Justin Hayward has released a brand new single, ‘Hello, Young Lovers’, out this week through Universal. The release coincides with his ‘The Story In Your Eyes’ UK tour, which gets under way this October.
The song is a new take on the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic from The King And I, and it holds a personal meaning for the Moody Blues singer, guitarist and songwriter.
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Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote ‘Hello, Young Lovers’ for their 1951 stage musical The King And I. The song reached a wider audience through the 1956 film version, which featured music arranged by Alfred Newman and Ken Darby. Those same orchestrations play a central part in Justin’s new recording.
“I have loved the songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein II since I was a boy,” Justin explains. “My mother, who was a fair pianist, bought the songbook of ‘The King and I’ after she had been to see the movie, and this song always seemed to express something so kind that an older person might say – now, I am that person and can say it from the heart.”
The recording itself came about almost by accident. Justin started working on the song purely for his own enjoyment, but within a couple of hours he realised it could become a proper record.
“I started recording the song just for my own personal pleasure, but after a couple of hours I realised it could actually be a record and I got serious,” he says.
The finished track blends Justin’s own playing with the original film orchestrations by Alfred Newman and Ken Darby. Working with his recording partner Alberto Parodi, he experimented with surrounding his guitars, bass, keyboards and vocal with those arrangements.
“The orchestral arrangements of Alfred Newman and Ken Darby are magical and that evening myself and my recording partner Alberto Parodi experimented with surrounding my track with their orchestrations and the effect was beautiful,” Justin recalls.
One final touch came from an unexpected guest. “Alberto’s friend Roberto, who plays old fashioned accordion, came round, and in one take it was perfect.”
On the record, Justin plays his 1955 Martin D28 acoustic guitar and his 1963 red Gibson ES 335, while he and Alberto share all of the keyboard parts between them.
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He is clearly proud of the result, describing ‘Hello, Young Lovers’ as “one of the best recordings I have ever made”.
The single comes with a bonus track, a live version of Justin’s song ‘Haunted’. It was recorded at The New York Society for Ethical Culture and features his longstanding touring musicians Julie Ragins, Karmen Gould and Mike Dawes.
Together, the two tracks show both sides of Justin’s music today: careful work in the studio on one, and the warmth of his live shows with his regular band on the other.
Justin Hayward is best known as the vocalist, lead guitarist and composer for The Moody Blues. He has one of the most distinctive voices in rock music and was the driving force behind many of the band’s best-loved songs.
His songwriting credits include ‘Nights In White Satin’, ‘Question’, ‘Tuesday Afternoon’, ‘New Horizons’, ‘The Story In Your Eyes’, ‘The Voice’, ‘Your Wildest Dreams’ and ‘I Know You’re Out There Somewhere’. Many of those songs have become part of the soundtrack of several generations.
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Alongside his work with The Moody Blues, Justin has released seven solo studio albums. He remains in high demand as a live performer around the world, especially in the UK and the US.
UK fans can see him live this month on ‘The Story In Your Eyes’ tour, named after one of his best-known Moody Blues songs. The tour opens at Torquay’s Princess Theatre on 7 October and visits Cornwall, Wiltshire, Buckinghamshire, Scotland, the North East, East Sussex and Essex.
The run includes two nights at London’s Cadogan Hall on 12 and 13 October before finishing at The Anvil in Basingstoke on 24 October.
Justin Hayward’s ‘The Story In Your Eyes’ UK tour dates for October 2026 are:
Wednesday 7th – Torquay, Princess Theatre
Thursday 8th – Truro, Hall For Cornwall
Saturday 10th – Salisbury, City Hall
Monday 12th – London, Cadogan Hall
Tuesday 13th – London, Cadogan Hall
Wednesday 14th – Aylesbury, Waterside Theatre
Saturday 17th – Dunfermline, Alhambra Theatre
Sunday 18th – Newcastle, Tyne Theatre & Opera House
Tuesday 20th – Bexhill, De La Warr Pavilion
Wednesday 21st – Southend, Cliffs Pavilion
Saturday 24th – Basingstoke, The Anvil
‘Hello, Young Lovers’ is out now through Universal, giving fans a new Justin Hayward recording to enjoy as the tour gets under way.
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