"The Voice" | ||||
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Single by The Moody Blues | ||||
from the album Long Distance Voyager | ||||
B-side | "22,000 Days" | |||
Released | 23 July 1981 | |||
Recorded | 25 April 1980 | |||
Genre | Progressive rock, new wave | |||
Length | 5:16 (album version) 4:13 (single version) | |||
Label | Threshold | |||
Songwriter(s) | Justin Hayward | |||
Producer(s) | Pip Williams | |||
The Moody Blues singles chronology | ||||
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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. [1] The song also reached No. 9 in Canada.
"The Voice" was one of the first songs recorded for Long Distance Voyager, on April 25, 1980. [2] Hayward plays acoustic and electric guitars, and sings the lead vocal as well as most of the harmony vocals, but John Lodge and Ray Thomas join in on the "oh oh" part in the refrain. [2] Hayward played his guitar solo on a 1963 red Gibson ES-335. [3]
Hayward said of writing and recording "The Voice":
It’s a guitar song — a rhythm guitar song. It was one of the first things I ever did with a click track, at home. Fortunately, Graeme [Edge] was never one of those drummers who was like, "I don’t like click tracks or drum machines. I want to set the tempo!" No, Graeme was great, fantastic, really took the pressure off me and said, "Sure, I’ll play on top of the click track." I knew it was a tempo that suited us, that suited the way I play guitar and the way Graeme and John played. It was like "The Story in Your Eyes." It was kind of safe. [3]
On the album version of the song, there is a 30 second synthesizer introduction leading into the song, that was developed and played by Patrick Moraz. [2] This was an excerpt from a song Moraz had written about a year prior to "The Voice" being recorded. [2] [4]
The lyrics reflect the insecurities Hayward was feeling at the time about his stardom and the fact the stress of continually meeting expectations and dealing with poor reviews and writer's block. [2] The title wasn't determined until after the song was recorded and refers to the inner voice that is one's own harshest critic. [2]
Hayward said of the song:
With "The Voice" this whole period of my life was quite a difficult one, I suppose. I was sort of searching and seeking. It was a very insecure time. I think it was for all of us, and it reflected in the album as well. I was trying to relearn a lot of things in my life and set some kind of standard. I didn't feel I had a lot of things in common with a lot of things that were going on around me. I felt apart from it. I was kind of expressing those insecurities, really." [2]
Hayward also said that it's a "song that means a lot to me, every word. But don’t ask me to explain it, please. It just means a lot." [3]
The Star Press critic Kim Teverbaugh said of the music that it is "an up-tempo rock number like the band is fond of having open its albums." [5] Music journalist Geoffrey Freakes described the music as "pop-rock". [4] Freakes said that "The choral harmonies are sharp, and Hayward's guitar fills workmanlike with John Lodge and Graeme Edge's sold rhythm driving the song at a brisk pace. [4] The song is written in the key of E minor.
According to Allmusic critic Dave Connolly, the song "is a sweeping and majestic call to adventure." [6] Billboard described it as "a texturally lush piece of pop in the best tradition of [the Moody Blues'] earlier work". [7] Record World said that "The symphonic arrangement envelops Justin Hayward's dramatic vocal." [8] Variety said it had the potential to go to #1, saying that "the well-crafted pop melodies in both verse and chorus and the use of synthesized strings vividly recall the Moody's in their original incarnation" and also praised Pip Williams' "richly imaginative production." [2]
Teverbaugh praised Moraz' keyboards for "[pulling] the group into the '80s" and said that the lyrics are "worth following." [5] Ottawa Citizen critic Bill Provick said that "There are plenty of traditional Moody Blues touches but also a freshness and verve that is quite captivating – especially for longtime fans." [9] Post-Gazette critic Gary Graff called it a "melodic rocker that leaves you feeling pretty good" and praised Hayward's lead guitar and Moraz' keyboards. [10] Daily Press critic Mike Diana said that it has "the [band's] venerated blend of synthetic and real string sections wafting around the gushing vocal of Justin Hayward." [11] Sacramento Bee critic Bob Sylva praised its "driving pop rhythms." [12] News-Democrat critic Roger Schlueter praised the harmonies but criticized the unimaginative lyrics, particularly some simplistic rhymes. [13]
Classic Rock critic Malcolm Dome rated it as the Moody Blues' 5th greatest song, saying that the song "offers hope for the future, as long as people take control of their lives and events." [14] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso rated it as the Moody Blues' 6th greatest song, saying that it is "one of the last [Moody Blues songs] to so deftly marry the mystical elements of Hayward's classic songcraft with [a more] modern approach." [15]
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The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 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".
Long Distance Voyager is the tenth album by the Moody Blues, first released in May 1981 on the group's Threshold record label. It was the group's first album featuring keyboardist Patrick Moraz in place of co-founder Mike Pinder, who left after Octave in 1978.
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.
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.
"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."
"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".
"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.
"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.
"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. It is the band's final Top 40 single in the United States, peaking at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"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.
"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.
"Steppin' in a Slide Zone" is a 1978 single by the English progressive rock band the Moody Blues. It was the first single the Moody Blues had released in five years, after the band's temporary hiatus. It was written by bassist John Lodge, and was released a month later on the album Octave. The song peaked at number 39 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 41 in Canada.
"Driftwood" is a 1978 single by the English progressive rock band the Moody Blues. It was the second single released from the album Octave, after "Steppin' in a Slide Zone". Written by Justin Hayward, "Driftwood" is a slow love ballad, in a similar manner to "Nights in White Satin" and "Never Comes the Day."
"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.
"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.
"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.
"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".
"No More Lies" is the second single released from the Moody Blues 1988 album Sur la Mer. As a single, it charted at #15 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1988. Like the album's previous single, "I Know You're Out There Somewhere," "No More Lies" was written by Justin Hayward.
"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.
"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.