John Lodge of The Moody Blues passed away unexpectedly yesterday (10/10) He was 82 years old.
I love this statement from his family: “John peacefully slipped away surrounded by his loved-ones and the sounds of The Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly."
Lodge joined the group in late 1966, replacing original bassist Clint Warwick. Along with new guitarist Justin Hayward, who joined the band at the same time, the duo collectively took the former blues band in the totally new direction of progressive rock. Their first effort together begat the classic rock album “Days Of Future Passed” which, over time, produced the hit singles “Tuesday Afternoon” and “Nights In White Satin.” (It took five years for the rest of the world to catch up to “Nights In White Satin” … it wouldn’t top the charts until 1972!) “Days Of Future Passed” was a revolutionary album for its time, featuring a rock band performing with a symphony orchestra … yet it went virtually unnoticed at the time, being released the same year as The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper” LP.
Lodge and Hayward worked together on other projects when the band took a hiatus in the mid-‘70’s, but overall John spent over fifty years as a key part of The Moody Blues. (Long ranked on our Deserving and Denied list of artists ignored by The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, the band was finally inducted in 2018, nearly thirty years after they first became eligible for this recognition. Their acceptance speech remains one of The Rock Hall’s finest moments.)
Hayward and Lodge had a serious falling out a few years ago, prompting each to go out on separate tours performing the biggest hits of The Moody Blues. (Prior to their coming onboard in 1966, the band enjoyed a Top Ten Single in their original incarnation with Denny Laine on lead vocals, performing a revival of the Bessie Banks blues hit “Go Now.” It caught the wave of The British Invasion and became at Top Ten Hit for the band in 1965.)
But it was the addition of Hayward and Lodge and the revamping of the group’s line-up that really put them on the map. In addition to “Tuesday Afternoon” and “Nights In White Satin,” the band also hit The Top 40 with songs like “Question” (#19, 1970), “The Story In Your Eyes” (#14, 1971), “Isn’t Life Strange” (#20, 1972), “I’m Just A Singer in A Rock And Roll Band” (#8, 1973) and, once reunited, “Gemini Dream” (#12, 1981) and “Your Wildest Dreams” (#9, 1986).
The Moody Blues placed 18 songs on our TOP 3333 MOST ESSENTIAL CLASSIC ROCK SONGS list, five of which made The Top 1000 …
“Nights In White Satin” (#204), “Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)” (#360), “The Story In Your Eyes” (#507), “Question” (#520) and “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band” (#793). “Go Now,” the group’s first hit, placed at #1478. (kk)
Great to hear that Baz Luhrmann’s new “EPic: Elvis Presley In Concert” film, recently shown at The Toronto International Film Festival, has just been picked up by Neon and Universal Pictures for domestic and international rights, respectively. (Neon will release the film theatrically in the U.S., and Universal Pictures International will release the film internationally in 2026.)
According to a post in "Variety," the film features “a wealth of never-before-seen footage including Presley’s Vegas residency in the 1970s, rare 16mm footage from “Elvis on Tour” and 8mm from the Graceland archive. There are also recordings of Elvis telling “his side of the story,” rediscovered during Luhrmann’s research for his 2022 film “Elvis,” starring Austin Butler as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
Elvis fans around the world will now get the chance to see this film on the big screen as Baz Luhrmann prepares to bring Elvis’ story to audiences around the world. Baz says that Neon and Universal will ensure this film will be seen from local cinemas in small towns, to the biggest screens in the biggest cities in the world.
While no official release date has yet to be announced, you can look forward to see “EPic: Elvis Presley In Concert” soon at a theater near you! (kk)
Phil Miglioratti, who helms the Pray For Surf Beach Boys website, just shared these great reviews by Brian Anderson …
One of the current Beach Boys band, led by Mike Love and Bruce Johnston …
And another of the Brian Wilson Band, now commandeered by Al Jardine (and redubbed The Pet Sounds Band)
Enjoy! (kk)
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This from Shelley Sweet-Tufano …
>>>Scott Shannon has won so many broadcasting and programming awards he could fill a museum. I tip my hat to one of the masters who helped lead the way and had a ball doing what he loved doing. (Wish we could ALL take that kind of enjoyment … and praise … for our efforts.) Scott Shannon, we salute you! (kk)
Yes, gentlemen ... one of the best, and a man totally willing to praise others. Security within himself.
Shelley
… who also shared her latest review of The Lords Of 52nd Street, a Billy Joel tribute shows that has ties to The Piano Man himself. (With future Billy Joel shows and concert tours still at the questionable stage, it’s nice to know that someone else is out there providing a concerted effort to keeping this music alive and accessible. (kk)
I love my local concerts, and the Milford Performance Center is only fifteen minutes away. On Saturday, October 4th, I once again saw Billy Joel's best: The Lords of 52nd Street! Originally the band Topper, Billy Joel utilized their talents on his recordings. Billy dubbed them The Lords of 52nd Street, but actually Topper got a piano player who could sing added to their group.
They have been announcing that Richie Canata was coming back, but unfortunately, he hasn't made it yet. Russell Javors announced he was still fighting health issues but that he WOULD be back. I look forward to seeing him as I have never seen him perform since The Lords regrouped to tour on their own.
When Richie returns, we can get his placement on the timeline of Topper and Lords of 52nd Street. Russell speaks several times about his connection to Liberty DeVitto that started when Russell was 15 years old! That would make Lib (Russell's name for him) 17 years old at their first meeting. I think back to when I was 15. I have re-connected with a former high school boyfriend that in fact, I knew when I was 15. However, we have not had a constant connection through all the years as these two have. Unbelievable!
