I Know You're Out There Somewhere

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"I Know You're Out There Somewhere"
The moody blues-i know youre out there somewhere.jpg
Single by The Moody Blues
from the album Sur la Mer
B-side "Miracle"
Released23 May 1988
Recorded1987–1988
Genre Pop rock, synth-pop
Length6:37 (Album version)
4:18 (Single version/Video)
Label Polydor
Songwriter(s) Justin Hayward
Producer(s) Tony Visconti
The Moody Blues singles chronology
"The Other Side of Life"
(1986)
"I Know You're Out There Somewhere"
(1988)
"No More Lies"
(1988)
Music video
"I Know You're Out There Somewhere" on YouTube

"I Know You're Out There Somewhere" is a 1988 single by the English rock band the Moody Blues. It was written by guitarist Justin Hayward, and it is the sequel to the Moody Blues' 1986 single "Your Wildest Dreams", also written by Hayward. [1] It is the band's final Top 40 single in the United States, peaking at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Contents

Background

Following its release as a single in May 1988, it was included as the opening track of the 1988 album Sur la Mer . The single has a label time of 4:15, [2] excising the third of the four verses and the instrumental bridge in the middle of the song, while the LP has a label time of 6:38. [3]

According to Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian "The song was based on the story of a rock star longing for a past teenage love." [4] The Moody Blues described the song as a sequel of sorts to their earlier single "Your Wildest Dreams," with the singer looking for his lost love, although according to Kachejian many fans considered it to have a deeper spiritual theme. [4] [5]

Hayward stated that the decision to release "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" was inspired by the success of "Your Wildest Dreams", saying:

The success of ‘Your Wildest Dreams,’ which really, I thought it was almost a throwaway song. [Producer] Tony Visconti was a big part of that [success with] his sound and his style. It was only when it came out that I realized that emotionally, it was a common experience for a lot of people. It occurred to me that I had other things at home that had that exact same feel and continued that sentiment. So I dove back into my home tapes and then I realized that "I Know You’re Out There Somewhere" was there too. [6]

Hayward acknowledged trying to make the song sound similar to "Your Wildest Dreams", saying:

I did the keyboard and the guitar and the LinnDrum for "Wildest Dreams," which was finished first and for "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" I decided to use the same keyboard sound and bass sound that I'd got on a Yamaha DX7 and continue that theme. It's the identical tempo and everything. [7]

In the song the singer remembers an old girlfriend and recognizes that circumstances have changed. [7] Hayward said "I think it just was one of those things where everyone wants to know what happened to the first person they ever really loved. Best not to find out. Best to leave it as a nice memory." [7]

Reception

Kachejian rated "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" as the Moody Blues' 9th greatest song, saying that it "presented a more beautiful melodic line, and did indeed seem more sensitive and appealing than the 'Your Wildest Dreams' recording." [4] Classic Rock critic Malcolm Dome rated it as the Moody Blues' 2nd greatest song, saying that it's "catchy yet also calmly intricate." [5] Midder critic Will Fenton rated it as the Moody Blues' 2nd greatest song, calling it "a classic example of Moody Blues’ style, combining lush instrumentation, emotive vocals, and sophisticated lyrics" and also commenting on how its "music builds to a stunning crescendo." [8]

Music video

The video features Janet Spencer-Turner as the character from the singer's past; she also played the same role in the video for 'Your Wildest Dreams'. Actor Ben Daniels portrays the younger version of Justin Hayward.

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1988)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [9] 37
Canada (RPM) [10] 15
Canada (RPM AC) [11] 17
UK Singles Chart [12] 52
US Billboard Hot 100 [13] 30
US Adult Contemporary [14] [15] 9
US Mainstream Rock Tracks 2

Cover versions

Justin Hayward has released two cover versions as a solo artist. His 2013 album Spirits of the Western Sky has a dance version titled "Out There Somewhere", plus an extended remix by Raul Rincon. His 2014 live album Spirits Live... includes a cover with the original title.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Moody Blues</span> English band

The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in May 1964. The band initially consisted of drummer Graeme Edge, guitarist/vocalist Denny Laine, keyboardist/vocalist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Ray Thomas, and bassist/vocalist Clint Warwick. Originally part of the British beat and R&B scene of the early–mid 1960s, the band came to prominence with the UK No. 1 and US Top 10 single "Go Now" in late 1964/early 1965. Laine and Warwick left the band by the end of 1966, being replaced by guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward and bassist/vocalist John Lodge. They embraced the psychedelic rock movement of the late 1960s, with their second album, 1967's Days of Future Passed, being a fusion of rock with classical music that established the band as pioneers in the development of art rock and progressive rock. It has been described as a "landmark" and "one of the first successful concept albums".

