The Moody Blues

The band started as the M&B Five, named after a brewery in Birmingham, England called Mitchell and Butler, which sponsored the band. When the group outgrew pub dates, they changed the name to The Moody Blues, "moody" because that was their image (dark clothing, never smiling), and "blues" because that was their style of music. Both the moody and blues monikers became irrelevant once they released their 1967 Days of Future Passed album, but they were stuck with the name.

Pinder and Thomas began as members of El Riot and the Rebels. Laine was in Denny Laine and the Diplomats, whose drummer was future ELO member Bev Bevan. Edge was in Gerry Levene and the Avengers with another future ELOer, Roy Wood.

After his departure from the band, Laine became a member of Paul McCartney's Wings.