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.
Ready For Love
Gary Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey baby, I like what I see.
I'm ready, I'm ready for love.
What you say, we just forget the drill.
Full metal jacket, I'm shooting to kill.
I'm ready, I'm ready for love.
Don't you know that it's cold outside.
Come on in, I'll keep you satisfied.
I'm out tonight and I'm ready for love.
I'm getting ready, I'm ready for love, hooh.
I'm ready, I'm ready for love.
Aough!
Move over baby.
Hey baby, won't you tell me your sign.
What do you know, it's the same one as mine.
I'm ready, I'm ready for love.
You hear me knockin', but you won't let me in.
Open the door honey, let the fun begin.
I'm ready, I'm ready for love.
You say you will, then you say you won't.
Now you see it, now you don't.
Just like that moon up above,
It's out tonight and I'm ready for love.
I'm getting ready, I'm ready for love.
I'm getting ready, I'm ready for love.
Every day in the week,
I'm in a different city.
Every day in the week,
somebody tries to hold me down.
Your place or mine, honey?
Don't you know that it's cold outside.
Come on in, I'll keep you satisfied.
Just like that old moon up above,
I'm out tonight and I'm ready, ready, ready, ready.
(I'm out tonight and I'm ready for love.)
(I'm ready for love.)
(I'm out tonight and I'm ready for love.)
I'm ready for love.
Ready, I'm ready for love.
I'm getting ready, I'm ready for love.
I'm getting ready, I'm ready for love, wooh!
I'm getting ready, I'm ready for love.
Just like that moon up above.
(Ready)
I'm ready for love.
(I'm getting ready.)
I'm ready for love.
(Ready)
I'm getting ready for love.
(I'm getting ready.)
Ooh, just like that moon up above.
(Ready, I'm getting ready.)
I'm getting ready for love.
(Ready, I'm getting ready.)
Aough!
Hooh.
(Ready, I'm getting ready.)
(Ready, I'm getting ready.)
(Ready, I'm getting ready.)
(Ready.)
The lyrics to Gary Moore's "Ready for Love" express the artist's readiness to find and embrace love. The song opens with him admiring a woman and expressing his attraction to her, indicating that he is ready for love. He then asks the woman to forget about the game of love and come to him, suggesting that he is not interested in playing hard to get or following any rules. He compares himself to a "full metal jacket," indicating his resolve to pursue love and "shoot to kill" when it comes to finding it.
The artist acknowledges that it is "cold outside" and invites the woman to come inside with him, promising to fulfill and satisfy her in every way. He compares himself to the moon, which is out and shining for everyone to see, indicating that he is ready to be seen and found by anyone in search of love. The artist expresses his willingness to travel and explore different cities and people in search of love, further emphasizing his readiness.
The song ultimately conveys an underlying message that the artist is not afraid to be vulnerable or to put himself out there in pursuit of love. The lyrics suggest that love is worth the risk and the potential of getting hurt.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey baby, looking good to me.
The singer is attracted to the person they are addressing and expressing their admiration.
Hey baby, I like what I see.
The singer is still admiring the person they are addressing and sharing their fondness for their appearance.
I'm ready, I'm ready for love.
The singer is expressing their willingness to engage in a romantic relationship.
What you say, we just forget the drill.
The artist suggests skipping any formalities or games and getting straight to the point.
Full metal jacket, I'm shooting to kill.
The artist is making an analogy to warfare and expressing their determination to attain their goals, in this case, a romantic relationship.
Don't you know that it's cold outside.
The singer is acknowledging the unpleasant weather and suggesting that the person they are addressing should come inside.
Come on in, I'll keep you satisfied.
The singer is offering to take care of the person they are addressing and fulfill their desires.
Just like that moon up above, I'm out tonight and I'm ready for love.
The artist is highlighting the romantic atmosphere of the night and expressing their readiness for an intimate encounter.
Move over baby.
The artist is making a playful request to the person they are addressing to make room for them.
Hey baby, won't you tell me your sign.
The artist is asking about the person they are addressing's astrological sign, a common icebreaker in conversations.
What do you know, it's the same one as mine.
The singer finds it coincidental that the person they are addressing has the same astrological sign as them.
You hear me knockin', but you won't let me in.
The artist is expressing frustration that the person they are addressing is not giving them a chance to pursue a romantic relationship.
Open the door honey, let the fun begin.
The singer is asking the person they are addressing to give them an opportunity to enjoy each other's company and have fun.
You say you will, then you say you won't.
The singer is expressing annoyance that the person they are addressing is not consistent with their decision whether to engage in a romantic relationship or not.
Now you see it, now you don't.
The singer is making an analogy to a magic trick and expressing their disappointment at the person they are addressing's indecisiveness.
Every day in the week, I'm in a different city.
The artist is highlighting their active lifestyle and frequent travel.
Every day in the week, somebody tries to hold me down.
The artist is suggesting that people try to restrict their freedom, but they refuse to be held back.
Your place or mine, honey?
The singer is making a flirtatious proposal to the person they are addressing to go to either one of their places for an intimate encounter.
(Ready) I'm ready for love.
The singer is reaffirming their willingness and eagerness to engage in a romantic relationship.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GARY MOORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind