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Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American hard rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "'''America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band'''". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many subsequent rock artists. The band was formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. Guitarist Joe Perry and bassist Tom Hamilton, originally in a band together called the Jam Band, met up with singer Steven Tyler, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarist Ray Tabano, and formed Aerosmith. In 1971, Tabano was replaced by Brad Whitford, and the band began developing a following in Boston.
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Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier; February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades. With a stage show that features guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, boa constrictors and baby dolls, Cooper has drawn equally from horror movies, vaudeville, and garage rock to pioneer a grandly theatrical and violent brand of heavy metal that was designed to shock.
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Andy Gee
http://wn.com/Andy_Gee -
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene. When thrash metal began to gain a major following in the mid-to-late 1980s, Anthrax were dubbed one of the "big four" of thrash metal alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer.
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Bang Tango
:Bang Tango is also the name of an unofficial release by Nirvana (US band).
http://wn.com/Bang_Tango -
Billy Sheehan
'''William "Billy' Sheehan"''' (born on March 19, 1953, in Buffalo, New York) is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, and Niacin. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player Magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style. Sheehan's repertoire includes the use of chording, two-handed tapping, right hand "three finger picking" technique and controlled feedback. However, Sheehan is also noted as a steady "true" bassist, fulfilling the traditional supportive role of the electric bass in the rock rhythm section. He has been a member of the Church of Scientology since 1971 and appeared on the street offering to defend it during Project Chanology.
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Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman; May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has been a major figure in music for six decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was at first an informal chronicler, and later an apparently reluctant figurehead of social unrest. A number of his songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" became anthems for the American civil rights and anti-war movements. His early lyrics incorporated a variety of political, social and philosophical, as well as literary influences. They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed hugely to the then burgeoning counterculture. Initially inspired by the songs of Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, and the performance style of Little Richard, Dylan has both amplified and personalized musical genres, exploring numerous distinct traditions in American song—from folk, blues and country to gospel, rock and roll, and rockabilly, to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and swing.
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Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger (born May 6, 1945) is an American rock musician and singer-songwriter.
http://wn.com/Bob_Seger -
Brian Robertson
Brian "Robbo" Robertson (born 12 February 1956) is a Scottish rock guitarist, best known for his work with Thin Lizzy and Motörhead.
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Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949), nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band. Springsteen is widely known for his brand of Heartland rock infused with pop hooks, poetic lyrics, and Americana sentiments centered on his native New Jersey.
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Carmine Appice
Carmine Appice (born December 15, 1946) is an American rock drummer of Italian background and is the older brother of drummer Vinny Appice by 12 years. He received a classical music training and was influenced by the jazz drumming of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa early on. Appice is best known for his associations with Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, and the power trio Beck, Bogert & Appice.
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Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding (born Peter Robinson, 17 June 1944, Staveley, Derbyshire) is an English rock and roll and jazz guitarist, best known for his session work. Allmusic states - "Spedding is one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, and has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as sporadically attempting a solo career. The fact that he never quite broken through to stardom, except in his native England and parts of Europe, and in professional music circles, is more a result of bad timing and worse luck than any lack of talent or commitment on his part."
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Chris Tsangarides
Chris Tsangarides is a British Grammy-nominated record producer, sound engineer, and mixer. He is best known for his work with many heavy metal bands, including Judas Priest, Anvil, Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy, Helloween, and Yngwie Malmsteen. Tsangarides has worked with many pop and alternative artists as well, including Depeche Mode, Tom Jones, and Concrete Blonde.
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Damon Johnson
Damon Rogers Johnson (born July 13, 1964) is an American born guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter, best known for his work with the hard rock band Brother Cane, and as a guitarist for Alice Cooper. He is currently the lead guitarist and backup vocalist for the country music group Whiskey Falls.
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Darren Wharton
Darren Dean Wharton (born 24 December 1962 in Failsworth, Greater Manchester) is a British keyboard player / singer / songwriter. He has fronted his own band, Dare, since 1989 but first came to attention as a member of Thin Lizzy.
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Dave Flett
Dave Flett (born David Flett in 1950, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland) is a British rock guitarist, chiefly known for his time with Manfred Mann's Earth Band between 1975 and 1978.
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Eric Bell
Eric Robin Bell (born 3 September 1947 in Belfast, Northern Ireland ) is a Northern Irish rock musician and guitarist.
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Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE (born 30 March 1945) is an English blues-rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only person who has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times; as a solo performer, as well as a member of rock bands the Yardbirds and Cream. Throughout his career, Clapton has been viewed by critics and fans alike as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time, Clapton was ranked fourth in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" and #53 on their list of the "Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time". In 2010, Clapton was ranked #4 on ''Gibson's'' Top 50 Guitarists of All Time.
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Eric Wrixon
Eric Wrixon (born 29 June 1947, in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a musician from Northern Ireland. He was a founder member of both Them and Thin Lizzy. It was Wrixon who came up with the enigmatic band name 'Them' but as he was a minor, his parents declined to sign a recording contract on his behalf and he was replaced prior to recording with the band. He would return to play live with Them on a few occasions in subsequent years.
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Frankie Miller
Frankie Miller (born Francis John Miller, 2 November 1949, Bridgeton, Glasgow, Scotland) is a Scottish rock singer-songwriter and vocalist, who had his biggest success in the 1970s. Miller was raised at Colvend Street, Glasgow with his parents, Kathy and Frank, and elder sisters Letty and Anne. He attended Sacred Heart Primary school. He was an altar boy in Sacred Heart Chapel. He also played football for the school team and Harmony Row Boys Club. He wrote for and performed with many recording artists and is best known for his album Full House, the single "Darlin'" and his duet on "Still in Love with You", with Phil Lynott. In an article published in Rolling Stone magazine in 1978 Bob Seger remarked that Miller "was a huge influence" on him.
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Gary Moore
Gary Moore (born Robert William Gary Moore, 4 April 1952) is a guitarist and singer from Belfast, Northern Ireland.
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Hazel O'Connor
'''Hazel O'Connor' (born 16 May 1955, Coventry, England) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of a soldier from Galway who settled in England after World War II to work in a car plant. She became famous in the early 1980s with hit singles "Eighth Day", "D-Days" and "Will You", as well as starring in the film Breaking Glass''.
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Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins (born Henry Lawrence Garfield; February 13, 1961) is an American singer-songwriter, raconteur, stand-up comedian, spoken word artist, writer, publisher, actor, radio DJ, and activist.
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Jeff Beck
Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck (born 24 June 1944) is an English rock guitarist. He is one of the three noted guitarists, along with Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, to have played with The Yardbirds. Beck also formed The Jeff Beck Group, and Beck, Bogert & Appice, besides his successful solo career.
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Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix, November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. He is often considered to be the greatest electric guitarist in the history of rock music by other musicians and commentators in the industry, and one of the most important and influential musicians of his era across a range of genres. After initial success in Europe, he achieved fame in the United States following his 1967 performance at the Monterey Pop Festival. Later, Hendrix headlined the iconic 1969 Woodstock Festival and the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.
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Joe Elliott
Joseph Thomas "Joe" Elliott (born 1 August 1959) is an English singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the British rock band Def Leppard. He is also currently playing in the Mott the Hoople related cover band, Down 'n' Outz.
