They emerged from the same British blues explosion as Fleetwood Mac, but soon became prog trailblazers – and their interlocking acoustic guitar approach is often overlooked

Moody Blues perform on stage, 1981, L-R Ray Thomas, Justin Hayward, John Lodge.

Like their contemporaries Fleetwood Mac, The Moody Blues was a band that formed during the British R&B boom of the 1960s and subsequently underwent a change of lineup and sound.

The original group came out of the British blues scene in Birmingham in 1964, and featured guitarist Denny Laine who stayed with the band for just two years. He would go on to be a pivotal member of Wings, with ex-Beatle Paul McCartney.