A chance meeting between Laine and Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder at the Moathouse Club in Birmingham meant that they too joined the group and the seeds of The Moody Blues were sown. Realising the potential of this new and energising sound, Graeme Edge and Gerry Levene from Gerry Levene and the Avengers, Albert Eccles (who changed his name to Clint Warwick) and Danny King from Danny King and the Dukes and Denny Laine from The Diplomats joined forces to become the Soul Preachers. Standing apart from these was The Spencer Davis Group who were causing excitations through their R&B music. The Birmingham music scene at the end of 1963 gravitated between two poles: those bands that wanted to sound like Cliff Richard and The Shadows and those that wanted to follow The Beatles’ lead. Though like most young and naive bands trying to cut their teeth, they were exploited by an unscrupulous club owner who didn’t pay them their dues and confiscated their passports and visas so they couldn’t leave anytime soon! Thomas and Pinder joined another local group – The Krewcats – and got to go to Germany, playing in Hamburg and Hanover between May and November that same year. In 1963, as with most of the 60s bands that were just starting out, they were offered some lengthy touring sessions in Germany, but only Thomas and Pinder wanted to go so they disbanded with Lodge taking up a “proper job” doing a draftsmans apprenticeship. The band become known for their stage show where they donned Mexican cowboy outfits, securing them a regular slot on the“Lunchbox” TV programme.

After playing in a skiffle band as a teenager, local boy Ray Thomas decided to form his own band – El Riot and the Rebels – which included guitarist John Lodge and pianist Mike Pinder. Up until this fateful night, The Moody Blues were a Rhythm & Blues covers band that found their roots on the suburban streets of Erdington, Birmingham in 1964. And somebody’s got to tell you!” This critique of The Moody Blues which reduced singer-guitarist Justin Hayward and band mate Ray Thomas to tears turned out to be the reality check that they needed to set them on the path to success. “I just thought I’d tell you, you’re the worst fucking band I’ve seen in my life. On a rainy night at the Fiesta Club in Stockton in 1966, a disgruntled fan took it upon himself to go backstage and tell the band that he had just seen play exactly how bad he thought they were. From an R&B covers band to pioneers of symphonic rock, The Moody Blues were one of the 60s’ most influential bands.

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