Justin Hayward & Mike Batt with London Philharmonic Orchestra - Classic Blue (1989)

Justin David Hayward (born 14 October 1946) is an English musician, best known as songwriter, lead singer and guitarist in the rock band The Moody Blues.
Classic Blue is the fourth solo studio album by The Moody Blues front-man Justin Hayward. Classic Blue was released in 1989 by Trax Records (later re-released on Castle Music Records in 1994), and features Mike Batt, who also produced the album, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
The album includes cover versions of many hit songs, such as The Beatles' "Blackbird", and Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven." It also includes a re-recorded version of "Forever Autumn," a song from Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds, in which Hayward originally sang lead vocals.
This album is a compilation of personal fovourites from Justin and Mike, both incredible gifted musicians themselves. You'll find cover versions of Richard Harris' "MacArthur Park", the Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" and Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". Hayward hit the right tone most of the time and the orchestration of Batt is solid but it's not what you'd expect. It's not sparkling like some of Justin's Moody Blues work or surprising like most of Mike's solo work does. What you get is flawless redemptions of evergreens.

Track listing

01.  "The Tracks of My Tears"  (William Robinson, Marv Tarplin, Warren Moore)  - 3:23
02.  "MacArthur Park"  (Jimmy Webb)  - 7:16
03.  "Blackbird"  (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)  - 2:31
04.  "Vincent"  (Don McLean)  - 4:53
05.  "God Only Knows"  (Brian Wilson, Tony Asher)  - 3:34
06.  "Bright Eyes"  (Mike Batt)  - 3:53
07.  "A Whiter Shade of Pale"  (Keith Reid, Gary Brooker)  - 4:28
08.  "Scarborough Fair"  (Trad., Arr. Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel)  - 4:18
09.  "Railway Hotel"  (Mike Batt)  - 3:23
10.  "Man of the World"  (Peter Green)  - 3:29
11.  "Forever Autumn"  (A. Vigrass, A. Osborne, Jeff Wayne)  - 5:15
12.  "As Long As the Moon Can Shine"  (Mike Batt)  - 4:20
13.  "Stairway to Heaven"  (Jimmy Page, Robert Plant)  - 7:42

Credits
Engineer – Haydn Bendall
Engineer [Assistant] – Garth Cousins
Producer, Arranged By, Conductor – Mike Batt

Notes
Release date: October 4, 1989
Recorded: 1988 - 1989 Abbey Road Studios, London
Genre: Symphonic rock
Length: 58:29
© 1989

Label - Trax Records, Castle Music