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.
Parisienne Walkways -
Gary Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The champs Elyses
Saint Michel and old Beaujolais wine
And I recall
That you were mine
In those Parisienne days
Those summer days
Spent outside corner cafes
Oh I could write you paragraphs
About my own Parisienne days
The lyrics of "Parisienne Walkways", a song performed by Gary Moore, describe the singer's nostalgic memories of a past love affair that took place in Paris during the summer of 1949. The lyrics paint vivid pictures of the romantic atmosphere of the city, mentioning famous locations such as the Champs Elysees, Saint Michel and Beaujolais wine. The carefree days of sitting outside corner cafes, drinking wine, and enjoying each other's company are contrasted with the present, where the singer looks back at old photographs and longs for those happy times once again.
The lyrics have a melancholic tone throughout and reveal the pain of lost love and a longing to recapture a time that can never be regained. The use of vivid and sensory language, such as the taste of the Beaujolais wine and the sounds of street cafes, creates a feeling of nostalgia and bittersweet longing for the past. The song is a moving tribute to the enduring power of memories and the magic of Paris in the hearts of lovers.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember Paris in '49
I reminisce about the city of Paris in the year 1949.
The champs Elyses
I recall the famous street named Champs-Élysées in Paris.
Saint Michel and old Beaujolais wine
I remember Saint Michel, a district in Paris, where I enjoyed old Beaujolais wine.
And I recall
I remember
That you were mine
During those Parisienne days, you were my companion.
In those Parisienne days
During my days spent in Paris.
Looking back at the photographs
As I reflect on the pictures from that time.
Those summer days
The days of summer in Paris.
Spent outside corner cafes
The time enjoyed sitting outside of cafes on street corners.
Oh I could write you paragraphs
I could write extensively about my time in Paris.
About my own Parisienne days
Regarding my personal experiences during my time in Paris.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cronje4809
My father introduced me to Gary Moore as a young boy. He said that i can play any instrument in my life, so i chose the guitar.
The talent Gary provided for a growing mind to the guitar world made me want to learn more.
My father and I had tickets for a show after his holiday in Spain. Little did i know that that was his last holiday.. Those tickets are still in our safe, it will forever be.
I miss your talent Gary. I listen to your albums as a musical diary for my everyday life.. I one day hope to jam some riffs out with you.
Thank you for reading the comment. Stay Easy✌🏼
@zoen
Whenever someone likes this comment, I will come back to listen to this masterpiece
@davemurray4715
Jaysus this should be at 60 million
@davemurray4715
Going to see a thin lizzy covers band tomorrow night 😂😂😂😂😂🎉
@davemurray4715
I may cum I may cry
@zoen
@davemurray4715 thank you 😃
@snelgrave101
Happy listening 🎧
@lucianmunteanu8751
Somebody in 2024 listening??
@Igorenrus
Конечно..
@sebaastudillo1964
Gary Moore is all times music.
@khaledy1986
Yeah.....real art never gets old