Ray Thomas
Encyclopedia
Ray Thomas is an English
musician
, best known as the flautist
and as a singer and composer
in the rock
band
, The Moody Blues
.
blues and soul groups, including the Saints and Sinners as well as the Ramblers. Taking up the harmonica
, he then started a band with bass guitarist and future Moody Blues bandmate John Lodge. The two performed together in El Riot and the Rebels. After a couple of years, keyboardist
and friend Mike Pinder
, another future Moody, joined as well. Thomas and Pinder (sans Lodge) were later in a band called Krew Cats. El Riot and the Rebels had once opened for The Beatles
in Tenbury Wells
; the Krew Cats formed in 1963 and played in Hamburg
and other places in Northern Germany
, possibly at some of the same venues which the Beatles had played although this is unconfirmed.
Thomas and Pinder then recruited guitarist
Denny Laine
along with drummer
Graeme Edge
and bassist
Clint Warwick
to form a new, blues-based band. The name of the band, chosen by Pinder, was "The Moody Blues", chosen from initials which were part of a hoped-for sponsorship from the M&B Brewery (which failed to materialise) and also as a subtle reference to Duke Ellington
's "Mood Indigo
."
Their first album, The Magnificent Moodies
, yielded a #1 UK hit (#10 in the US) with "Go Now
." The album also featured Thomas singing lead vocals on a cover of George
and Ira Gershwin
's "It Ain't Necessarily So
", which was originally from the musical Porgy and Bess
.
Following this album, Warwick left the band, followed by Laine a few months later. Thomas suggested an old bandmate, bassist John Lodge, as a replacement for Warwick (in between there had been another bass guitarist, Rodney Clark) and also recruited Justin Hayward
to replace Denny Laine. With its new lineup, the band released 7 successful albums between 1967 and 1972, and became known for a pioneering orchestral sound. Some of Thomas' compositions on these albums are "Another Morning
" and "Twilight Time
" (from Days of Future Passed
), "Dr. Livingstone, I Presume
" and "Legend of a Mind
" (from In Search of the Lost Chord
), "Dear Diary
" and "Lazy Day
" (from On the Threshold of a Dream
), "Eternity Road",and "Floating
" (from To Our Children's Children's Children
), "And the Tide Rushes In
" (from A Question of Balance
), "Our Guessing Game" and "Nice to Be Here" (from Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
) and "For My Lady
" (from Seventh Sojourn
).
Thomas also co-wrote "Watching and Waiting
" with Justin Hayward for 'To Our Children's Children's Children' in 1969. In addition Thomas also co-wrote with Hayward and sang 'The Dreamer
' circa 1971 which has been now added to the latest remastered CD version of 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favor'.
In 1974, the band took a hiatus (reported at the time as a break-up), during which the members all did solo projects. Thomas released the albums, From Mighty Oaks
(1975) and Hopes Wishes and Dreams
(1976). It was during this period that he earned his nickname
, 'The Flute'. Within the band he was also known as 'Tomo' .
The band then reformed in 1978 for 'Octave' (largely minus Mike Pinder who was only with them for this first album after the reformation), Thomas providing 'Under Moonshine' and 'I'm Your Man' and the group continued to release albums throughout the '80s, with Thomas' "Veteran Cosmic Rocker
" plus 'Painted Smile
' being prominently featured on the album Long Distance Voyager
. The former song has often been regarded as a theme song for the band itself as a whole and for Thomas in particular, and it again features his use of the harmonica. After contributing 'Sorry' and 'I Am' (both on 'The Present' album of 1983) During the mid 1980s, Thomas temporarily stopped writing new songs for the band. His last three songwriting contributions for the Moodies include "Celtic Sonant" and "Never Blame the Rainbows for the Rain" (co-written with Justin Hayward) on the album Keys of the Kingdom
, and the brief "My Little Lovely" on Strange Times
Thomas also provided a rare Co-Lead vocal with Hayward & Lodge on their song 'Sooner or Later (Walking On Air)' on 'Strange Times'.
