The Moody Blues were  an English rock band formed in Birmingham in May 1964. The band initially consisted of drummer Graeme Edge, guitarist/vocalist Denny Laine, keyboardist/vocalist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Ray Thomas, and bassist/vocalist Clint Warwick. Originally part of the British beat and R&B scene of the early–mid 1960s, the band came to prominence with the UK No. 1 and US Top 10 single "Go Now" in late 1964/early 1965. Laine and Warwick left the band by the end of 1966, being replaced by guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward and bassist/vocalist John Lodge. They embraced the psychedelic rock movement of the late 1960s, with their second album, 1967's Days of Future Passed, being a fusion of rock with classical music (performed with the London Festival Orchestra) that established the band as pioneers in the development of art rock and progressive rock. It has been described as a "landmark" and "one of the first successful concept albums".

The group released six more albums and toured extensively until they went on hiatus in 1974. Their records from this period were among the most successful in the progressive rock genre and produced FM radio hits such as "Nights in White Satin" (1967; charting again in 1972), "Tuesday Afternoon" (1968), "Question" (1970), "The Story in Your Eyes" (1971), "Isn't Life Strange" (1972), and "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)" (1973). After resuming activities in 1977, Pinder left the following year and was replaced by former Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz. In the 1980s they took on a more synth-pop sound, having hits with "Gemini Dream" (1981), "The Voice" (1981), "Your Wildest Dreams" (1986) and "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" (1988). "Your Wildest Dreams" made the Moody Blues the first act to earn each of its first three Top 10 singles in the United States in three different decades. Moraz departed in 1991 followed by Thomas in 2002; Thomas died in 2018. The band's last studio album was the Christmas album December (2003), after which they decided against recording any further studio albums. However, they continued to tour throughout the 2000s and later reunited periodically for events, one-off concerts, short tours and cruises, until Graeme Edge, the last remaining original member, retired in 2018; he died in 2021.

The Moody Blues have sold 70 million albums worldwide, including 18 platinum and gold LPs. They produced 16 studio albums, six of which made the US Top 20 (with two reaching No. 1) and eight of which made the UK Top 20 (with three reaching No. 1). They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, for "over 50 years of exhilarating and significant music that has influenced countless musicians and rocked fans around the world".

Pre-history, 1958–1964
In 1958, rock and roll band El Riot & the Rebels formed in Birmingham, England, featuring vocalist and harmonica player Ray Thomas ("El Riot") and bassist John Lodge. At the beginning of 1963 they were joined by keyboardist Mike Pinder, who had just returned home from time in the army. Other Birmingham rock and roll bands around during these years included Danny King & the Dukes (formed 1958), with bassist Clint Warwick, Gerry Levine & the Avengers (formed 1959), with drummer Graeme Edge and future Electric Light Orchestra member Roy Wood on guitar, and Denny & the Diplomats (formed 1962), with vocalist and guitarist Denny Laine and another future ELO member, drummer Bev Bevan. El Riot & the Rebels split when John Lodge went to technical college in 1963, with Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder forming a new band, the Krew Kats.

At the end of 1963, after a disappointing spell in Hamburg, Germany, Thomas and Pinder began making plans to start a new band. Meanwhile, by the beginning of 1964, Clint Warwick, Graeme Edge and Denny Laine had all left their previous bands and begun working together in a new band, the R&B Preachers.

Early years, 1964–1967

Formation and early success

At the beginning of May 1964, Ray Thomas and Mike Pinder began forming their new band, with Graeme Edge and Denny Laine both joining, while Thomas and Pinder's former El Riot bandmate John Lodge was asked to join, but declined as the other members already intended to move to London as a professional band after a few local gigs, while he was still in college and determined to finish.  They instead recruited Edge and Laine's former R&B Preachers bandmate Clint Warwick. The band hoped to receive sponsorship from the local Mitchells & Butlers Brewery (who owned numerous live music clubs), even naming themselves the "M & B Five", though the sponsorship failed to materialise. The M & B Five played their first live show a few days after their formation, at the Carlton Ballroom (later to become rock music venue Mothers) on Erdington High Street, where they became the resident band.

By the end of August 1964, the band's name had evolved from the M & B Five to the Moody Blues. Aside from incorporating the M & B letters, the name was also a subtle reference to the Duke Ellington song "Mood Indigo". Pinder also stated in a later interview that, at the time, he was interested in how music can affect and change people's moods. The "Blues" was also a reference to the band's set at the time consisting mostly of rhythm and blues. During their first year together, as well as playing their own shows and making their own records, the Moodies (as they were often nicknamed by fans and the band themselves) also provided backup for various blues performers touring England (including Sonny Boy Williamson and Memphis Slim).

The band soon obtained a London-based management company, Ridgepride, formed by Alex Wharton (later known as Alex Murray), who had been in the A&R division of Decca Records.  Their recording contract was signed in the summer of 1964 with Ridgepride, who then leased their recordings to Decca. They released their first single, a cover of Bobby Parker's "Steal Your Heart Away" with the Denny Laine/Mike Pinder original "Lose Your Money (But Don't Lose Your Mind)" as the B-side, in September 1964 which failed to chart. They also made their first of what would come to be several appearances on the cult television programme Ready Steady Go! (this first appearance remains the only one that still survives, as like many British television programmes during this time, Ready Steady Go! had a number of its episodes wiped after broadcast). But it was their second single, a cover of Bessie Banks' "Go Now", released in November 1964, that proved their breakthrough, being promoted on television with one of the first purpose-made promotional films in the rock and pop era, produced and directed by Alex Wharton. The single reached No. 1 in Britain (where it remains their only No. 1 single) and No. 10 in America, where it was released on London Records.

Commercial struggles

The band struggled to continue the success of "Go Now". They enjoyed a minor British hit with a cover of the Drifters' "I Don't Want to Go On Without You", reaching No. 33 in February 1965. Wanting to capitalise quickly on the No. 1 hit, Decca had rush-released the single before the band had completed its recording (as Graeme Edge recalled in a 1978 interview regarding the track, "there's a great big bit in the middle where nothing happens, it was supposed to be Ray playing flute"). The track was also included on a four-track EP titled The Moody Blues, which also featured "Go Now", "Steal Your Heart Away" and "Lose Your Money", issued in April 1965.

Around this time Alex Wharton left the management firm, with the band's next single, the Laine/Pinder original "From the Bottom of My Heart (I Love You)", being produced by Denny Cordell, who would remain their producer into 1966. The single was released in May 1965 and did better than "I Don't Want to Go On Without You", reaching No. 22 in the UK.

In July 1965, the band released their first album, The Magnificent Moodies. It was a mix of rhythm and blues covers and Laine/Pinder originals, the latter showing more of a Merseybeat influence. The album also included a cover of the George and Ira Gershwin standard "It Ain't Necessarily So". The back cover featured a specially-written prose poem by Donovan. The band held a launch party for the album, with guests including George Harrison and Paul McCartney of the Beatles and Marianne Faithfull among others.

The day after the party, as Denny Laine later recalled, "we called up the Ridgepride office and said we needed £100 to pay for the drinks bill. They told us they would be right over to see us, but they never showed up. When we went around to the office we discovered they had closed it down and run to the hills, leaving us in the lurch!". Ridgepride left the band bankrupt with several debts, taking the money earned from their records up to that point, including the No. 1 selling "Go Now", with them.

Now without Ridgepride and without their licensing deal in place, the band signed directly to Decca Records in the UK and London Records in the US, with the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein taking on management of the Moody Blues. Their next single "Everyday", another Laine/Pinder original, was released in October 1965. The single stalled at No. 44 in the UK, where the band would not release any more records for a year.

They were still in demand for live gigs though, and while their chart success was declining in the UK and North America, they were still successful in the rest of Europe during this time, particularly when their cover of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Bye Bye Bird" from The Magnificent Moodies was released as a single in France in December 1965, reaching No. 3 there.

In early December 1965, the Moody Blues became the support band for the Beatles on what would ultimately be the Beatles' last British tour. The Moodies then spent late December 1965 into January 1966 on their first tour of North America. What could have been a valuable appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show had been booked prior to the tour; however, visa issues upon their arrival in New York City meant the band were unable to make any television appearances in the US during the tour, although the live concerts still went ahead.

Departures of Warwick and Laine

In July 1966, Clint Warwick retired from the group and the music business. He was briefly replaced by Rod Clark until the beginning of October, when Clark and Denny Laine both left the band.

Decca released a new Moody Blues single just a few days later — the Parisian "Boulevard de la Madeleine" with "This is My House (But Nobody Calls)" as the B-side — as the Moody Blues seemed to be disintegrating (the single had been released in the US in June 1966, though the A- and B-sides were switched for the UK release). Shortly after Laine and Clark left, Brian Epstein announced that he no longer represented the Moody Blues.

In the November 1966 issue of Hit Week, Dutch interviewers Hans van Rij and Emie Havers wrote an article saying that at the time Laine and Clark departed, the Moody Blues had been in the process of recording their second album, to be titled Look Out, with Cordell still producing. The album was shelved and "Really Haven't Got the Time" is the only song title mentioned in the article. In 2014 Cherry Red Records, on their Esoteric Records imprint, released a deluxe double CD edition of The Magnificent Moodies, with the first CD comprising the complete discography of the original Moody Blues, while the second CD featured previously unreleased tracks, including those from the attempted 1966 album. Most of the tracks for this second album were Laine/Pinder originals, with Tim Hardin's "Hang on to a Dream" being the only cover.

The last record by the original Denny Laine/Clint Warwick line-up of the Moody Blues, a single of Laine/Pinder's "Life's Not Life" (first released as an EP track in France in June 1966), was scheduled for UK release in January 1967, even though this line-up had been defunct for several months by this point. This single's release is often listed in discographies as being cancelled; however, both promo and regular stock copies have been seen over the years.

Laine would go on to join Paul McCartney's post-Beatles band Wings in 1971. Along with Paul and Linda McCartney, Laine was one of the three members to remain with Wings from their formation to their 1980 split.

Arrival of Hayward and Lodge
The three remaining members of the Moody Blues, Pinder, Thomas and Edge, assembled a new line-up in October 1966. The new members were bassist and vocalist John Lodge and guitarist and vocalist Justin Hayward. Lodge had been a bandmate of Pinder and Thomas in their pre-Moody Blues band El Riot & the Rebels. Hayward was formerly of the Wilde Three with famed UK singer Marty Wilde (father of future pop star Kim Wilde). He was recommended to Pinder by Eric Burdon of the Animals. Pinder phoned Hayward and was impressed when Hayward played him his single "London Is Behind Me" (released in January 1966) during their car ride to meet the other members in Esher.

Around this time "Boulevard de la Madeleine" became a hit single in Belgium and with the band's commercial success floundering in the UK, they relocated there almost immediately after Hayward and Lodge joined.

By February 1967 the band had returned to the UK. Unable to get gigs, they had no choice but to play the cabaret circuit. This lasted only a short time and after a confrontation with an audience member at one show, who went backstage to berate the band on their performance, the band realised that continuing to play rhythm and blues covers without Denny Laine, whose voice had been the best suited to that style, was not working (in a 2005 interview, Hayward stated that the band continued playing their biggest hit "Go Now" after he and Lodge joined, with different members attempting lead vocal, but that it never sounded right).

Although the band had only released original songs on record after The Magnificent Moodies in July 1965, the R&B covers were still the main focus of their live show until this point, after which the band focused primarily on playing their own original songs, with Hayward bringing a new musical influence to the band with his folk-influenced songwriting style.

Meeting Tony Clarke and move towards psychedelia

In April 1967 they were introduced to Decca staff producer Tony Clarke, who produced the band's next single, their first record with Hayward and Lodge, "Fly Me High" (written and sung by Hayward) with "Really Haven't Got the Time" (written and sung by Pinder) as the B-side, released in May 1967. Sometimes known to fans as "the Sixth Moodie", Clarke would remain the band's producer for the next eleven years. "Fly Me High" picked up both radio airplay and favourable reviews, but failed to chart in the UK. The track showed elements of the folk rock and psychedelic styles that were purveying rock music during this time.

The band went further in the psychedelic direction on their next single, Pinder's "Love And Beauty", which was issued in September 1967. This too was not a UK hit, but was significant for being the first Moody Blues track to feature Mellotron, played by Pinder. Prior to the Moody Blues' formation, Pinder had worked for the company that manufactured the Mellotron, though he had not been able to afford one until 1967. Pinder's Mellotron work would become a major part of the band's sound for the next several years.

Primarily playing harmonica up to this point, Ray Thomas had played flute on some of the group's earlier recordings ("From the Bottom of My Heart", "Something You Got",  "I've Got a Dream", "Let Me Go", "You Don't (All the Time)" and "Life's Not Life"); however, it became a far more featured instrument from this point onwards as the psychedelic influences became stronger in the band's music.

Classic years, 1967–1974

Days of Future Passed

By the autumn of 1967 the Moody Blues' contract with Decca Records was set to expire and they owed the label several thousand pounds in advances. They had the support, however, of Decca A&R manager Hugh Mendl, who had been instrumental in the recent establishment of London/Decca's new subsidiary imprint Deram Records. With Mendl's backing, the Moody Blues were offered a deal to make a rock version of Antonín Dvořák's New World Symphony to promote the company's new Deramic Stereo Sound audio format in return for which the group would be forgiven their debt.

The Moody Blues agreed, but insisted that they be given artistic control of the project, and Mendl (as executive producer) was able to provide this despite Decca's notoriously tight-fisted attitude to their artists. According to the band, Peter Knight, who had been assigned to arrange and conduct the orchestral interludes, came to see them play live before the recording and liked their newly written songs so much he preferred to work on an album of those rather than the Dvořák assignment. An album of the Moody Blues' own new materiel was undertaken instead, with Decca/Deram executives not finding out about the change of plan until after the album was finished.

The Decca/Deram executives were initially sceptical about the hybrid style of the resulting concept album. Released in November 1967, Days of Future Passed peaked at No. 27 on the British LP chart. Five years later it reached No. 3 on the Billboard chart in the US. The LP was a song cycle or concept album that takes place over the course of a single day.  The album drew inspiration in production and arrangement from the pioneering use of classical instrumentation by the Beatles, to whom Pinder had recommended the Mellotron in 1965 (the Beatles first used the instrument on their 1966 album Revolver, specifically the track "Tomorrow Never Knows", and would continue to use it sporadically for the next two years, while the Moodies' Decca/London labelmates the Rolling Stones used Mellotron heavily on their 1967 album Their Satanic Majesties Request and its preceding single "We Love You"). It took the idea of rock/classical fusion to new heights, using the London Festival Orchestra to provide an orchestral linking framework to the group's already written and performed songs, plus overture and conclusion sections on the album, including backing up Graeme Edge's opening and closing poems.

The orchestra and band never performed together during the recording. With the exception of the overdubbed strings on the latter part of Hayward's "Nights in White Satin", the orchestral sounds on the band's own songs were actually played by Pinder on Mellotron. Despite being a lush concept album, it was recorded in a very workmanlike manner, with the band recording a particular song, then the track being presented to Peter Knight who quickly composed a suitable "linking" orchestral portion, which he and the orchestra then recorded. The album was as much an original work by Knight himself as the group. The composing credit for the whole album was listed as Redwave/Knight (Redwave being a made up collective name for the five Moody Blues), although "Nights in White Satin" and "Tuesday Afternoon" were written by Hayward, "Dawn is a Feeling" and "The Sun Set" were written by Pinder, "Another Morning" and "Twilight Time" were written by Thomas, "Peak Hour" and "Evening (Time To Get Away)" were written by Lodge and the opening and closing poems, "Morning Glory" and "Late Lament", were written by Edge. The lead vocal on each track was provided by its writer, with the exception of "Dawn is a Feeling" which was sung by Hayward (although Pinder sang lead on the bridge section) and the two poems which were recited by Pinder.

Together with Tony Clarke, engineer Derek Varnals also contributed heavily to the creation of the Moody Blues' classic studio sound, working with Pinder and Clarke to create a more symphonic overlapping sound on the Mellotron as opposed to the sharp 'cut off' the instrument normally gave, partly achieved by removing all the "sound effects" tapes (trains, whistles, cockerel crowing, etc.) and then 'doubling up' the tapes of orchestral instruments' sounds, which combined with Pinder's knowledge of the instrument and ability at playing it and Clarke and Varnals' recording skills, created an orchestral 'wave' sound that characterised the Moody Blues' music thereafter.

"Nights in White Satin" — despite eventually becoming a legendary classic — was very slow to gain popularity. It was released as a single from the album and made No. 19 in the UK in late 1967/early 1968. It  would eventually make No. 9 in the UK on re-issue in December 1972 and No. 14 on the charts on another re-issue at the end of 1979 — by which time it had been covered by several artists, including Eric Burdon and War, Giorgio Moroder, The Dickies and eventually by various non-English-language artists, including Franck Pourcel, Dalida, Tommy Körberg, and I Nomadi., and American Bettye LaVette. Likewise, in the US, "Nights in White Satin" did not make the Billboard Hot 100 on its original release as a single in 1968 ("bubbling under" at No. 103), although it reached No. 2 on re-release in 1972. It is now regarded as the Moody Blues' signature song. In the US "Tuesday Afternoon" was also released as a single and was more successful on initial release, peaking at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In Search of the Lost Chord

The band's next album, 1968's In Search of the Lost Chord, included "Legend of a Mind", a song written by Ray Thomas in tribute to LSD guru Timothy Leary which encompassed a flute solo performed by Thomas – four members of the group had taken LSD together for the first time in early 1967. Lodge provided a two-part song "House of Four Doors" set either side of Thomas' epic piece. Hayward began playing sitar and incorporating it into Moody Blues music ("Voices in the Sky", "Visions of Paradise", "Om"), having been inspired by George Harrison. Hayward's "Voices in the Sky" charted as a single in the UK (No. 27), as did Lodge's "Ride My See-Saw" (No. 42, No. 15 in France) which featured a non-album track, Pinder's "A Simple Game", as the B-side.

Pinder contributed "The Best Way to Travel" and album's closer "Om". Graeme Edge found a significant secondary role in the band as a writer of poetry, with all their late 1960s albums beginning with various band members reciting poems by Edge that were conceptually related to the lyrics of the songs that  followed. Edge narrated his brief "Departure" poem on Lost Chord, although Pinder recited the majority of Edge's poetry, as according to Edge, he had the best voice for it due to "smoking more cigarettes and drinking more whisky at the time". In Search of the Lost Chord was the band's first album to feature artwork by Phil Travers, whose striking surreal scenic imagery would continue for all their albums through to 1972's Seventh Sojourn.

On the Threshold of a Dream

The band released two albums in 1969.

The first, On the Threshold of a Dream, became their first No. 1 album in the UK. It opened with Hayward, Edge and Pinder sharing narration on Edge's "In the Beginning", leading into Hayward's "Lovely To See You". His "Never Comes the Day" was issued as a UK single, while Thomas contributed wry observations of life in "Dear Diary" and "Lazy Day". Pinder contributed the closing track on side one, "So Deep Within You". Side two closed with the "Dream Sequence", Edge's poem "The Dream" leading into Pinder's "Have You Heard?" parts I and II with the two parts separated by his classically themed instrumental piece "The Voyage".

To Our Children's Children's Children
The band's music continued to become more complex and symphonic, with heavy amounts of reverberation on the vocal tracks. The second album of 1969, To Our Children's Children's Children, was a concept album inspired by the first Moon landing. The opening track "Higher and Higher" saw Pinder simulate a rocket blast-off on keyboards, then narrate Edge's lyrics. Thomas contributed the songs "Floating" and "Eternity Road",  Hayward provided "Gypsy" and the album included a Lodge/Pinder collaboration "Out and In".

Lodge provided his two-part "Eyes of a Child" and "Candle of Life" while Pinder contributed "Sun is Still Shining". The album closed with its only single, "Watching and Waiting", composed by Ray Thomas and Justin Hayward and sung by Hayward. It was during 1969 that the band established their own label Threshold Records under licence to Decca Records. To Our Children's Children's Children was the first of their albums to be released on their own label.

