Michael Joseph Moody (born 30 August 1950) is an English guitarist, and a former member of the rock bands Juicy Lucy and Whitesnake. He was also a founder-member of Snafu. Together with his former Whitesnake colleague Bernie Marsden he founded the Moody Marsden Band, and later, The Snakes, having previously collaborated with unofficial 5th Status Quo member Bob Young in Young & Moody. Along with Marsden and ex-Whitesnake bassist, Neil Murray, he formed The Company of Snakes and M3 Classic Whitesnake with which they mainly performed early Whitesnake songs. From 2011 to 2015, Moody toured and recorded with Snakecharmer, a band he co-formed.
Besides this, Moody has also toured with Roger Chapman, Frankie Miller and Chris Farlowe. He has also performed live alongside the likes of Eric Clapton, Alvin Lee, Mick Taylor, Bruce Dickinson, Sam Brown, Gary Brooker, Suggs, Dennis Locorriere, Paul Jones, P. P. Arnold, James Hunter, Rick Wakeman, Jon Lord, Newton Faulkner, Uriah Heep, Alice Cooper, Mark King, Alfie Boe, Sandi Thom, Brian Auger, Paul Weller, Eric Bibb, Meat Loaf, Boy George, Elkie Brooks, Nona Hendryx, Mud Morganfield and one of his early guitar heroes, Duane Eddy.[citation needed] Since 2000 he has released several solo albums: I Eat Them For Breakfast (2000), Don’t Blame Me (2006), Acoustic Journeyman (2007) and Electric Journeyman (2009). A versatile guitarist, Moody has been an active session musician and his own website lists over 100 albums to which he has contributed musically. 2006 saw the release of the autobiographical Playing With Trumpets – A Rock ‘n’ Roll Apprenticeship, a memoir about his early days on the music scene. Another book of memoirs, Snakes and Ladders, was released in 2016. His library music has been featured on such TV programmes as Waking the Dead, Bo’ Selecta!, America’s Next Top Model, How to Look Good Naked, Top Gear, Horizon, Jersey Shore, Mad Men, Wife Swap and Paul Hollywood’s Bread.
While at school in Middlesbrough and attending private guitar lessons, Moody formed The Roadrunners with others from the area including Paul Rodgers (later of Free and Bad Company). They were subsequently joined by bass player Bruce Thomas, later to play with Elvis Costello and the Attractions. The band performed covers in local halls and clubs. By 1967 they had developed and outgrown the local music scene and turned professional, changing their name to The Wildflowers and subsequently moving to London. They had some success and undertook some touring, but relationships within the band frayed and they eventually split without making any recordings. Moody returned home to Middlesbrough where for a while he widened his musical horizons by taking classical guitar lessons. He also became increasingly interested in slide guitar techniques (a style he would later be closely associated with).
While living in Middlesbrough he was asked by local singer and entrepreneur John McCoy, to form a group which became Tramline. A deal for two albums was signed with Island Records, but by the time the second album was released the band had broken up. Moody joined Lucas and the professional Soul band Mike Cotton Sound who became Gene Pitney’s backing band for UK tours as well as others such as Paul Jones (by wikipedia)
The second and final set by the hot young blues band signed to Chris Blackwell’s Island Records back in 1969.
This album was produced by the late Guy Stevens and he suggested the unusual name, for which guitarist Micky Moody confesses he has no explanation. (Stevens had also suggested such names as Procol Harum and Mott The Hoople, and so ‘Moves Of Vegetable Centuries’ was just another flight of Stevens’ fancy!).
The band was getting into its stride with the addition of sax player Ron Aspery and bass guitar virtuoso Colin Hodgkinson from progressive group Back Door.
They add a boost to such performances as the Tramline version of Traffic’s ‘Pearly Queen’ and the old Yardbirds’ favourite ‘I Wish You Would’. Here is R’n’B Sixties’ style with high energy and strong musicianship.
Micky Moody describes the evolution and ultimate fate of the band in his interview , making a splendid souvenir of a bye gone musical era. (by Green Brain)
35 minutes in length approximately. The sound is clean yet retains the warmth of the original release. The folded info sheet lists track info and personnel. There’s a synopsis of the group and the era when this album was recorded. The title of the album has mystified listeners since it’s original release-but the person responsible (producer Guy Stevens) has passed on-so we’ll probably never know.
This is the second (and last) album by TRAMLINE.The personnel has changed slightly since the first album. The band on this set is John McCoy-vocals and harmonica (uncredited),Terry Popple-drums,Mick Moody-guitar,and a new bass player,Colin Hodgkinson. On tracks 3,4,5,and 6 there are two sax players,who help fill in the sound. Someone named “Norman” plays piano occasionally,but his last name remains a mystery.
This album contains the song “Pearly Queen”,about as close to a hit as the group had. It rightfully received airplay,due in large part to Moody’s guitar playing. The track has a lot of energy,and its easy to see why it was popular during that time. If guitar playing is important to you,the track titled “Grunt” (actually “You Need Love”),is another fine number,with the piano and saxes lending good support to Moody’s guitar. Like the first album,there are some well known blues songs-“I Wish You Would” by Billy Boy Arnold,which is played and sung as a straight shuffle-style blues,and “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” by Sonny Boy Williamson,which has McCoy’s imitation of Williamson’s vocal style. The track “Sweet Mary” (recorded by CYRIL DAVIES & THE ALL STARS) is a low down dirty blues,played with great feeling by one of the sax players,and also has some lovely piano fills,with Moody’s guitar playing some straight blues licks,along with a bit of slide guitar.
An interesting song is “You Better Run”, by two members of THE (YOUNG) RASCALS. The final tune,”Harriet’s Underground Railway”,an original refers to an underground railway for slaves during the Civil War. As is often the case,the music was laid down first,with the vocals put on later-after McCoy thought up some lyrics,which have nothing to do with the title.
Like the first album,this set is for people who like (relatively unknown) English blues bands from the late 60’s/early 70’s. This album is a bit more “together” than the first,but both sets have something to offer the listener (like me) who likes this era and style of music. Like the first album,this too has the feeling of it’s time and place. As I said about the first album,if you can remember record stores,this album gives the feeling of having been bought at your favorite store of the time,and then brought home and slipped onto the turntable. That’s not a bad thing because it shows this under-appreciated group made some good music,and was very much of it’s time and place-and if you like that era-you might like this band (by Stuart Jefferson)
And yes … Mick< Moody is one of my favourite guitr player and of course is Colin Hodgkinson one of the finest bass player ever.
Personnel:
Colin Hodgkinson (bass)
John McCoy (vocals)
Mick Moody (guitar)
Terry Popple (drums)
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Ron Aspery (saxophone)
Iss Mate (saxophone)
Tracklist:
01. Pearly Queen (Capaldi/Winwood) 3.39
02. Sweet Satisfaction (McCoy/Moody) 3.32
03. You Better Run (Brigati/Cavaliere) 2.17
04. Grunt (Moody) 7.11
05. Sweet Mary (Traditional) 6.24
06. I Wish You Would (Arnold) 5.20
07. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (Williamson) 2.30
08. Harriet’s Underground Railway (McCoy/Moody) 3.55
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