Thomas took featured Lead vocal on Graeme Edge's songs '22,000 Days' (on 'Long Distance Voyager') and 'Going Nowhere' (on 'The Present' 1983), however while he contributed backing vocals to 'The Other Side of Life' album in 1986, he took no Lead vocal role, and appears to be totally absent from the 1988 album 'Sur La Mer' although he is included in the childhood photos depicted on the album's innersleeve and is given an overall 'group credit' although significantly is then not given an actual performing band credit at all unlike the others.
Although he most commonly plays tambourine and flute, Thomas is actually a multi-instrumentalist
, playing various other woodwind instruments, such as Harmonica and the oboe
on the album, In Search of the Lost Chord
,. The 1972 video for "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)
" features Thomas playing the baritone saxophone
, although Pinder has stated on his website that this was just for effect in the video, and that Thomas was not the sax player on the actual recording. Although typically comfortable singing in the lower tenor
register, Thomas was also responsible for the distinctive falsetto
voice on many of the group's earlier recordings, before the arrival of Hayward and Lodge.
Thomas retired at the end of 2002. The Moody Blues - now consisting only of Hayward, Lodge and Edge plus four long-serving touring band members, including Norda Mullen who has taken over Thomas' flute parts - have released one studio album, December, since his departure from the band.
In July 2009 it became known that Thomas had written at least two of his songs - "Adam and I" and "My Little Lovely" - for his son and grandson Robert, respectively. Also that he had married again, to his longtime girlfriend Lee, at a ceremony in Wales on 9 July 2009.
Ray has released his two solo albums, remastered, in a boxset on 24 September 2010. The set includes, with the two albums, a remastered quad version of "From Mighty Oaks
", a new song "The Trouble With Memories", a previously unseen promo video of "High Above My Head" and an interview conducted by fellow Moody Blues founder, Mike Pinder. The boxset was released through Esoteric Recordings/Cherry Red Records.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, best known as the flautist
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 as a singer and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
in the rock
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
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, 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....
.
Career
In the 1960s, Thomas joined the Birmingham Youth Choir. He began singing with various BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
blues and soul groups, including the Saints and Sinners as well as the Ramblers. Taking up the harmonica
Harmonica
The 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...
, he then started a band with bass guitarist and future Moody Blues bandmate John Lodge. The two performed together in El Riot and the Rebels. After a couple of years, 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...
and friend 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...
, another future Moody, joined as well. Thomas and Pinder (sans Lodge) were later in a band called Krew Cats. El Riot and the Rebels had once opened for The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
in Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells
Tenbury Wells is a market town and civil parish in the north-western extremity of the Malvern Hills District administrative area of Worcestershire, England. The 2001 census reported a population of 3,316.-Geography:...
; the Krew Cats formed in 1963 and played in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and other places in Northern Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, possibly at some of the same venues which the Beatles had played although this is unconfirmed.
Thomas and Pinder then recruited guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Denny Laine
Denny Laine
Denny Laine is an English songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, guitarist, and lead singer of The Moody Blues' 1965 debut album "The Magnificent Moodies"; and, later, best known for his role as co-founder of Wings...
along with drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
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 bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Clint Warwick
Clint Warwick
Clint Warwick was the original bassist for the rock band, The Moody Blues....
to form a new, blues-based band. The name of the band, chosen by Pinder, was "The Moody Blues", chosen from initials which were part of a hoped-for sponsorship from the M&B Brewery (which failed to materialise) and also as a subtle reference to Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
's "Mood Indigo
Mood Indigo
"Mood Indigo" is a jazz composition and song, with music by Duke Ellington and Barney Bigard with lyrics by Irving Mills.-Disputed authorship:In a 1987 interview, Mitchell Parish claimed to have written the lyrics:...
."
