Procession (The Moody Blues song)

"Procession"
Song by The Moody Blues
from the album Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
Released	23 July 1971
Recorded	January–March 1971
Length	4:40
Label	Threshold
Songwriter(s)	Justin Hayward John Lodge Mike Pinder Ray Thomas Graeme Edge
Producer(s)	Tony Clarke
Official audio
"Procession" on YouTube

"Procession" is a 1971 song by the Moody Blues and is the opening track of their album Every Good Boy Deserves Favour. It is the only song to have been co-written by all five members of the band.

"Procession" is one of the first commercial songs to make use of electronic drums. The instrument in question was a custom drum synth developed by Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge and Sussex University professor Brian Groves.[1]

"Procession" is an instrumental song, with the exception of three words (two spoken and one sung): "desolation", "creation", and "communication". These words, as well as other words ending in "-ation", also appear on the album track "One More Time to Live."

A section of "Procession" was sampled by hip-hop musicians J Dilla and Madlib on the 2003 Jaylib album Champion Sound; the sample appears on the opening track "L.A. to Detroit."[2]

Personnel

• Justin Hayward ― electric and acoustic guitars, sitar, vocals
• John Lodge ― bass, vocals
• Mike Pinder ― Moog synthesizer, piano, harpsichord, Hammond organ, Mellotron, vocals
• Ray Thomas ― flute, vocals
• Graeme Edge ― electronic and acoustic drums, percussion, vocals

References

1. Render, Michael. The Case for Vintage Electronic Drums."The Electronic Drum Experts - Vintage Electronic Drums - Michael Render". Archived from the original on 2011-02-08. Retrieved 2011-06-21., accessed October 5, 2020
2. "Jaylib's 'L.A. To Detroit' - Discover the Sample Source". WhoSampled.