John Lodge, bassist and vocalist of the Moody Blues, 1943 – 2025. Another light gone out in the firmament

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{BBC 10 October} ‘Moody Blues singer John Lodge dies, aged 82’

A fond and reverent farewell to John Lodge—not ‘just a singer in a rock and roll band’, as his own lyric once wryly insisted, but one of the true gentlemen and master craftsmen of progressive rock. A quietly noble Englishman who treated music not as commerce but as a vocation. Lodge, bassist, vocalist, songwriter, and spiritual ballast of The Moody Blues, hath departed this unworthy and ungrateful realm aged 82. Born 20 July 1943 in Erdington, Birmingham, he and Justin Hayward joined a reconfigured Moody Blues in 1966, and together they turned what had been a competent R&B outfit into something altogether grander: a vessel of symphonic splendour and celestial vision.

Their 1967 opus, Days of Future Passed, stands as the first proper flowering of what we came to call progressive rock, fusing symphonic orchestration with poetic lyricism and rock instrumentation, creating a sound that could swell the heart and paint pictures in the mind in a way no one had dared attempt before. To list one’s favourite albums is an act of futility—every decade renders one’s own past judgement embarrassing, and I am no whit exempt—yet that record shall always remain in my upper pantheon without any hesitation. It hath the stateliness of a cathedral and the soft grace of a lullaby.

Mr Lodge’s own contributions to the Moody Blues canon are numerous and indelible, and include ‘Ride My See-Saw’, ‘Isn’t Life Strange’, ‘Gemini Dream’, and that deathless confession, ‘I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)’, one of the most honest anthems ever wrought upon the absurdity of the touring life. By all accounts I have ever read or heard—and especially upon this day—he was a warm and generous man of sound judgement and sober mind, untainted by the usual vanities that so oft beset his calling.

A man who did embody the spirit of that golden age when rock music strove not merely to entertain but to elevate—to wed the mind unto the heart, and art unto melody—John Lodge shall be missed. I do pray that the noble legacy of English progressive rock, which he and his peers so bravely fashioned, shall never be cast into oblivion. For in this darkening technological and Orwellian age of ours, wherein history is daily mangled and made to vanish with fearful haste, it behoveth us all the more to hold dear, and remember truly, the pure and human artistry of such men as he.

Rest in Peace, good sir. 

—Arthur Newhook, 10 October 2025

{alternate text for the above image} A colour studio portrait of John Lodge, bassist and vocalist of The Moody Blues, captured in the 1970s. His expression is introspective, almost pensive, as though caught mid-thought. Soft, diffused lighting highlights the contours of his face and the gentle sheen of his skin, while his long, wavy brown hair—styled in the characteristic fashion of the era—frames his features in a halo of texture. He wears a patterned shirt, its muted psychedelic design subtly evocative of the period’s aesthetic: colourful yet understated. The photograph embodies the introspective artistry that defined Lodge’s contribution to the band’s sound—lyrical, melodic, and quietly spiritual—while the restrained composition suggests a man more attuned to reflection than spectacle. It is a portrait of a musician at once ordinary and transcendent, poised at the intersection of English reserve and rock’s romantic idealism.

Copyright 2025, Arthur Newhook. FULL LIST OF LINKS - linktr.ee/arthurnewhook. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED on Cash App ($ANewhook).

‘Days of Future Passed' stands as the pioneering masterpiece of English Progressive rock, with much credit owed to this gentleman. #RIP Mike Pinder: the Moody Blues' last surviving founding member, who passed away at 82

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A trailblazer of the Mellotron and the visionary who guided the Moody Blues from their R&B roots, or more specifically, their 'British beat' origins, into something truly revolutionary. I firmly believe that 'Days of Future Passed' (1967) stands as the inaugural fully-fledged Progressive rock album and shall forever remain my favourite work by the Moodies. With all due respect to 'Sgt. Pepper's' and 'In the Court of the Crimson King', it is worth noting that Procol Harum's first full-length album did not emerge until after 'Days of Future Passed'. However, it is undeniable that Procol Harum did release one of the very first legitimate Progressive rock singles (the earliest being ‘Eleanor Rigby’) with 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' in early 1967, positioning themselves alongside the Moodies and a select few others in shaping this bold new era of music.

Mike Pinder remained with the Moody Blues until their break-up in 1972. He briefly rejoined the group when they reformed in 1978, only to step aside for former YES keyboardist Patrick Moraz. Whilst Mr. Moraz did perform valiantly during his time with YES - filling in for Rick Wakeman on 1974's masterwork 'Relayer' - it is questionable whether he left a comparable mark in replacing Mike Pinder in the Moody Blues. Despite the band's considerable chart success into the late 1980s and their respectable output during this period, nothing they produced after Pinder's departure matched the sonic and thematic depth of their golden era from 1967 to 1972. Not even close. Some sources do suggest that Mr. Moraz may have felt relegated to the role of a mere session player during his 13-year tenure with the Moodies, which is to say, beyond manning the keys, he did not fulfill quite the same roles with the ensemble as Mr. Pinder.

For the Moody Blues, Mike Pinder was irreplaceable. Whilst I cannot profess to have known much about him personally, this obituary does provide insight into an eccentric yet kind individual who remained devoted to music and spirituality until his final days. It is saddening that so many English Progressive rock pioneers have departed in recent years. Let us pay homage to those who have left us and honour those who remain, not named Roger Waters. Thank you, Mike Pinder, for your contributions and legacy.

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social, and @arthurnewhook on POST. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.