Their first album, The Magnificent Moodies
The Magnificent Moodies
The Magnificent Moodies is the 1965 debut album by The Moody Blues first released in the UK and the first and only album featuring their R&B lineup of guitarist Denny Laine, bassist Clint Warwick, keyboardist Mike Pinder, flute player–percussionist Ray Thomas, and drummer Graeme Edge...
, yielded a #1 UK hit (#10 in the US) with "Go Now
Go Now (song)
"Go Now" is a 1964 song composed by Larry Banks and Milton Bennett. It was first recorded by Bessie Banks, and most successfully by The Moody Blues.-Bessie Banks:The song was first recorded by Larry Banks' former wife, Bessie Banks...
." The album also featured Thomas singing lead vocals on a cover of George
George Gershwin
George Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
and Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin
Ira Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
's "It Ain't Necessarily So
It Ain't Necessarily So
"It Ain't Necessarily So" is a popular song with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by Ira Gershwin. The song comes from the Gershwins' opera Porgy and Bess where it is sung by the character Sportin' Life, a drug dealer, who expresses his doubt about several statements in the Bible.The role of...
", which was originally from the musical Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess
Porgy and Bess is an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and subsequent play of the same title, which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
.
Following this album, Warwick left the band, followed by Laine a few months later. Thomas suggested an old bandmate, bassist John Lodge, as a replacement for Warwick (in between there had been another bass guitarist, Rodney Clark) and also recruited 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...
to replace Denny Laine. With its new lineup, the band released 7 successful albums between 1967 and 1972, and became known for a pioneering orchestral sound. Some of Thomas' compositions on these albums are "Another Morning
Another Morning (The Moody Blues song)
"Another Morning" is a 1967 song by the symphonic rock band The Moody Blues. It was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, and was first released on the 1967 album Days of Future Passed...
" and "Twilight Time
Twilight Time (The Moody Blues song)
"Twilight Time" is a song from The Moody Blues' 1967 album Days of Future Passed. It is the final of three songs on the album representing the evening, along with " Time to Get Away" , and "The Sunset." Written by the Moody Blues' flautist Ray Thomas, "Twilight Time" primarily describes the scene...
" (from Days of Future Passed
Days of Future Passed
Days of Future Passed is the second album and first concept album by The Moody Blues, released in 1967. It was also their first album to feature Justin Hayward and John Lodge, who would play a very strong role in directing the band's sound in the decades to come...
), "Dr. Livingstone, I Presume
Dr. Livingstone, I Presume
"Dr. Livingstone, I Presume" is a 1968 song by the English rock band The Moody Blues. It was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, although he does not play the flute in this particular song. First released in June 1968 on the B-side of "Voices in the Sky," "Dr...
" and "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...
" (from 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...
), "Dear Diary
Dear Diary (song)
"Dear Diary" is a 1969 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. Written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, "Dear Diary" was first released on the 1969 album On the Threshold of a Dream....
" and "Lazy Day
Lazy Day (song)
"Lazy Day" is a 1969 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, although he does not play flute on this particular song...
" (from On the Threshold of a Dream
On the Threshold of a Dream
On the Threshold of a Dream is the fourth album by The Moody Blues, released on the Deram label in 1969. It was their last album to be released by the band before they formed their own record label, Threshold, to be distributed by Decca Records....
), "Eternity Road",and "Floating
Floating (The Moody Blues song)
"Floating" is a song on The Moody Blues' November 1969 album To Our Children's Children's Children, a concept album about space travel dedicated to NASA and the Apollo 11 astronauts. Written by band flautist Ray Thomas, "Floating" is a jaunty, semi-children's song about a future in which advances...
" (from To Our Children's Children's Children
To Our Children's Children's Children
To Our Children's Children's Children is the fifth album by The Moody Blues, first issued in late 1969. It was the first album released on the group's newly formed Threshold Records label, which was named after the band's previous album from the same year, On the Threshold of a Dream.It was...
