By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
John Lodge
There was a time when the Moody Blues were one of the hottest bands in the rock music world.
In the United States, 14 of the group’s albums reached Gold or Platinum status, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
From 1969-1971, the band had three Number 1 albums in the U.K. – “On the Threshold of a Dream,” “A Question of Balance” and “Every Good Boy Deserves Favour” – and one Number 2 U.K. album – “To Our Children’s Children’s Children.”
The British band also had several Number 1 singles including “Nights in White Satin,” “Gemini Dream” and “Your Wildest Dreams.”
The Moody Blues also had a very stable lineup. Founding members Graeme Edge (drums, percussion, vocals; died 2021), Ray Thomas (flute, harmonica, saxophone, percussion, vocal; died 2018) and Mike Pinder (keyboards, vocals; died 2024) were all members from the start-to-end (1964-2018).
Justin Hayward (guitar, vocals) and John Lodge (bass, guitar, vocals) joined in 1966 and were with the band until the very end in 2018.
Both Lodge and Hayward are still touring with their own bands – Hayward with his Blue World Tour and Lodge with his with his “Singer in a Rock and Roll Band” show.
Lodge has put together a show that is called “The Moody Blues John Lodge — Singer in a Rock and Roll Band.” It is billed as an “evening packed full of Moody Blues Classic Hits.”
The tour will touch down locally on July 23 at the Scottish Rite Auditorium (315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, New Jersey, scottishriteauditorium.com).
When Lodge wrote the hit single, “Singer,” in 1972 it was because people were looking to him to change the world, and his reply was he’s just a singer in a rock and roll band.
Despite time marching on, that is still who he is today. Lodge’s shows take audiences on a Moody Blues journey through the hits and deep cuts of this magical catalogue, together with stories and memories of this time.
The concert features songs from “the core seven albums” including “Days of Future Passed,” “Seventh Sojourn,” and more — plus “Octave” and the triple platinum selling album “Long Distance Voyager!”
For the last few years, Lodge had great success with his “Days of Future Passed Tour.” That tour has entered the history books. For this tour, Lodge wanted to go back to the basics.
“I toured ‘Days of Future Passed’ for the last two years,” said Lodge, during a phone interview last week from his home in Naples.
“It’s Naples, Florida – not Italy. I do also have a home in England — in Cobham, a small village with a river.
“For this tour, I said – let’s just concentrate on Moody Blues songs from 1967-1985. It seems like the energy is right.
“It’s a different era. We play our own music, and it sounds great in concert.”
This summer, Lodge’s set list will feature classics from the Moody Blues’ first seven albums, including “Ride My See-Saw,” “Gemini Dream,” “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Isn’t Life Strange,” “Nights in White Satin,” “The Voice,” and, of course, “I’m Just a Singer (in a Rock and Roll Band).”
Lodge, whose solo output has been rather limited, just released a new EP, “Love Conquers All.”
“I started writing the EP during COVID and finished it last year,” said Lodge. “There are five tracks on the EP. It also comes on vinyl – red or blue. It’s 180-gram vinyl that plays at 45 rpm.
“We recorded the EP here at my home studio in Naples. We went to five different factories to find the right one to do the mastering. Finally, the mastering was done in Germany.”
“Love Conquers All” is a collection of deeply moving songs by Lodge — all written during difficult times yet reflecting the positive way in which he sees the world.
As Lodge explored his journey of healing, he invited different musicians to collaborate with him on each song, making each song unique, yet at the same time they all carry the same message… that love does conquer all.
“Love will Conquer All,” “Whispering Angels” and “Sunset over Cocohatchee Bay” were all written through personal health challenges.
Lodge was recovering from his stroke around Christmas time in 2023. The song’s lyrics were inspired by the love and support he was receiving from his family and close friends.
“The stroke happened on Christmas Eve in 2023,” said Lodge. “I’m still not fully recovered. Fortunately, I have a great physio who works with me. I feel great right now.”
Lodge, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, is a native of Birmingham, England and a supporter of Birmingham City F.C.
He is also has been honored on Birmingham’s Broad Street Walk of Stars which includes famous Brummies such as acclaimed author J.R.R. Tolkien, musician Roy Wood (The Move, Wizzard and ELO), international soccer legend Trevor Francis (the first £1 million footballer) and metal music royalty, the recently-deceased Ozzy Osbourne (R.I.P., Ozzy – you will be missed).
For this tour, Lodge has assembled a top-flight band of veteran musicians.
“We have Billy Ashburgh on drums,” said Lodge. “He’s from Orlando and has been with me or 10 years.
“Our cello player Jason Charbonneau is from Detroit. He’s not a novelty. He plays an integral part. Dave Culquhone is the guitarist. He’s from England and has played with Rick Wakeman.
“John Davison, who was with Yes, does the lead vocals. I also do vocals in addition to playing bass.
“It’s fantastic for me the way they play the music. They love the music. That’s the main thing. The music has been parts of their lives.”
In the original tour announcement, Lodge wrote, “The show came about following conversations with Graeme (Edge), Alan (Hewitt) and Jon (Davison)… This album and these Moody Blues songs changed our lives, they may even have changed the fans lives, and I felt they deserved to still be heard and experienced live as they were originally intended.
“My hope is that coming to one of my shows, you can close your eyes and we can all take a moment to turn back the clock as we celebrate this music together.
“Alan, Jon, and my band have done an incredible job in realizing my vision. It was always important to me to remain true to the original whilst at the same time use modern sound and all the wonderful new technology to reveal the richness of these songs.
“The tour, as with the album, is dedicated to Graeme, Justin, Ray and Mike, and to every fan, whether they joined back in 1967, or on any day since.”
Video link for John Lodge — https://youtu.be/TYzdgyvXiQM.
“The Moody Blues John Lodge — Singer in a Rock and Roll Band”concert will be held at the Scottish Rite Auditorium on July 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $49.50, $59.50 and $85.
Lodge and his band will also be performing on July 24 at Wind Creek Bethlehem (77 Wind Creek Boulevard, Bethlehem, windcreek.com/bethlehem).