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John Du Cann
John Du Cann (born John Cann, 1950) is a guitarist primarily known through his work in the 1970s band, Atomic Rooster. His early bands included the Wiltshire-based The Sonics (not to be confused with the 1960s US band of the same name) and London-based The Attack, which released "Hi Ho Silver Lining" a few days prior to Jeff Beck. He went on to lead a psychedelic, progressive, hard rock band called Andromeda, before being asked to join Atomic Rooster. Upon departure from that group in 1971, he led Daemon, then Hard Stuff, both of which were based more heavily on aggressive guitar work. In 1974 he was a temporary guitarist in Thin Lizzy for a tour of Germany. Sometime following this, his manager suggested a name change from John Cann to John Du Cann.
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John Norum
John Norum (born February 23, 1964) is a Swedish hard rock guitarist and co-founder of the Swedish band Europe. Concurrent to his role with Europe, he also maintains a side solo project. During his career, Norum also played with Eddie Meduza & The Roaring Cadillacs, Dokken, Don Dokken's solo band as well as side collaborations with other artists including Glenn Hughes. While living for a few years in the US, he met and married Michelle Meldrum, founder and lead guitarist of the Swedish-American heavy metal band Meldrum. The couple had one son, Jake Thomas, born in September 2004. Meldrum died on May 21, 2008 from a cystic growth in her brain. John Norum is the older brother of the singer Tone Norum.
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John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967, until his death in 2004. He was known for his eclectic taste in music and his honest and warm broadcasting style. He was one of the first broadcasters to play psychedelic rock, reggae and punk records on British radio, and he is widely acknowledged for promoting artists working in various genres including alternative rock, indie rock, pop, hardcore punk, grindcore, death metal, British hip hop and dance music.
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John Sykes
John James Sykes (born 29 July 1959), is an English rock guitarist, who has played with Streetfighter, Tygers of Pan Tang, John Sloman's Badlands, Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake, and Blue Murder, in addition to having a notable solo career.
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Kid Jensen
http://wn.com/Kid_Jensen -
Kirsty McColl
http://wn.com/Kirsty_McColl -
Laurence Archer
Laurence Archer is a guitarist. He is notable for his work with British rock bands UFO and Phil Lynott's Grand Slam. He was also a member of Wild Horses and Medicine Head before retiring from music in 1994.
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Marco Mendoza
Marco Mendoza (born 13 August 1956) is an American musician. He spent his formative years living with his grandmother in Tijuana, Mexico. He started playing the guitar at an early age, adopting the bass when he was invited to join a band that needed a player.
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Mark Nauseef
Mark Nauseef (born June 11, 1953, in Cortland, New York, United States), is a drummer and percussionist who has enjoyed a varied career, ranging from rock music during the 1970s with his time as a member of the Ian Gillan Band and, temporarily, Thin Lizzy, to a wide range of musical styles in more recent times, playing with many notable musicians from all over the world.
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Mastodon (band)
Mastodon is an American metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band comprises bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, lead guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, rhythm guitarist/vocalist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor. They have released four full-length albums to date, expanding their musical borders from early raw sludge and post-hardcore riffs to later psychedelic multi-layered songs, yet maintaining a retro, progressive style with unusual time signatures and odd instrumentation. Being from the southern United States, a country influence is apparent in their sound. One of the key factors to their success is continuous touring all over the world, creating a growing fan base with each new release.
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Midge Ure
James "Midge" Ure, OBE (born 10 October 1953) is a Scottish guitarist, singer, keyboard player, and songwriter. He enjoyed particular success in the 1970s and 1980s in bands including Slik, Thin Lizzy, The Rich Kids, Visage, and most notably as frontman of Ultravox. Ure co-wrote and produced the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and co-organised Band Aid, Live Aid and Live 8 with Bob Geldof. He twice received an Ivor Novello Award with Geldof for co-writing "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Ure acts as trustee for the charity, and serves as ambassador for Save The Children. His stage name, Midge, is a phonetic reversal of Jim, the diminutive form of his real name.
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Paul Cook
Paul Cook (born 20 July 1956, Hammersmith, London) is an English drummer and member of the legendary punk rock band, The Sex Pistols.
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Peter Sutcliffe
Peter William Sutcliffe (born 2 June 1946) is an English serial killer who was dubbed The Yorkshire Ripper. In 1981 Sutcliffe was convicted of murdering 13 women and attacking several others. He is currently serving life imprisonment in Broadmoor Hospital. After conviction, Sutcliffe began using his mother's maiden surname and became known as Peter William Coonan.
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Phil Lynott
Philip Parris "Phil" Lynott (; 20 August 1949 – 4 January 1986) was an Irish singer, bassist, musician, songwriter and poet who first came to prominence as the frontman of Thin Lizzy. He released two solo albums and also formed and fronted the band Grand Slam, right up until his death on 4 January 1986. He was 36 years old.
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Richard Fortus
Richard Fortus (born November 17, 1966) is a professional guitarist who is most famous for being rhythm guitarist in Guns N' Roses.
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Ricky Warwick
Ricky Warwick (born 11 July 1966 at Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland) is probably best known as the frontman for the UK band The Almighty. Starting out as a rhythm guitarist in New Model Army, Ricky formed The Almighty in 1988.
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Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE (born 20 August 1948), is an English rock singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career. In 2007, Plant released Raising Sand, an album produced by T-Bone Burnett with American bluegrass soprano Alison Krauss, which won the 2009 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
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Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer-songwriter born and raised in London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English lineage.
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Ron Nevison
Ron Nevison is an American record producer and engineer. He has worked with many artists. He worked on Quadrophenia by The Who and ''It's Only Rock 'n' Roll by The Rolling Stones. He has also worked with Meat Loaf, The Babys, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne, UFO, Survivor, Jefferson Starship, Kiss, Europe, Grand Funk Railroad and Heart. He worked with Chicago on Chicago 19 and Twenty 1'' album
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Roy Z
Roy Z is a guitarist, songwriter and producer known for his work with Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), Rob Halford and Judas Priest. He also is the founder of Tribe of Gypsies, a hard rock band with Latin influences.
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Rudy Sarzo
Rudy Sarzo is a Cuban American hard rock/heavy metal bassist. Sarzo has played with many well known heavy metal acts including Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio and Blue Öyster Cult.
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Snowy White
Snowy White (born Terence Charles White, 3 March 1948, Barnstaple, Devon) is an English guitarist, known for having played with Thin Lizzy (permanent member from 1979 to 1981) and with Pink Floyd (as a back-up player; he was first invited to tour with the band through Europe and the United States, in 1977, and during The Wall shows in 1980) and, more recently, for Roger Waters' band. He is also known for his 1983 solo effort "Bird of Paradise", which became a UK Singles Chart Top 10 hit single.
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Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro (born June 3, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and actress.
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Tony Visconti
Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer and sometimes a musician or singer.
http://wn.com/Tony_Visconti -
Tygers of Pan Tang
Tygers of Pan Tang are a heavy metal band, formed in 1978 and originating from Whitley Bay, England. They are a notable band of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. The band is named after the pets belonging to an elite group of chaos-worshiping warriors, called the Wizards of Pan Tang, in Michael Moorcock's Elric stories.
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Ultravox
Ultravox are a British New Wave rock band. They were one of the primary exponents of the British electronic pop music movement of the early 1980s. The band was particularly associated with the New Romantic and New Wave movements.
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Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE (born George Ivan Morrison; 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album ''It's Too Late to Stop Now'', are widely viewed as among the greatest ever made.
http://wn.com/Van_Morrison
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Belfast () is the capital of and the largest city in Northern Ireland. It is the seat of devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly. It is the largest urban area in Northern Ireland, the second-largest city in Ireland and the 15th-largest city in the United Kingdom. It is the main settlement in the province of Ulster. The city of Belfast has a population of 267,500 and lies at the heart of the Belfast urban area, which has a population of 483,418. The Belfast metropolitan area has a total population of 579,276. Belfast is also the 100th-largest urban zone in the EU. Belfast was granted city status in 1888.
