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 offer to tour with the group. Pinder had just started a new family in California, and found that he was not getting along with his bandmates as he had. As a result of Pinder's departure, Justin Hayward and John Lodge were forced to play some of the remaining keyboard parts themselves, and Pinder would be replaced by former Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz in time for their 1979 tour, beginning a new era in the band's history.

Octave was considered a departure from previous Moody Blues albums, mainly because the group's use of lounge-style organs and synthesisers in place of a Mellotron or Chamberlin (Pinder's song "One Step Into the Light" referenced the Mellotron). Real strings were used on three songs: "Under Moonshine" and "I'm Your Man" (both written by Ray Thomas), as well as "Survival" (written by John Lodge).

Released after a considerable break, which saw The Moody Blues returning in an era of punk music and disco, Octaveevidenced a reduced commercial impact for the band, but reached #6 in the United Kingdom and went platinum in the United States, where the album reached #13. The album produced the hit single "Steppin' in a Slide Zone," which hit #39 in the US, in addition to "Driftwood".

In November 2008, the album was remastered and released on CD, with five previously-unreleased, live, bonus tracks.



Contents
[hide]  *1 Original Track Listing  ==Original Track Listing[ edit] == ===Side One[ edit] === ===Side Two[ edit] === The 8-track tape version of this album has the distinction of being one of the few 8-tracks that is arranged exactly like the album, with no song breaks. ===2008 CD Expanded Edition tracks (UK)<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] === ==Personnel<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ==Additional personnel<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == ==Chart positions<span class="mw-editsection" style="-webkit-user-select:none;font-size:small;margin-left:1em;line-height:1em;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;unicode-bidi:-webkit-isolate;font-family:sans-serif;"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">[ edit<span class="mw-editsection-bracket" style="color:rgb(85,85,85);">] == <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">Album-Billboard (North America) <p style="margin-top:0.5em;line-height:17.9200000762939px;color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;font-size:14.3999996185303px;">Singles - Billboard (North America)
 * 1.1 Side One
 * 1.2 Side Two
 * 1.3 2008 CD Expanded Edition tracks (UK)
 * 2 Personnel
 * 3 Additional personnel
 * 4 Chart positions
 * 5 References
 * 1) "Steppin' in a Slide Zone" (John Lodge) – 5:29
 * 2) "Under Moonshine" (Ray Thomas) – 5:00
 * 3) "Had to Fall in Love" (Justin Hayward) – 3:42
 * 4) "I'll Be Level With You" (Graeme Edge) – 3:48
 * 5) "Driftwood" (Hayward) – 5:03
 * 1) "Top Rank Suite" (Hayward) – 3:42
 * 2) "I'm Your Man" (Thomas) – 4:21
 * 3) "Survival" (Lodge) – 4:09
 * 4) "One Step Into the Light" (Mike Pinder) – 4:29
 * 5) "The Day We Meet Again" (Hayward) – 6:19
 * 1) "Steppin' in a Slide Zone (Live in Seattle 25 May 1979)" (Lodge) - 4:57
 * 2) "I'm Your Man (Live in Seattle 25 May 1979)" (Thomas) - 4:51
 * 3) "Top Rank Suite (Live in Seattle 25 May 1979)" (Hayward) - 4:28
 * 4) "Driftwood (Live in Seattle 25 May 1979)" (Hayward) - 5:02
 * 5) "The Day We Meet Again (Live in Houston 7 December 1978)" (Hayward) - 7:16
 * Justin Hayward - vocals, guitar, keyboards
 * John Lodge - vocals, bass, keyboards
 * Ray Thomas - vocals, flute, harmonica, tambourine
 * Graeme Edge - drums, percussion, vocals
 * Mike Pinder - vocals, organ, synthesiser, mellotron
 * R.A. Martin - horns, saxophones