Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band who formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1969. The band was originally led by bassist, songwriter and singer Phil Lynott. They are best known for their songs “Whiskey in the Jar”, “Jailbreak”, “The Boys Are Back in Town” and “Bad Reputation”, all major international hits still played regularly on hard rock and classic rock radio stations.

Critic for allmusic.com John Dugan 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.”[1] Van Morrison was a major influence as revealed in an interview with Phil Lynott in the movie Thin Lizzy the Rocker: A Portrait of Phillip Lynott. American groups Little Feat and Bob Seger also influenced Lizzy.[2] Their music covered much territory (including hints of country and traditional folk music), but is generally classified as traditional hard rock or heavy metal.

Though others had earlier used similar techniques, Thin Lizzy is widely recognised as one of the first hard rock bands to employ double lead guitar harmony (the twin guitar clash) - a technique pioneered by 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 by bands of the emerging New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden especially. The latter group in particular has praised Thin Lizzy extensively and even covered the song “Massacre” from Lizzy’s popular Live and Dangerous album. Examples of this dual guitar harmony technique include “The Boys Are Back in Town” and “Cowboy Song” from Jailbreak. Brian Robertson’s unconventional use of the wah-pedal as an extension of the instrument during soloing rather than as a purely rhythmic effect, as described in the Total Accuracy video “Still in Love with the Blues” (featuring Brian Robertson & Stuart Bull), is a distinctive and influential sound.

Lynott is one of the few black men to achieve significant success in hard rock. As well as being a multiracial band, members were drawn from both sides of the Irish border and from both Catholic and Protestant communities.[4][5]
Thin Lizzy was ranked #51 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.

History
With Phil Lynott (1969-1983)
The group was founded in late 1969 in Dublin, Ireland, by Lynott, guitarist Eric Bell, electric organist Eric Wrixon and drummer Brian Downey. Wrixon was gone by early 1970, and tiring of the limited possibilities in Dublin, the group relocated to London in 1971.

Signing a contract with Decca Records, Thin Lizzy’s first hit came in 1973, with “Whiskey in the Jar”, a version of a traditional Irish song.

However, the group initially had problems matching the success of “Whiskey…”, and after a disastrous gig, where a drunken Bell walked offstage, leaving Lynott and Downey alone onstage, Bell left the group by mutual consent. His immediate replacement was Lynott’s former Skid Row band mate and guitarist Gary Moore who stayed long enough to record a number of tracks including the single ‘Little Darlin’ and ‘Still In Love With You’ (which he co wrote but wasn’t credited, although towards the end of his life, after Lizzy’s breakup, Lynott was always the first to confirm that ‘Still In Love With You’ was “Gary’s Song”) and securing a new record deal with Phonogram Records. After this Lynott and Downey regrouped, recruiting Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson as guitarists to make what was arguably the classic (and most successful commercially) Thin Lizzy lineup.
Fighting (1975) was their first album success, however the following album, Jailbreak, was a smash hit thanks to the singles “Jailbreak” and “The Boys Are Back in Town”, their most successful and remembered songs.

Robertson quit the group in 1978, and was replaced by Gary Moore, then a succession of guitarists (including Midge Ure at one stage), though the group was sometimes reduced to the core trio of Lynott, Gorham and Downey.

Thin Lizzy live in Oslo, Norway in 1977
During the late 1970s and early 80s, Thin Lizzy played to a rabid fanbase but was unable to break into mainstream markets. Unlike most established rock musicians, Lynott was a vocal supporter of early punk rock; this endeared him to some punk musicians and fans, but many more punks rejected Thin Lizzy as a useless relic.

Their live shows at this time were no-nonsense, no special effects affairs relying purely on the music and Lynott’s rapport with the fans. Encores would feature Lynott seemingly ignoring repeated requests from the crowd for “The Rocker”. Eventually, he would say “This is what I want to play… a song called The Rocker” and the band would launch into the crowd favourite. Their critically acclaimed live album Live and Dangerous has been called one of the best examples in the genre of concert recordings, having been voted the best live rock album of all time by readers of Classic Rock (magazine), as reported by the BBC.

One notable highlight for the band in their latter days was headlining the first ever Slane Castle concert in 1981 - and like all Irish dates, the final encore was a crowd pleasing “Whiskey In the Jar”. The supporting lineup that day included Kirsty McColl, Hazel O’Connor and U2.

After a farewell tour in 1983, Lynott dissolved Thin Lizzy and focused on his solo career. Lynott continued his solo career, which he had begun while still with the group with the album Solo in Soho, yielding hits in “Dear Miss Lonely Hearts”, “King’s Call” (featuring Mark Knopfler on guitar), and “Yellow Pearl” (used in the early 80s as the theme tune for the BBC programme Top of the Pops). He also recorded a rock’n'roll medley single in 1983, “We Are The Boys (Who Make All The Noise)” with Roy Wood, Chas Hodges and John Coghlan.

Post-breakup
Breakup and various reunion projects (1985-1996)
In 1985, Gary Moore and Phil Lynott rekindled their friendship and working relationship. Shortly afterwards they released a single together called “Out in the Fields”. With Brian Downey present on drums (he had become a frequent drummer on Moore’s solo albums), this single put the early 1974 lineup of Thin Lizzy back together. However, the single was released as “Gary Moore and Phil Lynott”, not Thin Lizzy. The song, composed by Gary, was lifted from his solo album Run for Cover featuring various contributions from Phil.

Lynott died in January 1986 from heart failure - a result of years of drug abuse. In the Summer of that year, the band reformed for Self Aid. Bob Geldof and Gary Moore both handled most lead vocals, though all of the band did for Whisky in the Jar. This lineup featured Bob Daisley on bass in Lynott’s absence, but otherwise featured Thin Lizzy’s last lineup - Gorham, Downey and Wharton.

After this, the band members did not work together until the recording of the single “Dedication” in 1991, when a rough demo of Lynott’s was worked into a finished song to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his death. Modern recording techniques were used to replace the guitar and drum tracks with new work by Brian Downey and Scott Gorham. The song also featured on a greatest hits compilation album, Dedication: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy. This is the only post-Lynott studio track to have been published by the band - several previously unheard live tracks have been published though.

Following this, numerous small reunion projects began to appear. In 1993, a lineup featuring Robertson and Downey performed with Bobby Tench on lead vocals, Doish Nagle on guitar and Dough Brookie on bass. They toured Ireland briefly as “An Evening With The Thin Lizzy Band”. Another version of Thin Lizzy touring as “A Tribute to Phil Lynott” formed shortly after, in 1994, retaining Downey but also containing Sykes (now also performing lead vocals), Gorham, Wharton and with bass parts played by Marco Mendoza.

Another compilation album called Wild One: The Very Best Of Thin Lizzy was released in 1996. It was supposed to include a new version of the title track, based on master tapes mixing original Lynott performances with new music. However the master tapes disappeared (presumed stolen), and the project was cancelled. The album appeared as a 2 CD set in Japan, with lots of rare/unreleased live recordings and B-sides. Because of this last minute ditching of the new version of “Wild One”, the song did not appear on the album at all despite being in the name and having lyrics from it quoted on the back of the album cover.
[edit]Reformation (1996-present)

In 1996 latter-day guitarist of Thin Lizzy, John Sykes decided to try and re-assemble 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 Brian Downey and Scott Gorham to return to the fold. To complete the lineup, Marco Mendoza (who played with Sykes in Blue Murder from 1991-1993) filled Lynott’s shoes playing bass. Darren Wharton, who had been the band’s only official keyboardist, also joined. Lizzy itself had only had a keyboardist as an official member from 1980-1984, but it added to the new Thin Lizzy’s credibility nontheless.

In 1997, Tommy Aldridge filled in on drums when Brian Downey was unable to. He became a full fledged member when Downey left shortly, feeling the group was “too disorganised”. This lineup remained stable through to 2000, when the group recorded a live album, One Night Only. The band went on hiatus from 2000 until 2004, with Sykes releasing two solo albums in the gap in between (he would release one more in 2005).

Once again in 2004, Thin Lizzy returned. This time, Sykes and Gorham brought in Randy Gregg on bass (formerly of Angel) and Michael Lee on drums (Robert Plant, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Cult). This lineup proved temporary however, with Mendoza returning in 2005, and Aldridge returning in 2007. There are however, no plans for a new album though the band continues to tour. At the London Hammersmith Apollo concert of 13 December 2007 the lineup was Sykes, Gorham, Aldridge and Francesco DiCosmo on bass, as confirmed on ThinLizzyLive.com, the ‘official’ website of the touring band.
[edit]Origin of the band name

The origin of the band name was described by Brian Downey in an interview in the 2007 DVD Live and Dangerous: The band’s lead guitarist Eric Bell, who was a fan of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, bought a copy of Beano comic[7] 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. Bell suggested Tin Lizzie, the name of a robot character from the comic. Lynott liked the idea, but added an “h” and made the “ie” into “y”, which became Thin Lizzy.

One Night in Dublin: A Tribute to Phil Lynott
In 2005, Gary Moore (Thin Lizzy guitarist 1974, 1977, 1978-1979) and his band (Jonathan Noyce from Jethro Tull and fellow former-Lizzy member Brian Downey) performed a tribute concert to Phil Lynott in Dublin called “The Boy is Back in Town”. It featured a guest performance by Scott Gorham, and others from former Thin Lizzy guitarists Brian Robertson and Eric Bell.[8].

Thin Lizzy band members
Present Lineup
Lead Vocals: John Sykes (1994, 1996-present)
Guitar: John Sykes (1982-1984, 1994, 1996-present)
Guitar: Scott Gorham (1974-1984, 1986, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996-present)
Bass: Marco Mendoza (1994, 1996-2001, 2005-present)
Drums: Tommy Aldridge (1997-2001, 2007-present)

Former members
Original Lynott-era members of the band
Phil Lynott - lead vocals, bass, acoustic guitar (1969-1984)
Brian Downey - drums (1969-1984, 1986, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996-1998)
Eric Wrixon - keyboards (1969-1970)
Eric Bell - guitars (1969-1973, 1983)
Scott Gorham - guitars (1974-1984, 1986, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996-present)
Gary Moore - guitars (1974, 1977, 1978-1979, 1983, 1986)
Brian Robertson - guitars (1974-1978, 1983)
Snowy White - guitars (1980-1982)
Darren Wharton - keyboards (1980-1984, 1986, 1994, 1996-2001)
John Sykes - guitars (1983)

Post-Lynott reunion band members
Bob Geldof - lead vocals (1986)
Bob Daisley - bass (1986)
Bobby Tench - lead vocals (1993)
Doish Nagle - guitars (1993)
Dough Brookie - bass (1993)
Randy Gregg - bass (2004-2005)
Michael Lee - drums (2004-2006)
[edit]Temporary touring members
Andy Gee - guitars (1974)
John Du Cann - guitars (1974)
Mark Nauseef - drums (1978)
Midge Ure - guitars (1979)
Dave Flett - guitars (1979)

Discography
Studio albums
Thin Lizzy (1971)
Shades of a Blue Orphanage (1972)
Vagabonds of the Western World (1973)
Nightlife (1974)
Fighting (1975)
Jailbreak (1976)
Johnny the Fox (1976)
Bad Reputation (1977)
Black Rose: A Rock Legend (1979)
Chinatown (1980)
Renegade (1981)
Thunder and Lightning (1983)
Live albums
Live and Dangerous (1978)
Life (1983)
BBC Radio One Live in Concert (1994)
The Peel Sessions (1994)
Boys Are Back in Town: Live in Australia (1999)
One Night Only (2000)
Live videography
Live and Dangerous (2007)
Compilations
The Beginning, Vol 12 (Decca, 1974 - Germany)
Remembering (Decca, 08/76)
Rocker (1971-1974) (London, 1977 - USA)
The Continuing Saga of the Ageing Orphans (Decca, 09/79)
Profile (Decca, 1979 - Germany)
The Japanese Compilation Album (Vertigo, 25/02/80 - Japan)
The Adventures of Thin Lizzy (Vertigo, 27/03/81)
Lizzy Killers (Vertigo, 1981)
Whiskey in the Jar (Decca, 1981 - Germany)
Rockers (Decca, 12/81)
Thin Lizzy - Der Weisse Serie (Decca, 1982 - Germany)
Whiskey in the Jar (Karussell, 1983 - Germany)
The Boys Are Back in Town (Pickwick, 11/83)
The Collection (Castle, 11/85)
Whiskey in the Jar (Pickwick, 04/86)
Soldier Of Fortune (Telstar, 11/87)
Lizzy Lives (Grand Slamm, 03/89 - USA)
Dedication: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy (Vertigo, 04/02/91)
Wild One: The Very Best Of Thin Lizzy (04/01/96)
Whiskey in the Jar (Karussell, Spektrum, Universal, 1996, 1998, 2000)
Master Series (Deram, 1998 - Germany)
The Boys Are Back in Town (Vertigo, 06/12/00 - Sweden)
Vagabonds, Kings, Warriors, Angels (Mercury, 07/12/01 - 4CD Box Set)
Thin Lizzy Greatest Hits (Universal, 07/06/04)
The Definitive Collection (Thin Lizzy) (Island Mercury, 20/06/06)