The Mood
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1980 in York, England, United Kingdom |
| Founder | John Moore |
| Defunct | 1984 |
| Headquarters | York , United Kingdom |
| Products | Music recordings, singles, albums |
The Mood was a synthpop group from the United Kingdom, active between 1980 and 1984, with roots in York, England. The primary members were John Moore, Mark James Fordyce, and Eric James Logan. In 1982, they secured three singles within the UK Top 75 charts: "Don’t Stop", "Paris Is One Day Away", and "Passion In Dark Rooms".
Career
Established by John Moore in 1980, The Mood's original lineup included Steve Carter and John Dalby, who left shortly after formation. The core trio of Moore, Fordyce, and Logan signed a contract with RCA Records in 1981. They reissued "Is There A Reason" and reached the top position on the UK Dance Chart with "Don't Stop". Although their singles did not break into the UK Top 40, "Paris Is One Day Away" attained a peak of No. 42. The band also performed "Don't Stop" on the children's television program Razzmatazz.
Following releases featured "Passion in Dark Rooms" backed by "The Munich Thing" and "I Don't Need Your Love Now". The group dissolved in 1984 without launching an album in the UK market; however, a mini-LP was released exclusively in the United States.
After the split, Moore and Fordyce briefly collaborated under the name Pleasure Company. Meanwhile, Eric James Logan fronted STRANGELANDS, which gained recognition as support for a-ha during their UK tour in 1991.
In 1992, Moore reassembled The Mood with new members Paul Atkinson and Steve Bradley, shifting towards a rock style before renaming the band Wild and ultimately disbanding in 1993.
In 2008, Cherry Red Records issued The Singles Collection, a compilation featuring nineteen tracks comprising all singles, B-sides, and songs from their US album.
Songs by The Mood have been included on numerous multi-million-selling compilation albums globally, earning several Silver, Gold, and Platinum certifications. Prominent collections featuring their work include ‘Action Trax’ (1982), ‘100 Hits 80’s Pop’ (2017), ‘The Best Electronic Album In The World…Ever!’ (2019), ‘N#1 80’s Synth Pop Album’ (2022), and ‘Now 80’s 12” 1982 (part two)’ (2024).
Present day
Mark James (Fordyce) currently serves as managing director of Sugarstar, a company providing "pre-cleared" music tailored for television, advertising, and film productions. Additionally, he is chairman and founder of York Data Services, an internet service provider based in North Yorkshire. John Moore continues to reside in York as lead vocalist and guitarist.
After four decades, The Mood regained ownership of their complete back catalogue from RCA/Sony. Eric and Mark are actively working together to remix and digitally remaster these recordings, including unreleased material and a full album. They have released ‘The Singles 1981-1984’ on major streaming services and through their official site TheMood.UK, where collectors can purchase limited edition coloured vinyl and CD versions. Future plans involve issuing a 12” vinyl edition alongside finalizing the previously unreleased album.
Albums
- Passion in Dark Rooms (1983) (released only in the US)
- The Singles Collection (2008)
- The Singles 1981-1984 (2024)
Singles
- "Is There a Reason" (1981)
- "Is There a Reason" (re-recorded) (1981)
- "Don't Stop" (1982) – UK No. 59
- "Paris Is One Day Away" (1982) – UK No. 42
- "Passion in Dark Rooms" / "The Munich Thing" (1983) – UK No. 74
- "I Don't Need Your Love Now" (1984)