Long Distance Voyager
Encyclopedia
Long Distance Voyager is the tenth album by the British rock
band The Moody Blues
, first released in May 1981. on the group's Threshold
record label. It was the group's first album featuring keyboardist
Patrick Moraz
in place of Mike Pinder
, who left after Octave
in 1978.
Upon release in 1981, Long Distance Voyager became the Moody Blues' second American number one album, and was also the source of the Top 20 singles "Gemini Dream
" (#12) and "The Voice
" (#15). It also continued their winning streak in their native United Kingdom, reaching #7 there.
In November 2008, the album was remastered and released on CD with one extra track.
by Greg Jackman, while Pip Williams
was the album's producer
. Supplementing the Moody Blues—Justin Hayward
, John Lodge, Ray Thomas
, Graeme Edge
, and Patrick Moraz—was a string section
performed by the New World Philharmonic, which Pip Williams arranged
.
Long Distance Voyager is only partially a concept album
, as only half of the songs relate to the "voyager" referred to in the album's title. The final three tracks comprise a mini-suite that combines themes of carnival jesters and the chaos experienced backstage at a rock show.
The cover for the album was a painting from the Arts Union Glasgow, while the sleeve was based on a concept by the Moody Blues which was designed by Cream, who were in charge of the album's artwork
. NASA
's Voyager
spacecraft is at the top of the front side of the album cover. Both Voyager 1
and Voyager 2
' s flybys of Saturn
were in the news in 1980-81.
Side two
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band The Moody Blues
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....
, first released in May 1981. on the group's Threshold
Threshold Records
Threshold Records was a record label created by The Moody Blues, after their 1969 album On the Threshold of a Dream.It was a UK subsidiary of Decca Records and a U.S. subsidiary of London Records...
record label. It was the group's first album featuring keyboardist
Keyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Patrick Moraz
Patrick Moraz
Patrick Philippe Moraz is a progressive rock keyboard player. He is best known as the keyboardist for the progressive rock band Yes, from 1974 to 1976, and the Moody Blues from 1978 to 1991...
in place of 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...
, who left after Octave
Octave (album)
Octave is the ninth album by The Moody Blues, and their first release after a substantial hiatus following the success of the best-selling Seventh Sojourn in 1972. The album proved to be the last for the group with keyboardist Mike Pinder, who departed during the album's sessions, and declined an...
in 1978.
Upon release in 1981, Long Distance Voyager became the Moody Blues' second American number one album, and was also the source of the Top 20 singles "Gemini Dream
Gemini Dream
"Gemini Dream" is a 1981 single by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It reached #12 in the U.S. charts. It was the first single released from their 1981 album Long Distance Voyager, which also included "Painted Smile," another track from the album, on the B-side...
" (#12) and "The Voice
The Voice (The Moody Blues song)
"The Voice" is the second single released from The Moody Blues' 1981 album Long Distance Voyager. The song continued the success of previous single "Gemini Dream", becoming a Top 40 hit on the US pop chart, where it peaked at #15 in September 1981. The song had previously topped the Billboard Top...
" (#15). It also continued their winning streak in their native United Kingdom, reaching #7 there.
In November 2008, the album was remastered and released on CD with one extra track.
Recording, production, concept, and artwork
The songs on Long Distance Voyager were recorded at the band's own Threshold Studios. The songs were recorded and mixedAudio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
by Greg Jackman, while Pip Williams
Pip Williams
Pip Williams, is a record producer, arranger and guitarist, best known for producing albums for Status Quo and The Moody Blues.-Career:...
was the album's producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
. Supplementing the Moody Blues—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...
, John Lodge, 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:...
, 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:...
, and Patrick Moraz—was a string section
String section
The string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
performed by the New World Philharmonic, which Pip Williams arranged
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
.
Long Distance Voyager is only partially a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
, as only half of the songs relate to the "voyager" referred to in the album's title. The final three tracks comprise a mini-suite that combines themes of carnival jesters and the chaos experienced backstage at a rock show.
The cover for the album was a painting from the Arts Union Glasgow, while the sleeve was based on a concept by the Moody Blues which was designed by Cream, who were in charge of the album's artwork
Artwork
Artwork may refer to:* A work of art in the visual arts* A piece of conceptual art* In publishing, printing and advertising, any visual as opposed to textual material, usually in the context of preparing for printing, including:...
. NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Voyager
Voyager program
The Voyager program is a U.S program that launched two unmanned space missions, scientific probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. They were launched in 1977 to take advantage of a favorable planetary alignment of the late 1970s...
spacecraft is at the top of the front side of the album cover. Both Voyager 1
Voyager 1
The Voyager 1 spacecraft is a 722-kilogram space probe launched by NASA in 1977, to study the outer Solar System and eventually interstellar space. Operating for as of today , the spacecraft receives routine commands and transmits data back to the Deep Space Network. At a distance of as of...
and Voyager 2
Voyager 2
The Voyager 2 spacecraft is a 722-kilogram space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977 to study the outer Solar System and eventually interstellar space...
Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
were in the news in 1980-81.
Original album
Side one- "The VoiceThe Voice (The Moody Blues song)"The Voice" is the second single released from The Moody Blues' 1981 album Long Distance Voyager. The song continued the success of previous single "Gemini Dream", becoming a Top 40 hit on the US pop chart, where it peaked at #15 in September 1981. The song had previously topped the Billboard Top...
" (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...
) – 5:21 - "Talking Out of TurnTalking Out of Turn"Talking Out of Turn" is a 1981 single by the English progressive rock band The Moody Blues, and it was the third and final single released from their 1981 album Long Distance Voyager...
" (John Lodge) – 7:18 - "Gemini DreamGemini Dream"Gemini Dream" is a 1981 single by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It reached #12 in the U.S. charts. It was the first single released from their 1981 album Long Distance Voyager, which also included "Painted Smile," another track from the album, on the B-side...
" (Hayward, Lodge) – 4:09 - "In My World" (Hayward) – 7:22
Side two
- "Meanwhile" (Hayward) – 4:08
- "22,000 Days" (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:...
) – 5:25 - "Nervous" (Lodge) – 5:45
- "Painted SmilePainted Smile"Painted Smile" is a 1981 song by the English progressive rock band The Moody Blues, first appearing on their 1981 album Long Distance Voyager. It was later released on the B-Side of "Gemini Dream."...
" (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:...
) – 3:18 - "Reflective Smile" (Thomas) – 0:36
- "Veteran Cosmic RockerVeteran Cosmic Rocker"Veteran Cosmic Rocker" is a 1981 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas. "Veteran Cosmic Rocker" first appeared as the final track of The Moody Blues 1981 album Long Distance Voyager, and was later released in November 1981 on the...
" (Thomas) – 3:18
2008 Remastered CD Expanded Edition
- "The Voice [Single Edit]" (Hayward) – 3:24
Personnel
The following people contributed to Long Distance Voyager:- 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...
– vocalSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
s, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s - John Lodge – vocals, bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- 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:...
– vocals, fluteWestern concert fluteThe Western concert flute is a transverse woodwind instrument made of metal or wood. It is the most common variant of the flute. A musician who plays the flute is called a flautist, flutist, or flute player....
s, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
s - 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:...
– drumDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
s - Patrick MorazPatrick MorazPatrick Philippe Moraz is a progressive rock keyboard player. He is best known as the keyboardist for the progressive rock band Yes, from 1974 to 1976, and the Moody Blues from 1978 to 1991...
– keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s - B.J. Cole – pedal steel guitarPedal steel guitarThe pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"...
on "In My World" - Pip WilliamsPip WilliamsPip Williams, is a record producer, arranger and guitarist, best known for producing albums for Status Quo and The Moody Blues.-Career:...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, string arrangementArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
s - The New World Philharmonic – string sectionString sectionThe string section is the largest body of the standard orchestra and consists of bowed string instruments of the violin family.It normally comprises five sections: the first violins, the second violins, the violas, the cellos, and the double basses...
- Greg Jackman – recording engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
, mixingMixing engineerA mix engineer is the person responsible for incorporating all the different recorded elements of music to make the final version of a song. These mixing professionals have many years of experience and training with audio equipment which has enabled them to master the art of audio mixing... - Norman Goodman – assistant to Greg Jackman
- Melvyn Abrahams – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Cream – sleeve designDesignDesign as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
, artworkArtworkArtwork may refer to:* A work of art in the visual arts* A piece of conceptual art* In publishing, printing and advertising, any visual as opposed to textual material, usually in the context of preparing for printing, including:...
Album
| Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Top Albums | 1 |
| German Albums | 28 |
| Netherlands Top 50 Albums | 16 |
| New Zealand Top 40 Albums | 8 |
| Norwegian Top 40 Albums | 12 |
| Swedish Top 60 Albums | 46 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
7 |
| US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 |
Singles
| Title | Chart (1981) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Gemini Dream" | US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
12 |
| US Hot Dance Club Songs | 36 | |
| US Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 13 | |
| "The Voice" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 15 |
| US Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 | |
| "Talking Out of Turn" | US Billboard Hot 100 | 65 |