5.6 In what other media (theme park rides, movies, TV shows, audio books, or commercials) do Moody
songs appear?
The most unusual inclusion of a Moody song in
other media was in a theme park ride at the ill-fated Hard Rock Park in Myrtle
Beach, South Carolina. “Nights in White Satin – The Trip” was a “dark”
ride in which riders wore 3-D glasses and were treated to movie featuring
Justin, Graeme and John, and a re-recorded version of “Nights In White Satin” by the Moody Blues and the Moscow
Symphony Orchestra. The Moodies performed a “grand opening” concert on June 3,
2008. (For more information on the
concert, see http://otten.freeshell.org/moodyblues/n13_2008v3.htm.) The Hard Rock Park was only open April 15 to September 24, 2008, and closed due to
financial issues. “Nights
in White Satin – The Trip” was voted in the top three best new rides of
2008, as reported at http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/200807/820/
(retrieved November 4, 2014). Although
the park re-opened under new owners for the 2009 season, the rides were
re-themed.
Movies:
"Tonight,
Let's Make Love In London" aka "Tonight, Let's All Make Love in
London" aka "The London Scene" - (1967) Michael Caine, Julie
Christie, Lee Marvin - "Stop." Also includes Fleetwood Mac's
"Man of the World," which Justin covered on Classic Blue.
Soundtrack also released as Pink Floyd & Friends.
"The
Astrologer" - (1975) "Tuesday Afternoon."
"The
Ascent of Man" - (1973) A documentary on Gregor Mendel, the father of
genetics, uses "The Voyage" as background music.
"She"
- (1985) Sandahl Bergman, David Gross, Quin Kessler - "Eternal Woman"
was written especially by Justin Hayward (solo) for this movie. This is the
sixth in a string of movies with the same name but there should be little
chance of confusion with the ones released in 1908, 1917, 1925, 1935, 1965,
particularly since the first three were silent!
"The
Karate Kid - Part II" - (1986) Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita - "Rock 'n'
Roll Over You."
"Nights in
White Satin" - (1987) Kenneth Gilman, Priscilla Harris - "Nights in
White Satin" (what else!).
"Robocop"
(1987) Peter Weller, Nancy Allen - although the soundtrack does not contain any
Moody music, several copies of The Other Side of Life album cover can be
seen displayed in a music store window during a riot scene (near the 1hour, 24
minute mark for DVD watchers).
"1969"
- (1988) Keifer Sutherland, Winona Ryder - "Tuesday Afternoon."
"The
Howling IV - The Original Nightmare" - (1988) Romy Windsor, Michael Weiss
- "Something Evil, Something Dangerous" was written especially for
this movie by Justin Hayward (solo - vocals & lyrics) and Barrie Guard
(music).
"A Summer
Story" - (1988) Imogen Stubbs, Susannah York, James Wilby - "I Know
You're Out There Somewhere," and the Moodies were even credited in the
movie promotions.
"An
American Summer" - (1990) Brian Austin Greene, Michael Landes, Joanna Kearns
- "Ride My See-Saw."
"Shattered"
- (1991) Tom Berenger, Greta Scacchi, Bob Hoskins - "Nights in White
Satin."
"Split
Second" - (1992) Rutger Hauer, Kim Cattrell - "Nights in White
Satin."
"A Bronx
Tale" - (1993) Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci - "Nights in White
Satin."
"Household
Saints" - (1993) Tracey Ullman, Lily Taylor - "Question."
"Casino"
- (1995) Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci - "Nights in White
Satin."
"Mindbender"
- (1995) Terence Stamp (who, according to Graeme, ran off with his first wife,
Carol), Uri Geller - "Nights in White Satin."
"Deep
Impact" - (1998) Robert Duval, Tea Leoni - "The Voyage."
"The
60s" - (NBC (US) television mini-series / Feb. 1999) Jerry O'Connell -
"Tuesday Afternoon" (in a draft-induction scene).
"Pirates
of Silicon Valley" - (TNT (US) television movie / June 1999) Noah Wylie,
Anthony Michael Hall - "Question," "Isn't Life Strange" and
"Gemini Dream." The movie was later nominated for a 1999 Emmy Award.