), "And the Tide Rushes In
And the Tide Rushes In
"And the Tide Rushes In" is song from The Moody Blues 1970 album A Question of Balance. Written by band member Ray Thomas, "And the Tide Rushes In" connotes a sense of strife in a relationship with the narrator's lover symbolized as the tide, rushing in and washing the narrator's efforts away...
" (from A Question of Balance
A Question of Balance
A Question of Balance, released in 1970, is the sixth album by The Moody Blues. The album was an attempt by the group to strip down their well-known lush, psychedelic sound in order to be able to better perform the songs in concert...
), "Our Guessing Game" and "Nice to Be Here" (from Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (album)
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is the seventh album by the Moody Blues, released in 1971. The album was the last to feature only the Mellotron, as it would be assisted by the Chamberlin on the Moody Blues' next studio album, 1972's Seventh Sojourn.This album featured the only track to be written...
) and "For My Lady
For My Lady
"For My Lady" is a 1973 song by the English progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, and was first released on the 1972 album Seventh Sojourn...
" (from Seventh Sojourn
Seventh Sojourn
Seventh Sojourn, released in 1972, is the eighth album by The Moody Blues.In Seventh Sojourn, The Moody Blues used, besides the Mellotron, a keyboard called the Chamberlin, a device similar to the Mellotron created by the original inventor of the device, Harry Chamberlin...
).
Thomas also co-wrote "Watching and Waiting
Watching and Waiting
"Watching and Waiting" is a 1969 single by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues, and was written by band members Justin Hayward and Ray Thomas. It was first released as a single in October 1969, and was later released in November 1969 on the album To Our Children's Children's Children...
" with Justin Hayward for 'To Our Children's Children's Children' in 1969. In addition Thomas also co-wrote with Hayward and sang 'The Dreamer
The Dreamer
The Dreamer is a 1985 thinly disguised autobiographical graphic novel by Will Eisner about his early years as a comic book artist in the 1930s, with a particular focus on his years as part of Eisner & Iger studios....
' circa 1971 which has been now added to the latest remastered CD version of 'Every Good Boy Deserves Favor'.
In 1974, the band took a hiatus (reported at the time as a break-up), during which the members all did solo projects. Thomas released the albums, From Mighty Oaks
From Mighty Oaks
From Mighty Oaks is the first solo album by Moody Blues flautist Ray Thomas together with Nicky James, Trevor Jones, Dave Potts, John Jones and Mike Moran, originally released in July 1975. It was reissued on Compact Disc in August 1989...
(1975) and Hopes Wishes and Dreams
Hopes, Wishes and Dreams (album)
Hopes, Wishes and Dreams is the second solo album by Ray Thomas of The Moody Blues in conjunction with Nicky James and the orchestral arrangements of Terry James, released under The Moody Blues own Threshold Label as THS17 in June 1976. The album was also available in cassette and cartridge. It was...
(1976). It was during this period that he earned his nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
, 'The Flute'. Within the band he was also known as 'Tomo' .
The band then reformed in 1978 for 'Octave' (largely minus Mike Pinder who was only with them for this first album after the reformation), Thomas providing 'Under Moonshine' and 'I'm Your Man' and the group continued to release albums throughout the '80s, with Thomas' "Veteran Cosmic Rocker
Veteran 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...
" plus 'Painted Smile
Painted 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."...
' being prominently featured on the album Long Distance Voyager
Long Distance Voyager
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...
. The former song has often been regarded as a theme song for the band itself as a whole and for Thomas in particular, and it again features his use of the harmonica. After contributing 'Sorry' and 'I Am' (both on 'The Present' album of 1983) During the mid 1980s, Thomas temporarily stopped writing new songs for the band. His last three songwriting contributions for the Moodies include "Celtic Sonant" and "Never Blame the Rainbows for the Rain" (co-written with Justin Hayward) on the album Keys of the Kingdom
Keys of the Kingdom
Keys of the Kingdom is the fifteenth album released by the rock band The Moody Blues in 1991. Although some of the tracks recall the songwriting on Sur La Mer, the failure of Keys of the Kingdom to produce any major hit singles would mark the beginning of the Moodies' decline in popularity with...
, and the brief "My Little Lovely" on Strange Times
Thomas also provided a rare Co-Lead vocal with Hayward & Lodge on their song 'Sooner or Later (Walking On Air)' on 'Strange Times'.
Thomas took featured Lead vocal on Graeme Edge's songs '22,000 Days' (on 'Long Distance Voyager') and 'Going Nowhere' (on 'The Present' 1983), however while he contributed backing vocals to 'The Other Side of Life' album in 1986, he took no Lead vocal role, and appears to be totally absent from the 1988 album 'Sur La Mer' although he is included in the childhood photos depicted on the album's innersleeve and is given an overall 'group credit' although significantly is then not given an actual performing band credit at all unlike the others.
Although he most commonly plays tambourine and flute, Thomas is actually a multi-instrumentalist
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
, playing various other woodwind instruments, such as Harmonica and the oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
on the 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 1972 video for "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)
I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)
"I'm Just a Singer " is a hit 1973 single by the English progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It was first released in 1972 as the final track on the album Seventh Sojourn. "I'm Just a Singer " was later released as a single in 1973, with "For My Lady" on the B-side...
" features Thomas playing the baritone saxophone
Baritone saxophone
The baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
, although Pinder has stated on his website that this was just for effect in the video, and that Thomas was not the sax player on the actual recording. Although typically comfortable singing in the lower tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
register, Thomas was also responsible for the distinctive falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
voice on many of the group's earlier recordings, before the arrival of Hayward and Lodge.
Thomas retired at the end of 2002. The Moody Blues - now consisting only of Hayward, Lodge and Edge plus four long-serving touring band members, including Norda Mullen who has taken over Thomas' flute parts - have released one studio album, December, since his departure from the band.
In July 2009 it became known that Thomas had written at least two of his songs - "Adam and I" and "My Little Lovely" - for his son and grandson Robert, respectively. Also that he had married again, to his longtime girlfriend Lee, at a ceremony in Wales on 9 July 2009.
Ray has released his two solo albums, remastered, in a boxset on 24 September 2010. The set includes, with the two albums, a remastered quad version of "From Mighty Oaks
From Mighty Oaks
From Mighty Oaks is the first solo album by Moody Blues flautist Ray Thomas together with Nicky James, Trevor Jones, Dave Potts, John Jones and Mike Moran, originally released in July 1975. It was reissued on Compact Disc in August 1989...
", a new song "The Trouble With Memories", a previously unseen promo video of "High Above My Head" and an interview conducted by fellow Moody Blues founder, Mike Pinder. The boxset was released through Esoteric Recordings/Cherry Red Records.
The Moody Blues
- 1967: "Another MorningAnother Morning (The Moody Blues song)"Another Morning" is a 1967 song by the symphonic rock band The Moody Blues. It was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, and was first released on the 1967 album Days of Future Passed...
" from Days of Future PassedDays of Future PassedDays of Future Passed is the second album and first concept album by The Moody Blues, released in 1967. It was also their first album to feature Justin Hayward and John Lodge, who would play a very strong role in directing the band's sound in the decades to come... - 1967: "Twilight TimeTwilight Time (The Moody Blues song)"Twilight Time" is a song from The Moody Blues' 1967 album Days of Future Passed. It is the final of three songs on the album representing the evening, along with " Time to Get Away" , and "The Sunset." Written by the Moody Blues' flautist Ray Thomas, "Twilight Time" primarily describes the scene...
