch vinyl single of The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane,” among the first songs recorded during the ‘Sgt. Pepper’ sessions, which began in November 1966. Rather than being held for inclusion on the album, the two songs were released as a double A-sided single in February 1967. Amidst intense media speculation about the band’s next move, the single bridged what was then considered a long gap between the Revolver album, released in August 1966, and ‘Sgt. Pepper,’ which followed 10 months later.

This is the first time Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band has been remixed and presented with additional session recordings, and it is the first Beatles album to be remixed and expanded since the 2003 release of Let It Be… Naked. To create the new stereo and 5.1 surround audio mixes for ‘Sgt. Pepper,’ producer Giles Martin and mix engineer Sam Okell worked with an expert team of engineers and audio restoration specialists at Abbey Road Studios in London. All of the Anniversary Edition releases include Martin’s new stereo mix of the album, which was sourced directly from the original four-track session tapes and guided by the original, Beatles-preferred mono mix produced by his father, George Martin.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Anniversary Edition releases include:

A CD featuring the new ‘Sgt. Pepper’ stereo mix, complete with the original U.K. album’s “Edit for LP End” run-out groove.

Deluxe:  Expanded 2CD and digital package features the new stereo album mix on the first CD and adds a second CD of 18 tracks, including previously unreleased complete takes of the album’s 13 songs, newly mixed in stereo and sequenced in the same order as the album. The second CD also includes a new stereo mix and a previously unreleased instrumental take of “Penny Lane” and the 2015 stereo mix and two previously unreleased complete takes of “Strawberry Fields Forever.”

Deluxe Vinyl:  Expanded 180-gram 2LP vinyl package features the new stereo album mix on the first LP and adds a second LP with previously unreleased complete takes of the album’s 13 songs, newly mixed in stereo and sequenced in the same order as the album.

Super Deluxe:  The comprehensive six-disc boxed set features:

CD 1:  New stereo album mix

CDs 2 & 3:

– 33 additional recordings from the studio sessions, most previously unreleased and mixed for the first time from the four-track session tapes, sequenced in chronological order of their recording dates

– A new stereo mix of “Penny Lane” and the 2015 stereo mix of “Strawberry Fields Forever”

CD 4:

– Direct transfers of the album’s original mono mix and the “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane” singles

– Capitol Records’ U.S. promotional mono single mix of “Penny Lane”

– Previously unreleased early mono mixes of “She’s Leaving Home,” “A Day In The Life,” and “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” (a mix thought to have been erased from a tape in 1967, but discovered during archive research for the anniversary edition)

Discs 5 & 6 (Blu-ray and DVD):

– New 5.1 surround audio mixes of the album and “Penny Lane” by Giles Martin and Sam Okell, plus their 2015 5.1 surround mix of “Strawberry Fields Forever”

– High resolution audio versions of the new stereo mixes of the album and “Penny Lane” and of the 2015 stereo mix of “Strawberry Fields Forever”

– Video features:  4K restored original promotional films for “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “Penny Lane,” and “A Day In The Life;” plus The Making of Sgt. Pepper, a restored, previously unreleased documentary film (broadcast in 1992), featuring insightful interviews with McCartney, Harrison, and Starr, and in-studio footage introduced by George Martin.

– “A splendid time is guaranteed for all” –

The album’s vibrant artwork, including its extravagant Pop Art cover which finds The Beatles surrounded by a crowd of heroes in a 3D collage, was created by Peter Blake and Jann Haworth in collaboration with the band. The original artwork is showcased across the suite of Anniversary Edition releases, including the album’s pull-out sheet of ‘Sgt. Pepper’ cutouts. Housed in a 12-inch by 12-inch box with lenticular artwork and two bonus posters, the six-disc Super Deluxe set is presented with a 144-page hardcover book. The book includes new introductions by Paul McCartney and Giles Martin, and chapters covering comprehensive song-by-song details and recording information, the design of the cover, the album’s musical innovations and its historical context by Beatles historian, author and radio producer Kevin Howlett; composer and musicologist Howard Goodall; music producer and writer Joe Boyd; and journalists Ed Vulliamy and Jeff Slate,  illustrated with rare photographs, reproductions of handwritten lyrics, Abbey Road Studios documentation, and original ‘Sgt. Pepper’ print ads. The Deluxe 2CD digipak is slipcased with a 50-page booklet abridged from the box set’s book, and the 2LP Deluxe Vinyl is presented in a faithful reproduction of the album’s original gatefold jacket.

