In the Moody for Good Music

Fort Lauderdale Magazine: As the bass guitarist, songwriter and vocalist, you have been a longstanding member of The Moody Blues for 66 years, and are still keeping that legacy alive. How are you managing that?
John Lodge: It’s not hard, to be honest. I practiced all that music and I perform those songs anyway. I just love The Moody Blues music and I’m committed to keeping The Moody Blues music alive.

FLMag: Lucky for us and good for you. It’s commendable. Traveling and touring have not stopped for you, and you’ve continued to release albums either as a soloist or with the new band, with a very long and successful career. Bravo to that! Are these tours still sold out?
JL: I’ve never ever looked. Even in the days with The Moody Blues, I never looked because if it’s sold out, you go, “Oh, fantastic!” and if [it’s] not sold out, you start to worry, so the best thing to do is to take it all in as it comes.

FLMag: So what you don’t know, won’t hurt [laughs].
JL: Yes, absolutely. You’re performing for people who like the music or people who may have heard of the music and have come to have a listen to see what it’s about, and you want to perform in a way that you hope they take something from the concert with them.

FLMag: I can certainly see why your passion for music will never die — it’s your life. Besides music, what are some of your other passions?
JL: Family, of course, and golf. I play tournament golf, mainly for charity. I enjoy that because it’s a great way of giving back. I also play together with other musicians, like Don Felder of the Eagles. And in the evening, we put a band together and play for the goal of the night. It’s pretty fun.

FLMag: In 1990, you were eligible for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — congratulations, by the way. Why did it take 28 years for you to be recognized? Especially after your 70 million albums sold and numerous awards.
JL: I’ve never questioned it at all. When it became a reality, I accepted [being inducted] as a great honor because it’s an American institution. We are from England and it all relates to different things, different times, different people. It was a magical moment for me to be there and accepting an award the fans voted for, which is amazing.

FLMag: In addition to being one of the 10 most influential bass players, you also received the Ivor Novello award for “Outstanding Contributions to Music.” Many reasons to be proud, I must say.
JL: Yes, absolutely. You don’t get into the music business for accolades.

FLMag: In 1967, “Days of Future Passed” had just been released. Why is that the name of this recent tour?
JL: Because I wanted it to keep The Moody Blues music alive. I was preparing for my tour a couple of years ago and I thought, “I wonder if I could do ‘Days of Future Passed’ live,” and I called my musical director, my keyboard player Alan Hewitt, and I said, “Alan, do you think we could do ‘Days of Future Passed’ live?” and he said, “Why not?” [Laughs]. That was his answer. So I went to Graeme Edge and I said, “Graeme, I’m thinking of doing ‘Days of Future Passed’ live. Would you go into the studios for me and re-record your poetry from ‘Days of Future Passed?’” And he said, “John, I’d love to do that. I’ve never recorded my own poetry before.” So we did that to keep The Moody Blues music alive. I filmed Graeme as well and so onstage, I’ve got Graeme arranging the poetry. When I finished rehearsals, I thought I should record this — not live, but actually give it the full treatment and go into the studio and record it again. That’s what I did. I went to the studio and re-recorded it all. I asked John Davidson from Yes to join me on the album, which he did, and on “Days of Future Passed” and “My Sojourn.” It was like full circle in a way because it reflected my life.

FLMag: And so John will also be live with you? That would be amazing to hear both voices together.
JL: Yes. He’s joining me onstage. He’s got such a beautiful voice and is a fantastic musician.

FLMag: I agree. John, you are still brilliant after all these years. Can we expect a night of great classics from the beginning to the end of the show?
JL: Yes, I will do songs from Ray Thomas. We started playing live together when I was 15. So, there are so many ways to keep his music alive and some of Mike Pinder’s. It’s a great cross-section of hits and the old “Days of Future Passed.”

FLMag: And new tunes from your latest album as well?
JL: No, it’s just purely The Moody Blues. I just want to pay homage in a way to all The Moody Blues and The Moody Blues music.

FLMag: My last question is when you write a song and you listen to it for the first time, do you ever get that feeling inside like, “Oh, this is going to be a great hit?”
JL: No, I just write a song. I normally play it to my wife first [laughs] and she tells me. I never write a song thinking it’s going to be a hit. I write a song that I am proud of. You have to be proud of it. You have to think to yourself, “Can I stand by this song? Can I really say, ‘Yes, I really like this song,’” and that’s the hallmark you have to achieve of it.

FLMag: Well, you’re going to be playing at a great venue — The Broward Center for the Performing Arts in the Amaturo Theater. It’s absolutely wonderful. You’re going to love Fort Lauderdale.
JL: I do.

FLMag: I want to wish you the very best luck and I hope you continue to introduce new fans to your incredible music.
JL: Thank you, Deb. Thank you very much indeed.

WHAT: John Lodge of the Moody Blues
WHEN: August 3 – 8pm
WHERE: Broward Center
TICKETS: browardcenter.org