Seventh Sojourn

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Seventh Sojourn
Mbseven.gif
Studio album by
the Moody Blues
Released23 October 1972 (UK)
17 November 1972 (US)
RecordedJanuary–September 1972
StudioDecca Studios, Tollington Park, London
Genre
Length39:29
LabelThreshold
ProducerTony Clarke
The Moody Blues chronology
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
(1971) 		Seventh Sojourn
(1972) 		This Is The Moody Blues
(1974)
Singles from Seventh Sojourn
  1. "Isn't Life Strange"
    Released: April 1972
  2. "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)"
    Released: January 1973
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Rolling Stone(favorable)[2]
Uncut[3]

Seventh Sojourn is the eighth album by the Moody Blues, released in 1972.

Music and lyrics[]

Although the album's lyrics address political concerns, in the 1990 documentary The Moody Blues: Legend of a Band, bassist John Lodge described "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)" as a response to fans who mistakenly read guru-like wisdom into the Moodies' lyrics.

Instrumentally, singer/keyboardist Mike Pinder, in addition to the Mellotron used on previous Moody Blues albums, used a similar keyboard device called the Chamberlin.

Reception[]

Seventh Sojourn reached #5 in the United Kingdom, and became the band's first American chart topper, spending five weeks at #1 to close out 1972.

Two hit singles came from this album: "Isn't Life Strange" (#13 UK, #29 US) and "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)" (#36 UK, #12 US). However, both songs were overshadowed by the re-release of "Nights in White Satin," which had been first released in 1967. Whereas both singles from Seventh Sojourn made the top 40, "Nights In White Satin" bested both, hitting #9 in the UK and #2 in the United States and gaining the highest American chart position for a Moody Blues single.

Aftermath[]

As this album proved difficult to record, with a 1973 follow-up quickly shelved after inception, the group decided to go on hiatus after their tour of Asia in 1974 (Mike Pinder's last tour with the group), before reuniting in 1977 for Octave (1978) and its subsequent tour without Pinder.

In April 2007 the album was remastered into SACD format and repackaged with four extra tracks. "Island", the fourth bonus track, is an unfinished recording from 1973, made during the brief sessions for a follow-up album that never happened.[4]

In 2008 a remaster for standard audio CD was issued with the same bonus tracks.

Track listing[]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Lost in a Lost World"Mike PinderPinder4:42
2."New Horizons"Justin HaywardHayward5:11
3."For My Lady"Ray ThomasThomas3:58
4."Isn't Life Strange"John LodgeLodge, Hayward6:09
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
5."You and Me"Hayward, Graeme EdgeHayward, Thomas, Pinder4:21
6."The Land of Make-Believe"HaywardHayward4:52
7."When You're a Free Man"PinderPinder6:06
8."I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)"LodgeLodge4:18
Total length:39:29
2007 SACD expanded edition and 2008 remaster bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."Isn't Life Strange" (original version)Lodge8:10
10."You and Me" (Beckthorns backing track)Hayward, Edge6:33
11."Lost in a Lost World" (instrumental demo)Pinder4:41
12."Island" (previously unreleased)Hayward4:30

Personnel[]

Production[]

  • Producer - Tony Clarke
  • Recording engineers - Derek Varnals and Tony Clarke ("Isn't Life Strange")
  • Assistant engineer - David Baker
  • Cover and liner art - Phil Travers
  • Innersleeve - The Moodies
  • All instruments played by The Moody Blues
  • Recorded at Tollington Park Studios, London

Charts[]

Album[]

Year Chart Position
1972 UK Albums Chart 5
Billboard 200 1
Danish Albums Chart[5] 4

Singles[]

Year Single Chart Position
1972 "Isn't Life Strange" UK Singles Chart 13
Billboard Hot 100 29
"I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)" UK Singles Chart 36
Billboard Hot 100 12

Notes[]

  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ "Rolling Stone review". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 6 June 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2012.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ David Stubbs Uncut, May 2007, Issue 120
  4. ^ "JUSTIN HAYWARD ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS!". The Moody Blues | Official Site. 17 March 2011.
  5. ^ http://danskehitlister.dk/?song_id=6326
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