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Berlin (; ) is the capital city of Germany and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union. Located in northeastern Germany, it is the center of the Berlin-Brandenburg Metropolitan Area, comprising 5 million people from over 190 nations. Geographically embedded in the European Plains, Berlin is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. Around one third of the city's territory is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers and lakes.
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Dublin (; locally or ) is the primate and capital city of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath . The English name is derived from the Irish Dubh Linn (meaning "black pool"). The city has an urban population of over 1 million people and is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the centre of the Dublin Region. Originally founded as a Viking settlement, it evolved into the Kingdom of Dublin and became the island's primary city following the Norman invasion. It is currently ranked 29th in the Global Financial Centres Index, has one of the fastest growing populations of any European capital city, and is listed by the GaWC as a global city (with a ranking of Alpha), placing Dublin among the top 30 cities in the world. It is a historical and contemporary cultural centre for the country, as well as a modern centre of education, the arts, administration, economy and industry.
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Estepona is a town and municipality in the region of the Costa del Sol, southern Spain. It is located in the province of Málaga, part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. Estepona is renowned for its beaches, which stretch along some 21 km of coastline. It is a popular resort and holiday destination.
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The Manchester Apollo is a concert venue in Manchester, England. Locally known as The Apollo, it is a listed building, with a capacity of 3,500 (2,514 standing, 986 seats).
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The Music Hall is a concert hall in Aberdeen, Scotland, formerly the city's Assembly Rooms, located on Union Street in the city centre. It was designed by architect Archibald Simpson, costing £11,500 when it was originally constructed in 1822, opened to the public as a concert hall in 1859, and was extensively renovated in the 1980s.
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Salisbury ( , or locally ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England. It has also been called New Sarum to distinguish it from the original site of settlement to the north of the city at Old Sarum, but this alternative name is not in common use.
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Slane Concert (often referred as just Slane) is a concert held most years since 1981 in Slane Castle in Slane village, County Meath, in Ireland. Slane lies between Navan and Drogheda, about 45 km northwest of Dublin. Concerts typically occur on a Saturday in August, from noon to 22:00. However, the most recent (2009) edition of the event saw Oasis play the castle on 20 June. The grounds of Slane Castle form a natural amphitheatre. Attendance is usually around 80,000 - 100,000.
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Soma (Sanskrit सोम sóma), or Haoma (Avestan), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma-, was a ritual drink of importance among the early Indo-Iranians, and the later Vedic and greater Persian cultures. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, whose Soma Mandala contains many hymns praising its energizing qualities. In the Avesta, Haoma has an entire Yašt dedicated to it.
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The Speakeasy Club, 48 Margaret Street, London, England, was a late-night haunt for the music industry from 1966 to the late 1970s. The club was managed by Laurie O'Leary (a lifelong friend of the Kray twins) from 1968 to 1977 and Roy Flynn, who was also the first manager of Yes. Known in the business as "The Speak", it included a restaurant and music room.
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The O2 is a 14,000-seat amphitheatre located at North Wall Quay in the Dublin Docklands in Dublin, Ireland, which opened on 16 December 2008. The venue is jointly owned by Live Nation and Harry Crosbie (Amphitheatre Ireland Limited) with Live Nation in charge of programme booking and operating the venue. Amphitheatre Ireland Limited have owned and operated the venue led by Mike Adamson (Live Nation) CEO of Amphitheatre Ireland Limited since 1989. The venue has played host to many world renowned performers.
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Wolverhampton () is a city and metropolitan borough in the Black Country area of the West Midlands, England. In 2004, the local government district had an estimated population of 239,100; the wider Urban Area had a population of 251,462, which makes it the 13th most populous city in England.
http://wn.com/Wolverhampton
- abscess
- AC/DC
- Aerosmith
- Alice Cooper
- Allmusic
- Andy Gee
- Angel (band)
- Anthrax (band)
- Atomic Rooster
- Bang Tango
- BBC
- BBC Radio 1
- Belfast
- Berlin
- Billboard (magazine)
- Billy Sheehan
- Blue Murder (band)
- BMG Special Products
- Bob Daisley
- Bob Dylan
- Bob Geldof
- Bob Seger
- Bobby Tench
- Brian Robertson
- Bruce Springsteen
- Carmine Appice
- Celtic music
- Celtic mythology
- Chris Spedding
- Chris Tsangarides
- classic rock
- Colosseum II
- country music
- Damon Johnson
- Dare (band)
- Darren Wharton
- Dave Flett
- Decca Records
- Deep Purple
- Def Leppard
- Deram Records
- Dublin
- EMI
- Eric Bell
- Eric Clapton
- Eric Wrixon
- Estepona
- Extended play
- folk music
- Ford Model T
- Francesco DiCosmo
- Frankie Miller
- frontman
- Funky Junction
- Future plc
- Gary Moore
- Gonzalez (band)
- Grand Slam (band)
- Guns N' Roses
- Hammersmith Apollo
- Hard rock
- Hazel O'Connor
- heavy metal music
- Henry Rollins
- hepatitis
- Ibiza
- IPC Media
- Irish ballad
- Irish border
- Irish Literature
- Iron Maiden
- Jailbreak (album)
- Jeff Beck
- Jimi Hendrix
- Jimmy Bain
- Joe Elliott
- John Du Cann
- John Norum
- John Peel
- John Sykes
- Johnny the Fox
- Judas Priest
- Kid Jensen
- Kirsty McColl
- Laurence Archer
- Little Feat
- Live and Dangerous
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Manchester Apollo
- Marco Mendoza
- Mark Nauseef
- Mastodon (band)
- Mercury Records
- Metallica
- Midge Ure
- Monsters of Rock
- Music Hall Aberdeen
- Nuremberg
- overdub
- Paul Cook
- Peter Bardens
- Peter Sutcliffe
- Phantom Blue
- Phil Lynott
- Phonogram Records
- Pink Floyd
- pneumonia
- psychedelic rock
- punk rock
- Queen (band)
- Rainbow (band)
- Reading Festival
- reggae
- REO Speedwagon
- rhythm section
- Richard Fortus
- Rick Savage
- Ricky Warwick
- Robert Plant
- Rod Stewart
- Rolling Stone
- Ron Nevison
- Roy Z
- Rudy Sarzo
- Rush (band)
- Salisbury
- Scott Gorham
- Self Aid
- sepsis
- Sex Pistols
- Slade
- Slane Concert
- Snowy White
- Solo in Soho
- Soma
- Sound of White Noise
- Speakeasy Club
- Status Quo
- Still Dangerous
- Suzi Quatro
- The Almighty (band)
- The Beano
- The Cult
- The Dandy
- The O2 (Dublin)
- The Rocker
- The Troubles
- Them (band)
- Therapy?