<i>A Night at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra</i> 1993 live album by The Moody Blues

A Night at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra is a live album by The Moody Blues, recorded from a live performance at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre on 9 September 1992. This performance was the first time The Moody Blues performed in concert backed by a full orchestra. The concert was held in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their second album, Days of Future Passed, which had featured the London Festival Orchestra. The full video of this concert was broadcast as a fundraising broadcast for PBS in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nights in White Satin</span> 1967 single by The Moody Blues

"Nights in White Satin" is a song by the Moody Blues, written and composed by Justin Hayward. It was first featured as the segment "The Night" on the album Days of Future Passed. When first released as a single in 1967, it reached number 19 on the UK Singles Chart and number 103 in the United States in 1968. It was the first significant chart entry by the band since "Go Now" and its recent lineup change, in which Denny Laine and Clint Warwick had resigned and both Hayward and John Lodge had joined.

<i>The Other Side of Life</i> 1986 studio album by the Moody Blues

The Other Side of Life is the twelfth studio album by English progressive rock band the Moody Blues, released in April 1986 by Polydor Records.

<i>Sur la Mer</i> 1988 studio album by The Moody Blues

Sur la Mer is the thirteenth album by the Moody Blues. It was released in 1988. It features the hit single "I Know You're Out There Somewhere", a sequel to their 1986 hit "Your Wildest Dreams". Much of the music on the album would fit in the "synthpop" genre, though it does incorporate more rock and acoustic influences than its predecessor.

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"The Voice" is a song written by Justin Hayward that was first released on the Moody Blues' 1981 album Long Distance Voyager and also as its second single. The song continued the success of previous single "Gemini Dream", becoming a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at No. 15 in October 1981. The song had previously topped the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart for four weeks during June–July 1981. The song also reached No. 9 in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ride My See-Saw</span> 1968 single by The Moody Blues

"Ride My See-Saw" is a 1968 single by the English progressive rock band the Moody Blues. It was written by the band's bassist John Lodge, and was first released on the Moody Blues' 1968 album In Search of the Lost Chord. It was the second of two singles from that album, the other being "Voices in the Sky".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuesday Afternoon</span> 1968 single by The Moody Blues

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Your Wildest Dreams</span> 1986 single by The Moody Blues

"Your Wildest Dreams" is a 1986 single by the progressive rock band the Moody Blues, written by Justin Hayward. The song was first released as a single, and later released on the Moody Blues' 1986 album The Other Side of Life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Question (The Moody Blues song)</span> 1970 single by The Moody Blues

"Question" is a 1970 single by the English progressive rock band the Moody Blues. It was written by guitarist Justin Hayward, who provides lead vocals. "Question" was first released as a single in April 1970 and remains their second highest-charting song in the UK, reaching number two and staying on the chart for 12 weeks. The song reached number 21 on the Billboard Top 40 in the USA. It was later featured as the lead track on the 1970 album A Question of Balance. The single also features the song "Candle of Life" on its B-side, which was from the Moody Blues' previous album To Our Children's Children's Children.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gemini Dream</span> 1981 single by the Moody Blues

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Story in Your Eyes</span> 1971 single by The Moody Blues

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<i>Hall of Fame</i> (The Moody Blues album) 2000 live album by The Moody Blues

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Other Side of Life (song)</span> 1986 single by The Moody Blues

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">No More Lies (The Moody Blues song)</span> 1988 single by The Moody Blues

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References

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  3. "The Moody Blues – Sur la Mer (1988, CD)".
  4. 1 2 3 Kachejian, Brian. "Top 10 Moody Blues songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  5. 1 2 Dome, Malcolm (August 8, 2016). "The top 10 best Moody Blues songs". Classic Rock. Louder Sound. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
  6. Wardlaw, Matt (February 8, 2013). "Justin Hayward On His New Solo Album And Possible New Music From The Moody Blues". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  7. 1 2 3 DeRiso, Nick (June 6, 2023). "How the Moody Blues Reached a Synth-Pop Dead End on 'Sur la Mer'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2024-02-16.
  8. Fenton, Will (9 August 2023). "13 Best Moody Blues Songs Of All Time (Greatest Hits)". Midder. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  9. "The Moody Blues – I Know You're Out There Somewhere". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
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  11. "RPM Top 30 AC - August 27, 1988" (PDF).
  12. "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
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  14. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 174.
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