– “We hope you will enjoy the show” –

Just as many ideas are sparked by chance, ‘Sgt. Pepper’ first sprang from a conversation between Paul and Beatles roadie Mal Evans on an airplane, when Mal’s request to pass the salt and pepper was misheard by Paul as “Sgt. Pepper.” The concept of who such a figure could be took root in Paul’s mind, blooming with the imagination of The Beatles as an Edwardian era military band — “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The Beatles’ creative wellspring for ‘Sgt. Pepper’ also flowed from such myriad sources as The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds album, a Victorian circus poster (“Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!”), a TV commercial for breakfast cereal (“Good Morning Good Morning”), a picture drawn by John’s young son, Julian (“Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds”), a teen runaway reported in the news (“She’s Leaving Home’), and Hindu teachings (“Within You Without You”).

– “Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song” –

Using the standard four-track tape recording equipment of the day, The Beatles collaborated with producer George Martin to achieve “the impossible,” as they dubbed it, to go as far out as they could with arrangements and new technology to realize their collective vision for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. As George Martin described it, “We were into another kind of art form where you were putting something down on tape that could only be done on tape.” The Beatles clocked more than 400 hours in Abbey Road’s Studio 2 to record the album, wrapping sessions in April 1967.

– “I read the news today oh boy” –

Upon its release on June 1, 1967, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band initially spent 148 weeks in the British chart, including a total of 27 weeks at number one. During its first U.S. chart run, the album held the number one spot for 15 of the 88 weeks it appeared in the Top 200. ‘Sgt. Pepper’ won four GRAMMY Awards®, including Album of the Year, and it remains one of the most influential and bestselling albums of all time. In 2003, the U.S. Library of Congress selected ‘Sgt. Pepper’ for the National Recording Registry, recognizing the album as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” ‘Sgt. Pepper’ tops Rolling Stone magazine’s definitive list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”

thebeatles.com

#SgtPepper

Twitter:  @thebeatles

Facebook:  thebeatles

Vevo:  thebeatles

YouTube:  thebeatles

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Anniversary Edition

Tracklists

CD

(‘Sgt. Pepper’ 2017 Stereo Mix)

  1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
  2. With A Little Help From My Friends
  3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
  4. Getting Better
  5. Fixing A Hole
  6. She’s Leaving Home
  7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
  8. Within You Without You
  9. When I’m Sixty-Four
  10. Lovely Rita
  11. Good Morning Good Morning
  12. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
  13. A Day In The Life

Deluxe [2CD, digital]

CD 1:  ‘Sgt. Pepper’ 2017 Stereo Mix (same as single-disc CD tracklist, above)

CD 2:  Complete early takes from the sessions in the same sequence as the album, plus various versions of “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane”

  1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band [Take 9]
  2. With A Little Help From My Friends [Take 1 – False Start And Take 2 – Instrumental]
  3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds [Take 1]
  4. Getting Better [Take 1 – Instrumental And Speech At The End]
  5. Fixing A Hole [Speech And Take 3]
  6. She’s Leaving Home [Take 1 – Instrumental]
  7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! [Take 4]
  8. Within You Without You [Take 1 – Indian Instruments]
  9. When I’m Sixty-Four [Take 2]
  10. Lovely Rita [Speech And Take 9]
  11. Good Morning Good Morning [Take 8]
  12. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) [Take 8]
  13. A Day In The Life [Take 1 With Hummed Last Chord]
  14. Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 7]
  15. Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 26]
  16. Strawberry Fields Forever [Stereo Mix – 2015]
  17. Penny Lane [Take 6 – Instrumental]
  18. Penny Lane [Stereo Mix – 2017]

Deluxe Vinyl [180g 2LP]

LP 1:  ‘Sgt. Pepper’ 2017 Stereo Mix (same as single-disc CD tracklist, above)

SIDE 1                                                              SIDE 2

  1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band         1.  Within You Without You
  2. With A Little Help From My Friends                2.  When I’m Sixty-Four
  3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds                    3.  Lovely Rita
  4. Getting Better                                               4.  Good Morning Good Morning
  5. Fixing A Hole                                               5.  Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
  6. She’s Leaving Home                                     6.  A Day In The Life
  7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!

