Mike Pinder
| Mike Pinder | |
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Mike Pinder in 1974
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael Thomas Pinder |
| Born | 27 December 1941 |
| Origin |
Erdington, Birmingham England, United Kingdom |
| Genres | |
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| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1964–1978, 1994–present |
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| Associated acts |
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| Website | [[1] Official website] |
| Notable instruments | |
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Mellotron Chamberlin |
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Michael Thomas "Mike" Pinder (born 27 December 1941, Erdington, Birmingham, England) is an English rock musician, and is a founding member and original keyboard player of the British rock group The Moody Blues. He left the group following the recording of the band's album, Octave, in 1978. He is especially noted for his technological contribution to music.
Pinder was born to Bert and Gladys Pinder in Kingstanding, Birmingham, and as a young adult played in El Riot and the Rebels, a rock band that achieved some regional success. Bandmates in El Riot included future Moody Blues members Ray Thomas and John Lodge. After a spell in the British Army, Pinder and Thomas played together in a band called the Krew Cats; the band wound up in Germany playing at some of the cellars where The Beatles had polished their musicianship. Pinder and Thomas, with no money, had to walk across northern Europe to get back home to England.
Around this time, Pinder was employed by Streetly Electronics, a firm that manufactured the Mellotron.
Pinder, Thomas and members of other successful Birmingham bands (singer/guitarist Denny Laine, singer/bassist Clint Warwick and drummer Graeme Edge) formed The Moody Blues in 1964. Their initial single, "Steal Your Heart Away" on Decca, failed to chart. Their second release, "Go Now" however became UK No.1 in January 1965. The band went on to have a further UK hit with "I Don't Want To Go On Without You" and then release their first album The Magnificent Moodies (Decca) in mono only, on which Pinder took the lead vocal on a cover of James Brown's "I Don't Mind". "Bye Bye Bird" from this album was also a big hit for the band in France. The album was released in the USA, retitled as Go Now on London Records.
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