For fifty-four years Graeme Edge has been behind the drums of The Moody Blues. He is the last remaining original member of the Birmingham-based band. The 76-year-old Englishman is in his house in Florida when we reach him for a phone interview. He has a guilty conscience talking to a German journalist. "I always notice how much we neglect to play live in the other parts of the world while we tour England from time to time and regularly here in the States." In 1964 Edge founded The Moody Blues with Ray Thomas (flute, voc), Mike Pinder (keys, voc), Clint Warwick (b, voc) and later Paul McCartney sparring partner Denny Laine (g, voc). At first they settled in between blues rock and pop - or beat, as they said back then. "Go Now" is the significant song of this early phase.
It was not until a change of line-up in 1966 that the band was on the road to success and rock annals. Now, with John Lodge (b, voc) and Justin Hayward (g, sitar, voc), she released the concept work "Days Of Future Passed" with the indestructible "Nights In White Satin". Until the end of January 2018, The Moody Blues will be performing their classic album in the USA on the occasion of its anniversary. But as big and powerful as it may seem in relation to the works released afterwards, a closer listening reveals an even bigger musical creation, starting with "In Search Of The Lost Chord".
eclipsed: The "Days Of Future Passed Tour" is not over yet, but the question already arises: Will an "In Search Of The Lost Chord Tour" follow?
Graeme Edge: (laughs) Age slows you down. You should celebrate the celebrations as they fall, but we didn't plan to reload so quickly and honor our second concept album with a tour. The album was always wrongly in the shadow of "Days" for me. But in my opinion this is more due to the XXL size of "Nights". I'm still touched when we play this track. Meanwhile it means so much to generations of music fans. All you can do is step back and be proud to be part of the whole. But as a complete album I see "Days" and "In Search" on one level.
eclipsed: Suppose someone says to you that all the musically relevant things you have created were created between 1967 and 1972. What's your answer?
Edge: Well, if I had been asked this question in 1978 or the eighties, I would have protested loudly. Of course, we managed to do some good songs afterwards, but what makes the Moodies so special was written between '67 and '72. Not before and not after.
eclipsed: How does it feel to be the last remaining founding member?
Edge: I don't feel like the last founding member because Justin and John have been my musical partners for over fifty years.
