__NOTOC__ "Ride My See-Saw" is a 1968 single by the English

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...

band

the Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in May 1964. The band initially consisted of Graeme Edge (drums), Denny Laine (guitar/vocals), Mike Pinder (keyboards/vocals), Ray Thomas (multi-instrumentalist/vocals) and Clint W ...

. It was written by the band's bassist John Lodge, and was first released on the Moody Blues' 1968 album ''

In Search of the Lost Chord ''In Search of the Lost Chord'' is the third album by the Moody Blues, released in July 1968 on the Deram label. Background The success of the band's previous record, '' Days of Future Passed'', allowed the group additional studio time and cr ...

''. It was the second of two singles from that album, the other being " Voices in the Sky". On the album, the song is preceded by a spoken word introduction called "Departure" that was written by

Graeme Edge Graeme Charles Edge (30 March 1941 – 11 November 2021) was an English musician, songwriter and poet, best known as the co-founder and drummer of the English band the Moody Blues. In addition to his work with the Moody Blues, Edge worked as th ...

. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' described the single as a "blockbuster rocker" that "comes on strong with all the ingredients to spiral he Moody Bluesto the top in short order" and a "mover from start to finish." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' called it a "dance track with powerful teen attraction" and "polished vocals." ''Classic Rock History'' critic Brian Kachejian rated it as the Moody Blues' 6th greatest song, saying that it "combined heavy and mystic rhythms with the great signature Moody Blues spoken introduction." ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' critic Nick DeRiso rated it as the Moody Blues' 7th greatest song, saying that it provides evidence that the Moody Blues could rock. ''Classic Rock'' critic Malcolm Dome rated it as the Moody Blues' 8th greatest song, describing it as "an uptempo, vibrant rock’n’roll song" that "delivers a scathing attack on people’s desperation to be part of the rat race."

Personnel

* John Lodge ― bass guitar, cello, vocals *

Justin Hayward David Justin Hayward (born 14 October 1946) is an English musician. He was the guitarist and frontman of the rock band the Moody Blues from 1966 until its dissolution in 2018. He became the group's principal vocalist and its most prolific son ...

― electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals *

Mike Pinder Michael Thomas Pinder (27 December 1941 – 24 April 2024) was an English rock musician. He was a founding member and the original keyboard player of the rock group the Moody Blues. He left the group following the recording of the band's nint ...

―

Mellotron The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which causes a length of magnetic tape to contact a Capstan (tape recorder), capstan, which pulls i ...

, vocals * Ray Thomas ― tambourine, vocals *

― drums, maracas

Chart positions

Use in popular media

*An instrumental version of "Ride My See-Saw" recorded by

Ronnie Aldrich Ronald Frank Aldrich (15 February 1916 – 30 September 1993) was a British easy listening and jazz pianist, arranger, conductor and composer. Early life He was born Ronald Frank Aldrich on 15 February 1916 in Erith, England, the only son o ...

and the

London Festival Orchestra The London Festival Orchestra (LFO) was an orchestra established in the 1950s. Originally it was the 'house orchestra' for Decca Records, initially directed by Peter Knight, but in 1980 it was incorporated as an independent orchestra, directed ...

was used as the theme music for the Canadian morning programme '' Canada AM'' on CTV during the 1970s. *This song was used as bumper music for

Art Bell Arthur William Bell III (June 17, 1945 – April 13, 2018) was an American broadcaster and author. He was the founder and the original host of the paranormal-themed radio program '' Coast to Coast AM'', which is syndicated on hundreds ...

's radio program ''

Coast to Coast AM ''Coast to Coast AM'' is an American late-night radio talk show that deals with a variety of topics. Most frequently the topics relate to either the paranormal or conspiracy theories. It was hosted by creator Art Bell from its inception in 198 ...

'', and as the intro song to his short-lived '' Art Bell's Dark Matter''.

References

{{Authority control 1968 singles The Moody Blues songs Songs written by John Lodge (musician) Deram Records singles 1968 songs Song recordings produced by Tony Clarke