Emily's Song
Encyclopedia
"Emily's Song" is a 1971 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues
, and was included on their 1971 album Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
.
"Emily's Song" was written by the band's bassist John Lodge for his newborn daughter Emily. The song's lyrics reflect the hope and joy Lodge felt after the birth of his daughter, and it was a very emotional song for him, especially with the opening line "Lovely to know the warmth your smile can bring to me."
The song is a gentle rhythmic ballad with understated percussion and prominent cellos and celeste (both played by Lodge himself). The melody resembles a lullabye.
Despite being a favorite with fans, the song was omitted from concert playlists. The complex overdubbing
used to create its unusual texture made it prohibitively difficult for the band to reproduce on stage. In the 1990s when the Moody Blues decided to perform backed by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra
, "Emily's Song" saw its first live performance on September 9, 1992 at the Moody Blues landmark concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre
near Denver, Colorado
. A live version of the song from this concert can be found on the Deluxe Edition of the live album A Night at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
, and was included on their 1971 album Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (album)
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is the seventh album by the Moody Blues, released in 1971. The album was the last to feature only the Mellotron, as it would be assisted by the Chamberlin on the Moody Blues' next studio album, 1972's Seventh Sojourn.This album featured the only track to be written...
.
"Emily's Song" was written by the band's bassist John Lodge for his newborn daughter Emily. The song's lyrics reflect the hope and joy Lodge felt after the birth of his daughter, and it was a very emotional song for him, especially with the opening line "Lovely to know the warmth your smile can bring to me."
The song is a gentle rhythmic ballad with understated percussion and prominent cellos and celeste (both played by Lodge himself). The melody resembles a lullabye.
Despite being a favorite with fans, the song was omitted from concert playlists. The complex overdubbing
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
used to create its unusual texture made it prohibitively difficult for the band to reproduce on stage. In the 1990s when the Moody Blues decided to perform backed by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra
Colorado Symphony Orchestra
Colorado’s only full-time professional orchestra, the Colorado Symphony embraces a tradition of musical excellence by presenting a diverse array of symphonic performances throughout the year...
, "Emily's Song" saw its first live performance on September 9, 1992 at the Moody Blues landmark concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a rock structure near Morrison, Colorado, where concerts are given in the open-air amphitheatre. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large outcrops angled outwards from stage left and a...
near Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. A live version of the song from this concert can be found on the Deluxe Edition of the live album A Night at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.
Personnel
- Justin HaywardJustin HaywardJustin Hayward is an English musician, best known as singer, songwriter and guitarist in the rock band The Moody Blues.Hayward was born in Dean Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, England...
: acoustic guitar, backing vocals - John Lodge: vocals, bass guitar, cello, celeste
- Mike PinderMike PinderMichael Thomas "Mike" Pinder is an English rock musician, and is a founding member or the British rock group, the Moody Blues. He left the group following the recording of the band's album, Octave, in 1978...
: mellotron, harpsichord - Graeme EdgeGraeme EdgeGraeme Charles Edge is best known as the drummer and a songwriter for the Moody Blues, but has also led his own outfit, the Graeme Edge Band.-Biography:...
: drums, percussion