A Question of Balance

Although the Moodies had by now defined themselves with a lush, atmospheric and high-production psychedelic style, which had been an influence on the then-burgeoning progressive rock genre, by 1970 the band were finding it difficult to recreate their sound in concert and  decided to record an album that could be played live more easily, losing some of their lush sound for their first album of the 1970s, A Question of Balance. This album, No. 1 in the UK and No. 3 in the US, was indicative of the band's growing success in America.

Hayward's "Question" was issued as a single, reaching No. 2 in the UK. Pinder's "Melancholy Man" would be released as a single in France, reaching No. 1 there. Hayward began an artful exploration of guitar tone through the use of numerous effects pedals and fuzzboxes and developed for himself a very melodic buzzing guitar-solo sound. The Moody Blues had by now become a bill-topping act in their own right and appeared at both the 1969 and 1970 Isle of Wight Festivals (an album and DVD of their 1970 performance would be released in 2008).

Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
The title of the band's next album, 1971's Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, was derived from a mnemonic used to remember the musical notes that form the lines of the treble clef: EGBDF. One of the Moodies' most experimental albums, the opening track "Procession" depicted the "evolution" of music, leading into Hayward's "The Story in Your Eyes", which was released as a single in the US where it reached No. 23. "Procession" is the only Moody Blues song credited to the entire band (not counting the Redwave credit on Days of Future Passed).

Lodge's contributions included "Emily's Song", written for his newly born daughter, while Thomas' reflective "Our Guessing Game" and whimsical "Nice To Be Here" offset the deeper drama of Hayward's "You Can Never Go Home", Lodge's "One More Time To Live" and Pinder's "My Song". Edge started writing lyrics intended to be sung, rather than verses to be spoken – his "After You Came" featured each of the other four members taking a vocal section. The album saw the band moving away from the Mellotron as their primary keyboard instrument, with the synthesizer starting to take its place. The album was also one of the earliest records to feature electronic drums, played by Edge.

Every Good Boy Deserves Favour became the band's second consecutive, and third overall, No. 1 album in the UK and reached No. 2 in the US, their highest album chart placement there so far.

Seventh Sojourn
In 1972, the band returned to the more lush sound of their late 1960s albums with Seventh Sojourn, which became their first album to reach No. 1 in the US and reached No. 5 in the UK. The album saw Pinder using the new Chamberlin instrument. His stirring lament "Lost in a Lost World" opened the album, while he also contributed a  sympathetic ode to Timothy Leary, "When You're a Free Man". The album also included one of Thomas' most popular songs, "For My Lady".

Lodge's songs "Isn't Life Strange"  and "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)" (the latter written in response to some of the band's hippie fans, who mistook the Moodies as spiritual leaders due to the philosophical themes of many of their lyrics) were lifted as singles from Seventh Sojourn, both going Top 40 in both the UK and US.

Other early 1970s developments
In an interview following the release of Seventh Sojourn, Graeme Edge told Rolling Stone: "We've got two Christians, one Mystic, one Pedantic and one Mess, and we all get on a treat."

By this time, other bands were picking up their work. Pinder's songs "A Simple Game" (1968) and "So Deep Within You" (1969) were successfully covered by the Four Tops, with the former winning Pinder an Ivor Novello Award. Elkie Brooks later covered Hayward's "Nights in White Satin". Pinder also appeared on John Lennon's Imagine album in 1971, providing additional percussion on "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier (I Don't Want to Die)".

In late 1972, a re-issue of the five-year-old "Nights in White Satin" became the Moody Blues' biggest US hit, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming a certified million-seller; the song had "bubbled under" the Hot 100 charts on its original release. The song also returned to the UK charts, reaching No. 9, ten places higher than its original release in 1967.

Threshold Records
The Moodies were one the earliest rock acts to start their own label, following the Beatles' Apple Records. In 1969 they created Threshold Records, prompted in part by disputes with Decca over album design costs (their gatefold record jackets and expensive cover art were not popular with company executives). The idea was for Threshold to produce new albums and deliver them to Decca in the UK and London in the US who would act as distributor.

The group attempted to build Threshold into a major label by developing new talent – most notably the UK hard rock band Trapeze (featuring future Deep Purple member Glenn Hughes, future Whitesnake member Mel Galley and future Judas Priest member Dave Holland) and the US classical-acoustic sextet Providence – but these efforts were unsuccessful and the Moodies eventually stopped recruiting new acts to the label, and by the late 1970s would return themselves to more traditional recording contracts.

However, they helped lay the groundwork, with other major rock bands forming their own record labels during the 1970s, including the Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones Records), Deep Purple (Purple Records) and Led Zeppelin (Swan Song Records). All of the Moodies' records from 1969 to 2001 bore the Threshold logo on at least one of their format versions.

Post-Seventh Sojourn
In September 1973, the Moody Blues were presented with five gold discs in Australia. At the time, Australia had only ever awarded eight.

In 1973 the band recorded a new Hayward song called "Island", with the intention of it kick-starting work on their next album; however, in the spring of 1974, after completing a vast world tour that culminated with a tour of Asia, the group decided to take an extended hiatus. By 1974, ten years of continuous working together had led to personal communication between the band members being at a low ebb, while some members of the band were needing a break from the increasingly bigger and more straining tours. Later that year, the band oversaw preparation of a compilation album, This Is The Moody Blues, which was released in October 1974.

The track "Island" would not see release until 2007, when it was included on the CD/SACD re-release of Seventh Sojourn.

Hiatus and solo work, 1974–1977
Hayward and Lodge released a duo album, the successful Blue Jays in 1975, followed by a UK No. 8 charting non-album single, "Blue Guitar", featuring 10cc as the backing band. The album had originally been intended as a Hayward and Pinder collaboration, but after Pinder dropped out, Lodge stepped in, with Tony Clarke producing.

Pinder said he hoped to get the band back together that year. "Having moved to California in 1974, I returned to Britain for a visit in summer 1975. I was trying to get the band to do an album, but the response was so weak I returned to California with my two new Mk5 Mellotrons and began work on my solo album The Promise." The Promise was released in 1976.

Edge released two albums as the Graeme Edge Band, with Adrian Gurvitz on vocals and guitar and his brother Paul Gurvitz on bass, 1975's Kick Off Your Muddy Boots and 1976's Paradise Ballroom.

Thomas released two solo albums, both written in collaboration with songwriter Nicky James, From Mighty Oaks in 1975 and Hopes, Wishes and Dreams in 1976.

Following a successful UK tour as a duo, backed by some of the members of Providence, Hayward and Lodge both released solo albums in 1977, Songwriter (Hayward) and Natural Avenue (Lodge).

In 1976, Hayward recorded "Forever Autumn" for Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds at London's Advision Studios. The album was released in 1978, with the song being released as a single and reaching No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in August that year.

Reunion, 1977–1991

Octave and departure of Pinder
In 1977, the group made a decision to record together again, with their record company Decca urging a reunion album. Decca in the UK and London in the US released Caught Live + 5 in 1977, a double album with three sides of a December 1969 live recording from the Royal Albert Hall and one side of five leftover studio tracks from the late 1960s. Decca/London did this in an attempt to re-energise public interest in the Moody Blues before their anticipated new album, although the band themselves were not pleased by the release of Caught Live + 5, having already deemed it not good enough to be released when it was assembled several years earlier.

By this time, Pinder had remarried and started a family in California, so for their reunion recording, the band decamped stateside with producer Clarke. The sessions were marked with tension and division: first there was a fire at the studios they were using, then after quickly relocating to Pinder's home studio, a landslide following torrential rains effectively marooned them, inevitably causing tensions to rise.

Clarke had to leave for personal reasons before the album was completed, but by the spring of 1978 Octave was ready for release. Pinder, citing his young family, excused himself from the touring commitments that were to follow. His decision caused acrimony within the band (particularly from Edge). Ray Thomas said Pinder was initially agreeable to touring. His opting out (with a major comeback tour already planned) was a blow to the band. Their management tried to downplay Pinder's absence, notably at a major UK music press party Decca organised, when the top Decca dignitary guest, while making a "welcome back" speech, openly referred to "Mike Pinder being currently absent over in the States", much to the band's dismay.

Arrival of Moraz, Long Distance Voyager and The Present

Former Yes keyboardist Patrick Moraz joined the Moody Blues for the Octave World Tour. The album sold well and produced two minor hits in "Steppin' in a Slide Zone" (No. 39 in the US) and "Driftwood" (No. 59 in the US).

The Moody Blues toured the US and Europe during much of 1979. By 1980 they were ready to record again, this time bringing in producer Pip Williams. Moraz was retained as the band's permanent keyboardist, though Pinder had originally understood that he would continue to record even if not touring with the band. Pinder took legal action to prevent the new Moody Blues album from reaching the public without his contributions, but he was not successful, and ultimately, he never returned to the fold.

When released in 1981, Long Distance Voyager became one of the band's most successful albums, reaching No. 1 in the US and going Top 5 in the UK. The album yielded two US Top 20 hits, "The Voice" (No. 15) written by Hayward, and "Gemini Dream" (No. 12) written by Hayward and Lodge. Lodge's "Talking Out of Turn" also charted in the US, reaching No. 65. Edge provided "22,000 Days" (featuring Thomas on lead vocal) while Thomas' contributions were the closing trilogy of "Painted Smile", "Reflective Smile" (a poem recited by a DJ friend of the band) and the tongue-in-cheek self-parody "Veteran Cosmic Rocker". By now, the Mellotron had long been set aside as their primary keyboard instrument on their studio work and the band embraced a more high-tech, less symphonic approach, though still retaining a lush keyboard-led sound, with Moraz a virtuoso player who also had extensive knowledge of synthesizers. In live concerts, the Mellotron was still used heavily by Moraz until the mid-1980s, including on songs that did not originally feature it.

The next album, 1983's The Present, again produced by Williams, was less successful than its predecessor, though it spawned a UK Top 40 hit in "Blue World" and a US Top 40 hit in "Sitting at the Wheel". The band also began to embrace the new MTV phenomenon, with the videos for "Blue World" and "Sitting at the Wheel" going into rotation on the channel. The Present was released in conjunction with Talencora Ltd shortly before Decca was bought out by Polydor Records. The album was supported by a 1983–1984 tour, which included the band's first ever tour of Australia in 1984.