- Thin Lizzy (album)
- Tommy Aldridge
- Tony Visconti
- Top of the Pops
- Tygers of Pan Tang
- U2
- UK Tour '75
- Ultravox
- Van Morrison
- Vertigo Records
- Vivian Campbell
- Waiting for an Alibi
- Warner Bros. Records
- Whiskey in the Jar
- Whitesnake
- Wishbone Ash
- Wolverhampton
Thin Lizzy Filmography
- Stuck in the Middle (2003) (actor, plays Themselves)
- Hard 'N' Heavy Volume 16 (1991) (actor, plays Themselves)
- (1976-06-17) (1976) (actor, plays Themselves)
- (#1.4) (1973) (actor, plays Themselves)
- Shoes (1973) (actor, plays Themselves)
- (1976-12-23) (1964) (actor, plays Themselves)
- (1973-02-01) (1964) (actor, plays Guest)
- (1976-07-29) (1964) (actor, plays Themselves)
Thin Lizzy
Releases by year: 2011 2010 2002 2001 1994 1993 1990 1975 1974
Album releases
Johnny the Fox (Released 2011)
- Johnny
- Rocky
- Borderline
- Don't Believe a Word
- Fools Gold
- Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed
- Old Flame
- Massacre
- Sweet Marie
- Boogie Woogie Dance
Jailbreak (Released 2011)
- The Boys Are Back in Town (remix)
- Jailbreak (remix)
- The Boys Are Back in Town (Alt vocal-remix version)
- Emerald (remix)
- Jailbreak (BBC session)
- Emerald (BBC session)
- Cowboy Song (BBC session)
- The Warrior (BBC session)
- Fight or Fall (extended version-Rough mix)
- Blues Boy
- Derby Blues
Thin Lizzy (Released 2010)
- The Friendly Ranger at Clontarf Castle
- Honesty Is No Excuse
- Diddy Levine
- Ray-Gun
- Look What the Wind Blew In
- Eire
- Return of the Farmer's Son
- Clifton Grange Hotel
- Saga of the Ageing Orphan
- Remembering, Part 1
- The Farmer
- Dublin
- Remembering, Part 2: New Day
- Old Moon Madness
- Things Ain't Working Out Down at the Farm
- Look What the Wind Blew In (1977 Overdubbed & remixed version)
- Honesty Is No Excuse (1977 Overdubbed & remixed version)
- Dublin (1977 Overdubbed & remixed version)
- Things Ain't Working Out Down at the Farm (1977 Overdubbed & remixed version)
The Hero and the Madman (Released 2002)
- Little Girl in Bloom
- Chatting Today
- Randolph's Tango
- Remembering, Part 2 (New Day)
- A Song for While I'm Away
- Gonna Creep Up on You
- Baby Face
- Brought Down
- Honesty Is No Excuse
- Clifton Grange Hotel
- The Hero and the Madman
- Things Ain't Working Out Down on the Farm
- Diddy Levine
- I Don't Want to Forget How to Jive
- Ray-Gun
- Call the Police
- Slow Blues
- The Friendly Ranger at Clontarf Castle
Renegade (Released 2002)
- Angel of Death
- Renegade
- The Pressure Will Blow
- Leave This Town
- Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)
- No One Told Him
- Fats
- Mexican Blood
- It's Getting Dangerous
Thunder and Lightning (Released 2002)
- Thunder and Lightning
- This Is the One
- The Sun Goes Down
- The Holy War
- Cold Sweat
- Somebody Is Going to Hit Back
- Baby Please Don't Go
- Bad Habits
- Heart Attack
Black Rose: A Rock Legend (Released 2001)
- Do Anything You Want To
- Toughest Street in Town
- S & M
- Waiting for an Alibi
- Sarah
- Got to Give It Up
- Get Out of Here
- With Love
- Roísín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend
The Peel Sessions (Released 1994)
- Whiskey in the Jar
- Rosalie
- Suicide
- Emerald
- Cowboy Song
- Jailbreak
- Don't Believe a Word
- Little Darling
- Still in Love With You
- Vagabonds of the Western World
- Little Girl in Bloom
- Killer Without a Cause
- Bad Reputation
- That Woman's Gonna Break Your Heart
- Dancing in the Moonlight
Shades of a Blue Orphanage (Released 1993)
- The Rise and Dear Demise of the Funky Nomadic Tribes
- Buffalo Gal
- I Don't Want to Forget How to Jive
- Sarah
- Brought Down
- Baby Face
- Chatting Today
- Call the Police
- Shades of a Blue Orphanage
Bad Reputation (Released 1990)
- Soldier of Fortune
- Bad Reputation
- Opium Trail
- South Bound
- Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in Its Spotlight)
- Killer Without a Cause
- Downtown Sundown
- That Woman's Gonna Break Your Heart
- Dear Lord
Chinatown (Released 1990)
- We Will Be Strong
- Chinatown
- Sweetheart
- Sugar Blues
- Killer on the Loose
- Having a Good Time
- Genocide
- Didn't I
- Hey You
Fighting (Released 1975)
- Rosalie
- For Those Who Love to Live
- Suicide
- Wild One
- Fighting My Way Back
- King's Vengeance
- Spirit Slips Away
- Silver Dollar
- Freedom Song
- Ballad of a Hard Man
Studio Sessions 1974 (Released 1974)
- Things Ain't Working Out at the Farm
- Ghetto Woman
- Little Darling
- Little Girl in Bloom
- Little Darling
- Showdown
- Slow Blues (instrumental)
- Sitamoia
- Little Darling
- Black Boys on the Corner
- It's Only Money
- Still in Love With You
- Sitamoia
- She Knows
- It's Only Money
- Sha La La
- Philomena
- Banshee
- Philomena
Night Life (Released 1974)
- She Knows
- Night Life
- It's Only Money
- Still in Love With You
- Frankie Carroll
- Showdown
- Banshee
- Philomena
- Sha-La-La
- Dear Heart
Tower Theatre, Philadelphia 1977 Complete Edition
- Introduction
- Soldier Of Fortune
- Jailbreak
- Johnny
- Warriors
- Dancing In The Moonlight
- Massacre
- Still In Love With You
- Cowboy Song
- The Boys Are Back In Town
- Opium Trail
- Don't Believe A Word
- Emerald
- Bad Reputation / Drum Solo
- Baby Drives Me Crazy
- Me And The Boys
- Are You Ready
Vagabonds of the Western World
- Mama Nature Said
- The Hero and the Madman
- Slow Blues
- The Rocker
- Vagabond of the Western World
- Little Girl in Bloom
- Gonna Creep Up on You
- A Song for While I'm Away
Black Rose Sessions
- Rock Your Love
- A Night in the Life of a Blues Singer
- Cold Black Night
- Hate
- With Love
- Parisienne Walkways
- Black Rose
- Got to Give It Up
- Toughest Street in Town
- Don't Believe a Word
- Ode to a Black Man
- Spanish Guitar
- Parisienne Walkways
- Are You Ready?
- Blackmail
- Waiting for an Alibi
- Fanatical Fascists
- Leaving Town
- Just the Two of Us
The Boys Are Back in Town
- Beat on the Drum
- Somebody Else's Dream
- A Night in the Life of a Blues Singer
- Don't Play Around
- Trouble Boys
- Memory Pain
- Just the Two of Us
- A Merry Jingle
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name | Thin Lizzy |
---|---|
landscape | yes |
background | group_or_band |
origin | Dublin, Ireland |
genre | Hard rock, heavy metal |
years active | 1969–1984, 1996–2001, 2004–present |
label | Decca, Vertigo, Mercury (US), BMG, EMI, Deram, Warner Bros. (US) |
associated acts | Skid Row, Funky Junction, Grand Slam, Wild Horses, Dare |
website | |
current members | Brian DowneyScott GorhamDarren WhartonMarco MendozaRicky WarwickDamon Johnson |
past members | Phil LynottEric BellEric WrixonGary MooreBrian RobertsonMidge UreSnowy WhiteJohn SykesTommy AldridgeRandy GreggMichael LeeFrancesco DiCosmoVivian CampbellRichard Fortus
}} |
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. The two founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of thirteen studio albums. Thin Lizzy are best known for their songs "Whiskey in the Jar", "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back in Town", all major international hits still played regularly on hard rock and classic rock radio stations. After Lynott's death in 1986, various incarnations of the band have emerged over the years based around guitarists Scott Gorham and John Sykes, though Sykes left the band in 2009.
