I was just a kid when the Moody Blues were blowing up the charts in the 60’s. By the early 70’s they were already legend. Some super groups like Three Dog Night self destruct, which accounts for their breakups. Others like the Moody Blues reached such staggering heights that there was no way they were going to be able to sustain it. Kind of a situation where stuff that would be great for other bands just seemed kind of subpar. Think Paul McCartney Beetles, Paul McCartney Wings.

I had to a degree forgotten all about the Moody Blues maybe 10 years ago when I ran across the song below (‘Steppin’ In A Slide Zone’ – 1978). This is like 10 years after their string of hits (’66 – ’72), like ‘I’m Just A Singer In A Rock n Roll Band!‘. Its all very similar to what the group Chicago went through. They had their phenomenal/otherworldly success about the same time as Moody, then they just kind of faded off. It’s like people can tire of steak and lobster every night. And they go back to McDonald’s.

But in the video below (Slide Zone) John Lodge is singing lead. Justin Hayward usually sang lead. Not knowing anything about how musical groups work, I always found the group dynamics very interesting. A lot of times ego just shatters the biggest money trains and you wonder, “Couldn’t they have just sucked it up? For the bucks?” Rock publications always refer to the lead singer as “the front man”. Sometimes the wrong guy gets tagged for the breakup.

I remember when Eddie Van Halen died, it finally came out he was the problem, not David Lee Roth. When Three Dog Night broke up I assumed it was the egos from having 3 lead singers. No, it was Chuck Negron being a heroin addict. Or Carl Wilson being a fine singer, but being completely overshadowed by Mike Love and Brian Wilson. But I find it amazing the Moody Blues have held it together for the better part of 55 years. That’s a long time. I’ve just always wondered how the “second fiddle” handles it. Like in Lodge’s case, an incredibly talented singer, song writer and musician.

“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 more dangerous elements of the rock music business. Lodge is a supporter of Birmingham City F.C.” – Wikipedia