If I recall correctly, Tony Clarke related this story (in far less
exacting detail in the forum section of the Mike Pinder web site) about
the deterioration of the original master and how they lost the backing
vocals because he apparently didn't have any alternate elements to work
with. I believe this was done before '78 though - possibly for the quad
mix.
johnb
Steve wrote:
>
> from Wikipedia (i'd read this elsewhere several years ago):
>
> In 1978 the album was remixed due to deterioration of the master
> tapes. The original 1967 stereo mix, which is generally considered
> superior by fans, has never seen a CD release. All CD versions, even
> remasters, use the later mix. However, the 1990 greatest hits
> package "The Story Of The Moody Blues/Legend Of A Band" CD
> compilation, seems to contain the original mix of "Nights In White
> Satin".
>
> The bridges to "Time To Get Away" have John Lodge singing alone; all
> the backing vocals on that part have been lost. Also, at the end of
> the piece, the words "Evening, Time to Get Away" are repeated only
> twice where they were repeated three times on the original mix, and
> the mellotron overdub, which was essentially the same as the one in
> the middle section, is absent. (In the quad mix, the mellotron is
> also missing from the middle section.)
>