A Simple Game
| "A Simple Game" | |
|---|---|
| Single by The Moody Blues | |
| A-side | "Ride My See-Saw" |
| Released | 12 October 1968 |
| Recorded | 18 July 1968, Decca Studios, London |
| Label | Deram |
| Writer(s) | Mike Pinder |
| Producer(s) | Tony Clarke |
"A Simple Game" is a 1968 song by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. Written by Mike Pinder, it was released as a non-album B-side to "Ride My See-Saw", a track from the album In Search of the Lost Chord. The song was produced by Tony Clarke and arranged by Arthur Greenslade. The track was covered by The Four Tops and issued as a single in 1972, reaching #90 on the Billboard Hot 100, but hit #3 in the UK.
Personnel
- Mike Pinder: mellotron, piano, lead vocals
- Justin Hayward: acoustic & electric guitars, backing vocals
- John Lodge: bass guitar, backing vocals
- Ray Thomas: tambourine, backing vocals
- Graeme Edge: drums
Four Tops version
| "A Simple Game" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Four Tops | ||||
| B-side | "You Stole My Love" (UK) "L.A. (My Town)" (U.S.) |
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| Released | September 1971 (UK) January 1972 (U.S.) |
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| Format | Vinyl record (7-inch single) | |||
| Recorded | Wessex Studios,London, England, 5 May 1970 | |||
| Genre | Pop, R&B, soul | |||
| Label | Tamla Motown (UK) Motown (U.S.) |
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| Four Tops chronology | ||||
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The Four Tops released a cover version in the UK in 1971. The single peaked at position three on the chart. The song's B-side for the UK release was "You Stole My Love", a song written by Justin Hayward and Tony Clarke.
The song was released as a single in the U.S. in 1972, stalling on the chart at position 90. The B-side, which differed from its UK counterpart, was a song called "L.A. (My Town)".
Personnel
- Levi Stubbs: vocals
- Abdul "Duke" Fakir: vocals
- Lawrence Payton: vocals
- Renaldo Benson: vocals
Chart history
| Chart (1971/72) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[1] | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles[2] | 34 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100[3] | 90 |