LP 2:  Complete early takes from the sessions in the same sequence as the album

SIDE 3

  1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band [Take 9 And Speech]
  2. With A Little Help From My Friends [Take 1 – False Start And Take 2 – Instrumental]
  3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds [Take 1]
  4. Getting Better [Take 1 – Instrumental And Speech At The End]
  5. Fixing A Hole [Speech And Take 3]
  6. She’s Leaving Home [Take 1 – Instrumental]
  7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! [Take 4]

SIDE 4

  1. Within You Without You [Take 1 – Indian Instruments]
  2. When I’m Sixty-Four [Take 2]
  3. Lovely Rita [Speech And Take 9]
  4. Good Morning Good Morning [Take 8]
  5. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) [Take 8]
  6. A Day In The Life [Take 1 With Hummed Last Chord]

Super Deluxe [4CD/DVD/Blu-ray boxed set]

CD 1:  ‘Sgt. Pepper’ 2017 Stereo Mix (same as single-disc CD tracklist, above)

CD 2:  Complete early takes from the sessions, sequenced in chronological order of their first recording dates

  1. Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 1]
  2. Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 4]
  3. Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 7]
  4. Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 26]
  5. Strawberry Fields Forever [Stereo Mix – 2015]
  6. When I’m Sixty-Four [Take 2]
  7. Penny Lane [Take 6 – Instrumental]
  8. Penny Lane [Vocal Overdubs And Speech]
  9. Penny Lane [Stereo Mix – 2017]
  10. A Day In The Life [Take 1]
  11. A Day In The Life [Take 2]
  12. A Day In The Life [Orchestra Overdub]
  13. A Day In The Life (Hummed Last Chord) [Takes 8, 9, 10 and 11]
  14. A Day In The Life (The Last Chord)
  15. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band [Take 1 – Instrumental]
  16. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band [Take 9 And Speech]
  17. Good Morning Good Morning [Take 1 – Instrumental, Breakdown]
  18. Good Morning Good Morning [Take 8]

CD 3:  Complete early takes from the sessions, sequenced in chronological order of their first recording dates

  1. Fixing A Hole [Take 1]
  2. Fixing A Hole [Speech And Take 3]
  3. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! [Speech From Before Take 1; Take 4 And Speech At End]
  4. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! [Take 7]
  5. Lovely Rita [Speech And Take 9]
  6. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds [Take 1 And Speech At The End]
  7. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds [Speech, False Start And Take 5]
  8. Getting Better [Take 1 – Instrumental And Speech At The End]
  9. Getting Better [Take 12]
  10. Within You Without You [Take 1 – Indian Instruments Only]
  11. Within You Without You [George Coaching The Musicians]
  12. She’s Leaving Home [Take 1 – Instrumental]
  13. She’s Leaving Home [Take 6 – Instrumental]
  14. With A Little Help From My Friends [Take 1 – False Start And Take 2 – Instrumental]
  15. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) [Speech And Take 8]

CD 4:  ‘Sgt. Pepper’ and bonus tracks in Mono

(Tracks 1-13:  2017 Direct Transfer of ‘Sgt. Pepper’ Original Mono Mix)

  1. Strawberry Fields Forever [Original Mono Mix]
  2. Penny Lane [Original Mono Mix]
  3. A Day In The Life [Unreleased First Mono Mix]
    17. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds [Unreleased Mono Mix – No. 11]
  4. She’s Leaving Home [Unreleased First Mono Mix]
  5. Penny Lane [Capitol Records U.S. Promo Single – Mono Mix]

DISCS 5 & 6 (Blu-ray & DVD)

Audio Features (both discs):

– New 5.1 Surround Audio mixes of ‘Sgt. Pepper’ album and “Penny Lane,” plus 2015 5.1 Surround mix of “Strawberry Fields Forever” (Blu-ray: DTS HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby True HD 5.1 / DVD: DTS Dolby Digital 5.1)