" from Days of Future Passed - 1968: "Dr. Livingstone, I PresumeDr. Livingstone, I Presume"Dr. Livingstone, I Presume" is a 1968 song by the English rock band The Moody Blues. It was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, although he does not play the flute in this particular song. First released in June 1968 on the B-side of "Voices in the Sky," "Dr...
" from In Search of the Lost ChordIn 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... - 1968: "Legend of a MindLegend 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...
" from In Search of the Lost Chord - 1968: "Visions of ParadiseVisions of Paradise"Visions of Paradise" is a 1968 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. First released on their album In Search of the Lost Chord, it was written jointly by band members Justin Hayward and Ray Thomas, and was the first of many collaborations between them...
" (with Justin Hayward) from In Search of the Lost Chord - 1969: "Dear DiaryDear Diary (song)"Dear Diary" is a 1969 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. Written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, "Dear Diary" was first released on the 1969 album On the Threshold of a Dream....
" from On the Threshold of a DreamOn the Threshold of a DreamOn the Threshold of a Dream is the fourth album by The Moody Blues, released on the Deram label in 1969. It was their last album to be released by the band before they formed their own record label, Threshold, to be distributed by Decca Records.... - 1969: "Lazy DayLazy Day (song)"Lazy Day" is a 1969 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, although he does not play flute on this particular song...
" from On the Threshold of a Dream - 1969: "Are You Sitting Comfortably?Are You Sitting Comfortably? (song)"Are You Sitting Comfortably?" is a 1969 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It was written jointly by band members Justin Hayward and Ray Thomas. It was recorded and released in 1969 on the Moody Blues Album On the Threshold of a Dream....
" (with Justin Hayward) from On the Threshold of a Dream - 1969: "FloatingFloating (The Moody Blues song)"Floating" is a song on The Moody Blues' November 1969 album To Our Children's Children's Children, a concept album about space travel dedicated to NASA and the Apollo 11 astronauts. Written by band flautist Ray Thomas, "Floating" is a jaunty, semi-children's song about a future in which advances...
" from To Our Children's Children's ChildrenTo Our Children's Children's ChildrenTo Our Children's Children's Children is the fifth album by The Moody Blues, first issued in late 1969. It was the first album released on the group's newly formed Threshold Records label, which was named after the band's previous album from the same year, On the Threshold of a Dream.It was... - 1969: "Eternity Road" from To Our Children's Children's Children
- 1969: "Watching and WaitingWatching and Waiting"Watching and Waiting" is a 1969 single by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues, and was written by band members Justin Hayward and Ray Thomas. It was first released as a single in October 1969, and was later released in November 1969 on the album To Our Children's Children's Children...
" (with Justin Hayward) from To Our Children's Children's Children - 1970: "And the Tide Rushes InAnd the Tide Rushes In"And the Tide Rushes In" is song from The Moody Blues 1970 album A Question of Balance. Written by band member Ray Thomas, "And the Tide Rushes In" connotes a sense of strife in a relationship with the narrator's lover symbolized as the tide, rushing in and washing the narrator's efforts away...
" from A Question of BalanceA Question of BalanceA Question of Balance, released in 1970, is the sixth album by The Moody Blues. The album was an attempt by the group to strip down their well-known lush, psychedelic sound in order to be able to better perform the songs in concert... - 1970: "The BalanceThe Balance"The Balance" is the closing track of The Moody Blues 1970 album A Question of Balance. Written jointly by band members Graeme Edge and Ray Thomas, "The Balance" describes the balance reference in the album's title...
" (with Graeme Edge) from A Question of Balance - 1971: "ProcessionProcession (The Moody Blues song)"Procession" is a 1971 song by The Moody Blues, and it is the opening track on their album Every Good Boy Deserves Favour. It is their only song to have been co-written by all five members of the band....
