In a career dating back to the 1960s he has played with bands including Thin Lizzy, Colosseum II, Greg Lake and Skid Row as well as having a successful solo career.
Moore started performing from a young age and got his first good guitar at the age of 14. In a career lasting over 30 years he has demonstrated that he is a fine musician, and his unique style of playing has adapted to very different music genres, including jazz rock jazz, blues, electric blues, hard rock, celtic rock and heavy metal.
One of his most famous non-blues records is Wild Frontier, his first studio album after a trip back to his native Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1985, this album has several songs about Ireland and even the music itself is steeped in Celtic roots. The title track was intended to be sung by Phil Lynott, however Lynott's death in January 1986 prevented that. The album is dedicated to Lynott's memory, with the words "For Philip" on the rear cover.
Wild Frontier contains the hit "Over the Hills and Far Away", which reached #20 in the UK as well as a cover of the Australian band The Easybeats' hit of the middle of the 1960s, "Friday on My Mind". The Max Middleton-penned "The Loner" was originally recorded by Cozy Powell for his Over the Top album in 1979 (which Moore did perform on, albeit not on Powell's recording of "The Loner"), but was substantially altered by Moore for his own recording, thus he was credited as a co-writer.
For blues fans, Moore's best recorded, live performance on video is "LIVE BLUES" recorded in a small night club in London and was released in 1992 on VHS. It is now available on DVD as well. "LIVE BLUES" also features two songs with B.B. King appearing on stage with Moore. "The Thrill Is Gone" on this recording is probably the best version of this, complete with More's Midnight Horns, female backup singers and dueling guitars. Many of Moore's standard songs are on this 90 minute show and were mixed better than most of the studio versions of the same tunes for a very rich and full sound. Even Moore's voice sounds better than it usually does in the studio. Moore did not seem interested in touring the United States.
Connection with Peter Green
According to numerous interviews he has given to guitar magazines, he was the protege of British Blues pioneer Peter Green, whom he had always admired ever since the Bluesbreakers days. When Green quit Fleetwood Mac and the entire music scene, he sold his famous nasal-sounding 1959 Gibson Les Paul to Moore for the same price that Moore had managed to sell his then guitar (a Gibson SG) for. The nasal sound of the neck pickup on Green's guitar was not, as used to be believed, the result of the pickup having been turned backwards, but instead its two coils had been - perhaps accidentally - reconnected in parallel and out of phase, as per the "in between" positions of a Fender Stratocaster. Moore has used this guitar in the recordings of some songs of his albums Still Got The Blues, After Hours and Blues For Greeny. Green and Moore also reportedly had a disagreement regarding what guitar the former was playing in the song "Albatross". Moore insists it was the Les Paul, because the guitar tone was particularly warm and rich in the bass, while Peter Green maintains he was using a Strat, as the vibrato in that song was not finger vibrato, but subtle tremolo arm vibrato. Up to the day of his death, Green and Moore remained good friends.
Guitars used
Over the years Gary has used numerous guitars. These include: Peter Green's 1959 Gibson Les Paul, Peter Green's 1961 Fender Stratocaster and 1950s Gibson Les Paul Junior. He has also used guitars from Charvel, Ibanez, Hamer, Jackson and Heritage. Amplification has generally come from Marshall, though Soldanos and Fender have also been used, as well as transistor-driven Dean Markley units (especially in the studio). He also has used numerous effects over the years. these include; Delay units such as the Echoplex, Overdrive/Booster units such as the Boss DS-1, Ibanez Tubescreamer variants, Marshall Bluesbreaker and Guv'nor pedals as well as Wah-Wah pedals such as the Vox Wah. He appears nowadays to favour Gibson and Fender Guitars through Marshall amps with any of the above Overdrive pedals and Wah pedals to make his sound.
