John Charles Lodge (born 20 July 1943)[1] is an English musician, best known as bass guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and songwriter of the longstanding rock band the Moody Blues. He has also worked as a record producer and has collaborated with other musicians outside the band. In 2018, Lodge was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Moody Blues.[2]
Born in Erdington, Birmingham, John Charles Lodge attended school at Birches Green Junior School, Central Grammar School and later went to college at the Birmingham College of Advanced Technology for engineering. His early influences were musicians like Buddy Holly and Jerry Lee Lewis. At age 14, Lodge met future bandmate Ray Thomas.[3]
Career
Lodge was initially involved in the Birmingham music scene, although he temporarily dropped out to continue his studies. In 1966, however, after the Moody Blues' original bassist Clint Warwick had left the band, Lodge succeeded him,[4] as bassist and vocalist, rejoining Ray Thomas during the same period as the band recruited guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward to replace Denny Laine. Lodge's distinctive falsetto ranged from a high harmonious voice and his solid lead vocals were a major asset to the revised Moody Blues from this point on.
Lodge co-wrote "Out and In" with Mike Pinder, recorded on To Our Children's Children's Children in 1969. He also collaborated with fellow Moody Blues member Justin Hayward on the 1975 album Blue Jays released on Threshold Records, which in addition to Hayward's compositions included three songs written by Lodge; "Maybe", "Saved by the Music" and "You", together with two tracks co-written by Lodge & Hayward; "Remember Me (My Friend)" and "When You Wake Up", and later, Lodge released a solo album, Natural Avenue, on Decca in 1977, from which the single, "Say You Love Me" was issued. During the 1970s, he produced music for the band Trapeze.
In 1980, Lodge released a non-album solo single "Street Cafe" b/w "Threw It All Away" on Decca. This single featured Moody Blues keyboardist Patrick Moraz, who had joined the group two years earlier, replacing Pinder. Since 1981, Lodge has co-written songs for the band with Justin Hayward, such as: "Meet Me Halfway", "Talkin' Talkin'", "Running Out of Love", "Slings and Arrows", "Want to Be with You", "River of Endless Love", "Breaking Point", "Miracle", "Once Is Enough", "Highway", "Is This Heaven?", "Sooner or Later (Walking on Air)", "Strange Times", and "The One", and from December, "In the Quiet of Christmas Morning (Bach 147)" amongst others.
In 1985, the Moody Blues picked up the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.[6]
Lodge participated in the 2011 bluegrass tribute album to the Moody Blues, Moody Bluegrass TWO...Much Love, as lead vocal his song "Send Me No Wine". Lodge joined other current and past members of the Moody Blues on this album. Two of Lodge's Moody Blues compositions, "Ride My See-Saw" and "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)" are featured on an earlier tribute album, Moody Bluegrass: A Nashville Tribute to the Moody Blues, released in 2004.[7][8]
In February 2019, Lodge took his solo band onto the ‘Cruise to the Edge’ sailing out of Florida. Lodge and Jon Davison of Yes became friends on board when Davison began dating his daughter Emily. Davison has since toured with John as ‘guest vocalist’ [10]
On 2 April 2019, it was announced that Lodge would join Yes on "The Royal Affair Tour" in the summer of 2019 which will also include Asia and Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy.[11]
In September 2019, Lodge was given the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at the Annual Prog Awards by Prog (magazine) in London.[12]
In February 2020, Lodge appeared on ‘Rock and Romance Cruise’ alongside Don Felder, America, and other acts, before continuing on a 12 date tour. Jon Davison again joined Lodge on stage. The tour ended on March 8, just before the COVID-19 lockdowns began.[13]
During lockdown Lodge wrote and recorded in his home studio the song ‘In These Crazy Times’. Lodge recorded the track himself, and was joined by his son, Kristian, on lead guitar, his wife, Kirsten, on backing vocals, and Jon Davison also provided backing vocals, whilst his daughter, Emily, managed the project.[14]
Personal life
Lodge has been married to his wife, Kirsten, since 10 September 1968, and they are the parents of two grown children. Their first child, a daughter named Emily, was born in 1970; Lodge wrote "Emily's Song" for the 1971 Moody Blues album, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour. His son Kristian was born two years later. Lodge has spoken on several occasions about being an Evangelical Christian, and credits his faith with preventing him from sinking into "the excesses" of the rock music business.[15] Lodge is a supporter of Birmingham City F.C.
Live from Birmingham: The 10,000 Light Years Tour (2017)
The Royal Affair and After (2021)
Compilation albums
B Yond – The Very Best of
Related Research Articles
The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in May 1964. The band initially consisted of Graeme Edge (drums), Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards/vocals), Ray Thomas (multi-instrumentalist/vocals), and Clint Warwick (bass/vocals). 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 both left the band in 1966, with Edge, Pinder and Thomas recruiting new members Justin Hayward (guitar/vocals) and John Lodge (bass/vocals). 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".