– High Resolution Audio versions of 2017 ‘Sgt. Pepper’ stereo mix and 2017 “Penny Lane” stereo mix, plus 2015 “Strawberry Fields Forever” hi res stereo mix (Blu-ray: LPCM Stereo 96KHz/24bit / DVD: LPCM Stereo)

Video Features (both discs):

The Making of Sgt. Pepper [restored 1992 documentary film, previously unreleased]

– Promotional Films:  “A Day In The Life;” “Strawberry Fields Forever;” “Penny Lane” [4K restored]

Collector Worthy Alert: Let’s Go Down & Blow Our Minds: The British Psychedelic Sounds of 1967

ccm-psychedelic

With a tip of the cap to the Beatles, whose “Revolver” (1966) and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967), folkies, pop singers, mods, R&B bands, swinging London soul revues—they all went psychedelic in ’67. This 3 CD set imported from the UK chronicles the trippy transformation that swept England in 1967 with 80 tracks (many rare or unissued) by artists both famous and ultra-obscure. An evocatively illustrated booklet joins “Sanity Inspector” – Spencer Davis Group, “Life’s Not Life” – Moody Blues, “Funny Face”-  Dave Davies, “Give Him a Flower” – Crazy World of Arthur Brown, “Flowers in Your Hair” – John Williams, “Crazy Dreams” – Searchers, “Listen to the Sky” – Sands, “Again” – Symbols, “Ice Woman” – Motives, “Odd Man Out” – Hi-Fi’s, “Laughing Man” – Marmalade, “Defecting Grey” (extended version) – Pretty Things…four hours of shape-shifting sounds from an epochal year! A fantastic compilation from Cherry Red’s Grapefruit Records imprint. Highly recommended.

http://www.ccmusic.com/lets-go-down-and-blow-our-minds-various-artists/5013929183308

An Interview with Justin Hayward


Justin Hayward Live in Concert at the Capitol TheatreQUESTIONS:

An EXCLUSIVE interview with JUSTIN HAYWARD

 

While The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who and The Kinks may have received more press coverage over the years, there is no denying that The Moody Blues are one of the greatest British Rock bands of all time. From their rough and raw R&B roots in the mid ‘60s to their Symphonic Rock masterpieces in the latter part of that decade, The Moody Blues reinvented themselves while also inventing Progressive Rock. Their continued success throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s, and beyond has ensured that new generations of fans have been able to experience their well-crafted Rock and Pop first hand. The simple fact that they are not in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame is an embarrassment to Rock Music itself.

One of the band’s driving forces, Justin Hayward, composed and sang the band’s biggest commercial hits (“Nights In White Satin,” “Your Wildest Dreams,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” etc.) and has managed to balance a solo career in between his Moody Blues commitments. Hayward remains an exceptional songwriter nearly 50 years after he scored his first Moodies milestone (“Nights In White Satin”) and is arguably one of the finest vocalists in British Rock/Pop history. Though not a prolific artist these days, Hayward’s solo material is just as emotionally powerful as anything he has released with The Moody Blues. Under-appreciated by mainstream press for too long, Justin Hayward certainly deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Ray Davies and Pete Townshend if not Jagger/Richards or Lennon/McCartney.

Released just weeks apart, there are two Justin Hayward titles that focus on his solo material… with just a pinch of The Moody Blues to entice you. The first, ALL THE WAY, is a CD that collects fifteen solo recordings and offers a great introduction into his non-Moodies catalog. The second release is a most excellent DVD, LIVE IN CONCERT AT THE CAPITOL THEATRE. Filmed in 2014 during Justin’s tour for his SPIRITS OF THE WESTERN SKY album, the DVD finds Justin in great form performing solo and Moodies hits with equal amounts of love and passion. Aided by guitarist Mike Dawes and keyboardist/backing vocalist Julie Ragins, this trio breathes new life into Hayward’s back catalog including some of his biggest and best-known tracks. To see an artist perform a fifty year old song with as much conviction as a new composition is inspiring.

