The Moody Blues
FloridaToday.com
Undisputed rock legends The Moody Blues will take the stage at the King Center on Wednesday. Tickets still remain for this rare opportunity to catch a part of musical history as the musicians celebrate more than 45 years in rock and roll.
Formed in 1964, The Moody Blues early Decca Records release “Days of Future Passed” catapulted the band to stardom with such timeless classics as “Tuesday Afternoon” and “Knights in White Satin.” Since those early days, The Moody Blues have sold more than 70 million CDs/records worldwide and have had 14 platinum and gold disks.
The band, consisting of Graeme Edge (drums/vocals/songwriter), John Lodge (bass/vocals/songwriter) and Justin Hayward (guitar/vocals), was one of the earliest rock bands to combine classic musical elements with modern rock riffs, giving them an undeniable sound. Although the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has yet to induct The Moody Blues, they will forever be a part of musical history.
I spoke to Graeme Edge about the history of the Moody Blues, their enduring music and his book of poetry. Let’s Shake Rattle & Know: The Moody Blues
QUESTION:Do you still call Florida home?
Edge: I do. You can’t beat the winters here. As a musician living in England, I usually worked in the summer when the weather was good, and I was off in the winter when it was cold and awful. So here in Florida, I can enjoy the weather year round. I fell in love with the Sarasota area and think you can’t beat the restaurants and the people here. I tried living in Boston and Seattle. I guess you can say I have been to the corners of the U.S., but this is the place for me.
Q:With over 45 years of touring, what is the hardest part of preparing to go on tour these days?
Edge: Getting fit is tough. I’m a lot slower than I used to be and don’t stay fit when I finish up a tour. A few months before I’m ready to go back out, I start running and playing music daily to stay fit for the tour.
It’s strange, too, as long as I have been doing this, I still get very nervous before I go on tour and usually throw up before the show, but as soon as the curtain goes up, all that goes away. I have my own theory on that, and I believe it’s our fight or flight instinct. Before the curtain goes up, you can’t play yet, and you can’t leave either, so that’s when the nerves set in.
Q:At your shows and online, you offer a book of poetry. What inspired you to want to release a book of poetry?
Edge: It’s hard to say. We have another drummer on tour with us and he wrote a book and had expertise in publishing. He really encouraged me. He told me the fans would be interested. It is full of poetry but also with liner notes, amusing stories and allowed me to have my own flavor. I included thoughts that I felt were worth putting out. I have always enjoyed reading and writing poetry because it is much denser and gets the point across quicker. You have to be very disciplined in the use of language when writing.
Q:Why do you think the song “Knights in White Satin” has been so timeless? Not many songs can boast over 40 years or popularity.
Edge: I know, it really was something special. There are over 100 cover versions of the song released. I wish I knew what it was, so we could do it again. It’s a beautiful piece of music, and the words are simple. It conveys emotion of young love. I'm stumbling to find an answer.
Q:If you could go back through your career and do one thing differently, what would it be?
Edge: That’s tough, and I have thought about this before. You have heard the old story of a time traveler going back in time and landing on a butterfly and everything changes. I wouldn’t want to change a thing because I may not be where I am now. I wish we hadn’t stopped for four years, but we just didn’t like what we made at that time. We had four awful tracks, were mentally exhausted, and could have kept working, but didn’t. Who knows? That may be what kept us together in the long run.
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