The Other Side of Life and Sur La Mer
In 1986 they enjoyed renewed success with their album The Other Side of Life and in particular with the track "Your Wildest Dreams" – a US Top 10 hit (and No. 1 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary singles chart for two weeks). The song's video garnered a Billboard Video of the Year award after being frequently featured on MTV. It was the first of three albums with producer Tony Visconti, best known for his extensive work with T. Rex and David Bowie, who together with synth programmer Barry Radman delivered a modern sound the Moodies had been seeking in order to remain competitive with their pop contemporaries. The album's title song also charted in the US at No. 58.

The Moody Blues performed live at the Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert 1986, which raised money for Birmingham Children's Hospital. The band played four songs, and later provided backup with Electric Light Orchestra for George Harrison. Other performers included Robert Plant and former Moodie Denny Laine (whose set included "Go Now").

The Moodies continued their MTV success with 1988's Sur La Mer with its single and video, "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" (No. 30 US, No. 52 UK, No. 2 US Mainstream Rock), a sequel to "Your Wildest Dreams". Their sound took on an ever-increasingly synthetic and technical quality as Moraz and Visconti began using modern sequencers, samplers and drum machines. All the songs were written and sung by Hayward and/or Lodge, as the band came under pressure from their new record company, Polydor Records, who deemed them to be the members who wrote the most commercial songs and had the most commercial voices. This approach stood in stark contrast to the more equitable five-way songwriting the group had employed during the late 1960s and the 1970s.

By this point, Ray Thomas was playing a diminished role in the recording studio, with the emphasis now being placed on Hayward and Lodge as singers and songwriters and the band's sound having evolved towards synthpop, a genre that was unsuitable for the use of instruments such as flute and harmonica. Thomas did not contribute any songs to The Other Side of Life or Sur La Mer and was largely relegated to the status of a backup singer, although for Sur La Mer, while Thomas did provide backing vocals, multiple production considerations led Visconti to leave them off the album completely.

Despite his diminished participation in the recording process, Thomas' high value remained evident on stage, primarily from many of his songs from the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s being popular with die-hard fans and still featured in the setlist, and also in the flute and keyboard duets he composed with Moraz which were performed only during Moody Blues concerts. The band reinforced its concert sound in 1986 with the addition of a second keyboardist. Bias Boshell was the first, replaced in 1987 by Guy Allison before Boshell returned by 1990. The group also began to employ female backing singers.

On 5 May 1990, Hayward and Lodge performed the Beatles' "Across the Universe" at a star-studded John Lennon tribute concert in Liverpool.

Later years, 1991–2018

Departure of Moraz and Court TV lawsuit
In 1991, during the recording of their new studio album, Patrick Moraz gave an interview with Keyboard magazine and made some comments in the article that suggested dissatisfaction with his role in the Moodies. His complaints ranged from the Moodies' music becoming too simple in structure to the other members' reluctance to allow him to make significant contributions to the songwriting on their albums. He also was occupied with spending large amounts of time planning a music concert to celebrate his native Switzerland's 700th anniversary instead of rehearsing with the Moodies — and as a result, he was fired from the group before the project was completed, so Boshell and new keyboardist Paul Bliss were brought in to finish the new album's keyboard tracks.

Despite having been credited and publicly presented as an official band member since he joined them in 1978, the Moody Blues have downplayed Moraz's place in their history since his departure, saying he was a backing musician and never a member of the band. All Moody Blues compilation albums released post-Moraz have credited him as an "additional musician" on the tracks he was part of, sometimes going so far as to include Moraz-era photos in their artwork with him cropped or airbrushed out of the photos.

This attitude towards Moraz began when he took legal action against the band in 1992, claiming that in 1980 he and the other members had made an agreement that, like them, he was a "lifetime member" of the Moody Blues and could not be fired. The lawsuit was shown on Court TV, but Moraz was awarded only $77,175 in back pay due to accounting slow-ups instead of the $500,000 he sought.

Keys of the Kingdom and Strange Times
Keys of the Kingdom, released in 1991, had modest commercial success when released and once again, Hayward's songs led off the album, with the new singles "Say It with Love" and "Bless the Wings (That Bring You Back)". The album also included Thomas' first writing contributions since The Present in 1983, with an ambient flute piece "Celtic Sonant" and the closing track "Never Blame the Rainbows for the Rain", co-written with Hayward. Lodge contributed three songs, "Magic", the ballad "Lean on Me (Tonight)" and the Lennonesque "Shadows on the Wall". Tony Visconti produced some of the tracks on the album, as did Christopher Neil and Alan Tarney. The ensuing tour saw them invited to play at the 1991 Montreux Jazz Festival, a DVD of which would be released in 2005 followed by an album release in 2021.

The group remained a steady concert draw, and the album and video of their 1992 Night at Red Rocks concert enjoyed great success, particularly as a fund-raiser for American public television where it had been first broadcast. The concert marked the first time the band had ever performed live with an orchestra. The Colorado Symphony Orchestra was conducted by Larry Baird, who was also the arranger for the show.

The group also continued their use of additional musicians on stage and in the studio. Following on from his contributions as keyboardist on the Keys of the Kingdom album, Paul Bliss continued to play keyboards for the band live, being promoted to first keyboardist in 2001 (but was replaced in March 2010 after 19 years' continuous service). Thomas and Bliss continued the tradition of a flute/keyboard duet for many tours. After Edge injured himself in 1991, second drummer Gordon Marshall was brought in to back him up; he stayed with the group after Edge returned and remained in the position until autumn of 2015, when he left to play in a Moody Blues cover band, Legend of a Band, and another cover band, Reflections.

After the release of A Night at Red Rocks the group took a break from recording and spent time trying to perfect the art of performing live with an orchestra. In 1999 the band's recording hiatus ended with the album Strange Times, their first album in almost two decades to be well received by British critics, although Justin Hayward was quoted as saying he was disappointed at the album's chart performance, which was notably less than Keys of the Kingdom.

It was recorded in Recco, Italy, at Hayward's suggestion, and was the band's first self-produced effort. The album featured keyboards and arrangements from Italian musician Danilo Madonia, who continued to work in-studio with the band.

The album opened with "English Sunset" a pop song featuring a modern, nearly techno arrangement. Strange Times was also the first album since A Question of Balance in 1970 to include a new poem by Graeme Edge, "Nothing Changes", recited by Edge, with Hayward then singing the concluding portion of the track, and notably concluded by quoting Mike Pinder's 1968 song title "A Simple Game". Ray Thomas appeared vocally with Hayward and Lodge on "Sooner or Later (Walkin' on Air)" and his own brief song "My Little Lovely", plus provided a vocal snippet and backing vocals on "English Sunset".

In 1999, the Moody Blues appeared in The Simpsons episode Viva Ned Flanders. The following year they released Hall of Fame, a new live album from a concert at the Royal Albert Hall (with the World Festival Orchestra), with a concurrent DVD release. This was taken from the last tour on which Boshell played. He left the live line-up in 2001; Bliss took over first keyboard duties, with his former second keyboard role filled by Bernie Barlow, with Julie Ragins replacing Barlow when she took maternity leave from 2006 to 2009.

In 2001 an IMAX film, Journey into Amazing Caves, was released, featuring two new songs written and performed by the Moody Blues. The soundtrack also featured Justin Hayward on vocals and guitar throughout. One of these songs, entitled "Water", is the Moody Blues' first instrumental studio recording since their 1983 piece "Hole in the World" from The Present.

Departure of Thomas and December
The new millennium saw the Moody Blues reducing their touring schedule. At the end of 2002, founding member Ray Thomas retired from the group, reducing the Moody Blues to a trio of Hayward, Lodge and Edge, the last being the only original member. Flautist and rhythm guitarist Norda Mullen was recruited early the following year for their North American tour, and worked with the band live and in the studio thereafter. Toward the end of 2003, they released a Christmas album, December. The songs included originals and four covers: John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", Mike Batt's "A Winter's Tale", Johnny Mathis' "When A Child is Born" and Irving Berlin's "White Christmas". December would ultimately be the Moody Blues' last studio recording.

Clint Warwick, the Moody Blues' original bassist, died on 15 May 2004, at the age of 63.

November 2005 brought a new live album and DVD, Lovely to See You: Live, recorded and filmed at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on 11 June that year.

During 2006 and 2007, the band's "Core Seven" albums (the seven albums from the arrival of Hayward and Lodge in 1966 to the band's hiatus in 1974) were re-released as hybrid CD/SACD editions, featuring rare and previously unreleased bonus tracks. The first five appeared in 2006, with Days of Future Passed, In Search of the Lost Chord and To Our Children's Children's Children being deluxe double CD/SACD editions, while On the Threshold of a Dream and A Question of Balance were single CD/SACDs. Every Good Boy Deserves Favour and Seventh Sojourn followed in 2007, both single CD/SACD. The project was undertaken by Justin Hayward, who stated that he listened to virgin vinyl copies of these albums and used them as reference points for the new mixes. On 21 May 2007 the Moodies released a double CD of BBC radio sessions titled Live at the BBC 1967–1970.

Final years

In 2007, the now defunct Hard Rock Park theme park in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, announced the building of a dark ride entitled "Nights in White Satin: The Trip". The ride incorporated multi-sensory experiences as well as a re-orchestrated version of the song by Justin Hayward. A re-recorded version of Graeme Edge's "Late Lament" followed, which had each group member reading a verse of the poem. In March 2009, the ride closed because of the conversion of the park to the Freestyle Music Park, with the new owners desiring to make the park more "family friendly".

The group toured the UK, US and Canada from 2006 to 2010. In addition, Hayward took part in the UK tour of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds in April 2006, and a second tour in November 2007, also with dates in 2009. The Moody Blues also toured Australia and New Zealand in 2005. The band added keyboardist Alan Hewitt for their 2010 UK and North American tours.

The Moody Blues' classic producer Tony Clarke died in January 2010.

The band released a new compilation album called Timeless Flight in 2013. On 19 July 2013, it was announced that the band would be appearing on the second annual Moody Blues Cruise, from 2 to 7 April 2014, on the cruise ship MSC Divina. Other bands on the cruise included the Zombies and Lighthouse.