Expertly captured by director/film-maker/composer David Minasian, LIVE IN CONCERT AT THE CAPITOL THEATRE is a warm and wonderful experience to behold. As an added bonus, the DVD features the video to the brand new song “The Wind Of Heaven,” which is also featured on the ALL THE WAY CD collection. The beautifully photographed “Wind of Heaven” music video, co-directed by David Minasian and Trinity Houston, is a prelude to an upcoming major motion picture by the same producing duo. The song itself is a rare collaboration for Justin who co-wrote the epic piece with David. Justin, who readily admits he’s never really been successful writing with other people, believes “The Wind of Heaven” to be one of the nicest things he’s ever done.

Stephen SPAZ Schnee was able to spend some time chatting with Justin Hayward about the new DVD, The Moody Blues and more…

 

 

 

SPAZ: How are you feeling about the release of the LIVE IN CONCERT AT THE CAPITOL THEATRE DVD and the reaction to it so far?

JUSTIN HAYWARD: The show is a real pleasure for me. I’m working with the two musicians that I treasure most in my life – Mike Dawes and Julie Ragins. They are the best musicians I’ve ever played with on record or anywhere. It’s a joy every night to be with them. I’m very pleased that David took this opportunity to record and film this show. I’m so glad he did.

 

 

SPAZ: With just the three of you, you’d expect a stripped down sound, but it still sounds very powerful and passionate. Mike and Julie really seem to understand where the songs come from on an emotional level.

JUSTIN: That’s right, they do. This is often how the songs were recorded. Tony Clarke in the early days, Tony Visconti later on and even Chris Neil – these producers had a style of putting the acoustic guitars more up front in the mix. Usually, the rhythm section was bass with acoustic guitar and (original Moody Blues keyboardist) Mike Pinder playing tambourine – that’s how a lot of things would start. In some ways, these versions are true to the original recordings because of the mix with acoustic up front. That’s how I came to the band – as an acoustic player. This is how the songs were written, this is how they sound in my music room. Julie is doing a lot of the parts that I would have put on my original demos. So, these arrangements are true to how they were written.

 

SPAZ: How did you come to choose the CAPITOL Theatre as the venue to film this performance?

JUSTIN: It wasn’t my choice – it was the choice of the venue, who were really open to having cameras in it. They were the one place on that tour that had the space and locations to put cameras without them bothering other people. They were the one place that had everything that we needed and they were open to us doing it.

 

SPAZ: Do you trust David’s vision on how to best represent Justin Hayward visually?

JUSTIN: Yes, I do trust him. Absolutely. He’s got a love of the music and a love of the pictures that is hard to find. I know the Moodies have done stuff and, in the end, we’ve had to cobble it together to find some decent shots. But David already knew what he wanted to do and where he wanted to focus.

 

SPAZ: Your solo shows are far more intimate than your performances with The Moody Blues. Do you have a preference in regards to which concert setting you prefer?

JUSTIN: I love both of the formats but I probably take more pleasure out of the acoustic performances because I can hear every nuance. In the studio, you can get the balance between drums and the other instruments perfectly. You still can’t do that on stage. The Moodies has two drummers and whatever you do, you have to raise to the level of those drums, which are loud. It’s always been a dilemma. There wasn’t a way to amplify an acoustic guitar until the late ‘80s when they started having good under-bridge pickups. I struggle now in the Moodies shows to do a couple songs with an acoustic – it’s still fighting over the sound of a big P.A. and drums. But I don’t favor one concert setting over the other – both are great for me. As long as the Moodies continue to be genuine and honest, then it will be a part of my life.

 

SPAZ: Do you find the songs take on a different meaning in this intimate setting because you can see how they connect with the audience?

JUSTIN: I do. Everything is built around the voice, which is in the center. Julie and I have worked together for long enough now that we’ve become like one voice – she knows my nuances and the little touches that I like to have in there. And we can hear each other perfectly. It’s a pleasure to do in a room like this. On the UK tour that we just did, Live Nation booked me in a lot of bigger venues – venues that The Moody Blues play! All of us were a bit worried that it wouldn’t translate but it was absolutely brilliant. It just meant that we could fill an auditorium with the sound of just the three of us and it would still be about the vocal performances and the meaning of the words.

SPAZ: I love Julie’s voice because she has such a nice range. At times, it seems as if your voices become one.

