On this day in music history: May 15, 1981 - “Long Distance Voyager”, the tenth studio album by The Moody Blues is released. Produced by Pip Williams, it is recorded at Threshold Studios in West Hampstead, London and RAK Studios in St. John’s Wood, London from February 19, 1980 - Mid April 1981. The bands first new release since “Octave” nearly three years before, it is the first to introduce new keyboardist Patrick Moraz, replacing original founding member Mike Pinder. The project will be The Moodies first to be recorded in their own studio (having purchased the old Decca Recording Studios in London) The album will in part take its title from the names of the spacecrafts launched by NASA in 1977, with some of the songs following a theme related to them. Spinning off three singles including “Gemini Dream” (#12 Pop), and “The Voice” (#15 Pop), it will be a major critical and commercial success both in the US and the UK. “Long Distance Voyager” will spend 3 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top 200, peaking at #7 on the UK album chart, and is certified 3x Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

On this day in music history: May 15, 1981 - “Long Distance Voyager”, the 10th studio album by The Moody Blues is released. Produced by Pip Williams, it is recorded at Threshold Studios in West Hampstead, London and RAK Studios in St. John’s Wood, London from February 19, 1980 - mid April 1981. The bands first new album in three years, it is the first to introduce new keyboardist Patrick Moraz, replacing original founding member Mike Pinder. The album will in part take its title from the names of the spacecrafts launched by NASA in 1977, with some of the songs following a theme related to them. Spinning off three singles including “Gemini Dream” (#12 Pop), and “The Voice”, it will be a major critical and commercial success both in the US and the UK. “Long Distance Voyager” will spend 3 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and peak at #7 on the UK album chart.