Justin Hayward

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Nights in white satin: from white sheets to a late bloomer

It is 1967. The Summer of Love is in full swing and the music scene is awash with psychedelic sounds and pop tunes. Yet in a London studio something different is taking shape: the new 19-year-old songwriter of The Moody Blues, Justin Hayward, is composing a piece that breaks all the rules. That song would go down in history as Nights in White Satin, one of the most beloved and timeless rock ballads of all time.

The story begins with the young Justin Hayward. He had only been a member of The Moody Blues for a few months when the band embarked on an ambitious project: the album Days of Future Passed. The idea was to create a symphonic rock album reflecting the different parts of a day, from sunrise to sunset. Hayward was given the task of composing the evening section.

Sheets 

The inspiration for Nights in White Satin came from something remarkably simple: a gift from an ex-girlfriend. She had given him a set of white satin sheets. These sheets sparked a series of dreamy, romantic reflections on the love and longing he felt at the time. He later explained that the song had been written “out of pure youthful innocence and longing.”

Hayward wrote the song in the bedroom of his parents’ house, and the lyrics poured out as if he had been carrying them within him for years. The line “Nights in white satin, never reaching the end” perfectly captures the infinity and complexity of love. The song was unlike anything being created at the time: it was long, intricate, and interwoven with orchestral arrangements by the London Festival Orchestra. It even featured a spoken poem at the end, entitled Late Lament, written by drummer Graeme Edge and recited by keyboardist Mike Pinder.

Late bloomer 

When Nights in White Satin was first released in 1967, it enjoyed modest success in the United Kingdom, reaching number 19 in the charts. In the Netherlands, it spent weeks in the upper ranks of the Top 40. In the United States, however, the song barely made an impact. Radio stations considered it too long and too symphonic. The single edit was considerably shorter and lacked the power of the album version. The music world of the 1960s was not yet ready for a track lasting over seven minutes, filled with classical instruments and poetic lyrics.

Years passed. In 1972, five years after its original release, something remarkable happened. Thanks to the persistence of the American record company and the growing popularity of “album rock” on the radio, the full version of Nights in White Satin was reissued.

This time, the song struck a chord. It still sounded fresh and different. The slow build, Hayward’s sweeping guitar melody and the deeply emotional lyrics resonated with a new generation of listeners. The song quickly rose to second place in the US Billboard Hot 100 and became a worldwide hit. The single’s success not only propelled the album Days of Future Passed up the charts but also cemented The Moody Blues’ status as icons of symphonic rock.

On Wednesday 15 October, Justin Hayward will perform at Muziekgebouw Eindhoven.