"The
70s" - (NBC (US) television mini-series / April & May 2000) Brad Rowe,
Amy Smart - "Nights in White Satin" (behind footage of the fall of
Saigon in 1975, around the 2 hour and 30 minute mark).
"A Tale of
Two Bunnies" - (US TV movie / March 2000) - "Go Now" (with a
female vocalist, possibly the original version by Bessie Banks) plays as one of
the women is fired from her job as a Playboy bunny.
"Almost
Famous" - (2000) - Although the movie doesn't include it, the screenplay
describes one of the opening scenes as "shot moves in on the kid as we hear
the opening strains of the Moody Blues "Nights in White Satin"."
"The
Dish" - (2000) Sam Neill - "Fly Me High"
"Stealth"
- (2005) - "Nights in White Satin", a cover version by Glen Hughes
(of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath), Chad Smith and John Frusciante (both of Red
Hot Chili Peppers).
"Duce Bigalow: European
Gigolo" - (2005) Rob Schneider - "Nights in White Satin" is
played almost to the end of the flute solo.
"American Dreamz" - (2006)
Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, Mandy Moore, Willem Dafoe - "Nights in White
Satin".
"Bobby" - (2006) - "Tuesday Afternoon"
Patrick
Moraz (solo) has written instrumental themes for many movies, including the
following:
"The
Invitation" (1976 Cannes Film Festival award winner)
"The
Stepfather" (1987) (horror/psychological thriller) Also included a song or
two from Timecode, the pop album recorded around the same time, as
source music in the film.
Justin
Hayward (solo) wrote the following songs for television:
"Star
Cops" series - made in 1986, first aired 1987 - "Outer Space"
and "It Won't Be Easy." Tony Visconti also collaborated with Justin
on these songs. Justin cleverly used snatches of his own songs in the
incidental music. "One Lonely Room" and "Moving Mountains"
are used to great effect in scenes that depict just what the songs say. The
complete series is now available on DVD, but only with European coding (will
not be viewable on U.S. DVD players).
"Shoe
People" (children's show series) - first aired 1988 - "Shoe
People" theme song and incidental music.
TV Show
Individual Episodes (music history documentaries are not included):
"Baywatch"
("Eclipse") - "Breaking Point."
"Wiseguy"
("No One Gets Out of Here Alive" in the Sonny Steelgrave arc)
-"Nights in White Satin."
"Heartbeat"
(UK series set in the 1960's - "Bitter Harvest") - "Nights in
White Satin." Set in a Yorkshire village, an episode early in the series
depicted the first big outbreak of foot and mouth disease, which occurred
around 1967. As dozens of diseased cattle are slaughtered and burned, the
philharmonic version of Nights was used as background music. A later
documentary on the making of the series used "Go Now" to celebrate
actors who had left the series.
"Miami
Vice" ("Better Living Through Chemistry", originally aired
November 14, 1986) - "Nights in White Satin."
"The
Tyrant King" (British TV serial for kids first aired October 3, 1968) -
"Dr. Livingstone, I Presume." The story revolved around a group of
children looking for the tyrant king (which turns out to be tyrannosaurus rex
in the British Museum), hence the "We're all looking for someone"
chorus. The TV show also used music by Nice, Pink Floyd, Cream and
Tyrannosaurus Rex.
(Title unknown)
British TV serial (or single TV movie), from the late sixties or early
seventies - "Another Morning" (originally titled "In a Child's
World") playing at the beginning and end.
"Roseanne"
(episode 2.14 "One For the Road") - "Nights in White
Satin": Becky and a friend get drunk at the Connor's home. Becky puts on
an album explaining that this was what her parents listened to "before
music was invented." After a few seconds of listening to
"Nights," the very inebriated friend says, "That music's scaring
me!"
"The
Wonder Years" ("Movin' On") - "Tuesday Afternoon."
"Lovejoy"
(British TV serial previously shown in the USA on the "Arts and
Entertainment" cable channel - episode title unknown) - "Nights In
White Satin" (Musak-style instrumental on car radio).
"Unfinished
Business" (British TV) - "Go Now" alternates with other songs
over the closing credits.
"Investigative
Reports" (USA "Arts & Entertainment" cable channel - episode
title unknown) - The murder of a young woman on a Tuesday afternoon prompts her
husband to use "Tuesday Afternoon", one of her favorite songs, at the
memorial service. The Moody Blues are mentioned in the show several times and
the song plays during different scenes of the segment.