The Moody Blues toured the UK and US in 2015, culminating in a début appearance at the Glastonbury Festival on 27 June.

Ray Thomas died on 4 January 2018, at the age of 76, just a few months before the band were due to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 2018 a new live album and DVD, Days of Future Passed Live, was released, featuring a complete performance of Days of Future Passed along with other songs from the band's history.

Post-2018
Graeme Edge died on 11 November 2021, at the age of 80. Upon Edge's death, Justin Hayward announced that the Moody Blues had no longer been active since Edge had retired in 2018. Edge was the only member to remain with the band from formation to ending.

Legacy and honours
The Moody Blues' "rich symphonic sound" influenced groups such as Yes, Genesis, the Electric Light Orchestra and Deep Purple. They also helped make synthesizers and philosophy "part of the rock mainstream".

The Moody Blues are members of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. In 2013, readers of Rolling Stone voted for them as one of the ten bands that should be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ultimate Classic Rock called them "perennial victims of an unaccountable snubbing" and inducted them into its own Hall of Fame in 2014.

Writing for The Guardian in 2015, Rob Chapman described the band as "psychedelia's forgotten heroes". He stated: "Despite their success, rock critics rarely took the Moody Blues seriously, a pattern that continued for the next 45 years." He also wrote: "Despite the critical disapproval, the best of the Moody Blues music between 1967 and 1970 possessed grace and beauty. Like the Beatles, they understood how pop songs worked as ensemble pieces. None of them were particularly virtuosic or showy as musicians and their music is refreshingly free of the noodling long[u]eurs that characterised the output of their more self-indulgent contemporaries."

In December 2017, the band were announced as inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On 14 April 2018, they were inducted as part of the 2018 class. During his acceptance speech in Cleveland, Ohio, Justin Hayward said, "If you didn't know already, well we're just a bunch of British guys, but of course to us and to all British musicians, this is the home of our heroes and we all know that..." acknowledging the inspirational role of America's rock and roll icons. During the ceremony, Ray Thomas was included as a star that was lost in the past year.

The Hall of Fame summarised the band's historic significance as...:
 "Progressive rock pioneers turned synthesizer-driven rockers, the Moody Blues have created over 50 years of exhilarating and significant music that has influenced countless musicians and rocked fans around the world. ...
 "This new sound influenced an entire generation of musicians,...
 "Throughout the adventurous explorations between the late '60s and early '70s, the Moody Blues produced numerous hits that became staples of FM radio. ...
 "More than half a century later, the Moody Blues continue to tour around the world with no signs of slowing down, connecting to multiple generations of one of rock and roll's most loyal fanbases."

Moody Bluegrass
The Moody Bluegrass project is a group of Nashville artists who have recorded two tribute albums of Moody Blues songs in the bluegrass style. The first album, Moody Bluegrass – A Nashville Tribute to the Moody Blues, was released in 2004. Those involved included Alison Krauss, Harley Allen, Tim O'Brien, John Cowan, Larry Cordle, Jan Harvey, Emma Harvey, Sam Bush and Jon Randall.

A second Moody Bluegrass album, Moody Bluegrass Two...Much Love, was released in 2011. In addition to many of the participants of the first album, a number of tracks included guest performances from Hayward, Lodge and Edge, (each of whom is credited as the lead vocalist on one song) plus Thomas and Pinder, making this the first time since 1978 that these five musicians all appeared on one newly recorded album.

Members

 Graeme Edge – drums, percussion, vocals (1964–2018; died 2021)
 Ray Thomas – flute, harmonica, saxophone, percussion, vocals (1964–2002; died 2018)
 Mike Pinder – keyboards, vocals (1964–1978)
 Denny Laine – guitar, vocals (1964–1966)
 Clint Warwick – bass, vocals (1964–1966; died 2004)
 Justin Hayward – guitar, vocals (1966–2018)
 John Lodge – bass, guitar, vocals (1966–2018)
 Patrick Moraz – keyboards (1978–1991)

Discography

Studio albums
 The Magnificent Moodies (US title: Go Now: The Moody Blues #1) (1965)
 Days of Future Passed (1967)
 In Search of the Lost Chord (1968)
 On the Threshold of a Dream (1969)
 To Our Children's Children's Children (1969)
 A Question of Balance (1970)
 Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971)
 Seventh Sojourn (1972)
 Octave (1978)
 Long Distance Voyager (1981)
 The Present (1983)
 The Other Side of Life (1986)
 Sur la Mer (1988)
 Keys of the Kingdom (1991)
 Strange Times (1999)
 December (2003)

References

External links

1964 establishments in England
2018 disestablishments in England
British Invasion artists
English musical trios
English musical quartets
English musical quintets
British rhythm and blues boom musicians
Crossover (music)
Decca Records artists
London Records artists
Deram Records artists
Rocket Records artists
Polydor Records artists
English art rock groups
English progressive rock groups
English psychedelic rock music groups
Musical groups established in 1964
Musical groups disestablished in 1974
Musical groups reestablished in 1977
Musical groups disestablished in 2018
Musical groups from Birmingham, West Midlands
Proto-prog groups
Symphonic rock groups

The Moody Blues


Oshtemo Charter Township is a charter township of Kalamazoo County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The 2010 census recorded a population of 21,705, up from 17,003 at the 2000 census. The township was organized in 1839.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which  are land and , or 0.37%, are water.

Oshtemo Township is located at the Kalamazoo County - Van Buren County line, adjacent to and west of the city of Kalamazoo and Kalamazoo Township; adjacent to and north of Texas Charter Township and adjacent to and south of Alamo Township.

A Superfund site is located in the township at K & L Avenue Landfill.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,003 people, 7,551 households, and 4,024 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 7,987 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 84.97% White, 9.39% African American, 0.30% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.08% from other races, and 1.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.33% of the population.

There were 7,551 households, out of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.2% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.7% were non-families. 33.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the township the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 17.1% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $38,433, and the median income for a family was $57,515. Males had a median income of $40,798 versus $28,257 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,249. About 7.6% of families and 13.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.1% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links
Official website

Townships in Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Charter townships in Michigan
Kalamazoo–Portage metropolitan area
1839 establishments in Michigan
Populated places established in 1839

Oshtemo Township, Michigan


Angus Strathie is an Australian costume designer.

Biography
Angus Strathie has had a long professional career in costume design. A friend and longtime colleague of Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, one of his earliest projects was the cult favourite Strictly Ballroom, a romantic comedy produced in 1992. Strathie went on to design the costumes for a TV production of the famous Puccini opera La Boheme before his work on the famous Moulin Rouge! an achievement that won him an Oscar in 2001 for Best Costume Design.

The catsuit, in Catwoman 2004, was designed by Academy Award-winning costume designer Angus Strathie together with Halle Berry, director Pitof, and the producers. Strathie explained, "We wanted a very reality-based wardrobe to show the progression from demure, repressed Patience to the sensual awakening of a sexy warrior goddess."

References

External links

Australian costume designers
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Best Costume Design Academy Award winners
Best Costume Design BAFTA Award winners

Angus Strathie


James Magnussen (born 11 April 1991) is a retired Australian swimmer and Olympic medallist.  He was the 2011 and 2013 100-metre freestyle world champion, and holds the record for the fifth fastest swim in history in the 100-metre freestyle, with a time of 47.10, which until 2016 also stood as the fastest swim in textile swimwear material.

He has won a total of 16 medals in major international competition, eight gold, five silver and three bronze, spanning the Olympics, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and the Pan Pacific Championships. He retired on 5 June 2019.

Career

2010

At the 2010 Australian Swimming Championships, Magnussen came third in the 100-metre freestyle, with a time of 49.43, thus qualifying for the national team.

Magnussen earned a silver medal, with Eamon Sullivan, Kyle Richardson, and Cameron Prosser in a time of 3:14.30, finishing behind the United States. Swimming the anchor leg, he had a split of 48.25.  In the 100-metre freestyle, Magnussen finished 10th overall with a time of 48.94.

Shortly after the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, Magnussen competed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.  In the 4×100-metre freestyle relay, Magnussen won a gold medal with Kyle Richardson, Eamon Sullivan, and Tommaso D'Orsogna in a time of 3:13.92.  At year's end, Magnussen competed at the 2010 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) in Dubai, and was part of the Australian team that finished 5th in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay.

2011 World Championships

At the 2011 Australian Swimming Championships, Magnussen qualified for the national team by winning the 100-metre freestyle in a time of 48.29.

At the 2011 World Aquatics Championships, Magnussen won a total of three medals, two golds and one silver.  In his first event, the 4×100-metre freestyle relay, Magnussen won gold with Matthew Targett, Matthew Abood, and Eamon Sullivan in a time of 3:11.00. As the lead-off swimmer, he had a time of 47.49. Magnussen's lead-off time eclipsed Pieter van den Hoogenband's (unofficial) pre-polyurethane suit record of 47.84, and, at the time, was the fastest swim ever over that distance by a swimmer not wearing the now-banned suit. Four days later, Magnussen became the first Australian man to win the 100-metre freestyle at a World Championships, with a time of 47.63 seconds. At the first 50 in the 100-metre freestyle, Magnussen was in fifth place in 22.94, but came back fastest in 24.69 for the win.  After the race, Magnussen said, "When I get back to Australia, I will be relaxing with my friends, and it will sound amazing to be called a world champion. It has been six weeks since I have gotten a good night's sleep. No Australian has won this race at the world championships before, so it is good to be in the same club as the legends of this sport." On the final night of competition, Magnussen won a silver medal in the 4x100-metre medley relay with, Hayden Stoeckel, Brenton Rickard, and Geoff Huegill in a time of 3:32.26. Swimming the freestyle leg, Magnussen had a split of 47.00, by far the fastest in the field and was almost enough to overtake the gold winning Americans for 1st place.