Thin Lizzy's de facto leader, Lynott was composer or co-composer of almost all of the band's songs. He was one of the few black musicians to achieve commercial success in hard rock, and the first black Irishman to do so. Thin Lizzy boasted some of the most critically acclaimed guitarists throughout their history, with founders Downey and Lynott as the rhythm section, on the drums and bass guitar. As well as being multiracial, the band drew their members not only from both sides of the Irish border but also from both the Catholic and Protestant communities during The Troubles. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including country music, psychedelic rock, and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or sometimes heavy metal. Rolling Stone magazine describes the band as distinctly hard rock, "far apart from the braying mid-70s metal pack".
Allmusic critic John Dougan has written that "As the band's creative force, Lynott was a more insightful and intelligent writer than many of his ilk, preferring slice-of-life working-class dramas of love and hate influenced by Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, and virtually all of the Irish literary tradition." Van Morrison, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix were major influences during the early days of the band, and later influences included American artists Little Feat and Bob Seger.
History
Early years (1969–1974)
Thin Lizzy were founded one night in late December 1969 in Dublin, Ireland, when Belfast guitarist Eric Bell met up with organist Eric Wrixon in a pub and found that they shared an ambition to form a group. Both musicians had previously played with Them, fronted by Van Morrison. The same night, they went to see the band Orphanage, which featured vocalist Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey. Bell and Wrixon introduced themselves after the gig and suggested the four of them form a band together. Lynott and Downey were aware of Bell's good musical reputation, and agreed with the condition that Lynott play bass guitar as well as sing, and that they perform some of his own compositions.In July 1970, Thin Lizzy released a single, "The Farmer"/"I Need You", on EMI with the B-side written by John D'ardis, who owned Trend Studios where the single was recorded. The single only sold 283 copies and is now a collectors' item. Wrixon left the band before the single's release, meaning there was a greater share of income for the three remaining members. He moved to Europe before returning to Belfast, rejoining his old band, Them. By the end of the year, Thin Lizzy were signed to Decca Records, and they travelled to London in January 1971 to record their debut album, Thin Lizzy. The album sold moderately well but did not chart in the UK despite airplay and support from influential DJs John Peel and Kid Jensen.
Around March 1971, the band permanently relocated to London, before the release of the unsuccessful "New Day" EP in August. Despite poor sales, Decca agreed to finance the band's second album Shades of a Blue Orphanage, released in March 1972. Like the previous LP, the songs were filled with Lynott's personal anecdotes and references to his life in Dublin and the people he knew there. Musically the style was Celtic, with little warning of the hard rock direction that the band were to take in the future. Again, the album did not chart in the UK.
In mid-1972, Thin Lizzy were asked to record an album of Deep Purple covers, which was released under the title Funky Junction Play a Tribute to Deep Purple. No mention was made of Thin Lizzy on the record. Vocals and keyboards were handled by members of another band, Elmer Fudd, and a few instrumental tracks composed by the band were also included on the album. The album was released in January 1973.
"Whiskey in the Jar"
In late 1972, the band embarked upon a high-profile tour of the UK with Slade, who were enjoying a string of hit singles at the time, and Suzi Quatro. Around the same time, Decca decided to release Thin Lizzy's version of a traditional Irish ballad, "Whiskey in the Jar", as a single. The band was angry at the release, feeling that the song did not represent their sound or their image, but the single topped the Irish chart, and reached no. 6 in the UK in February 1973, resulting in an appearance on Top of the Pops. It also charted in many countries across Europe. However, the follow-up single, "Randolph's Tango", was a return to Lynott's more obscure work, and it only charted in Ireland.The band's next album, Vagabonds of the Western World was released in September 1973 to positive reviews, but again failed to chart. The accompanying single "The Rocker" again only charted in Ireland, and the momentum gained from their hit single was lost.
Eric Bell suddenly left the band on New Year's Eve 1973 after a gig at Queen's University Belfast, due to increasing ill-health and disillusionment with the music industry, and young ex-Skid Row guitarist Gary Moore was recruited to help finish the tour. Moore only lasted until April 1974, but the band recorded three songs with him, including the version of "Still in Love with You" that was included on the fourth album Nightlife.
With the departure of Moore, Thin Lizzy had to recruit two temporary guitarists to complete a tour of Germany, ex-Atomic Rooster guitarist John Cann, and Berliner Andy Gee, who had played with Peter Bardens and Ellis. Neither were considered as permanent members, and Lynott and Cann did not get on well personally. After the tour, and with the contract with Decca coming to an end, a disillusioned Downey quit the band and had to be begged to return.
Auditions were held for new members, and Lynott and Downey eventually settled on the 18 year old Scottish guitarist Brian Robertson, and Californian Scott Gorham. The new line-up gelled quickly, dropped most of the old songs when they played live, and secured a new record deal with Phonogram, but the resulting album Nightlife was a disappointment for the band due to its soft production and underdeveloped style. Robertson described Ron Nevison's production as "pretty naff" and Gorham said the record was "ridiculously tame". Like the previous three albums, it failed to chart.
"The Boys Are Back in Town" (1975–1977)
In early 1975, Thin Lizzy toured the USA for the first time, in support of Bob Seger and Bachman–Turner Overdrive. When BTO toured Europe later in the year to support their hit single "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", Thin Lizzy again accompanied them on what was a very high-profile tour. They then recorded the Fighting album, which became the first Thin Lizzy album to chart in the UK, reaching no. 60, although the singles still did not chart. It showed the first real evidence of the twin guitar sound that would lead the band towards their greatest successes, particularly with the dual harmonies of "Wild One" and both guitarists' soloing on "Suicide".
After a successful multi-band tour in support of Status Quo, the band recorded the album Jailbreak, which proved to be their breakthrough record. Released on 26 March 1976, it featured the worldwide hit "The Boys Are Back in Town" which reached no. 8 in the UK, and no. 12 in the US, their first charting record in that country. The twin guitar sound had been fully developed by this time and was in evidence throughout the album, particularly on the hit single, and other tracks such as "Emerald" and "Warriors". The album also charted well on both sides of the Atlantic, and the follow-up single, "Jailbreak", also performed well. Thin Lizzy toured the US in support of various bands such as Aerosmith, Rush and REO Speedwagon, and they planned to tour there again in June 1976, this time with Rainbow. However, Lynott fell ill with hepatitis and the tour was cancelled, which set them back a few months.
While Lynott was ill, he wrote most of the following album, Johnny the Fox. The album was recorded in August 1976 and the sessions began to reveal tensions between Lynott and Robertson; for example, there was disagreement over the composition credits of the hit single "Don't Believe a Word". Lynott was still drawing on Celtic mythology and his own personal experiences for lyric ideas, which dominated Johnny the Fox and the other albums of Thin Lizzy's successful mid-1970s period. The tour to support the album was very successful and there were further high-profile TV appearances, such as the Rod Stewart BBC TV Special.