" (with Justin Hayward, John Lodge, Mike Pinder, and Graeme Edge) from Every Good Boy Deserves FavourEvery Good Boy Deserves Favour (album)Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is the seventh album by the Moody Blues, released in 1971. The album was the last to feature only the Mellotron, as it would be assisted by the Chamberlin on the Moody Blues' next studio album, 1972's Seventh Sojourn.This album featured the only track to be written... - 1971: "Our Guessing Game" from Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
- 1971: "Nice to Be Here" from Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
- 1971: "The Dreamer" (with Justin Hayward) out take now added to Every Good Boy Deserves Favor CD.
- 1972: "For My LadyFor My Lady"For My Lady" is a 1973 song by the English progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It was written by the band's flautist Ray Thomas, and was first released on the 1972 album Seventh Sojourn...
" from Seventh SojournSeventh SojournSeventh Sojourn, released in 1972, is the eighth album by The Moody Blues.In Seventh Sojourn, The Moody Blues used, besides the Mellotron, a keyboard called the Chamberlin, a device similar to the Mellotron created by the original inventor of the device, Harry Chamberlin... - 1978: "Under Moonshine" from OctaveOctave (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...
- 1978: "I'm Your Man" from Octave
- 1981: "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."...
" from Long Distance VoyagerLong Distance VoyagerLong 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... - 1981: "Reflective Smile" from Long Distance Voyager
- 1981: "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...
" from Long Distance Voyager - 1983: "I Am" from The PresentThe PresentThe Present is the eleventh album by The Moody Blues. It is the second album of the Patrick Moraz era. It had three minor hit singles, "Blue World" , "Sitting at the Wheel" and "Running Water"....
- 1983: "Sorry" from The Present
- 1991: "Celtic Sonant" from Keys of the KingdomKeys of the KingdomKeys of the Kingdom is the fifteenth album released by the rock band The Moody Blues in 1991. Although some of the tracks recall the songwriting on Sur La Mer, the failure of Keys of the Kingdom to produce any major hit singles would mark the beginning of the Moodies' decline in popularity with...
- 1991: "Never Blame the Rainbows for the Rain" (with Justin Hayward) from Keys of the Kingdom
- 1999: "My Little Lovely" from Strange Times
Solo
- 1975: "From Mighty Oaks" from From Mighty OaksFrom Mighty OaksFrom Mighty Oaks is the first solo album by Moody Blues flautist Ray Thomas together with Nicky James, Trevor Jones, Dave Potts, John Jones and Mike Moran, originally released in July 1975. It was reissued on Compact Disc in August 1989...
- 1975: "Hey Mama Life" from From Mighty Oaks
- 1975: "Play It Again" from From Mighty Oaks
- 1975: "Rock A Bye Baby Blues" from From Mighty Oaks
- 1975: "High Above My Head" from From Mighty Oaks
- 1975: "Love Is The Key" from From Mighty Oaks
- 1975: "You Make Me Feel Alright" from From Mighty Oaks
- 1975: "Adam And I" from From Mighty Oaks
- 1975: "I Wish We Could Fly" from From Mighty Oaks
- 1976: "In Your Song" from Hopes, Wishes and DreamsHopes, Wishes and Dreams (album)Hopes, Wishes and Dreams is the second solo album by Ray Thomas of The Moody Blues in conjunction with Nicky James and the orchestral arrangements of Terry James, released under The Moody Blues own Threshold Label as THS17 in June 1976. The album was also available in cassette and cartridge. It was...
- 1976: "Friends" from Hopes, Wishes and Dreams
- 1976: "We Need Love" from Hopes, Wishes and Dreams
- 1976: "Within Your Eyes" from Hopes, Wishes and Dreams
- 1976: "One Night Stand" from Hopes, Wishes and Dreams
- 1976: "Keep On Searching" from Hopes, Wishes and Dreams
- 1976: "Didn't I" from Hopes, Wishes and Dreams
- 1976: "Migration" from Hopes, Wishes and Dreams
- 1976: "Carousel" from Hopes, Wishes and Dreams
- 1976: "The Last Dream" from Hopes, Wishes and Dreams