Long Distance Voyager

Last updated

Long Distance Voyager
MoodyBluesLongDistanceVoyager.jpg
Studio album by
the Moody Blues
Released15 May 1981 (1981-05-15) [1]
Recorded19 February 1980 – 14 April 1981
StudioThreshold and RAK, London
Genre Progressive rock, synthpop, pop rock
Length46:32
Label Threshold
Producer Pip Williams
The Moody Blues chronology
Octave
(1978)		Long Distance Voyager
(1981)		 The Present
(1983)
Singles from Long Distance Voyager
  1. "Gemini Dream"
    Released: May 1981
  2. "The Voice"
    Released: July 1981
  3. "Talking Out of Turn"
    Released: November 1981
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]

Long Distance Voyager is the tenth album by the Moody Blues, first released in May 1981 [1] on the group's Threshold record label. It was the group's first album featuring keyboardist Patrick Moraz (who previously had worked with bands such as Refugee and Yes) in place of co-founder Mike Pinder, who left after Octave in 1978.

Contents

Upon release in 1981, Long Distance Voyager became the Moody Blues' second American number one album, and was also the source of the US Top 20 singles "Gemini Dream" (No. 12) and "The Voice" (No. 15) on the Billboard Hot 100. A third single, "Talking Out of Turn", only reached No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100 but reached No. 27 in Canada. [4] [5] It also continued the Moody Blues' winning streak in their native United Kingdom, reaching No. 7 there.

Besides the singles, two songs from the album charted on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart. "Meanwhile" charted at No. 11 and "22,000 Days" charted at No. 38. [4]

In November 2008, the album was remastered and released on CD with one extra track.

Writing

According to Ray Thomas, "Most people think that Long Distance Voyager was named after the cosmic themes that dominate our music. But in fact we were simply describing ourselves." [6] John Lodge stated that "The Long Distance Voyager album is about people. Although the title is very space-oriented, it isn't. The whole idea is we are the same as we were a hundred years ago, two hundred years ago. It's about people and situations and feelings, and talking out of turn is a particular feeling." [7] The final three tracks comprise a mini-suite that combines themes of carnival jesters and the chaos experienced backstage at a rock show.

Guitarist Justin Hayward recalls writing "The Voice": "It was the first thing that we recorded for Long Distance Voyager. I used to feel a lot of guilt about our position in the world and that we were really privileged and that went into that song. Long Distance Voyager was a huge milestone for us. There was a time after the Octave album where we didn't quite know how to make things work. We were all a bit nervous. Long Distance Voyager really came together and we had a number one album. "The Voice" and "Gemini Dream" were both hits." [8]

Bassist Lodge remembers the inspiration for "Gemini Dream", and how the production of the album built the band's excitement to go on tour once again: "We had stopped touring with the Moody Blues in 1974, I think it was. In 1980, we had an album called Long Distance Voyager and we were going to go on the road after it was done. We had not recorded the album yet, but we knew we were going into the studio to record it soon. I came up with this idea that we needed a song that said we were are back on the road. The original song was called "Touring in the USA." That was the original demo when we were putting it together. As we were writing it together, we suddenly realized what we were actually talking about, and that is when you're a musician, you're either on the road, as a Moody Blue, or you're at home, as anyone else. It was just trying to combine the two things together that are the same person living two different lives." [9]

Graeme Edge's "22,000 Days" was inspired by his reflection on the number of days in a typical lifetime. He explains, ""I worked out how many days [are in] an average lifespan of 70 years. And it came out to something that really shook me, something like 23,927 days. But I changed it to 22,000 days because it seemed better. Twenty-two thousand days is 66 and a half years. And if you figure, well, maybe the first five or six years you aren't going to be worth much, and the last five or six years you aren't going to be worth much, it works out that your useful life is about 22,000 days. And that really surprised me because that doesn't seem much. And I did a lot of tests on people and I'd say 'give me a quick answer'. I was getting back like a quarter of a million, two million. People think they have so many days to live. See, 70 years, everybody knows, it doesn't really register. If you do too much and have a day's hangover, you've wasted 1/22,000 of your life. And all the sudden the days start getting more valuable." [10]

"Veteran Cosmic Rocker" was inspired by a phrase an interviewer used to describe author Ray Thomas. He remembers, "Some reporter from The New York Times came to one our gigs in the States and he referred to me as the 'Veteran Cosmic Rocker'. At the time I thought 'Bloody cheek. I'm not veteran.' And then I thought 'That sounds good actually.' So I nicked it and wrote that song." [11]

