The Mood® ‘History’

  The Mood® was founded in the early 1980s by Boston area musicians, Arthur Orfanos and the late Richard Pontes (1962-1996).

  In 1981, Arthur met Mark Rivera who at the time was playing in the band Foreigner. Mark graciously accepted Arthur’s offer to play his Gibson Les Paul at a concert at the Boston Garden which Arthur brought for him to use onstage.

  During the years Arthur and Richard have been acquainted on various occasions with many established musicians including; Joe Pet, Edgar Winter, Johnnie Lee Hooker, Billy Wyman, Billy Joel, Ginger Baker, Peter Wolf, Leon Russell, Foreigner, Brad Delp, Tom Scholtz, John Entwistle, Maureen Tucker, Sterling Morrison and the Members of Rush; also radio personalities: Harvey Wharfield, Bill Smith and George Taylor Morris and others

  Having written over forty songs and recording many of them, in 1992, The Mood recorded a two song disc featuring original songs "Lena" and "Run, Boy" which was included on a compilation CD; "U.S. Rock n’ Roll Anthology Vol. 1" (Mentor Music) in 1992 and was also featured on "Boston Music Showcase" (WCGY FM) and was in the top 10 in 1992-93, reaching No. 2.

  Arthur co-produced the band’s first full length CD; The Mood “Live from the Boston Tea Party" which was released in 1995. The CD received favorable reviews and airplay on local, national and international radio.

  The Mood continued performing in the New England area and the [Tea Party] CD was circulated, acquired and logged into music libraries of Paramount, Universal and other independent film studios with some interest in the U.S. and abroad until the untimely death of Drummer, Richard Pontes in 1996.

  Songs from "Live from the Boston Tea Party" appeared on the soundtrack of an independent film:
“3 Days... 3 Hours... 3 Minutes... 3 Seconds...” (Triple Sticks Productions 1999)

  The reviews of the CD claimed the similarity of the music to that of Pink Floyd and Arthur's vocals reminiscent of David Gilmour and Alan Parsons. This inspired Arthur to establish and comprise a Pink Floyd tribute band simply naming it: The Mood "A Tribute to Pink Floyd” in 1998.

  The Mood began performing as a Pink Floyd tribute band during 2000-2001 in New England and the Northeast keeping its integrity and individuality as the main distinctiveness it held among any other tribute band was maintaining their own identity and ability to perform original music: not just copying every aspect of Pink Floyd.

  Briefly acquainted with ex-KISS guitarist Mark St. John (1956-2007) who admired The Mood CD and Arthur’s involvement with creating the Pink Floyd tribute band and extended an invitation to Arthur to visit him in the Los Angeles area, to play and record.

  The positive direction of The Mood as a Pink Floyd tribute was tarnished and subsequently destroyed when the band met two unscrupulous individuals, one of which, a professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston and employee of Sweetwater Music, who infiltrated the Great Pink Floyd, stealing sound files and backing tracks from this icon of rock and roll while conducting repairs to the band’s equipment at Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough Massachusetts during the "PULSE" tour in 1994.

   In an effort to selfishly proclaim greatness, it was insisted that the pirated copyrighted works be used for performances. Arthur objected and protested to the theft and also to the use of the stolen sound files; this ultimately resulted in his forced eviction from the band in 2001.

  The Great Pink Floyd and the recording industry is made a laughingstock by these individuals as: the original works that were pirated directly from Pink Floyd's equipment were being used, and are currently being used by two Pink Floyd tribute bands who continue to fool and defraud the general public, industry personnel and also PINK FLOYD, to which they claim they pay tribute. Arthur has no involvement with either band and is not affiliated or associated with them in any way.

  Arthur has completed an autobiography entitled "TRIBUTE: The Dark Side of The Mood" which tells the accounts of his experiences as a professional musician in the tribute band genre; the band’s inception and demise, the stolen Pink Floyd sound effects, their use and other interesting legal issues that transpired.

  Currently in communication with industry professionals, Arthur is seeking representation for publication of his book (unpublished as of this writing) and accepting proposals from literary agents, publishers and also now available for interviews by any media outlet interested in giving its audience a first-hand intimate account of the story.

  Songs for The Mood's second CD project When Angels Sing have been in production. Arthur will consider assistance, collaborative efforts and contributions from other professional minded musicians interested in this recording project.