A further tour of the USA was planned for December 1976, but it had to be cancelled when, on 26 November, Brian Robertson suffered a hand injury when trying to protect Scottish singer and friend Frankie Miller in a fracas at the Speakeasy Club in London. Miller had been jamming onstage with the reggae band Gonzalez, but had been drunk, offending Gonzalez guitarist Gordon Hunte. Hunte attacked Miller with a bottle in the dressing room, and Robertson intervened, suffering artery and nerve damage to his hand. Robertson subsequently broke Hunte's leg, broke the collarbone of another man, and headbutted another, before being hit on the head with a bottle, rendering him unconscious.
Robertson maintains that, contrary to reports at the time, he was not drunk and had only gone to the venue for a meal. Lynott was angry and replaced Robertson with Gary Moore for another tour of the States, this time supporting Queen. The tour was a success and Lynott asked Moore to stay on, but he returned to his previous band, Colosseum II. Robertson had not been sacked but was unsure of his position and made plans to start another band with Jimmy Bain of Rainbow.
Thin Lizzy flew to Canada in May 1977 as a trio to record Bad Reputation, with Gorham handling all the guitar parts. A month into the sessions Robertson joined them, in his own words, "as a session player" and in Lynott's words, "as a guest". Robertson added lead guitar tracks to two songs, and was officially reinstated later in the year. The album was released in September and sold well, reaching no. 4 in the UK, after a successful single, "Dancing in the Moonlight (It's Caught Me in Its Spotlight)". Also in 1977, Thin Lizzy headlined the Leeds Festival.
The return of Gary Moore (1978–1979)
In 1978, Lizzy released their first live album Live and Dangerous. There is some disagreement over just how much of the album is actually recorded live – producer Tony Visconti claimed that the only parts that weren't overdubbed were the drums and the audience. However Brian Robertson has refuted this, saying that he had refused Lynott's request to re-record a guitar solo, and that the only overdubs were backing vocals and some guitar parts by Gorham. He added, "It's just not true. The only reason we said that it was recorded all over was obviously for tax reasons... so everything that Visconti claims is bollocks." The album was a huge success, reaching no. 2 in the UK, and was ranked as the best live album of all time by Classic Rock Magazine in 2004. But this success was overshadowed by the permanent departure of Robertson some time after a gig in Ibiza on 6 July 1978, the disagreements with Lynott having developed to an impossible level. Robertson soon teamed up with Jimmy Bain to front their new band, Wild Horses.Lynott replaced Robertson with Gary Moore again, and around this time the band loosely joined forces with Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols, and also Chris Spedding and Jimmy Bain, to form The Greedy Bastards, who played a small number of gigs playing a varied selection of songs. In this way Lynott was able to align his band with the punk movement and avoid being tagged as a 'dinosaur' as many other 1970s rock bands had been.
In August the band began another tour of the USA, followed by a trip to Australia and New Zealand. Brian Downey did not accompany them, citing exhaustion and preferring to spend some time in Ireland with his sick son. He was replaced for the tour by American drummer Mark Nauseef. On their return, Downey rejoined the band and at the beginning of 1979 they recorded Black Rose: A Rock Legend in Paris. The sessions were marked by the increasing drug habits of Lynott and Gorham, and the general presence of drugs around the band. This also showed in the subject matter on the album, in songs such as "Got to Give It Up". Celtic influences remained, however, particularly in the album closer "Róisín Dubh", a seven-minute medley of traditional Irish songs given a twin guitar rock veneer. Two singles, "Waiting for an Alibi" and "Do Anything You Want To", were successful, and the album reached no. 2 in the UK. A third, moderately successful single, "Sarah" was Lynott's ode to his new-born daughter.
However, in July 1979, Gary Moore abruptly left Thin Lizzy in the middle of another tour of the USA. Years later, Moore said he had no regrets about walking out, "but maybe it was wrong the way I did it. I could've done it differently, I suppose. But I just had to leave." Gary Moore died of a heart attack in Estepona, Spain on 6 February 2011, aged 58.
After Moore's departure, Thin Lizzy continued the tour for a few nights as a trio before Lynott brought in Midge Ure to replace him on a temporary basis. Ure had prior plans to join Ultravox, but had co-written a song, "Get Out of Here", with Lynott on Black Rose: A Rock Legend, and agreed to help Thin Lizzy complete their touring commitments. The band headlined the Leeds Festival for the second time in 1979.
Before a tour of Japan beginning in September, Lynott decided to bring in another guitarist, Dave Flett, who had played with Manfred Mann's Earth Band, to enable Ure to switch to playing keyboards where necessary. The tour was completed successfully, but the line-up now contained two temporary members, and Lynott was spending a lot of time on projects outside Thin Lizzy, including composing and producing material for other bands, as well as putting together his first solo album, "Solo in Soho". Lynott also reactivated The Greedy Bastards, who released a one-off Christmas single, "A Merry Jingle", in December 1979 as simply The Greedies. With the group now composed of Lynott, Gorham and Downey with Sex Pistols Jones and Cook, the single reached no. 28 in the UK.
Later years and break-up (1980–1983)
While Lynott searched for a permanent guitarist, he and the other members of Thin Lizzy, past and present, worked on Solo in Soho which was released in April 1980, and the next Thin Lizzy album, Chinatown. Lynott also got married during this time, and his wife gave birth to a second daughter in July. Dave Flett had hoped to be made a permanent member of Thin Lizzy but Lynott chose Snowy White, who had played with Pink Floyd and Peter Green. Midge Ure was still acting as a temporary keyboard player at gigs during early 1980, but was replaced by Darren Wharton shortly after White joined the band. Wharton was only 17 at the time and was initially hired on a temporary basis. This new line-up completed the Chinatown album between short tours, and two singles were released from it. The first, "Chinatown", reached no. 21 in the UK, but the second, "Killer on the Loose", reached the top 10 amid much adverse publicity due to the ongoing activities of serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, known as "The Yorkshire Ripper".Chinatown was finally released in October 1980, and reached no. 7 in the UK, but by this time Thin Lizzy albums were not even reaching the top 100 in the USA. After a successful tour of Japan and Australia, the band undertook what was to be their final tour of the USA in late 1980. At the beginning of 1981, Lynott began work on his second solo album, using Thin Lizzy members among a large group of backing musicians. Around the same time, the band were recording material for the next Thin Lizzy album, and as before, the sessions seemed to merge to the extent that musicians were not always sure which album they were working on. Producer for the Thin Lizzy sessions, Chris Tsangarides, stated, "The feeling of confusion was in the air in that sometimes nobody knew if they were working on a Phil solo record or a Lizzy album." Snowy White had previously felt that, as a member of Thin Lizzy, he should have been paid as a session player to appear on Lynott's solo recordings.
In April 1981, the band's first 'greatest hits' album was released, and The Adventures of Thin Lizzy reached no. 6 in the UK. But a stand-alone single, "Trouble Boys", only reached no. 53, the band's worst chart placing since 1975. According to White and Wharton, Lynott was the only person who wanted to release it, and nobody else liked the song. "Trouble Boys" had even been pencilled in as the title for the new album, but the single's chart failure resulted in the song being dropped from the album and the title changed to Renegade. One highlight for the band at this time was headlining the first-ever Slane Castle concert on 16 August, with support from Kirsty McColl, Hazel O'Connor and U2.
Lynott's second solo album, The Philip Lynott Album, was delayed until 1982 while Renegade was completed and released in November 1981. The album was not successful, only reaching no. 38 in the UK and no. 157 in the US. A single, "Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)", also flopped. Despite only two songs from the album being written solely by Lynott, and other members of the band contributing more to the compositions, both Gorham and Wharton have since stated their dissatisfaction with some of the songs, such as "Angel of Death", "Fats" and "Mexican Blood". Wharton's photo was omitted from the band photos on the back of the record sleeve, despite the fact that he was by this time a permanent member of the band. "It hurt me a great deal", he said.
