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36|Top 100
Nights in White Satin
The Moody Blues
By 1967 things were looking bleak for the Moody Blues. With one #1 to their name (“Go Now”, 1964) and no other subsequent top 20 chart entries, the Midlanders were desperate to update their image. |
 Song facts |
| Composer |
Justin Hayward |
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| Genre |
Rock |
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| Album |
Days of Future Passed |
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| Year of Release |
1967 |
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Their label, Deram, came to the rescue by asking them to record a modern version of Dvorak’s New World Symphony to demonstrate their new ‘Deramic’ stereo system. With a whole slew of new material in the wings, the band convinced both label and producer instead to cut a suite of self-composed songs based on the passing of one day – all set to the lush strings of the London Symphony Orchestra. Days of Future Passed was born and topping it all off was “Nights In White Satin”. A yearning love song, it was drenched in what would be come the Moody’s signature sound - the synthetic strings of the Mellotron. Released as a single it sold modestly (reaching only #19 in December 1967), but the album’s huge success saw the song reach millions of homes. On its re-release in 1972 and 1979 it had become a timeless classic.
Other versions |
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 Nancy Sinatra eschews the mellotron with her own inimitable version. These flutes were made for walking, anyone?
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Songwriting tips 'Nights...' benefits from its marvellous production, which can make all the difference when it comes to make a song memorable. Find out more about .
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