One of the fun things about Lords of 52nd playing without Billy Joel, is that they choose albums to cover in each concert that may not have been the most popular; or songs from said albums that are rarely performed. Tonight, it is the Turnstiles album. The following are just some of the songs I heard this evening.
1. Movin' Out
2. Say Goodbye to Hollywood - The opening song of Turnstiles. Liberty on drums and Ken Gioffre on saxophone rock the stage into action.
3. My Life
This reminds me of the night my son (then in high school) came in at curfew and said to me, "I'm just telling you. When I'm 18 I'm coming in whenever I want to." OK, honey. Sleep tight.
4. I Love These Days
Russell picks up the harmonica to start this off. Dan Orlando on vocals and piano (remember that other guy ... Mr. Joel … who also played piano and sang?) obviously loves this music and has the vocal qualities to recreate the sensation of this decade of unforgettable music.
5. Prelude/Angry Young Man - Liberty again walloping the skins. He comes to the front of the stage to say that sentence I have heard many times before:
"I cannot believe you people are still into this s--t!"
Before the show tonight Liberty met a man who told him, "You saved my life with your music." Liberty will never be the same. That is quite a weight and also a glory.
6. Laura - Nope. Not about a girlfriend, a crush, a lost love. It is about Joel's mother.
7. The Downeaster "Alexa"
8. Until The Night - Russell takes over vocals and proves his value as more than just a great guitarist.
9. Don't Ask Me Why
10. It's Still Rock and Roll to Me
11. Only the Good Die Young - Hold on, is that why we are all still here? (I'm asking you know, for a friend)
12. Scenes From an Italian Restaurant
ENCORE
13. You May Be Right
14. Piano Man - Dan Orlando on harmonica
The audience has been dancing in the aisles. The love for these musicians and their music is soaring through the auditorium. Doug Kistner on keyboards, Anthony Babino on lead guitar (ok, I have seen it as Bambino as well), Ken Gioffre on saxophone, Malcolm Boyle on bass, Dan Orlando on piano and lead vocals, Russell Javors on guitar and vocals, and Liberty DeVitto on percussion filled the stage with enthusiasm and loving attachment to each song. I am in my concert month, and I am sure to come out of it a calmer and more optimistic member of society. Yay, music!
Shelley J Sweet-Tufano
NE Representative
Forgotten Hits
Thanks to the recent airing of the five hour Billy Joel documentary on HBO, the news coverage of Billy’s mental health battles and the return of The Billy Joel Channel on Sirius XM, there is no shortage of … nor demand for … Billy Joel music right now. This sounds like it would be a great show to see. (Unfortunately, unless you live in Florida or New York, you’re not going to get the chance to see them any time soon.) We need to create a word-of-mouth buzz on these guys to see if we can get them out on the road and into other areas. (Let’s face it … Billy Joel fans are world wide!)
Let’s see if we can drum up some interest! Thanks, Shelley. (kk)
After we shared Clark Besch’s recording of The Ides Of March performance of “Feelin’ Alright” at The Wild Goose circa 1970-1971, we got this from Ides leader Jim Peterik:
Yeah, Kent! We never recorded it. Sadly. And it was a really creative arrangement of an epic Traffic song and amazing Joe Cocker cover. The Ides had an equally creative arrangement. I just wish we had a great recording.
Rock on!!
Jimbo
The Ides DID include their epic arrange of The Beatles’ tune “Eleanor Rigby” on their “Vehicle” album … gives you some idea as to the creativity flowing thru the band at the time. They called it their “Symphony For Eleanor.” (kk)
David Salidor sent us this cool shot of Micky Dolenz and Mark Bego, who caught up in Phoenix this past week. (Bego co-wrote Dolenz’s “I’m A Believer” book.)
TWO BELIEVERS
Celebrity biographer MARK BEGO caught MICKY DOLENZ's show this week in Phoenix at the Musical Instrument Museum.
dis
It sounds like Micky's in Hawaii tonight - based on this YouTube clip that David also sent us ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AID68skp1-Y
Happy Birthday 🎈🎂🎉 to Jackson Browne, seen here arriving at The Pantages Theater to open for a Bob Dylan show in Hollywood. That is KFWB radio station in the background.
Jim Roup
>>>10/10/65 – Petula Clark and The Supremes appear on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” (kk)
One of the greatest moments in TV history (and music history, too!)
Clark
Dion has recorded a new version of his chart-topping hit “Abraham, Martin And John” for his new “Rock ‘n’ Roll Philosopher” album …
Over the last fifty-seven years I’ve recorded dozens of versions of that song with everybody from Phil Spector and Cher to Aaron Neville and Bob Dylan, and I decided to record an intimate version for this album. This one is now my favorite.
“It was never a political song; it’s a song about love and humanity. The song arose out of the great pain of the year 1968, when we in the United States suffered the assassinations of two great men. Well, they could kill the dreamer, but they couldn’t kill the dream. [Songwriter] Dick Holler offered me an early version of ‘Abraham, Martin and John’ and it took hold of me. I made an entirely new arrangement about love that begins in the minds of great heroes, but it can spread to the whole world. I believe it can. Abraham, Martin and John: great men never gone.”
n Dion
And here’s a fun video to end your day …
This is ABBA performing ‘Mamma Mia’ …
Taken from the SVT-special ‘Made in Sweden For Export,’ 1975.
