Cat. Number SDL 15

Biography
Justin David Hayward is an English musician, best known as songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist in the rock band The Moody Blues. In 1966, after answering another ad in Melody Maker, this time placed by Eric Burdon of The Animals, Hayward was contacted by Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues after Burdon had passed on Hayward’s letter and demo discs to Pinder. Within a few days, Hayward had replaced departing Moody Blues vocalist and guitarist Denny Laine. Bassist John Lodge replaced temporary deputy Rod Clarke, who had stood in for departed bassist Clint Warwick at the same time. After beginning by singing the old blues-inspired repertoire of the Moody Blues’ 1964–1965 era, Hayward’s initial artistic contribution to the Moody Blues was his song “Fly Me High”, which was a Decca single early in 1967. It failed to chart, but gave the revised band a new direction forward from the R&B sound they had been largely producing up to that point. Hayward’s driving rocker “Leave This Man Alone” was then used as the B-side of their next single on Decca, backing Pinder’s “Love And Beauty” (1967), the first Moody Blues record to feature the Mellotron. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Hayward

Album & Cover
Songwriter is an album by Justin Hayward released in February 1977. Hayward wrote all of the songs and played all of the instruments on the songs “Raised On Love” and “Nostradamus.” The album also features musicians Hayward had worked with on his previous project, Blue Jays recorded with John Lodge. These included Jim Cockey on violin, Tom Tompkins on viola, and Tim Tompkins on cello, all members of the band Providence, and Mel Galley on bass, Terry Rowley on guitars, and Dave Holland on drums, all members of the band Trapeze. Ken Freeman played the keyboards. According to the LP liner notes, Hayward’s daughter Doremi sang on “Raised on Love.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songwriter_(Justin_Hayward_album)

The pictures and illustrations reflect the songs on the album.

Cover Location: Hipgnosis Studio, London, UK
Who Did What: Photography: A. Powell. Cover Design: Hipgnosis/C. Elgie. Illustration C. Elgie. 
Label: Deram DES 18073(US), Deram SDL 15(UK)
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell

Tracklist

Credits
Arranged By [Strings] – Peter Knight (5) (tracks: A5, B2)
Engineer – Dave Baker*, Derek Varnals, Tony Clarke
Engineer [Assistant] – Dean Rod
Engineer [Mixdown] – Gary Ladinkski
Illustration, Design – Colin Elgie

Producer, Liner Notes – Tony Clarke
Vocals, Guitar, Written-By – Justin Hayward

Notes
Released in a gatefold cover.