The Moody Blues Debut Album ‘The Magnificent Moodies’ 50th Anniversary Remastered Edition Now Available!

Esoteric Recordings, a label of the Cherry Red Records Group is pleased to announce the release of an official 50th Anniversary edition of “The Magnificent Moodies”, the 1965 debut album by The Moody Blues, on the 24th November 2014. Now associated as being pioneers of progressive and orchestral rock, the Moody Blues had another life between 1964 – 1966, as one of Britain’s foremost Rhythm and Blues influenced acts. With a line-up of DENNY LAINE (Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica), RAY THOMAS (Vocals, Harmonica, Flute), MIKE PINDER (Keyboards, Vocals), CLINT WARWICK (Bass, Vocals) and GRAEME EDGE (Drums), the band signed to a London-based management company who leased recordings to Decca Records. The band’s second single, a cover version of Bessie Banks’ “Go Now!” was a huge chart success across the world. Their debut album, “The Magnificent Moodies” was released in1965 to great acclaim and tours with The Beatles eventually led them to become part of Brian Epstein’s management stable. The band continued to record a series of singles, enjoying further chart hits in the UK and Europe, before Clint Warwick departed to be replaced by ROD CLARKE and then finally dissolving in the Autumn of 1966 and reinventing themselves stylistically with a new line-up including JUSTIN HAYWARD and JOHN LODGE.

The official 50th anniversary reissues consist of a Deluxe edition includes the original album, re-mastered from the first generation master tapes, along with all the singles the band recorded between 1964 and 1966 (including the rare “People Gotta Go” – released only in France on an EP). Notably this collection also includes 29 previously unreleased bonus tracks, including the band’s entire July 1964 sessions at Olympic studios in London produced by Alex Murray, all surviving BBC radio sessions recorded in 1965 and nine tracks recorded in the Summer of 1966 with producer Denny Cordell for a proposed but unreleased second album (all newly mixed from the original four-track master tapes). The set is packaged in a clamshell box, with a lavishly illustrated booklet (with previously unseen photographs designed by Phil Smee) and essay written by Mark Powell, three rare promotional postcards and a poster.

There is also a single CD edition, which features 15 bonus tracks (drawn from the band’s singles released between 1964 & 1966). Both editions of “The Magnificent Moodies” are the definitive statement on the formative years of one of Britain’s greatest bands.

TWO DISC CLAMSHELL BOX EDITION:

“The Magnificent Moodies” – Released in July 1965

1. I’ll Go Crazy (Brown)

2. Something You Got (Kenner)

3. Go Now (Banks / Bennett)

4. Can’t Nobody Love You (Mitchell)

5. I Don’t Mind (Brown)

6. I’ve Got a Dream (Barry / Greenwich)

7. Let Me Go (Laine / Pinder)

8. Stop (Laine / Pinder)

9. Thank You Baby (Laine / Pinder)

10. It Ain’t Necessarily So (Gershwin / Gershwin / Heyward)

11. True Story (Laine / Pinder)

12. Bye Bye Bird (Williamson / Dixon)

Bonus tracks:

13. Lose Your Money (But Don’t Lose Your Mind) (Laine / Pinder)

14. Steal Your Heart Away (Parker)

A & B-side of single – Released in September 1964

15. Go Now! (first version)

Recorded at Olympic Studios on 24th July 1964 – Previously unreleased

16. It’s Easy Child (Sandler / Bennett / Redd)

B-side of single – Released as November 1964

17. I Don’t Want to Go On Without You (Berns / Wexler)

18. Time is on My Side (Meade / Norman)

A & B-side of single – Released as in February 1965

19. From the Bottom of My Heart (I Love You) (Laine / Pinder)

20. And My Baby’s Gone (Laine / Pinder)

A & B-side of single – Released as in May 1965

21. Everyday (Laine / Pinder)

22. You Don’t (All the Time) (Laine / Pinder)

A & B-side of single – Released in October 1965

23. Boulevard de Madeleine (Laine / Pinder)

24. This is My House (But Nobody Calls) (Laine / Pinder)

A & B-side of single – Released in October 1966

25. People Gotta Go (Laine / Pinder)

Taken from the “Boulevard de Madeleine” EP – Released in France in October 1966

26. Life’s Not Life (Laine / Pinder)

27. He Can Win (Laine / Pinder)

A & B-side of single – Released in January 1967

CD Two:

Previously unreleased Studio Sessions & BBC Radio Sessions:

1. Go Now! (second version) (Banks / Bennett)

2. Lose Your Money (But Don’t Lose Your Mind) (early version) (Laine / Pinder)

3. Steal Your Heart Away (first version) (Parker)

4. I’ll Go Crazy (first version) (Brown)

5. You Better Move On (Alexander)

6. Can’t Nobody Love You (first version) (Mitchell)

7. 23rd Psalm (Trad. Arr. Laine / Pinder / Thomas / Edge / Warwick)

Recorded and mixed at Olympic Studios on 24th July 1964

Produced by Alex Murray

8. Go Now (Banks / Bennett)

9. I Don’t Want to Go On Without You (Berns / Wexler)

10. I’ll Go Crazy (Brown)