Solo career
In 1973 he released his first solo album as the Gary Moore Band. In 1979 his solo career started again with help from Phil Lynott, the combination of Gary's blues based guitar and Phil's voice produced "Parisenne Walkways" which reached the UK Top Ten in April 1979 and the no.2 album 'Black Rose'. After a series of powerful rock records Gary returned to blues music with Still Got the Blues, with contributions from B. B. King, Albert King and Albert Collins the album was well received by fans and a huge success. Gary stayed with the blues format until 1997 when he decided to experiment with modern dance beats in Dark Days In Paradise; this left many fans as well as the music press confused. Back to the Blues saw Gary return to the tried and tested blues format.
Albums
* Grinding Stone, 1973
* Parisienne Walkways, 1977
* Back on the Streets, 1978
* Corridors of Power, 1982
* Live at the Marquee, 1983
* Rockin' Every Night - Live in Japan, 1983
* Victims of the Future, 1983
* Dirty Fingers, 1984
* We Want Moore, 1984
* Run for Cover, 1985
* Wild Frontier, 1987
* After the War, 1989
* Still Got the Blues, 1990
* After Hours, 1992
* Blues Alive, 1993
* Ballads & Blues 1982-1994, 1994
* Blues For Greeny, 1995
* Dark Days in Paradise, 1997
* Out in the Fields - The Very Best of Part 1, 1998
* Blood of Emeralds - The Very Best of Part 2, 1999
* A Different Beat, 1999
* Back to the Blues, 2001
* Power Of The Blues, 2004
* Old New Ballads Blues, 2006
* Close As You Get, 2007
* Bad For You Baby, 2008
Singles
* Parisienne Walkways
* Out in the Fields
* Empty Rooms
* Wild Frontier
* Still Got the Blues
The Future (2005-present)
Later on in 2006, Gary will support BB King on his 'Farewell UK Tour'. It unfortunately did not lead to a tour of the United States with BB King.
The studio album entitled 'Old New Ballads Blues' was a follow up of 2004's 'Power of the Blues' and it featured new material as well as new versions of fan favourites 'Midnight Blues' and 'All your Love'
Gary Moore has also sold his Les Paul that was given to him by Peter Green to a private owner.
On February 6th 2011, he died from a heart attack in his sleep while on holiday in Spain.
External links
* The Official Gary Moore World Wide Website: http://www.gary-moore.com/
* The Lord Of The Strings - World Wide Gary Moore Fansite: http://www.garymoore.hu/eng.htm Thanks for the music.
Kidnapped
Gary Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then lonely I'll be gone.
Don't know what I'll be doin',
Somehow I think it's wrong.
Been hosting like a gangster,
Just tryin' to hide the clues.
But the way I feel, I can't believe it,
I didn't even make a move.
I just wanna be kidnapped,
Tied and gagged and bound to the chair,
If you dare.
I'm just kidnapped,
Cause you're stealing my love
And I swear you don't care.
It must be a conspiracy
Your fiendish mind has planned.
No ransom note, no blackmail letter,
No evidence at hand.
I can try to run, I can try to hide,
I can pass right out, commit suicide.
But baby, it's no use for me,
You won't be denied.
I just wanna be kidnapped,
Tied and gagged and bound to the chair,
If you dare.
I'm just kidnapped,
Cause you're stealing my love
And I swear you don't care.
It's easy in this place and time,
So easy to get trapped.
With a woman like you and a gift like that,
I just wanna be kidnapped, kidnapped, kidnapped.
It's easy in this place and time
So easy to get trapped.
With a woman like you and a gift like that
I just wanna be kidnapped,
Tied and gagged and bound to the chair,
If you dare.
I'm just kidnapped,
'cause you're stealing my love
And I swear you don't care.
I'm just kidnapped,
Tied and gagged and bound to the chair,
If you dare.
I'm just kidnapped,
'cause you're stealing my love
And I swear you don't care.
I'm just kidnapped,
Tied and gagged and bound to the chair,
If you dare.
I'm just kidnapped,
'cause you're stealing my love
And I swear you don't care.
