Back in 1978, a friend of mine invited me around to his home to listen to a new album that his older sister had bought. He was super excited about it and was certain it would blow me away. He wasn’t wrong! The album is still a classic today. But one track “Forever Autumn” still brings a lump in my throat and a tear to my eye. It managed to do that back in 1978 when I was 14 years old. And today it makes me lament the year 1978. A year that I loved so dearly, a year that had an anthem, and that anthem was “Forever Autumn” by Jeff Wayne.
Here’s a bit more info.
In 1978, Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds featuring Justin Hayward saw its haunting single “Forever Autumn” enter the UK Singles Chart at #68 (July 8).
Jeff Wayne’s debut album, a musical retelling of H.G. Wells’ 1898 sci-fi classic The War of the Worlds, is nothing short of a masterpiece.
The song itself has a fascinating backstory: Composed by Jeff Wayne, Gary Osborne, and Paul Vigrass, its melody originated in 1969 as a jingle for a Lego commercial. Vigrass and Osborne—who performed the original jingle—later added lyrics and included it on their 1972 album Queues.
When Wayne sought a melancholic love song for War of the Worlds, he realized “Forever Autumn” was the perfect fit. He enlisted Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues to lend his iconic voice, famously stating he wanted “that voice from ‘Nights in White Satin.'”
And that’s exactly what he got!
The track soared up the charts, peaking at:
- #3 (Ireland)
- #5 (UK)
- #33 (Australia & New Zealand)
- #47 (US)