Recording

The songs on Long Distance Voyager were recorded at the band's own Threshold Studios. The songs were recorded and mixed by Greg Jackman, while Pip Williams was the album's producer. Supplementing the Moody Blues—Justin Hayward, John Lodge, Ray Thomas, Graeme Edge, and Patrick Moraz—was a string section performed by the New World Philharmonic, which Pip Williams arranged. [12]

John Lodge remembers the sessions: "Long Distance Voyager changed everything again, because that album went to number one in America. I think we have three or four singles off that album, and it was our first album recorded in our own studio in London as well. We built Westlake Audio Studio to do, but it was the only album ever made at that studio by The Moody Blues." [13]

Album Cover

The cover for the album was based on a painting entitled "Punch" (1840) by Thomas Webster printed for the Art Union of Glasgow, [14] while the sleeve was based on a concept by the Moody Blues which was designed by Cream, who were in charge of the album's cover artwork. NASA's Voyager spacecraft is at the top of the front side of the album cover. Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 's flybys of Saturn were in the news in 1980–81.

Reception

Billboard said that "the group is in prime form here with a knockout collection of gorgeous melodies, harmonies and poetic lyrics". [15] Billboard contributor Ed Harrison said that "'Long Distance Voyager,' though bending somewhat to commercial pop trends, still manages to recreate the group's lushly textured, classical /rock symphonic sound epitomized by classics like 'Nights In White Satin,' 'Ride My See-Saw,' 'Question' and others.." [16] ' Cash Box called it "a nice return to vinyl" for the Moody Blues, commenting on the "luxurious, symphoric rock setting on songs like 'In My World,' 'Talking Out of Turn' and '22,000 Days.' and noting that "the patented Moody Blues group vocal is also it fine form and, surprisingly, sounds perfectly contemporary." [17]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."The Voice" Justin Hayward Hayward5:21
2."Talking Out of Turn" John Lodge Lodge7:18
3."Gemini Dream"Hayward, LodgeHayward, Lodge4:09
4."In My World"HaywardHayward7:22
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Meanwhile"HaywardHayward4:08
2."22,000 Days"EdgeThomas, Hayward, Lodge5:25
3."Nervous"LodgeLodge5:45
4."Painted Smile" Ray Thomas Thomas3:18
5."Reflective Smile"ThomasDave Symonds0:36
6."Veteran Cosmic Rocker"ThomasThomas3:18
2008 remaster CD expanded edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
11."The Voice (Single edit)"HaywardHayward4:17

Personnel

Additional personnel

Production

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Long Distance Voyager
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia—40,000 [31]
Canada (Music Canada) [32] 3× Platinum300,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [33] Silver60,000^
United States (RIAA) [34] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

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 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".

<i>Days of Future Passed</i> 1967 studio album by The Moody Blues

Days of Future Passed is the second album and first concept album by English progressive rock band the Moody Blues, released in November 1967 by Deram Records.

<i>Seventh Sojourn</i> 1972 studio album by the Moody Blues

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.

<i>Octave</i> (album) 1978 studio album by the Moody Blues

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Thomas</span> British musician (1941–2018)

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.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graeme Edge</span> British musician (1941–2021)

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>The Present</i> (Moody Blues album) 1983 studio album by The Moody Blues

The Present is the eleventh album by the Moody Blues, released in 1983. This was the group's last original studio album to be released on their custom label, Threshold 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.

<i>Keys of the Kingdom</i> 1991 studio album by the Moody Blues

Keys of the Kingdom is the fourteenth album by the rock band the Moody Blues, released in 1991. Although some of the tracks recall the songwriting on Sur la Mer, the failure of Keys of the Kingdom to produce any major hit singles would mark the beginning of the Moodies' decline in popularity with mainstream audiences after their success in the MTV video generation.

"Veteran Cosmic Rocker" is a 1981 song by the progressive rock band the Moody Blues. It was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas. "Veteran Cosmic Rocker" first appeared as the final track of the Moody Blues' 1981 album Long Distance Voyager, and was later released in November 1981 on the B-Side of "Talking Out of Turn."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Voice (The Moody Blues song)</span> 1981 single by the Moody Blues

"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">Gemini Dream</span> 1981 single by the Moody Blues

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talking Out of Turn</span> 1981 single by the Moody Blues

"Talking Out of Turn" is a 1981 single written by John Lodge and first released by the Moody Blues on their 1981 album Long Distance Voyager. It was also released as the third single from the album in November 1981 with "Veteran Cosmic Rocker" on the B-side.