2012 Australian Swimming Championships
At the 2012 Australian Swimming Championships, which also served as Australia's Olympic trials, Magnussen qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, by becoming the national champion in the 50 and 100-metre freestyle.  In his first event, the 100-metre freestyle, Magnussen recorded a time of 47.10 to win by over half a second.  His 100-metre freestyle time was the 4th fastest swim in the history of the event, and also lowered his own unofficial textile record of 47.49. In the 100-metre freestyle final, Magnussen had a drastic change of tactics compared to his swims in Shanghai.  At the first 50, Magnussen had a swift split of 22.68, and came back in 24.42.  In the 100-metre freestyle final in Shanghai, he went out in 22.94 and came back in 24.69.  Thus, Magnussen was more aggressive in the first 50-metres.  Magnussen has stated he does plan on targeting César Cielo's world record of 46.91 in the 100-metre freestyle. After topping the heats (22.19) and semifinals (21.87) in the 50-metre freestyle, Magnussen won the final in a time of 21.74, the fastest any Australian has ever been in textile swimwear in that event. Prior to this competition, Magnussen's personal best in the 50-metre freestyle was 22.41.

2012 Summer Olympics

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Magnussen won a total of two medals, one silver and one bronze. In his first event, the 4×100-metre freestyle, Magnussen and his three other relay team members came fourth behind France, United States and Russia, despite being the favourites.  As the lead-off leg, Magnussen recorded a time of 48.03, much slower than the 47.49 he led off in Shanghai. In the 100-metre freestyle final, Magnussen came in second by one-hundredth of a second to American swimmer Nathan Adrian 47.53 to 47.52, winning the silver medal. Overall, he said in an interview after his swim he swam his best but unfortunately it wasn't enough. In the 50-metre freestyle, Magnussen failed to advance to the final, finishing with a time of 22.00 in the semifinals.  Issues pertaining to Magnussen's behaviour before and during the 2012 London Summer Olympics became apparent, due to reports that his Australian Swim Team teammates ultimately cheered upon his defeat in the 100-metre freestyle final.  Magnussen was accused of harassing other teammates and having a "big head" during the games.  There were also some complaints about the 100 metre relay team, dubbed the Weapons of Mass Destruction, who were called "out of control" by fellow swimmers.

2013 World Championships & FINA World Cup

In his first event at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona, Magnussen combined with Cameron McEvoy, Tommaso D'Orsogna, and James Roberts in the 4x100-metre freestyle relay, with the team finishing fourth place, repeating their result from the 2012 Olympics. Swimming the lead-off, Magnussen recorded a split of 48.00, finishing behind American Nathan Adrian for the second-best opening leg. Going into the relay, Magnussen held the top 100-metre freestyle time of 2013 with a 47.53 but like 2012, was not able to replicate his in-season time.

In the 100-metre freestyle, Magnussen successfully defended his title, winning with a time of 47.71. He also competed in the 50 m freestyle event, but was unable to make the final, finishing ninth in the semifinals. He finished off the competition by anchoring Australia's 4x100-metre medley relay, with them going on to win the silver medal, only .09 behind the winners.

Only four days after World Championships, Magnussen was back in the pool for the first stop on the short course Fina World Cup. Here he placed first in the 100 m freestyle event, finishing in a new time of 45.60 and .04 ahead of Vladimir Morozov.

2014
In January, Magnussen opened the season in very sharp form, clocking 47.59 at the Perth Aquatic Super Series, followed by a 21.88 in the 50 m freestyle.

At the 2014 Australian Championships, Magnussen was favorite to win after posting 6 times under 48 seconds. In the final Magnussen swam a time of 47.92, but was beaten by Cameron McEvoy who won in 47.65. However, he did qualify for the Commonwealth Games. He blamed his loss on chasing the world record instead of sticking to his race plan.

The Australian team swept the medal table in the 100 metre freestyle at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with Magnussen winning gold. He also won two medals for relay events and bronze in the 50 metre freestyle.  A lower back injury disrupted his 2014 season, and he also had a shoulder injury which required surgery in 2015.

2016 Summer Olympics

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Magnussen won a bronze medal in the 4×100-metre freestyle relay along with his team members behind United States and France.

2018
In 2018, Magnussen was part of the Australian team that won gold in the men's 4 x 100 m freestyle relay at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, held in the Gold Coast.

Personal bests

Television
In 2020, it was announced Magnussen would be participating the Seven Network's reality program SAS Australia.
In 2023, it was announced Magnussen would be participating the twentieth series of Dancing with the Stars. He was paired with Natalie Lowe.

See also
 List of Olympic medalists in swimming (men)
 List of Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming (men)

References

External links

1991 births
Living people
Olympic swimmers for Australia
Swimmers at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Australian male freestyle swimmers
Swimmers at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Australia
World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming
Olympic silver medalists for Australia
Olympic bronze medalists for Australia
Olympic bronze medalists in swimming
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Swimmers at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Swimmers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Olympic silver medalists in swimming
Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming
People from the Mid North Coast
Sportsmen from New South Wales
Medallists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
Medallists at the 2014 Commonwealth Games
People from Port Macquarie

James Magnussen


The Oromo Invasions also known as the Galla Invasions were a series of expansions in the 16th and 17th centuries by the Oromo. Prior to their great expansion in the 16th century, the Oromo inhabited only the area of what is now modern-day southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya. Over the centuries due to many factors, mostly the wars between Adal Sultanate and Ethiopia would further encourage the numerous Oromo tribes to expand towards central and eastern modern Ethiopia.

Historiography

Because the Oromo did not keep a written record of the expansion, this article must refer to Ethiopian, Portuguese and Arabic sources for the reasons behind the expansion. In particular, a 16th-century Ethiopian monk, named Bahrey, is the foremost source on the expansion. Written in Ge'ez, his book was called the History of the Galla  (Ge'ez: ዜናሁ ፡ ለጋላ zēnahu legalla), "Galla" being an older name by which the Abyssinians and Portuguese and Italians referred to Oromos, but it is now considered as pejorative. The book was written in 1593 and detailed the expansions from 1522 to his age.

Further information can be gleaned from other contemporaries such as the Ethiopian monk Abba Paulos, Shihab ed-Din's Futuh al-Habasha "Conquest of Abyssinia", João Bermudes, Francisco de Almeida, Jerónimo Lobo, and various Abyssinian royal chronicles (e.g. those of Gelawdewos, Sarsa Dengel and Susenyos I though that of Sarsa Dengel may have been written by Bahrey).

History
Gudifecha adoption tradition also lead to massive diversification within Oromo populations as they expanded during the 16th century.

Legend of Liqimssa
The legend of Liqimssa is an ancient legend stemming from the Borana sect of the Oromo peoples that is credited as having been one of the main motivations for the beginning of the Oromo expansions. The Liqimssa roughly translates to "The Swallower" and was told to be a beast that consumed people one by one until there was nobody left to fight against it. It is meant to embody "hunger", and the story represents how a powerful entity will consume all there is around it until the "land of plenty" (in reference to the Borana homeland) is left barren and empty. The legend is interpreted by Mohammed Hassen to be the embodiment of the Christian kingdom's growing power and influence in the regions directly south of the Oromo homelands. As Christians military colonists continued to bump up against the Oromo from the south, Oromo pastoralists responded by beginning their expansions northward.

Early expansions

The early expansions were characterized by sporadic raids by the Oromo on the frontiers of the Ethiopian kingdom. After capturing cattle and other booty, the raiding parties would quickly return to their homelands. Actual settlement of new territories would not begin until the Gadaa of Meslé.

Mélbah (1522–1530) and Mudena (1530–1538)
According to Bahrey, the earliest Oromo expansion occurred under the Oromo luba Melbah, during the time of Emperor Lebna Dengel. He states that they invaded the neighbouring Bale, in the southeast, just before the invasions of Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi of Adal  in the north. These early incursions (Oromo: razzia) were limited, however, as the encroaching groups returned to their homeland near the Shebelle River after each raid. Raids continued under Mudena past the Wabi Shebelle, but these groups also returned home shortly. The reason for the Oromo's returning after their short conquests is that the Christian and Muslim kingdoms that surrounded Oromo pastoralists were deeply embroiled in wars. Instead of engaging with either kingdom directly, they targeted isolated communities that would go unnoticed and allowed their enemies to destroy each other without Oromo intervention.

Three Stages of Oromo Movements
By the 1530s, the Oromo pastoralists had developed a three-staged method for territorial expansion; "scouting, night time surprise attack and settlement" (159). The introduction of scouting teams shows that the Oromo pastoralists had quickly become accustomed to border warfare. The night time attacks that would come to follow were unceasing and relentless, stripping the community of their "booty" and killing a large amount of the warrior class, then escaping before dawn as to avoid being followed back to their basecamps. Once the community under siege was broken down enough to be settled without resistance, the remaining peoples would quickly be integrated through Moggaasaa, having their status', material goods and general livelihoods returned to them. The remaining warriors would join the Oromo gada's troops. With each period of adoption into the fighting class, the Oromo's knowledge of the local terrain would increase drastically.

Kilolé (1538–1546)
After the death of Ahmed Gragn, Kilolé resumed his predecessor's raids and pierced further into Ethiopian territory. Aided by the weakening of both the Ethiopian Empire and Adal, he raided as far as the province of Dawaro, north of Bali. Again, however, after each raid, the parties returned to their villages. Bahrey's dating might, however, be off, as Shihab ad-din, who had written a decade before Ahmed Gragn's death, noted a locality named Werre Qallu, an Oromo name, in the province of Dawaro. Francisco de Almeida, however, agreed with Bahrey's dating, by affirming that the Oromo first began migrating around the time of Ahmed Gragn's invasion (1527).

Bifolé (1546–1554)
During the time of luba Bifolé, the Oromo migration achieved its first major success. All previous movements had been minor raids on neighbouring provinces, but under Bifolé, new raids were undertaken that began to weaken Ethiopian control. All of Dewaro was pillaged, and Fatagar to its north was attacked for the first time.
Furthermore, according to Bahrey, the inhabitants of the pillaged areas were enslaved to become gebrs (Ge'ez: ገብር gabr; Amh. ግብር gebr, Tgn. ግብሪ gebri), a term referring more precisely to "tax-paying serfs", similar to the serfs in Ethiopia during feudal times. Emperor Gelawdewos, however, campaigned in the south as a result of those attacks. According to his chronicle, the Emperor defeated the Oromo incursions and made subject to his rule those he captured, which prevented further attacks for some time, with further incursions reduced to skirmishes. The initial attacks were significant, however, on a much larger and more devastating scale to the Ethiopian dynasty. Despite his reprisals, Gelawdewos was troubled and was forced to settle refugees in a town of Wej, north of Lake Zway, around 1550-1.