I'm just kidnapped.
And every time I see your face (tied and gagged and bound to the chair),
I don't know what do do (if you dare).
I'm just kidnapped,
You've got to hold me for ransom ('cause you're stealing my love),
Looks like the plan is due (and I swear you don't care).
I'm just kidnapped.
Kidnapped, kidnapped, kidnapped (tied and gagged and bound to the chair),
Kidnapped, kidnapped, kidnapped (if you dare).
I'm just kidnapped (I'm just kidnapped),
'cause you're stealing my love
And I swear you don't care.
The lyrics of Gary Moore's song Kidnapped reflect the feeling of being helpless and trapped in a love relationship. He is falling for a woman's charm, yet he is aware that she doesn't care about his feelings. Moore describes his state of mind as if he has been taken captive against his will. He uses the metaphor of kidnapping to convey the idea that he wants to be captured by her love, as he feels compelled to remain under her influence, despite his better judgment. Moore displays a sense of vulnerability and resignation as he realizes that he is powerless to break free from this emotional captivity.
Moore's lyrics suggest that he is in a state of agony, as he confesses his love for the woman, knowing that she will not reciprocate it. He seems to be questioning why he is drawn to her, and why he can't resist her charm, despite his awareness of the consequences. Moore portrays himself as a victim of his own feelings, who is simultaneously overwhelmed and unable to resist, his affection for this woman. Kidnapped underscores the emotions of infatuation and anxiety about being vulnerable in love.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm falling for your sweet face,
I am developing feelings for you based on your physical appearance.
Then lonely I'll be gone.
If this does not work out, I will be upset and alone.
Don't know what I'll be doin',
I am uncertain about my future actions.
Somehow I think it's wrong.
I have a feeling that this is not the right course of action.
Been hosting like a gangster,
I am acting suspiciously, as if I am hiding something.
Just tryin' to hide the clues.
I am attempting to conceal evidence of my actions.
But the way I feel, I can't believe it,
Despite my efforts to hide my feelings, I am surprised by their strength.
I didn't even make a move.
Despite my feelings, I have not taken any action or made my intentions clear.
I just wanna be kidnapped,
I want to be taken hostage or held against my will in some way.
Tied and gagged and bound to the chair,
I want to be physically restrained so that I cannot escape.
If you dare.
I am daring the listener to take action and fulfill my desire to be kidnapped.
Cause you're stealing my love
I feel as if the listener is taking my affections without my permission.
And I swear you don't care.
I am convinced that the listener is not concerned about my feelings or desires.
It must be a conspiracy
I believe that the situation is part of a larger plot or plan.
Your fiendish mind has planned.
I am accusing the listener of being responsible for the situation due to their cunning.
No ransom note, no blackmail letter,
I am noting the absence of typical kidnapping-related communication.
No evidence at hand.
There is no clear proof of wrongdoing or evidence of a kidnapping.
I can try to run, I can try to hide,
I am considering my options for escaping or avoiding the situation.
I can pass right out, commit suicide.
I am so overwhelmed by the situation that I am considering extreme actions.
But baby, it's no use for me,
I realize that none of my options are likely to be successful.
You won't be denied.
I am convinced that the listener will be successful in their efforts to keep me kidnapped.
It's easy in this place and time,
I perceive the situation as being favorable for the listener's actions.
With a woman like you and a gift like that,
I attribute the situation to the listener's desirable qualities that make it easy to fall for them.
And every time I see your face (tied and gagged and bound to the chair),
Even as I am restrained, I feel intensely drawn to the listener based on their appearance.
I don't know what do do (if you dare).
I am uncertain about my actions or the next steps in the situation.
You've got to hold me for ransom ('cause you're stealing my love),
I feel that the listener is holding me hostage in order to take my affections.
Looks like the plan is due (and I swear you don't care).
I am convinced that the listener has a plan and that they are not concerned about my feelings.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind