“There’s a leprechaun backstage:Gary Moore”
Dr. Rox Remember When?
Article #145 March 2023
By: RLSchwinden aka MrZerr0
Special Thanks To:Kenny Rardin.
Being 31% Irish (my Grandma Margie’s Father Charles was from Ireland) I am naturally drawn to Irish musicians (even if they are from Belfast, Northern Ireland) for me the 1st one that comes to mind is Thin Lizzy, like everyone else I discovered them by the song “Boys Are Back In Town” probably on the radio in Jackson, MISS. however about 3 years when we moved back to Sioux City, I used to cruise the “Cut-Out Records Section” (these were records that the Record Labels discontinued manufacturing so they cut or drilled or hole punched the corners so they could not be returned to the Record Label for full credit, and sole from .99 to 4.99.) one day I saw 3 albums by Thin Lizzy “Johnny The Fox” “Bad Reputation” & “Black Rose” with Gary Moore.. Now I loved the album “Johnny The Fox” and “Bad Reputation” was pretty good, but, at the time I could not get into “Black Rose”. I started working at RecordShop #67, Summer of 1986, so I remember when Gary Moore’s “Wild Frontier” CD was released in March 1987, again at the time I was not too impressed. I also remember when “After The War” was released in Jan 1989, this caught my ear as Ozzy sang lead on “Led Clones”. Then Gary released “Still Got The Blues” in March 1990, and the customers came in asking for this ‘New Blues’ CD (Vinyl had stopped production in Dec 1987, science fact) from the NEW Blues Guitarist Gary Moore, I was outraged, I would inform people, Gary has been around since the late 70s (little did I know) so at 37 years old Gary is Hardly a NEW Guitarist …. but in March 1992 Moore releases “After Hours” firmly labeling Gary as a ‘Blues Guitarist’. Then unbelievably Moore, joined Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker to form “BBM” (presumably a failed “Cream” Reunion”) in May 1994.
Now some time in Summer 1992, while working at RecordShop #66 Southridge I rediscovered Thin Lizzy with the CD release of “Radio One BBC Concert” of the 28 August 1983 Reading Festival. I started digging into Thin Lizzy, remember, back then we used the “Phonolog” catalog and “Used Record Stores” (in Des Moines the biggie was ‘Archives’ on University) to find “Out Of Print” titles, while there was an internet, it was primitive at best, if you knew anyone who had it. By this time I had since discovered artists like; U2, Clannad, The Chieftains, The Pogues, Van Morrison, Them, Lorena McKennit, and I had seen Rory Gallager in Omaha in Sep 1982 etc. so I decided to give “Black Rose” another listen, I had already decided this album was so different because of Gary Moore, upon later listening I realized it was way more “Irish” than some of their previous albums. And Then, I fell in love with it, and decided to dig into this Gary Moore. Wow …. the man had really done it all. The amazing thing to me, is, that I found out I liked Gary’s voice way more than his guitar playing, and as for his guitar playing I much preferred his early material to the later blues thing he became famous for. In brief:
He was born Robert William Gary Moore on the 4 April 1952 in Belfast, Northern Ireland and passed away on 6 February 2011; Estepona, Spain. I remember it well. It was a cold Sunday morning when I got the news at Mr. Zer0’s. Gary was naturally left handed but played guitar right handed, I believe this was a contributing factor to Moore’s unique style, using the other side of his brain to play guitar. In early 1970 Moore borrowed and eventually purchased his prized possession “Greeny” which was Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac’s 1959 Gibson Les Paul, with a reversed magnet in the ridge pickup, Moore eventually sold it to Kirk Hammet of Metallica in 2006.
In Gary’s career he has released some 29 Albums and 40 Singles over 10 VHS-DVDs as well as appearing with over 30 other artists such as; Glenn Huges, Ozzy Osbourne, Albert Collins, BB King, Rod Argent, Cozy Powell, Beach Boys, Don Airey, Keith Emerson, Traveling Wilburys, Paul Rodgers, Snowy White, Jack Bruce, Jim Capaldi & Otis Taylor.
Here is a brief list of Gary’s bands:
In 1964 he was with ‘The Beat Boys’ which mostly performed ‘Beatles’ songs. They later became ‘Platform Three’ and then he was in ‘The Method’ before he moved to Dublin in 1968. Once in Dublin he was in the band ‘Skid Row’ Moore joined in 1970 where he met Phil Lynott, the 1st of many times the 2 would work together, Phil left and the band released 2 albums “Skid” on CBS in November 1970 and “34 Hours” in 1971 and 4 singles.
My friend Kenny Rardin of “Rardin Guitars” in St. Paul, Mn. 55104 has this story to tell about Gary Moore.
Kenny Rardin: “I was in the band ‘My Friends’ and we were one of the bands on the “All English Rock Show” in late 70 or early’ 71 also on the bill was the Irish band ‘Skid Row’ with Gary Moore, which by the way Gary refused to play under the “Union Jack” (British Flag) hanging as the back drop of the stage, so they had to take it down during ‘Skid Row’s’ set. One of the members of ‘My Friends’ came to me and said “There’s a little leprechaun warming up backstage and he’s’ really good!” Well Gary invited us back, and this was my 1st encounter real encounter with a real rock star, and he was so nice and so early on. I (Kenny) had this little red ’63 Gibson SG Gary tried to buy it from me. At the time Moore was using a ’57 Fender Strat, and a ’58 Les Paul Jr. sanded down unfinished and clear coated playing through a VOX AC30. We jammed together through the same amp trading Clapton licks Gary would play the same licks as I did. Familiar licks like the 1 & 4 on the E and B and other Jazz licks from the time. Just take a listen the song “Night Of The Warm Witch” by Skid Row on the ’34 Hours’ album and you’d swear the intro on the 1st track the hammer on, was sped up, well I saw it live and I can tell you it was not Gary could play that fast, even back then. He could have blown me away but he didn’t, he was a genuinely nice guy. One thing he was not the best singer back then for example he could not say “Think” it came out as “Tink” with his Irish accent. His band fired one of their roadies, and I asked him if I could take his place and Gary told me “Sorry, no. You need to continue playing” so they took our roadie. My friend Chuck C. and he went to England with “The Gary Moore Band” At this time Gary had 3 days off and we told him he could stay with us at our band house, so he did. We had this Martin 12 string acoustic, it was hardly playable. The action (string height) was so high. But Gary just shredded on it. See back then, Gary did not travel with his own guitars, they went with the production company. We stayed in touch over the years, but I did not like to bother him, although, one time I did have a ’59 Gibson Les Paul I tried to sell to Gary later on for $1800.oo, Moore said “No, that’s too much” (Rardin also sold a guitar to Paul Stanley of KISS, Paul’s famous Black Firebird on the cover of ‘Alive!’) My friend Chuck told me as Moore got older he got persnickety to work with; it seemed to be right after the bar fight with a famous drummer, where Moore was quite disfigured on his face. Gary seemed to be problematic to work with, for example he felt if you did not bend up to pitch you were just sour”
After ‘Skid Row’ Moore created The Gary Moore Band and released the album “Grinding Stone” in May 1973. In early 1974 Moore was asked by his old band mate Phil Lynott to join Thin Lizzy to replace a recently departed Eric Bell and finish out the tour. Moore recorded 3 songs with Thin Lizzy before leaving in mid 1974 including “Still In Love With You” “Showdown” and “It’s Only Money”. Moore would return in Jan 1977 to help finish out a tour, and would return again in Aug 1978, at this time Moore recorded his solo album “Back On The Streets” with Lynott and Downey on 5 songs, the album was released in Jan 1979. While in Thin Lizzy Moore finally completed a whole album with the band the album being “Black Rose” unfortunately Moore left for good in July 1979. Strangely Gary and Phil would work together again for the single and video”Out In The Fields b/w Military Man” #5 UK Hit in May 1985. This being the last thing released by Phil while he was alive.
In between his stints with Thin Lizzy Gary was in the band ‘Colosseum II’ from 1975 to 1978 releasing 4 albums. Then after his final stint in Thin Lizzy in 1979 he recorded the album “Dirty Fingers” and then formed the band “G-Force” in 1980 releasing 1 album. Then “Corridors Of Power” in 1982. In Feb 1984 he releases “Victims Of The Future” and tours the USA for this record. He played in the Twin Cities. Here is the dates and setlist.
26, 27 June 1984 in Bloomington at Met Ctr.
*Set List:
Don’t Take Me For A Loser
Shapes Of Things
Murder In The Skies
Victims Of The Future
So Far Away
Empty Rooms
White Knuckles
End of the World
Rockin’ Every Night
Then in Sep 1985 Moore releases what is probably my favorite album by him “Run For Cover” with one of my favorites vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes on the songs “Reach For The Sky” “All Messed Up” “Out Of My System” and “Nothin To Lose”. Before Gary becomes known only as a Blues Guitarist he joins ’BBM’ “Bruce, Baker & Moore” from 1993 – 94, they release 1 CD, before Moore quits. Ultimately Gary Moore is best remembered for his more than 10 blues CDs and Video concerts, with a style very reminiscent of Carlos Santana. But to me, Gary Moore is a great Irish Vocalist/ Guitarist who was in and out of Thin Lizzy.
Be sure to listen to my WDGY Radio Show on Gary Moore 8am Sunday 2 April 2023 on Radio WDGY: 740AM, Streaming, FM: 92.1, 103.74, 107.1 and you can hear the the last 90 Episodes of the “PsychoGello Show” at www.MrZeoS.Com – Podcast. You can hear “Mr. Zer0’s Evolation Show” and “Hits And History” on www.Mix Cloud.Com.
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