The Story in Your Eyes
"The Story in Your Eyes" | ||||
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Single by The Moody Blues | ||||
from the album Every Good Boy Deserves Favour | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 27 August 1971 | |||
Recorded | 4 November 1970 | |||
Genre | Progressive rock, blues rock, hard rock | |||
Length |
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Label | Threshold | |||
Songwriter(s) | Justin Hayward | |||
Producer(s) | Tony Clarke | |||
The Moody Blues singles chronology | ||||
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Official audio "The Story In Your Eyes" (2008 Remaster) on YouTube | ||||
"The Story in Your Eyes" is a 1971 hit single by the English rock band the Moody Blues. Written by the band's guitarist Justin Hayward, it was first released as a single with "My Song" on the B-side, and then on the 1971 album Every Good Boy Deserves Favour shortly after.
Background
"The Story in Your Eyes" was the Moody Blues' last single to feature the Mellotron as it would be supplanted by the Chamberlin, a similar instrument, in time for their next album, Seventh Sojourn. The SACD release of the album Every Good Boy Deserves Favour contains a version of "The Story in Your Eyes" that has the Mellotron in a more dominant role.
Allmusic critic Lindsay Planer described it as "one of the Moody Blues’ edgier pieces" with "decidedly probing observational lyrics."[1] Cashbox described it as a "scorching rocker" that is "certain to make quite an impact in underground and pop markets."[2] Record World said it was a "top-notch" song "in [the band's] big production rock and roll tradition."[3]
Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian rated it as the Moody Blues' 2nd greatest song, saying that "The song’s classic opening guitar lick is easily one of the most recognizable in classic rock history" and praising the vocal performances, the lead guitar playing and the Mellotron playing.[4] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Nick DeRiso rated it as the Moody Blues' 3rd greatest song.[5]
The main riff of the song resembles the later section of "MacArthur Park," by Jimmy Webb, an international hit single for Richard Harris in 1968. Hayward covered "MacArthur Park" on his 1989 solo album, Classic Blue.[6]
Personnel
- Justin Hayward – double-tracked vocals, acoustic and electric guitar
- John Lodge – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Mike Pinder – Mellotron, piano, backing vocals
- Ray Thomas – tambourine, backing vocals
- Graeme Edge – drums, percussion
Chart positions
Year | Chart | Position |
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1971 | Canada RPM[7] | 7 |
1971 | Billboard Hot 100[8] | 23 |
Cover versions
- Stiv Bators released the song as a single in 1987 on Bomp! Records, backed with "Have Love, Will Travel". It is included on Bators' retrospective CD L.A. L.A..[9]
- Fountains of Wayne recorded a cover version of the song for their 2011 album Sky Full of Holes. It was available only as an Amazon.com MP3 bonus track.[10]
References
- ^ Planer, Lindsay. "The Story in Your Eyes". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 31 July 1971. p. 18. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
- ^ "Single Product" (PDF). Record World. 31 July 1971. p. 12. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
- ^ Kachejian, Brian (June 2022). "Top 10 Moody Blues songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ DeRiso, Nick (31 August 2013). "Top 10 Moody Blues songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ "MacArthur Park by Justin Hayward with Mike Batt and the London Philharmonic Orchestra". SecondHandSongs.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - October 2, 1971" (PDF).
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 588.
- ^ "L.A., L.A. - Stiv Bators". AllMusic.
- ^ "Release 'Sky Full of Holes' by Fountains of Wayne". MusicBrainz.
- v
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- Graeme Edge
- Mike Pinder
- Ray Thomas
- Justin Hayward
- John Lodge
- Denny Laine
- Clint Warwick
- Rod Clark
- Patrick Moraz
- The Magnificent Moodies
- Days of Future Passed
- In Search of the Lost Chord
- On the Threshold of a Dream
- To Our Children's Children's Children
- A Question of Balance
- Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
- Seventh Sojourn
- Octave
- Long Distance Voyager
- The Present
- The Other Side of Life
- Sur la Mer
- Keys of the Kingdom
- Strange Times
- December
- Caught Live + 5
- A Night at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra
- Hall of Fame
- Lovely to See You: Live
- Live at the BBC: 1967-1970
- Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
- Days of Future Passed Live
- This Is The Moody Blues
- Voices in the Sky: The Best of The Moody Blues
- Prelude
- Greatest Hits
- Time Traveller
- The Best of The Moody Blues
- Anthology
- Gold
- An Introduction to The Moody Blues
- "Go Now"
- "I Don't Want to Go On Without You"
- "Life's Not Life"
- "Nights in White Satin"
- "Tuesday Afternoon"
- "Voices in the Sky"
- "Ride My See-Saw"
- "Never Comes the Day"
- "Watching and Waiting"
- "Question"
- "Melancholy Man"
- "The Story in Your Eyes"
- "Isn't Life Strange"
- "I'm Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band)"
- "Steppin' in a Slide Zone"
- "Driftwood"
- "Gemini Dream"
- "The Voice"
- "Talking Out of Turn"
- "Blue World"
- "Sitting at the Wheel"
- "Running Water
- "Your Wildest Dreams"
- "The Other Side of Life"
- "I Know You're Out There Somewhere"
- "Here Comes the Weekend"
- "No More Lies"
- "Say It with Love"
- "Bless the Wings (That Bring You Back)"
- "English Sunset"