Peak Hour

Album: Days of Future Passed (1967)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Days Of Future Past was one of the first concept albums, depicting an archetypical "day" from morning to night. However, it didn't start out that way. Justin Hayward explained to Beat Instrumental in a June 1971 interview: "Days Of Future Past was really a concept for a stage presentation we'd worked out to take up a whole hour set. It turned out that it took the form of a day because I'd written a song 'Nights in White Satin.'"

    The group's bass player, John Lodge, added to the concept by writing the song "Peak Hour," full title "Lunch Break: Peak Hour." Lodge also sang lead on the track.

    "That was three parts of a day - we just filled in the rest," added Hayward. "It was a day but it could be a lifetime as well."
  • The orchestral piece at the beginning of the song was played by Peter Knight and the London Festival Orchestra. It was composed by Knight, who also arranged "The Day Begins" and the rest of the orchestral sections of Days of Future Passed.

    Knight continued his work with Moodies, Justin Hayward and John Lodge, orchestrating three songs on their 1975 Blue Jays album.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)

Max Cavalera of Soulfly (ex-Sepultura)Songwriter Interviews

The Brazilian rocker sees pictures in his riffs. When he came up with one of his gnarliest songs, there was a riot going on.

Dr. John

Dr. JohnSongwriter Interviews

The good doctor shares some candid insights on recording with Phil Spector and The Black Keys.

Gary Louris of The Jayhawks

Gary Louris of The JayhawksSongwriter Interviews

The Jayhawks' song "Big Star" has special meaning to Gary, who explains how longevity and inspiration have trumped adulation.

Weezer

WeezerFact or Fiction

Did Rivers Cuomo grow up on a commune? Why did they name their albums after colors? See how well you know your Weezer in this Fact or Fiction.

Who Wrote That Song?

Who Wrote That Song?Music Quiz

Do you know who wrote Patti Smith's biggest hit? How about the Grease theme song? See if you can match the song to the writer.