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

"The Other Side of Life" is a 1986 single written by Justin Hayward and first released by The Moody Blues in May 1986 as the title track on the album The Other Side of Life. It was released as a single in August 1986, the second single released from the album, the first being "Your Wildest Dreams". After its release, it became a modest success in the United States, making #11 and #18 on the adult contemporary and mainstream rock charts respectively. It also reached #58 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue World (The Moody Blues song)</span> 1983 Moody Blues single

"Blue World" is a 1983 single by the Moody Blues written by Justin Hayward. It was first released in the UK as the lead single of the album The Present in August 1983. It was released as single in the US in the Fall of 1983. "Blue World" was one of three singles from The Present, with the others being "Sitting at the Wheel" and "Running Water." The single's cover is a pastiche of the painting Daybreak by Maxfield Parrish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sitting at the Wheel</span> 1983 Moody Blues single

"Sitting at the Wheel" is a 1983 hit single by The Moody Blues, written by John Lodge. It was released in the US as the lead-off single from The Present in August 1983 and debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 3, 1983. In the UK, "Sitting at the Wheel" was released in November 1983 as the second single from The Present, following "Blue World".

"Meanwhile" is a song written by Justin Hayward that was released on the Moody Blues 1981 album Long Distance Voyager. Although never released as a single, it reached #11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">22,000 Days</span> Moody Blues song released in 1981

"22,000 Days" is a song written by Graeme Edge that was first released by the Moody Blues on their 1981 album Long Distance Voyager. It was also released as the B-side to the top-ten single "The Voice". "22,000 Days" reached No. 38 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart.

References

  1. 1 2 "Certified Awards Search". British Phonographic Industry . Archived from the original (ASPX) on 11 May 2011. Type "Moody Blues" under Search to see results.
  2. ↑ Dave Connolly; Bruce Eder. "Long Distance Voyager – The Moody Blues | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  3. ↑ Puterbaugh, Parke (12 November 1981). "The Moody Blues: Long Distance Voyager : Music Reviews". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 20 March 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Mainstream Rock Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  5. ↑ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 19 December 1981. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  6. ↑ "Moody Blues are back on track". The Gazette. 20 November 1981. p. 27. Retrieved 12 February 2024– via newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Cushman, Marc (2021). Long Distance Voyagers: The Story of the Moody Blues Volume 2 (1980-2018). Jacobs Brown Press. pp. 33–34. ISBN   9781735567358.
  8. ↑ Martel, Andy. Always Looking West: An Interview with Justin Hayward. The Moody Blues. February 8, 2013. https://www.moodybluestoday.com/always-looking-west-interview-justin-hayward/.
  9. ↑ Wright, Jeb. CRR Interview - John Lodge – a Long Time Ago, and a Long Time from Now! Classic Rock Revisited.
  10. ↑ The Graeme Edge Interview. October 3, 1986. Higher and Higher. Issue 9. Spring/Summer 1987.
  11. ↑ Barnard, Jason. Ray Thomas - the Moody Blues. 2014. The Strange Brew. Accessed January 31, 2024. https://thestrangebrew.co.uk/interviews/ray-thomas-the-moody-blues/.
  12. ↑ Long Distance Voyager (CD liner). The Moody Blues. Threshold Records. 1981. pp. 2, 14. 820 105-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ↑ Daly, Andrew. An Interview with John Lodge of the Moody Blues. VWMusic. January 14, 2022. https://vwmusicrocks.com/2022/01/14/an-interview-with-john-lodge-of-the-moody-blues/.
  14. ↑ Boston Athenaeum Digital Collections.
  15. ↑ "Top Album Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 6 June 1981. p. 88. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  16. ↑ Harrison, Ed (4 July 1981). "Closeup" (PDF). Billboard. p. 90. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  17. ↑ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 6 June 2024. p. 13. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
  18. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  19. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4694". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Moody Blues – Long Distance Voyager" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  21. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  22. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Moody Blues – Long Distance Voyager" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Charts.nz – The Moody Blues – Long Distance Voyager". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Moody Blues – Long Distance Voyager". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – The Moody Blues – Long Distance Voyager". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  26. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  27. ↑ "The Moody Blues Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  28. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1981". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  29. ↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1981 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand . Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  30. ↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981". Billboard. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  31. ↑ "Major fight economics with quirky rock originals". Billboard. 12 June 1982. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  32. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Moody Blues – Long Distance Voyager". Music Canada.
  33. ↑ "British album certifications – The Moody Blues – Long Distance Voyager". British Phonographic Industry.
  34. ↑ "American album certifications – Moody Blues – Long Distance Voyager". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.