Classic ALbums- Days of Future Passed by the Moody Blues

Days of Future Passed was the second album for the British group the Moody Blues but it was the first for members Justin Hayward and John Lodge who had joined the group in 1966 when original founding members Clint Warwick and Denny Laine who were on their only number 1 UK hit "go Now" in 1965 as well as the album the Magnificent Moodies left the group. Justin had played with British 50's & 60's rocker Marty Wilde in the Wilde three and was recommended to the Moodies by Eric Burdon of the Animals which he was contacted by Mike Pinder after reading his application as well as being impressed when Justin played an song called London Is Behind Me in the car going to Esher to meet the other members. John had played with both Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder in El Riot and the Rebels and it was the line up with Justin and John would become the classic line up of the Moody Blues that would do most of the successful work from then on which they went away from their R&B roots to uncharted rock territory with classical and orchestral stuff that would make the group one of the early pioneers of both classical and progressive rock. The origins of this album began when they were asked by their record company Decca to do an rock version of the New World Symphony by Dvorak in order to demonstrate the latest recording techniques for Deram Records but the Moodies decided to do an album that was based on an original stage show that they were working on that was about the everyman's day from dawn to night and from awakening to sleep. the album was recorded at Decca Studios in West Hampstead London on October 8th 1967 which lasted until November 3rd with producer Tony Clarke who had worked with the group on an single called Fly me High and had been working for Decca since the early 1960's first as session musician,promoter, worked in production company and songwriting. Derek Varnals was the engineer, peter Knight did the conducting and the London Festival Orchestra played on the album as well. The album was released on November 11th 1967 which went to number 27 in the UK and went to no 3 in the USA which did not out until 1972 when it was re-released and it had 2 singles that stills get plenty of airplay to this day Nights in White satin(no 19 in the UK 1967, no 9 UK 1972, no 14 in the UK 1979 & no 51 in 2010 and in the USA it was number 2 in 1972) and Tuesday Afternoon number 24 in the USA in 1968 both written by Justin Hayward. this year is 45 years when this album came out and it holds up brilliantly after all these years with great songs and sounds which the mellotorn is played by Mike Pinder as well as writing 2 songs Dawn Is A Feeling and the Sun Set, Ray Thomas wrote 2 songs, Graeme Edge wrote 2 songs, and John Lodge wrote 2 songs. It went to become one of the Moody Blues best albums ever made as well as paving the way for other bands to do progressive offerings and really established the group onto the world stage. A great album and an classic indeed