Blue Jays Newcastle City Hall 1975
While we were waiting for The Moody Blues to return from their hiatus, Justin Hayward and John Lodge called at Newcastle City Hall, as the Blue Jays. Blue Jays is a 1975 album by Hayward and Lodge, which was recorded and released during the Moody Blues’ five-year break from recording, apparently in part for contractual reasons to fill the gap in Moodies output. According to Hayward: “I was under a lot of pressure from Decca to come up with something to release. So I actually went to America to do something with Mike [Pinder], between the two of us. Then Tony Clarke and John [Lodge] turned up at Mike’s house as well. Mike took me in the other room and said, “I don’t want to work with anybody else. I’m out of this project.” So then it became me and John and Tony Clarke, and we made an album called Blue Jays.” The title “Blue Jays” had a couple of meanings; first it is of course the name of a bird; secondly however it refers to the fact that the album was put together by the Moody Blues members whose names began with J; the (Moody) Blue J’s.
This was the closest we were going to get to seeing the Moodies in concert, indeed at that time I feared that they may never tour again, so my friend Ian and I took the opportunity to see two of their front men at our local venue.
The set comprised a mix of songs from the Blue Jays album, including the hit single Blue Guitar and some Moody Blues classics; including Nights in White Satin and Question. It was a great gig, and almost as good as seeing the full band (but not quite :)). Support came from Aj Webber.
From the tour programme: “For Justin Hayward and John Lodge 1975 has been a year of change. At the end of the Moody Blues World Tour which ended in 1974 Justin and John took the first step on a road which has brought them to their current British tour. The step was an album conceived, written and recorded in their own Threshold recording studio. Today, the spirit of this album – which was baptised ‘Blue Jays’ – now begins to grow with Justin and John embarking upon a tour of Great Britain…Justin and John have a few good friends on the road with them. A few years ago during an American tour they met three musicians from Idaho – Jim Cockey, Tim Tompkins and Tom Tompkins. Jim, Tim and Tom have been part of the Threshold family ever since then – firstly through their own album, ‘Ever Sense The Dawn’ when they were a part of a band called Providence, and more recenly working with Justin and John on ‘BlueJays’. Two other old friends from the Threshold family are also with Justin and John on this journey – Mel Galley and Dave Holland from Trapeze.”
Setlist: Saved by the Music; Remember Me, My Friend; The Story in Your Eyes; This Morning; You; You and Me; My Brother; Isn’t Life Strange. Intermission. Who Are You Now; New Horizons; Emily’s Song; I Dreamed Last Night; Nights in White Satin; I’m Just a Singer; Blue Guitar; When You Wake Up. Encore: Question
Archive for the ‘Blue Jays’ Category
8 Oct
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