The Moody Blues’ Justin Hayward and the Inside Story Behind ‘Nights In White Satin’

Legendary Moody Blues’ guitarist and vocalist Justin Hayward has always had a story to tell. His songs have mesmerized fans for decades, perhaps none more than his iconic hit “Nights In White Satin.” So I wasn’t surprised to learn that the song and the man behind it were the topic of producer/director David Minasian’s new documentary. The Story Behind ‘Nights In White Satin’ (executive producer Michael Pinkus), recently awarded Best Documentary at the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema, showcases Hayward and his song, and includes previously unreleased vintage footage of classic performances. I recently cornered Justin Hayward and David Minasian to find out more about the award-winning documentary.

Watch a clip from ‘The Story Behind Nights In White Satin’.

“I’m so pleased for David Minasian and Michael Pinkus that they have had recognition and praise for making this film,” Hayward says. “My contribution was just trying to tell the story as I remembered it. What I would have liked more than anything else is film of us at the Decca studios, where we made those first seven Moodies albums and some photos of the rehearsal rooms we used near Mike’s flat in Barnes because they are clear in my mind, but this film comes closer than anything else I have seen, through thorough research, to recalling the atmosphere around the making of our Days Of Future Passed album and the golden time just afterwards . I hope this will be just one of many films like this, telling the stories of loved songs.”

For Minasian, this special project highlights the fact that careers sometimes come full circle. Says the director/producer, “The first record I ever bought as a kid happened to be a Moody Blues record. ‘Nights In White Satin’ had already been released some years before that, but I wasn’t aware of it. When I finally did hear the song, I was mesmerized. It had an other-worldly quality about it with an amazing melody and incredible vocal, along with the haunting sound of a strange keyboard called a mellotron. I had produced and directed a concert film featuring Justin Hayward for PBS called Spirits… Live back in 2013 and when the opportunity came up to work with him again on the documentary ‘The Story Behind Nights In White Satin’, I simply couldn’t pass it up. I know ‘Nights In White Satin’ is supposed to be a love song, but there’s a line in the song which says, “Just what you want to be, you will be in the end,”– which sums up my life perfectly. I always wanted to be a filmmaker and a musician, and here I am nearly 50 years after Justin wrote those words, living out that dream as a filmmaker and musician, and working with Justin Hayward himself, one of the true legends of the music business.”

Listen to Nancy’s earlier interview with Justin Hayward (episode 222) on iTunes or WhineAt9.com