THE MOODY BLUES

This month Stuart Ryan delves into the picking style of this British prog legend whose acoustic guitar has powered many a Moody Blues song.

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Like their contemporaries Fleetwood Mac, The Moody Blues was a band that formed during the British R&B boom of the 1960s and subsequently underwent a change of line-up and sound. The original group came out of the British blues scene in Birmingham in 1964, and featured guitarist Denny Laine who stayed with the band for just two years. He would go on to be a pivotal member of Wings, with ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.

The original line-up found success with their smash Go Now, which hit the number one spot in the UK charts and reached the top 10 in the US. After founding members Laine and Mike Pinder left they were replaced by John Lodge who sang and played bass, and Justin Hayward on lead guitar and vocals. It’s Hayward who forms the basis of this article.