"Tuesday Afternoon" | |||||||
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Single by The Moody Blues | |||||||
from the album Days of Future Passed | |||||||
B-side | "Another Morning" | ||||||
Released | 7 January 1968 (UK) 19 July 1968 (U.S.) |
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Recorded | 22 October 1967 | ||||||
Genre | Baroque pop, psychedelic pop, progressive rock, space rock, psychedelic rock, pop rock | ||||||
Length | 8:23 (Album version) 2:16 (Single edit) 4:08 (Compilation edit 1) 4:52 (Compilation edit 2) |
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Label | Deram | ||||||
Writer(s) | Justin Hayward | ||||||
Producer(s) | Tony Clarke | ||||||
The Moody Blues singles chronology | |||||||
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"Tuesday Afternoon" (sometimes referred to as "Forever Afternoon (Tuesday?)", or simply "Forever Afternoon") is a 1968 single by English symphonic rock band The Moody Blues, which was presented in its original album form on their 1967 album Days of Future Passed in two parts.
The first part, the one most familiar to listeners, called "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 part one of "The Afternoon" track 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. Some of the Moody Blues compilation and live albums list the song as "Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)" to reflect both titles.
"Tuesday Afternoon" was released as a single in 1968, and was the second single from Days of Future Passed (the first being "Nights in White Satin"). It was backed with another Days track, "Another Morning". The single version of "Tuesday Afternoon" was oddly edited down to 2:16, ending before the repeat of the opening riff and "Tuesday afternoon" verse.
According to an interview with 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 Hayward on lead vocals and acoustic guitar. The backing melody comes from the mellotron, which was played by Mike Pinder. There is also a short flute solo at the end played by Ray Thomas.
On Days of Future Passed, the London Festival Orchestra performs the final orchestral rendition of the chorus. This orchestral link between parts one and two of the song was recorded separately from the Moodys' portions. The link 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 not included, and the song simply faded out during Thomas's flute solo. The Moody Blues 1994 compilation album, Time Traveller, marked the first time the orchestral link was included on a compilation. Its release on 1998's Anthology also included the first-portion orchestral finale.