Days Of Future Passed by The Moody Blues, on Deram records, 1967, value £40

THEY were called the Moody Blues because band member Mike Pinder was fascinated by how music changes people's moods also due to the fact that the band were making a name playing cover versions of blues music most of the time, writes MICHAEL BROOKS. Formed in Birmingham in 1964, despite having a number one hit with Go Now featuring Denny Laine on lead vocals, their next four releases barely entered the top 40. Decca records had invested a large sum of money in the band and up until now had received little return. Band members Laine and Clint Walker departed and were replaced by John Lodge and Justin Hayward. The new line up were offered an opportunity to change direction from a British rhythm and blues band to record what became known as one of the first symphonic classical rock albums, later to become known as progressive rock. This was quite ambitious for a band who had stopped having hits and were in debt to their record company. It opened up new frontiers in the pop world. It featured the evergreen Nights in White Satin written by Justin Hayward; he titled the song after a girlfriend gave him a gift of satin bedsheets and many people think it's a song about unrequited love? He said, "It was a personal song and every word means something to me." The song lasts for three minutes, six seconds but the album version that begins with a spoken word poem Late Lament written by drummer Graeme Edge, lasts for more than seven minutes.

At the time of recording, there was no London Festival Orchestra, it was produced with a group of session musicians conducted by Peter Knight and produced by Tony Clark who both had links with the London Symphony Orchestra. The only orchestration was featured in the closing movement of N.I.W.S. The orchestral sounds on this album, also in the main body of Moody Blues recordings, were produced by Mike Pinder's Mellotron keyboard, which had the ability to simulate an orchestra which would come to define the Moody Blues sound in the future; though from 1992 to the early 2000s the band toured performing shows backed by live orchestration. This is one of the first ever concept albums with the soundtrack depicting the life from dawn to dusk of a young man longing for love. There is not one poor song on this record, it has become known as one of the best loved albums of all time. Quite simply, it is one that will never grow old.

Another collectable is The Magnificent Moodies, from 1965, on Decca valued £100.