Tuesday Afternoon

Infobox Single
Name = Tuesday Afternoon


Artist = The Moody Blues
from Album = Days of Future Passed
Released = 20 July 1968
B-side = "Another Morning"
Recorded = October 1967
Length = 4:47 (album)
2:16 (single edit)
Label = Deram Records
Writer = Justin Hayward
Producer = Tony Clarke
Last single = "Nights in White Satin"
(1967)
This single = "Tuesday Afternoon"
(1968)
Next single = "Voices in the Sky"
(1968)
Misc =Extra tracklisting
Album = Days of Future Passed
Type = studio
Tracks = ;Side one
#"The Day Begins"
#Dawn: "Dawn is a Feeling"
#The Morning: "Another Morning"
#Lunch Break: "Peak Hour";Side two
#

The Afternoon: "Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?)" / "(Evening) Time to Get Away"
#Evening: "The Sunset" / "Twilight Time"
#The Night: "Nights in White Satin"

"Tuesday Afternoon" (sometimes referred to as "Forever Afternoon") is a 1968 single by English symphonic rock band The Moody Blues.

"Tuesday Afternoon" was originally released on The Moody Blues 1967 album "Days of Future Passed", a concept album chronicling a typical day. On the album, it was featured on "The Afternoon" track, and was titled "Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?)".

Justin Hayward wrote the song originally intending to name it "Tuesday Afternoon". At the insistence of producer Tony Clarke, it was named "Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?)" for its release on "Days of Future Passed". However, when it was released as a single a year later, its name was changed back to "Tuesday Afternoon", and it has been more commonly known by this name ever since. On most of the Moody Blues compilation and live albums, the song is listed as "Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)" to reflect both titles.

"Tuesday Afternoon" was later released as a single in 1968, and was the second of two singles released from "Days of Future Passed", the other being "Nights in White Satin". The "Tuesday Afternoon" single featured Ray Thomas's "Another Morning" on the B-side.

According to an interview with Justin Hayward, he wrote "Tuesday Afternoon" while sitting in the middle of a field near his home in England on a beautiful spring afternoon. He claims that he had his acoustic guitar in hand and the song just came to him. The song features Justin Hayward on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, with Mike Pinder in the background on the mellotron. The flute solo towards the end was provided by Ray Thomas.

The London Festival Orchestra performs the final orchestral rendition of the chorus on "Days of Future Passed". The orchestral finale was actually recorded separately from the rest of the song, which was recorded earlier. The finale was arranged by Peter Knight, who arranged orchestral sections for the entire album. However, for the single release and subsequent releases on compilation albums, this orchestral finale was removed, and the song just faded out during Ray Thomas's flute solo. The Moody Blues 1994 compilation album, "Time Traveller", marked the first time the orchestral ending was included on a compilation. It's release on the 1998's Anthology also included the orchestral finale.

In concert, "Tuesday Afternoon" is usually ended with a short reprise of the opening acoustic guitar riff after the flute solo. Although, when the Moody Blues perform backed by a live orchestra, the original orchestral finale ends the song.

Personnel

* Justin Hayward: acoustic guitar, lead vocals
* John Lodge: bass guitar
* Mike Pinder: mellotron
* Ray Thomas: flute
* Graeme Edge: drums, percussion
* Peter Knight and the London Festival Orchestra: orchestral arrangements

Chart Positions

Cover Versions

* New-age piano player David Lanz recorded an instrumental version of "Tuesday Afternoon" for his album "Songs from an English Garden".
* Jazz singer Bobbi Wilsyn performs "Tuesday Afternoon" on her album "It's About Time".

External links

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ms2jOVOT3pI Interview with Justin Hayward on YouTube]
* [http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=387 "Tuesday Afternoon" from Songfacts]