"Freeks
and Geeks" (episode title unknown) - "Nights in White Satin"
Lindsay goes to her boyfriend, Nick's house and supposedly for the "big
night". He met her at the door with "Nights" playing. He says,
"I hope you like the Moody Blues." Lindsay replies, "Oh, yeah,
they're great." Nick then says, "I guess they're kinda wimpy, but I
think this song's pretty good."
"King of
the Hill" (episode title unknown) - a snippet of "Nights in White
Satin" plays just after Dale rushes to Bill's house and shuts the drapes.
"You Are
Not Alone" (Staten Island Cable UFO show) - "Ride My See Saw" is
the show's theme song, and also "I Know You're Out There Somewhere"
is used.
"The Late
Show" (date unknown) - "Nights in White Satin" Craig Kilborn
says, "Craig sucks in his cheeks and tries to look more British while
listening to "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues" with a
10-second clip of the song.
"The Today
Show" (May 8, 2001) - "Nights in White Satin" from orchestral
overture. As part of "Where In The World Is Matt Lauer", Matt was
talking about a natural gas platform while the music plays.
"Biography
- Bill Gates" (USA "Arts & Entertainment" cable channel) - A
few seconds of "Procession" at the very beginning of the show.
"The
Sopranos" (Episode #25 - "The Knight in White Satin Armor") - On
the DVD compilation for the series, the intermission music right before Episode
25 starts is "Nights in White Satin"
NBC-TV played
"English Sunset" over the closing credits of the 34th Ryder Cup
(golf) Matches on September 28, 2002.
"Aileen:
Life and Death" (HBO documentary on Florida serial killer Aileen Wuornos,
2003) - "Your Wildest Dreams"
"Brian
Boitano's Skating Spectacular" (aired on NBC January 1, 2004) -
"Nights in White Satin", "Question" The show, taped at he
Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and themed around colors featured skaters all in
white for "Nights in White Satin" and in red for
"Question". Both songs were apparently from The Moody Blues Hall
of Fame: Live from Royal Albert Hall.
"Stranded
- with Cash Peters" (cable Travel Channel, July 2005) - Program uses first
the first four lines of "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" as a
theme song.
Audio book
in which Moody Blues songs are used as incidental music:
"The
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (audio book dramatization with music -
1998) - During the story "The Adventure of the Dancing Men," on two
occasions the orchestral flourish leading into "Late Lament" is used.
Then, in the story "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot," four bars
from the intro of "Time To Get Away" are looped and played over and
over behind an important piece of exposition.
TV
Commercials in which Moody Blues songs are used as incidental music:
(For commercials the Moodies did, see Section 9.2.
This listing also does not include advertisements for Moody Blues projects,
e.g. CDs, videos, compilation CDs with Moody songs, etc.)
"Dawning
is the Day" was used (without permission) in an Air Force recruiting spot
shortly after the release of Seventh Sojourn until the Moodies put a
stop to it.
In the 1980s,
"Gemini Dream" was used for the advertisement of the Isuzu Gemini on
Japanese TV.
"Nights in
White Satin" was used on Spanish TV as part of a commercial for the 1989
Ford Orion, and in a 1987 UK TV ad for a Yardley perfume called "Nights in
White Satin". The perfume ad (5 Mb .mpg file) can be found at www.tonybrown.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/niwsad.mpg
"Go
Now" was used around 2000 on UK TV to promote a holiday company called
"Going Places".
"Ride My
See-Saw" was heard as background music in an advert for a Volkswagon
camper van on the BBC in the UK in early 2000, and on Italian TV as musical
background in a commercial for Personal GB Scotch Whiskey.
"Your
Wildest Dreams" was used in a commercial for Meramac Caverns in Missouri
shown on TNT cable channel in the summer of 2000.
"I Know
You're Out There Somewhere" - The Tommy Foundation's Public Service
Announcement for missing children used part of this song with the permission of
Justin Hayward. (Tommyfoundation@yahoo.com)
“Tuesday Afternoon”
– was used in a 2011 ad for Visa debit cards with a father taking his
daughter on a visit to an aquarium.