JUSTIN: She works on that! She does at least half-an-hour practice in her room before every gig. She’s able to open up her voice with a real discipline that I really admire.

 

SPAZ: Your solo work is often overlooked compared to the enormous popularity of the Moodies catalog. Have you or would you consider doing solo gigs without throwing in a few Moody Blues classics?

JUSTIN: They are still my songs whether they are Moodies songs or not. They are songs I’ve written down through the years and they are still very dear to me. I think that there are probably about four songs that wouldn’t be right for me to leave out. I do think that people expect to hear the guy who wrote and sang the song originally to do them… and they are a pleasure for me. It’s not a problem what we play – it’s what we leave out!

 

SPAZ: For the most part, the members of The Moody Blues have avoided gossip magazines and tabloids over the years, so their private lives are often shrouded in mystery. Do your songs tell us all you want us to know about Justin Hayward?

JUSTIN: Well, they are from the heart – that’s all I can say. If I don’t do them with honesty and sincerity, they don’t work. You don’t have to have lived everything to mean it or for it to come from the heart. But 75% of it is from my own life and people that I know and love.

 

SPAZ: This live release reveals that you are both an understated and underrated guitar player. Do you feel, as a guitarist, you’ve been overlooked?

JUSTIN: I don’t think so. It was a blessing for me that I was the only guitar player in the band. I think I had to learn to fill up the space with that guitar. I don’t think that anyone comes to a concert to look at my left hand (laughs) but that doesn’t bother me at all. I was lucky enough to get my first job as a guitar player with a Rock ‘n’ Roll singer called Marty Wilde. I could not believe that he gave me the job as his guitar player. Then, it was a baptism by fire – I had to do it and take that role. Still, I can only engineer what seems right for me. And for me, it’s usually about simplicity and melody lines. It’s not about technique for me.

 

SPAZ: For the first time ever, you performed the 1970 Moody Blues track “You Can Never Go Home” live. When pulling an obscure gem like that out of your catalog and adding it to your set list, do you have to go back and reacquaint yourself with that song, or does it just come back to you naturally?

JUSTIN: It’s somewhere locked away in an automatic place in my memory. As soon as I started to think about the first couple of chords, it all came flooding back to me. It’s always a dilemma when you return to things that you only ever spent maybe two days on in the studio to do originally and you haven’t ever played since – I haven’t even listened to them since. I remember where the emotional points were for that song and I remember what was going on in my life. It puts me right back in that moment. Music has that power to do that for people who just love music, as I do. It also has that power for writers as well. I remember what I was going through emotionally then – I was losing people and there was a lot of grief around my life. It was a difficult time for me, those early years of the Moodies. And to actually bring that back again, it’s worth remembering to value what there is now.

 

SPAZ: You deliver every song – new and old – with such conviction and passion. How difficult is it to connect with a song like “Nights In White Satin” when you’ve probably performed it around 4,057 times?

JUSTIN: “Nights…,” “Question” and “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” are songs that the audience brings something to every night. They provide some kind of magic. You can’t expect to evoke a great emotion at a sound check – it’s when you start playing it, and you start feeling the atmosphere in the room of what it means in some peoples’ lives. It’s quite important to them, and they bring an emotional feeling into the room that is just wonderful and very moving. It’s not something you ever get tired of.

 

SPAZ: For the compilation ALL THE WAY, was it difficult to choose which tracks you wanted to use to best represent your solo career?

JUSTIN: I left it to a friend of mine, Mark Powell, who had a list of maybe thirty or forty songs, and we just had to decide which songs were right for the single CD version. I thought it was better to have someone else’s opinion because I was just too close to the material.

 

SPAZ: What’s next for Justin Hayward?

JUSTIN: I don’t know what’s in the future. The Moodies are always  being asked to tour. In fact, we are being offered more work now than we ever have been.  I’ll see the other guys and see how they feel, what their priorities are. I will be keeping Mike and Julie with me, that’s for certain. Recording and working with David on “The Wind of Heaven” has been an absolute joy, so I’m hoping there will be some more new things coming.

Justin Hayward All the Way

 

Thanks to Justin Hayward

Special thanks to Larry Germack, Trinity Houston, Jamie Tinnes, Zack Fischel, Dave Rayburn and Nick Kominitsky