"Thunder and Lightning"
The beginning of 1982 was marred by both Downey and Gorham having to take breaks from touring to recover from personal problems. Downey was beaten up at a nightclub in Denmark, and Gorham was suffering from drug-induced exhaustion. Later in the year, Lynott went on a solo tour and released his second solo album, which did not sell particularly well. Snowy White left the band in August 1982, having tired of the disorganised schedules and Lynott's drug problems, although by his own admission he was too restrained and quiet to fit in well with his more raucous bandmates. White went on to achieve top ten chart success in the UK with his single "Bird of Paradise" in 1983. Long-time co-manager Chris O'Donnell also left at this time, later stating, "A once-brilliant band was turning to crap before my very eyes."
Lynott wanted to find a replacement for White before starting to record the next album, which would turn out to be the band's last. By September 1982, he had settled on John Sykes who had been a member of Tygers of Pan Tang, and he co-wrote the first single from the album, "Cold Sweat", although the rest of the album had already been written. Thunder and Lightning was released in March 1983, and was much more successful than its predecessor, reaching no. 4 in the UK. Sykes' presence had rejuvenated the band musically, the composing credits were evenly shared, and the style had grown much heavier, veering towards heavy metal.
The tour to support the album was to be a farewell tour, although Lynott was not convinced that this would be the end of the band. Sykes wanted to continue, although Gorham had had enough. The tour was successful, and some concerts were recorded to compile a live album. Partway into the tour, many of Thin Lizzy's past guitarists were invited onstage to contribute to some of the songs they had originally recorded, the only exception being Snowy White. The album was released in October 1983 as Life and reached no. 29 in the UK. The tour continued while two more singles were released, the last of them, "The Sun Goes Down", only reaching no. 52 in August. Lynott also undertook another solo tour, accompanied by Downey and Sykes, under the name of The Three Musketeers.
After a difficult leg of the tour in Japan, where some members of the band had difficulty obtaining heroin, Thin Lizzy played their final UK concert before their break-up at the Reading Festival on 28 August 1983, which was eventually released in 1992 as their BBC Radio One Live in Concert album. The last concert came in Nuremberg on 4 September, at the Monsters of Rock festival, after which the band went their separate ways.
Post-Thin Lizzy projects and tributes (1985–1996)
Before the end of 1983, Phil Lynott formed a new band called Grand Slam, but they were never able to secure a contract with a record company and split by the beginning of 1985. Sykes and Downey initially agreed to be a part of the band, but Sykes joined Whitesnake and Downey also changed his mind. Lynott began to focus more on his solo career and enjoyed a no. 5 hit single "Out in the Fields" with Gary Moore in May 1985. The song, composed by Moore, was taken from his solo album Run for Cover featuring various contributions from Lynott. Lynott's solo efforts did not fare so well, and his last single, "Nineteen", only reached no. 76 in the UK.Before his death, Lynott was planning a third solo album, and had spoken to Downey about a possible reformation of Thin Lizzy around March 1986, with Gorham and Sykes, and had booked studio time for January of that year. However, he died in hospital in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on 4 January 1986, aged 36, having suffered from internal abscesses, pneumonia and septicaemia, brought on by his drug dependency, which led to multiple organ failure.
On 17 May, Thin Lizzy reformed for the Self Aid concert, with a line-up of Gary Moore, Downey, Gorham, Wharton and Bob Daisley on bass. Bob Geldof and Moore handled most lead vocals, though various singers got onstage for "Whiskey In The Jar". A compilation album, Soldier of Fortune, was released in 1987, and also that year, the "Vibe for Philo" tribute concert in Lynott's memory was organised by Dublin DJ and promoter Smiley Bolger, which continues on an annual basis on the anniversary of Lynott's death.
The remaining members of Thin Lizzy did not work together until the recording of the single "Dedication" in October 1990, when a rough demo of Lynott's was worked into a finished song to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his death. The song dated from the Grand Slam days and had been originally written with guitarist Laurence Archer. Modern recording techniques were used to replace the guitar and drum tracks with new work by Downey and Gorham. Gary Moore had agreed to participate as well, but ultimately did not do so. The song charted in the UK at no. 35 during early 1991, and no. 2 in Ireland, and featured on another greatest hits compilation album, Dedication: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy, released in February of that year, which reached no. 8 in the UK album chart. However, a follow-up reissue of "The Boys Are Back in Town" only reached no. 63 in the UK, although it peaked at no. 16 in Ireland.
Following this, numerous small reunion projects began to appear. In 1991, a line-up featuring Robertson and Downey performed with Bobby Tench on lead vocals, ex-Grand Slam member Doish Nagle on guitar and Doug Brockie on bass. They toured Ireland briefly with a series of "An Evening of Thin Lizzy" concerts. In August 1994, Downey, Bell, Robertson and Wharton held a tribute concert in Wolverhampton, together with tribute bands Limehouse Lizzy, Ain't Lizzy and Bad Habitz. Another version of Thin Lizzy was formed later that year by John Sykes (now also performing lead vocals) with Downey, Gorham and Wharton, and with bass parts played by Marco Mendoza, who had played with Sykes in Blue Murder from 1991–1993. The tour was advertised as a tribute to Phil Lynott. This line-up also played at the Vibe for Philo gig on 4 January 1996, with a number of other notable musicians including Eric Bell, Midge Ure, Henry Rollins, Therapy? and Joe Elliott and Rick Savage from Def Leppard.
In 1994, a collection of Thin Lizzy tracks from the BBC Radio 1 Peel Sessions was released, and yet another compilation album was brought out in 1996, called Wild One: The Very Best Of Thin Lizzy. This was successful, although strangely it did not feature the title track, "Wild One".
On 20 August 1996, Rude Awakening bassist Robert Ryder held "A Celebration of the Life of Philip Lynott" at the Palace in Hollywood, California at the request of Lynott's mother, Philomena, to commemorate both Phil Lynott's birthday and the tenth year of his passing. Philomena Lynott, her partner Dennis Keeley, and Smiley Bolger (Ireland's Vibe For Philo promoter) were flown to Los Angeles by Ryder to make a personal appearance at the show. It featured concert performances by Rude Awakening, Billy Sheehan, Rudy Sarzo, John Norum, Carmine Appice, Phantom Blue, Soma, producer Roy Z and his band the Tribe of Gypsies, Mark Ferrari, Oslo, Bang Tango, Stash, Iron Cross and Ireland's own Mark Dignam.
Thin Lizzy without Lynott (1996–present)
In 1996 John Sykes decided to reactivate Thin Lizzy, presenting the band as a tribute to Phil Lynott's life and work. He decided to take on the role of lead vocals himself in the absence of Lynott, and persuaded Scott Gorham, Brian Downey and Darren Wharton to return to the fold. To complete the line-up, Marco Mendoza continued in Lynott's role as bass player. They received criticism for using the Thin Lizzy name without Lynott being present, but the band only played hits from Thin Lizzy's back catalogue, and did not compose any new material.In 1997, Tommy Aldridge filled in on drums when Brian Downey was unable to, and became a full member when Downey left shortly thereafter. This line-up remained stable through to 2000, when the group recorded a live album, One Night Only. The band went on to tour the US playing clubs in early 2001, but Wharton had already left the band by the time of the tour. Sykes released two solo albums in the gap in between 2002–03, while Gorham worked with his band 21 Guns.