Settlement

Meslé (1554–1562)

Meslé's time represent a fundamental change in the expansion of the Oromo. Newly-taken territories were permanently settled by Oromo for the first time, and mules and horses began to be ridden by the first time. The adoption of horseback riding from the north greatly increased the Oromo fighting power and put them on par with Ethiopian troops, who were largely equipped with firearms.
In the new phase of migration adopted under Meslé, the Oromo defeated Emperor Gelawdewos's Jan Amora corps, allowing them to pillage a number of towns. Instead of returning to their homelands, however, they stayed in the new territories. Gelawdewos campaigned against the Oromo as a result, defeating them at 'Asa Zeneb (yet unidentified), but he was nevertheless unable to drive them from the frontier provinces and continued to build the new town in Wej for new refugees.

Oromo expansions were not restricted to Ethiopian territories either, as activities against Adal were also pursued. The forces of Nur ibn Mujahid (r. 1551/2–1567/8), the Amir of Harar, for instance, were soundly defeated by the Oromo in an ambush at the Battle of Hazalo. According to Bahrey, there had been "no such slaughter since the Oromo first invaded".

Harmufa (1562–1570) and Robalé (1570–1578)
During the luba of Harmufa rule, the Oromo advanced even deeper into Ethiopian territory. With the use of horses, they were able to attack the province Amhara, and  Angot. Further advances were made under Robalé during whose time Shewa was pillaged and Gojjam attacked. For the first time, Oromo advances were devastating core Ethiopian provinces, but their earlier incursions had been simply against frontier provinces. Despite the deeper attacks, the core provinces remained under Ethiopian control, and Emperor Sarsa Dengel carried out punitive expeditions in return. One such reprisal in 1573 involved the engagement of the Oromo near Lake Zway in a frontier province. He defeated them, took their cattle and distributed the herd among his subjects, who were described in his chronicle as "becoming rich" as a result.

Michelle Gadaa Invasion of Adal period (1562–1579)
At the same time, Barento Oromo groups attacked Adal Sultanate, which was greatly weakened by its wars with the Christian Ethiopians leading to no potential resistance. In the sixteenth century the Oromo began their invasion of Harar region which forced the Adal Sultanate to erect a wall around Harar the capital city of the principality. By the late sixteenth century other Adalite towns in the Harar region also began to construct ramparts such as Gidaya, and Dakkar. According to Harari chronicles the combination of the Oromo invasion which followed drought led to the destruction of several towns including Sim, Shewa, Negeb, Hargaya and Dakkar. Its presumed the last remaining pre Oromo invasion inhabitants the Harla people were able to survive due to the fortification of the city of Harar. Oromo invasions in the Harar region were followed by epidemic and food shortages in Adal's capital Harar leading to massive loss of life which included Adal leader Nur ibn Mujahid among the casualties in 1567. The greater part of the Adal Muslim population were assimilated by the Oromos. According to historian Mohammed Hassen, the Oromo invasions were devastating for the Harari people and is one of the major reasons for their diminished populace.

The Oromo attacks on the Harar plateau did not let up in 1572, as recounted in a Harari chronicle.

The greater part of the Adal Muslim population were assimilated by the Oromos. In the Chercher region of Harar, Ittu Oromo would incorporate the Harari and plausibly the Harla people. Adal Sultanate would move its capital to Aussa due to the Oromo provocation in 1577 however Adal leader imam Muhammad Gasa would be killed in battle against the Oromo in 1583.

The city Dire Dawa was part of Adal during the medieval times. After the weakening of Adal, it was exclusively settled by Dir, which is a major Somali clan. The Oromos were able to penetrate through the city and settle into those areas and to assimilate some of the local Gurgura clan.

The Hawiye and the Dir clans were the predominant inhabitants of Harar Highlands (land of the Hararis) in the 16th century after the weakening of Adal. The Oromos took advantage of the crippling state and decided to also invade and to occupy the Hararghe Highlands and assimilate with Somali clan population of Jarso, Akisho, Gurgura, Nole, Metta, Oborra and Bursuk. All were sub-clans of Dir, a major Somali clan, and were later confederated into Oromo tribe, the Afran Qallo clan.

Reprisals under Sarsa Dengel
Forced to fight the Ottomans in the north of his Empire, Sarsa Dengel turned to curb the spread of the Oromo in the south in the 1570s. The first mention of his actions is in his short Royal Chronicle, which states that he fought a force of Borana Oromo at Lake Zway under a luba named Ambissa. After the 1572 rains, the Oromo had taken Wej, and the Emperor gathered his forces from throughout Ethiopia to form an army at Gind Beret. From there, Sarsa Dengel headed south, where he found that the Oromo had also taken Maya. Despite the small size of his army, he was able to defeat the Oromo in the area, push them back to Fatagar, and capture a large number of cattle. Sarsa Dengel again learned in 1574 of Oromo incursions in Shewa and of the pillaging of cattle in lowland Zéma. The Emperor sent Azzaj Halibo with only 50 cavalry to the area, who forced the Oromo to flee and sent the heads of 80 Gallas to the Emperor as trophies. Sarsa Dengel was again forced to head north with his army to crush the Ottoman-backed Bahr Negus Yeshaq, but later returned to Wej in 1577-8 to fend off Oromo advances in the area. As a result of the battle in the Mojjo Valley (just east of modern Addis Ababa) against the Borana Oromo, corpses were strewn all over the surrounding countryside. The Emperor then fended off an attack in Dembiya by the Abati Oromo at a place called Weyne Deg'a. As a result of the battle, according to Bahrey, less than ten Oromo survived.

Birmajé Gadaa (1578–1586)
Despite Sarsa Dengel's military campaigns, the Oromo expansion continued to spread northward during this time. It was under luba Birmajé that the Oromo first began to use body-length ox-hide shields. The shields allowed the Oromo to resist arrows and therefore to defeat the Mayas. The Oromo often came into conflict with Daharagot, one of Sarsa Dengel's commanders, who was often successful. Nevertheless, during this time, the Oromo pillaged Ar'ine in Wej, killing Ethiopian couriers in the process. Further advances were made around Lake Tana, Dembiya, and (old) Damot, which was surrounded, and some of its inhabitants were enslaved.

Mul'eta (1586–1594)
Under luba Mul'eta a large raid (Oromo: dulaguto) was made on Gojjam south of Lake Tana. With the Ottoman situation in the north largely under control, Sarsa Dengel again took the initiative against the Oromo in the south, where he forced the Dawé (or Jawé) Oromo in Wej to flight. Bahrey praised Sarsa Dengel's campaign by stating that he "did not act according to the custom of the kings his ancestors, who, when making war were in the habit of sending their troops ahead, remaining themselves in the rear with the pick of their cavalry and infantry, praising those who went forward bravely and punishing those who lagged behind.l". Despite Bahrey's praise, Sarsa Dengel was forced to use coercion to draw troops, and decreed that anyone who failed to heed his call to arms would have his house pillaged and property confiscated.

17th century

Ethiopian Empire
During the first half of the 17th century, invasions by different Oromo groups were a permanent menace to the Ethiopian Empire. About 1617, the Oromos attacked Begemder and Gojjam, which were central regions of the empire. Between 1620 and 1660, the Ethiopian emperors had to defend different parts of their territory but could not stop to the waves of advancing Oromo groups. The Tulama expanded from Shewa into Amhara and the Wallo and Azebo overran Angot, parts of Amhara and Waj, Begemder, and Tigre. In 1642 the eastern Oromo nearly annihilated the Ethiopian army from Tigray. Under the reign of emperors Fasiladas and Yohannes II, the Oromo seem to have been virtually unrestrained in their expansion. Iyasu I the Great (1682-1706) resumed the offensive against the Oromo and recruited battalions of Oromo which pledged their allegiance, whom he settled in conquered areas. Tulama and Liban Oromo were settled in northern Gojjam and Begemder and were encouraged to convert to Christianity. Some of their authorities were appointed to high offices in the army and in the administration of the provinces. In 1684-1685, Oromo groups fought against Emperor Iyasu I in Wollo and Gojjam. In 1694, the Gugru-Oromo attacked Gojjam and Begemder.

Although the military expansion of the Oromo continued, many Oromo groups started to settle in Ethiopian territory and developed into a political power, which was used by the different secular and ecclesiastical groupings. By the late 18th century, they were taking an active part in the political formation of the Ethiopian state. The process of mutual assimilation between the Oromo newcomers and other inhabitants of the empire was well under way.

Ajuran Empire
In the mid-17th century, the Oromos began expanding from their homeland around Lake Abaya in southern Ethiopia towards the southern Somali coast while the Ajuran Empire was at the height of its power. The Garen rulers conducted several military expeditions, known as the Gaal Madow wars, against the Oromo warriors, who converted those that were captured to Islam. The Ajuran with their guns forced the Oromo conquerors to reverse their migrations towards the war-ravaged Muslim Adalites.

18th century
Around 1710, the Macha Oromo reached to the Gonga kingdom of Ennarea in the Gibe region  that had a king by name of Shisafotchi. He tried to come to terms with the situation by absorbing into his administration the energy of ambitious Macha individuals. That proved to be the cause of his destruction. By favouring the Oromo at his courts, Shisafotchi alienated his own people. The ambitious Oromo individuals at his court harnessed the popular fury to their own advantage by overthrowing the king and taking over the kingdom.

Also around the 18th century, the Macha Oromo crossed the Gojeb river and led an invasion of the Kingdom of Kaffa. They found formidable natural barriers, which opposed their advance towards Kaffa. The mountainous jungle terrain made rapid cavalry attack and retreat virtually impossible, and their advance was halted by the Kafficho. They, however, conquered all territories north of the Gojeb, including the city of Jimma.

See also
History of Ethiopia
Oromo people
Human migration
List of Oromo subgroups and clans

Citations

References

Further reading
 Mohammed Hassan, The Oromo of Ethiopia: A History 1570–1860

 G. W. B. Huntingford, "The Galla of Ethiopia; The Kingdoms of Kafa and Janjero North Eastern Africa Part II"

16th century in Ethiopia
17th century in Ethiopia
Internal migrations in Africa
Historical migrations
Society of Ethiopia

Oromo Invasions


The Gozzi Altarpiece is an oil painting by the Italian Renaissance master Titian, dating from 1520. It is located in the Pinacoteca civica Francesco Podesti in Ancona, central Italy.

