RIP Mike Pinder

[Uncle Fiesta]

Mike Pinder, the last surviving founder member of the Moody Blues, passed away yesterday at the age of 82.

He formed the band in 1964 and soon after acquired his first Mellotron, a dual manual Mk II. Removing the 'backing' tapes from the left-hand manual, and installing a second set of 'solo' tapes to duplicate the right-hand manual enabled him to create the layers of sound that became his trademark. Indeed it's no exaggeration to say that the sound of Mike Pinder was the sound of the Moodies - it was once said that his musical arrangements and Justin Hayward's vocal arrangements were the cornerstones of the band.

Prior to this he spent some time working for Streetly Electronics, makers of the Mellotron, where his job was to test each one as it came off the line and report any problems. He said later that he was quite pleased when his suggestions for improvements were acted upon.

For me, his departure in 1978 brought the band's classic period to an end, and they were never the same again.

RIP Mike. Your amazing and beautiful sounds will live on.

[drakula63]

Recently bought all the Moody Blues albums on CD... having previously had a couple on vinyl. Brilliant band and Mike Pinder's contributions were integral to their sound and success.