Wharton later stated that Thin Lizzy would have been better suited to playing fewer concerts, in bigger venues. He also felt that after the experience of fronting his own band Dare, it was not satisfying enough to play keyboards behind Gorham and Sykes. Sykes has said that all the previous Thin Lizzy members were welcome to play with Thin Lizzy at any time.
In 2004, Thin Lizzy worked together again, with Sykes and Gorham bringing in ex-Angel bassist Randy Gregg, and drummer Michael Lee, who had played with Robert Plant and The Cult among others. They toured in North America in both the winter and then the summer as special guests of Deep Purple. This line-up proved temporary however, with Mendoza returning in 2005, and Aldridge returning in 2007. There were no plans for a new album though Thin Lizzy continued to tour. At the London Hammersmith Apollo concert of 13 December 2007, the line-up was Sykes, Gorham, Aldridge and Francesco DiCosmo on bass.
Sykes stated that Thin Lizzy was now "more of a tribute thing" and that it would be wrong to record new material under that name. He added that while the existing band members might record together, it would not be as Thin Lizzy. In 2007, Gorham said that Lynott still receives the biggest cheer of the night at concerts, and that the current Thin Lizzy is not active simply for money. "We'd stop if we thought we were just going through the motions... I think that has a lot to do with the songs – if they were inferior, then maybe we would have got tired of it all. But they're not and we haven't," he said.
It had been announced that Thin Lizzy, along with The Answer, were to support AC/DC at stadium shows in England, Ireland and Scotland at the end of June 2009, but these appearances were cancelled after drummer Aldridge broke his collarbone in an accident. On 30 June, the band's website announced that Sykes had left Thin Lizzy and all shows for the rest of 2009 were cancelled or postponed. Gorham stated that he would announce Thin Lizzy's future plans shortly. In a statement, he said, "It's been a very tough time of late for myself and the band, firstly with drummer Tommy Aldridge's injury and now the subsequent decision for John and the rest of the group to go their separate ways. I can only apologise to everyone who has supported us over the years, but we will be back up to full speed soon."
In September 2009, Scott Gorham began to assemble the latest version of Thin Lizzy. In May 2010, after months of work and preparation, a new line-up was announced. Joining Gorham was original drummer Brian Downey, long-standing keyboardist Darren Wharton, Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell, and singer Ricky Warwick from The Almighty, while Marco Mendoza returned to fill the bass guitar role. In addition to a full UK and European tour kicking off in January 2011, the band initially announced a concert for 4 January at the O2 Arena in Dublin, which would be in conflict with the "Vibe for Philo". The tour itself started on 6 January at the Music Hall Aberdeen in the UK, with the band finishing the tour in The Olympia Dublin on 17 February 2011. In March 2011, Gorham told Billboard.com that Thin Lizzy may record a new album in the future, saying "That's the No. 1 question we're getting from people – are we gonna record some new material? The fans seem to trust this line-up, and I don't blame them. We've kind of jumped this emotional hurdle together. Ricky's writing some fucking killer lyrics, and with the kind of talent that's in Thin Lizzy now I think we can pull off a really cool set of tunes. At least it's something that we can think about now, where before it wasn't on the table."
It was announced in April that Vivian Campbell would have to leave Thin Lizzy to rejoin Def Leppard after one final gig on 28 May. He was replaced by Guns N' Roses guitarist Richard Fortus. On 28 August, it was announced that Damon Johnson of Alice Cooper's band would be replacing Fortus for Thin Lizzy's tour of the US with Judas Priest. Fortus returns to tour with Guns N' Roses for the rest of the year.
Other Thin Lizzy releases and tributes
A boxed set of four CDs of Thin Lizzy material was released in December 2001 as Vagabonds, Kings, Warriors, Angels. It contained all of the band's major hits, and included some rare songs, such as the first single "The Farmer", and single B-sides. In 2004 and 2006, two further greatest hits compilations were released, with 2004's double CD Greatest Hits climbing all the way to No. 3 in the UK album chart.On 19 August 2005, Gary Moore staged a concert at the Point Theatre, Dublin, promoted as "The Boy Is Back in Town". The concert was staged to mark the unveiling of a bronze statue of Lynott on Dublin's Harry Street in the city centre. The performance also featured Brian Downey, Eric Bell, Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham. A DVD of the concert was released as One Night in Dublin: A Tribute to Phil Lynott.
On 8 September 2008, a 15-track album UK Tour '75 was released featuring the band performing at Derby College on 21 November 1975. The album includes a 20-page booklet of previously-unseen photos, liner notes written by Brian Downey and extra material of the band jamming during their soundcheck.
In March 2009, VH1 Classic Records issued the band-authorised Still Dangerous: Live At The Tower Theatre Philadelphia, 1977, a live CD recorded on the Bad Reputation tour. It was produced by Gorham and Glyn Johns, and Johns also mixed the record. It reached No. 98 in the UK chart. Gorham has suggested there will be further archival releases in the future.
On 24 January 2011, Universal Music issued remastered and expanded editions of Jailbreak, Johnny the Fox and Live and Dangerous. Jailbreak and Johnny the Fox are double CD editions with the second disc containing outtakes, BBC session recordings and newly remixed versions of two of that particular album's tracks. Live and Dangerous also comes as a double CD set, with two bonus tracks which are both unused live recordings. Previous CD editions of Live and Dangerous were single discs.
Origin of the band name
The band's original guitarist Eric Bell, who was a fan of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, bought a copy of The Dandy comic after seeing Eric Clapton depicted reading a copy of its sister publication The Beano on the cover of the 1966 album Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton. He suggested Tin Lizzie, the name of a robot character from the comic, itself named for the common nickname for the iconic Ford Model T car. Bell also suggested they change 'Tin' to 'Thin' to play on the Irish accent's propensity to drop the 'h'. After a while, Lynott and Downey agreed to the idea and the name stuck, as they thought the confusion was amusing and would create a talking point. For some of their early gigs, the band were mistakenly promoted as "Tin Lizzy" or "Tin Lizzie".
Style and legacy
From 1974, Thin Lizzy switched from using one lead guitarist to two. Though others had earlier used similar techniques, Thin Lizzy are widely recognised as one of the first hard rock bands to employ double lead guitar harmony sound – a technique pioneered by Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac and Wishbone Ash in the UK, whilst independently in the USA by Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers Band. This style was later refined and popularised in the mid-1970s by bands like Thin Lizzy and Judas Priest, and later by the emerging New Wave of British Heavy Metal groups such as Iron Maiden and Def Leppard. Iron Maiden covered the song "Massacre" from Thin Lizzy's Johnny the Fox album, and released it on their 1988 single Can I Play with Madness. A cover of "Cowboy Song" appears on "Sound of White Noise" by Anthrax as the bonus track for album's Japanese release.Thin Lizzy is also the major inspiration for modern heavy metal bands, most notably Metallica and Mastodon. Mastodon covered Thin Lizzy's classic "Emerald", which has been included as a bonus track for their Japanese release of their album Remission. They have played the song live several times, including an acoustic version with Scott Gorham on guitar.
Band members
;Current members
;Former members
Discography
References
External links
Category:Irish hard rock musical groups Category:Rock music groups from Northern Ireland Category:Irish heavy metal musical groups Category:Music from Dublin (city) Category:Mercury Records artists Category:Decca Records artists Category:EMI Records artists Category:Warner Bros. Records artists Category:Musical groups established in 1969 Category:Musical quartets
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