Days of Future Passed is the second studio album by English progressive rock band the Moody Blues, released on 10 November 1967, by Deram Records. It has been cited by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and others as one of the earliest albums of the progressive rock genre and one of rock music's first concept albums.
On the Threshold of a Dream is the fourth album by the Moody Blues, released in April 1969 on the Deram label. The album reached the top of the album charts, the group's first No. 1 album in the UK. According to guitarist Justin Hayward, "I think Threshold is the defining album for the Moody Blues. And it's the one in the '60's that you would find in people's homes when you went, they would have that album."
David Justin Hayward is an English musician. He was the guitarist and frontman of the rock band the Moody Blues from 1966 until that group's dissolution in 2018. He became the group's principal vocalist and its most prolific songwriter over the 1967–1974 period, and composed several international hit singles for the band.
In Search of the Lost Chord is the third album by the Moody Blues, released in July 1968 on the Deram label.
To Our Children's Children's Children is the fifth album by the Moody Blues, released in November 1969.
Seventh Sojourn is the eighth album by the Moody Blues, released in October 1972. The album reached No. 5 in the United Kingdom, and became the band's first American chart-topper, spending five weeks at No. 1 there to close out 1972.
Octave is the ninth album by the Moody Blues, released in 1978, and their first release after a substantial hiatus following the success of the best-selling Seventh Sojourn in 1972. Released after a considerable break, which saw The Moody Blues returning in an era of punk music and disco, Octave produced a reduced commercial outcome for the band, but reached No. 6 in the United Kingdom and went platinum in the United States, where the album reached No. 13. The album produced the hit single "Steppin' in a Slide Zone", which hit No. 39 in the US, in addition to "Driftwood". The album's title is a musical pun: it references both the notion of an octave; and as a word derived from the Latin octavus it refers to this being the eighth album by this line-up of the Moody Blues.
Raymond Thomas was an English musician, singer and songwriter. He was best known as a founding member of the English progressive rock band the Moody Blues. His flute solo on the band's 1967 hit single "Nights in White Satin" is regarded as one of progressive rock's defining moments. In 2018, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of 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.
Graeme Charles Edge was an English musician, songwriter and poet, best known as the co-founder and drummer of the English band the Moody Blues. In addition to his work with the Moody Blues, Edge worked as the bandleader of his own outfit, the Graeme Edge Band. He contributed his talents to a variety of other projects throughout his career. In 2018, Edge was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Moody Blues.
"I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)" is a 1973 hit single by the English progressive rock band the Moody Blues, written by the band's bassist, John Lodge. It was first released in 1972 as the final track on the album Seventh Sojourn and was later released as a single in 1973, with "For My Lady" as its B-side. It was the second single released from Seventh Sojourn, with the first being "Isn't Life Strange", which was also written by Lodge.
"Tuesday Afternoon" is a 1968 song written by Justin Hayward that was first released by English rock band the Moody Blues on their 1967 album Days of Future Passed and later released as a single.
"Gemini Dream" is a song written by Justin Hayward and John Lodge that was released by The Moody Blues on their 1981 album Long Distance Voyager and also as the lead single from the album. It reached number 12 on the US Hot 100, as well as number 1 on the Canada RPM Top 100 Singles chart. It ranked as the 28th biggest Canadian hit of 1981.
"The Story in Your Eyes" is a 1971 hit single by the English rock band the Moody Blues. Written by the band's guitarist Justin Hayward, it was first released as a single with "My Song" on the B-side, and then on the 1971 album Every Good Boy Deserves Favour shortly after.
Michael Thomas Pinder was an English rock musician. He was a founding member and the original keyboard player of the rock group the Moody Blues. He left the group following the recording of the band's ninth album Octave in 1978. Pinder was renowned for his technological contributions to rock music, most notably in the development and emergence of the Mellotron in 1960s rock music. In 2018, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Moody Blues. He was the last surviving member of the group's original lineup.
Jon Davison is an American singer, musician and songwriter who has been the lead vocalist of progressive rock band Yes since 2012.
Moody Bluegrass is a bluegrass music project that produced two tribute albums to the British progressive rock band the Moody Blues. The albums consist of bluegrass-style cover versions of Moody Blues songs performed by a variety of noted bluegrass and country music artists.
Days of Future Passed Live is a live album by The Moody Blues that consists of their live performance at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto in 2017. The album was released on 23 March 2018.
↑ Bruce, Billy (31 August 2000). "Born-Again Rock Stars". Christian rock stars. Charisma magazine. Archived from the original on 27 September 2017. Retrieved 16 February 2012.
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