History
The painting is the first dated work by Titian. It was commissioned by  Alvise Gozzi, a merchant from Ragusa (modern Dubrovnik) who was active in Venice, for the church of San Francesco. The presence of a view of Venice in the background had a political message: in 1510 Pope Julius II had given freedom of navigation and commerce to Ancona at the expense of Venice, but in 1520 the European situation had cancelled this privilege. The presence of the Saints Francis and Blaise, respectively symbolizing Ancona and Ragusa, was thus a hint to their submission of Venice, represented by the Virgin Mary.

Description
The painting depicts the Madonna and Child appearing on a cloud, above a sunset sky with golden, orange and red colors. They are flanked by a clothed cherub and two naked cherubs, who offer Mary laurel crowns. Below are the saints Francis of Assisi, who shows his stigmata, and Blaise, patron saint of Ragusa, who points at the heavenly tableau while he rests a hand on the shoulder of the kneeling donor.

The composition was perhaps inspired by Raphael's Madonna of Foligno, although developed according to Titan's more modern and lively style.

See also
 List of works by Titian

Notes

References

1520 paintings
Religious paintings by Titian
Paintings of the Madonna and Child
Paintings of Francis of Assisi
Altarpieces
Paintings in Ancona

Gozzi Altarpiece


Ella Yuryevna Kagan (;  – 16 June 1970), known as Elsa Triolet () was a Russian-French writer and translator.

Biography
Ella Yuryevna Kagan was born into a Jewish family of Yuri Alexandrovich Kagan, a lawyer, and Yelena Youlevna Berman, a music teacher, in Moscow. She and her older sister Lilya Brik received excellent educations; they were able to speak fluent German and French and play the piano. Ella graduated from the Moscow Institute of Architecture.

Ella soon became associated with the Russian Futurists via Lilya, who was in 1912 married to the art critic Osip Brik; she befriended people of their circle, including Roman Jakobson, then a zaum poet, who became her lifelong friend. Elsa enjoyed poetry, and in 1911 befriended and fell in love with the aspiring futurist poet and graphic artist Vladimir Mayakovsky. When she invited him home, the poet fell madly in love with her sister, marking the start of a series of artistic collaborations involving the two that lasted until the poet's death. Ella was the first to translate Mayakovsky's poetry (as well as volumes of other Russian-language poetry) to French.

In 1918, at the outset of the Russian Civil War, Ella married the French cavalry officer André Triolet, and emigrated to France, where she changed her name to Elsa, but for years admitted in her letters to Lilya to being heartbroken. She later divorced Triolet.

In the early 1920s, Elsa described her visit to Tahiti in her letters to Victor Shklovsky, who subsequently showed them to Maxim Gorky. Gorky suggested that the author should consider a literary career. The 1925 book In Tahiti, written in Russian and published in Leningrad, was based on these letters. She published two further novels in Russian, Wild Strawberry (1926) and Camouflage (1928), both published in Moscow.

In 1928 Elsa met French writer Louis Aragon. They stayed together for 42 years and married in 1939. She influenced Aragon to join the French Communist Party. Triolet and Aragon fought in the French Resistance.

In 1944 Triolet was the first woman to be awarded the Prix Goncourt for her novel Le premier accroc coûte 200 francs.

She died, aged 73, in Moulin de Villeneuve, Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines, France of a heart attack.

In 2010, La Poste, the French post office, issued three stamps honoring Triolet.

Documentary
 1965 : Elsa La Rose directed by Agnès Varda
 2022 : In the eyes of Elsa Triolet directed by Gregory Monro

Bibliography
 На Таити (In Tahiti, in Russian, 1925)
Земляничка (Wild Strawberry, in Russian, 1926)
Защитный цвет (Camouflage, in Russian, 1928)
Bonsoir Thérèse (Good Evening, Theresa - her first book in French, 1938)
 Maïakovski (1939) translation by N. Semoniff (in Russian – published by Т/О "НЕФОРМАТ" Издат-во Accent Graphics Communications, Montreal, 2012)
Mille regrets (1942)
Le Cheval blanc (The White Horse, 1943)
Les Amants d'Avignon. (The Lovers of Avignon, published pseudonymously as Laurent Daniel for Éditions de Minuit, 1943)
Qui est cet étranger qui n'est pas d'ici ? ou le mythe de la Baronne Mélanie (Who Is This Stranger Who Isn't from Here? or, The Myth of Baroness Melanie) (1944)
Le Premier accroc coûte deux cents francs (A Fine of 200 Francs, 1945, Prix Goncourt 1944)
Personne ne m'aime (Nobody Loves Me, 1946; published in French by Le Temps des Cerises éditeurs, 2014)
Les Fantômes armés (The Armed Phantoms, 1947; Le Temps des Cerises éditeurs, 2014)
L'Inspecteur des ruines (The Inspector of Ruins, 1948)
Le Cheval roux ou les intentions humaines (The Roan Horse, or Humane Intentions) (1953)
L'Histoire d'Anton Tchekov (The Life of Anton Chekov) (1954)
Le Rendez-vous des étrangers (1956)
Le Monument (1957)
Roses à crédit (1959), the 2010 movie Roses à crédit is based on the story
Luna-Park (1960)
Les Manigances (1961)
L'Âme (1962)
Le Grand jamais (The Big Never) (1965)
Écoutez-voir (Listen and See) (1968)
La Mise en mots (1969)
Le Rossignol se tait à l'aube (1970)

Notes and references

External links

1896 births
1970 deaths
Writers from Moscow
20th-century Russian Jews
Jewish novelists
Russian Communist writers
Prix Goncourt winners
Emigrants from the Russian Empire to France
20th-century French women writers
French women novelists
Russian women writers
20th-century French novelists
French Communist writers

Elsa Triolet


Glen Nant () is a glen lying to the south of Taynuilt in the Argyll and Bute council area of Scotland. An area of woodland of 339 hectares on the western side of the River Nant is designated as national nature reserve (NNR), which is owned and managed by Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS). It is an example of an Atlantic Oakwood, and is one of largest areas of upland oak woodland in north Argyll.

The woodland at Glen Nant was coppiced during the 18th and 19th centuries to maximise production of bark for the tanning industry and charcoal for iron smelting, with charcoal being supplied to the iron furnace at Bonawe. Oak was the favoured species for both purposes, leading to a dominance of oak trees in the area. Other tree species remained mostly in areas that were difficult to manage, such as along the river. During the 1970s the Forestry Commission (predecessor body of FLS) planted areas with commercial conifer species such as Sitka spruce. By the later 1970s the focus on increasing the amount of commercial forestry led to oak woodland on the eastern side of the lower glen being felled in preparation for conifer plantations: following negotiations between the Nature Conservancy Council (predecessor body of NatureScot) and the Forestry Commission the area was declared a national nature reserve (NNR) in 1979. Deer fences were erected to encourage natural regeneration of the forest. Work has since been undertaken to remove non-native conifer species and reinstate the coppicing of some areas of trees. In 2003 the NNR was extended to include the FCS woodland on the western side of the lower glen.

Flora and fauna
Glen Nant contains examples of several different types of woodland. Ash and hazel woodland is present on areas of lime-rich soil, with bedrock to oak and birch present on more acidic soils. Other tree species include wych elm, gean, holly, alder and sallows. The wide range of different woodland types leads to a diverse range of other plants, with ferns and heath growing on acidic soils and herb species in the lime-rich areas. At least 234 species of lichen have been recorded here, mostly being those that require humid and oceanic conditions.

Wood ants are one of the most obvious of the insect species living in Glen Nant, however the woods also support less common species such as the nationally rare cranefly Tipula luridorostris. There are an estimated 175 species of butterflies and moths, and two nationally scarce species of fly. Mammals species found at Glen Nant include red squirrels and otters.

Visitors
Two short waymarked trails have been built to allow visitors to walk around the forest. The 400 m Riverbank Trail leads from the car park to picnic area by the River Nant, whilst the Ant Trail is a 3.3 km circular route through the oakwoods. The charity Plantlife have produced a short leaflet that highlights some of the flora that can be seen on a 1.6 km section of the Ant Trail.
National Cycle Route 78 (the Caledonia Way) passes the entrance to the reserve, here following a section of the B845.

Conservation designations
As well as being a national nature reserve, Glen Nant is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and forms part of the Loch Etive Woods Special Area of Conservation.
The NNR is designated a Category IV protected area by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

References

Citations

Bibliography

External links

 Glen Nant National Nature Reserve - FLS
 Scotland's National Nature Reserves

Protected areas of Argyll and Bute
National nature reserves in Scotland
Forests and woodlands of Scotland

Glen Nant


A fusible link is a mechanical or electrical safety device. They are used in fire sprinkler heads to activate the sprinkler in the presence of heat. They are used in automobile electrical systems as a fuse.

Mechanical fusible link

A mechanical fusible link is a device consisting of two strips of metal soldered together with a fusible alloy that is designed to melt at a specific temperature, thus allowing the two pieces to separate.  Mechanical fusible links are utilized as the triggering device in fire sprinkler systems and mechanical automatic door release mechanisms that close fire doors in warehouses, etc.  Fire dampers in ventilation systems have fusible links so that the dampers close automatically in case of fire, limiting the spread of flame or hot gases through a building.  Some high-security safes also utilize fusible link-based relockers as a defense against torches and heat-producing tools. Mechanical fusible links come in a variety of designs and different temperature ratings.

Electrical fusible link
An electrical fusible link is a type of electrical fuse that is constructed simply with a short piece of wire typically four American wire gauge (AWG) sizes smaller than the wire that is being protected. For example, an AWG 16 fusible link might be used to protect AWG 12 wiring. Electrical fusible links are common in high-current automotive applications.  The wire in an electrical fusible link is encased in high-temperature fire-resistant insulation to reduce hazards when the wire melts.

See also
 Thermal fuse
 Fuse (automotive)

References

Safety equipment
Link

Fusible link