House of Four Doors
Encyclopedia
"House of Four Doors" is a 1968 song by the British progressive rock band The Moody Blues
. Written by the band's bassist John Lodge, it was first released on the Moody Blues 1968 album In Search of the Lost Chord
. The song features John Lodge on lead vocals.
"House of Four Doors" is a two-part song that describes a group of people wandering through a forest, and finding "through the leaves" a lost path that leads to the House of Four Doors. The lyrics continue to describe the house and all its beauty. The first part of the song is track four on the album. The second part of the song, which is track six, describes the group leaving the House of Four Doors, and exclaim "You'll be lost now forever." The two parts of the song are separated by "Legend of a Mind
" on the album.
"House of Four Doors" is one of the Moody Blues more complex recordings. The opening features each band member on their regular instruments, which includes Justin Hayward
on acoustic guitar
, John Lodge on bass guitar
, Mike Pinder
on the mellotron
, Ray Thomas
on flute
, and Graeme Edge
on drum
s. As the song progresses, more obscure instruments are used in addition to the regular instruments. The sections of the song are separated by the sound of a creaking door, which is provided by John Lodge on a cello
. There is also a short harpsichord
and cello
duet towards the end of the song, which are played by Mike Pinder
and John Lodge, respectively. The penultimate section of the song also features Mike Pinder on piano
.
As the band has explained, each of the four doors that the group opens in the first part of the song reveals a different era of development in European music. The first, featuring a duet for acoustic guitar and flute, represents medieval minstrel
music; the second, the harpsichord and cello duet, represents the Baroque
style; the third, featuring mellotron and piano, represents classical music
. The fourth door, which ends the track, is intended to represent modern rock music - which follows the opening of the door in the form of "Legend of a Mind
."
"House of Four Doors" has been included on some of the Moody Blues compilation albums. When it is featured, both parts of the song are put together and included as one continuous track.
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
. Written by the band's bassist John Lodge, it was first released on the Moody Blues 1968 album In Search of the Lost Chord
In Search of the Lost Chord
-2006 SACD Deluxe Edition Bonus Tracks:In Search of the Lost Chord was remastered into SACD in March 2006 and repackaged into a 2 CD Deluxe Edition.Extra tracks on the Deluxe Edition are:#"Departure" – 0:55...
. The song features John Lodge on lead vocals.
"House of Four Doors" is a two-part song that describes a group of people wandering through a forest, and finding "through the leaves" a lost path that leads to the House of Four Doors. The lyrics continue to describe the house and all its beauty. The first part of the song is track four on the album. The second part of the song, which is track six, describes the group leaving the House of Four Doors, and exclaim "You'll be lost now forever." The two parts of the song are separated by "Legend of a Mind
Legend of a Mind
"Legend of a Mind" is a song by the British progressive rock band The Moody Blues, and was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, who provides the lead vocals. "Legend of a Mind" was recorded in January 1968 and was first released on the Moody Blues' album In Search of the Lost Chord...
" on the album.
"House of Four Doors" is one of the Moody Blues more complex recordings. The opening features each band member on their regular instruments, which includes Justin Hayward
Justin Hayward
Justin Hayward is an English musician, best known as singer, songwriter and guitarist in the rock band The Moody Blues.Hayward was born in Dean Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, England...
on acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, John Lodge on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Mike Pinder
Mike Pinder
Michael Thomas "Mike" Pinder is an English rock musician, and is a founding member or the British rock group, the Moody Blues. He left the group following the recording of the band's album, Octave, in 1978...
on the mellotron
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical, polyphonic tape replay keyboard originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. It superseded the Chamberlin Music Master, which was the world's first sample-playback keyboard intended for music...
, Ray Thomas
Ray Thomas
Ray Thomas is an English musician, best known as the flautist and as a singer and composer in the rock band, The Moody Blues.-Career:...
on flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
, and Graeme Edge
Graeme Edge
Graeme Charles Edge is best known as the drummer and a songwriter for the Moody Blues, but has also led his own outfit, the Graeme Edge Band.-Biography:...
on drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s. As the song progresses, more obscure instruments are used in addition to the regular instruments. The sections of the song are separated by the sound of a creaking door, which is provided by John Lodge on a cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
. There is also a short harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
and cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
duet towards the end of the song, which are played by Mike Pinder
Mike Pinder
Michael Thomas "Mike" Pinder is an English rock musician, and is a founding member or the British rock group, the Moody Blues. He left the group following the recording of the band's album, Octave, in 1978...
and John Lodge, respectively. The penultimate section of the song also features Mike Pinder on piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
.
As the band has explained, each of the four doors that the group opens in the first part of the song reveals a different era of development in European music. The first, featuring a duet for acoustic guitar and flute, represents medieval minstrel
Minstrel
A minstrel was a medieval European bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories of distant places or of existing or imaginary historical events. Although minstrels created their own tales, often they would memorize and embellish the works of others. Frequently they were retained by royalty...
music; the second, the harpsichord and cello duet, represents the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style; the third, featuring mellotron and piano, represents classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. The fourth door, which ends the track, is intended to represent modern rock music - which follows the opening of the door in the form of "Legend of a Mind
Legend of a Mind
"Legend of a Mind" is a song by the British progressive rock band The Moody Blues, and was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, who provides the lead vocals. "Legend of a Mind" was recorded in January 1968 and was first released on the Moody Blues' album In Search of the Lost Chord...
."
"House of Four Doors" has been included on some of the Moody Blues compilation albums. When it is featured, both parts of the song are put together and included as one continuous track.
Personnel
- Justin HaywardJustin HaywardJustin Hayward is an English musician, best known as singer, songwriter and guitarist in the rock band The Moody Blues.Hayward was born in Dean Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, England...
: acoustic guitar, backing vocals - John Lodge: bass guitar, cello, vocals
- Mike PinderMike PinderMichael Thomas "Mike" Pinder is an English rock musician, and is a founding member or the British rock group, the Moody Blues. He left the group following the recording of the band's album, Octave, in 1978...
: mellotron, harpsichord, piano, vocals - Ray ThomasRay ThomasRay Thomas is an English musician, best known as the flautist and as a singer and composer in the rock band, The Moody Blues.-Career:...
: flute, backing vocals - Graeme EdgeGraeme EdgeGraeme Charles Edge is best known as the drummer and a songwriter for the Moody Blues, but has also led his own outfit, the Graeme Edge Band.-Biography:...
: drums, percussion