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.
Teenage Idol
Gary Moore Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Too many teachers there were to many rules
A dirty face kid he was never outta trouble
His mom and papa told him better get out on the double
But when he heard that music on the radio
He knew one day he was gonna be a teenage idol
He quit his job in the factory
He couldn't wait another day to get out of that place
He punched the clock and he broke its face
But when he heard that music on the radio
He knew one day he was gonna be a teenage idol
He's a teenage idol
He knows how to rock and roll
A teenage idol
He's way out of control
He ditched his chick and he sold his car
He bought himself a hot guitar
He joined a band and they cut some tracks
He hit the road and he's never looked back
And now they're playing all his records on the radio
Ans everyone knows that he's gonna be a teenage idol
He's a teenage idol
He knows how to rock and roll
A teenage idol
He's way out of control
And now they're playing all his records on the radio
And everyone knows that he's gonna be a teenage idol
The song "Teenage Idol" by Gary Moore is a tribute to those who dreamed of becoming rock stars when they were young, but their aspirations were always thwarted by society's norms and rules. The lyrics tell the story of a young man who was always causing trouble in school, never really fitting in with the conventional system of education. He was told by his parents to leave and create his own future. However, everything changed for him when he heard rock and roll music on the radio. The young man decided to quit his low-paying job at the factory to pursue his dream of becoming a rock star. He left everything behind - his girlfriend, his car - and bought a guitar. He joined a band, cut some tracks, and hit the road to perform. Today, his records are being played on the radio, and everyone knows that he's a teenage idol.
The song is a reflection of the frustration that many young men felt in the 1950s and 60s - they were not interested in conventional jobs or lifestyles, but they were driven to create music and express themselves. The lyrics represent the rebellious spirit of rock and roll, a genre that was associated with counter-culture and youth revolt. The song also highlights the importance and value of pursuing one's dreams despite the obstacles.
In conclusion, the song "Teenage Idol" by Gary Moore is a tribute to those who follow their dreams, no matter what anyone else says. It represents the frustration, rebellion, and passion that characterized the rock and roll movement of the 1950s and 60s.
Line by Line Meaning
He never did much good when he went to school
He wasn't a good student in school
Too many teachers there were to many rules
The strict environment in his school made it difficult for him to perform well
A dirty face kid he was never outta trouble
He was never clean and always in some kind of trouble
His mom and papa told him better get out on the double
His parents advised him to leave home and make something of himself
But when he heard that music on the radio
However, when he listened to music on the radio
He knew one day he was gonna be a teenage idol
He had a strong belief that someday he would be a famous teenage idol
He quit his job in the factory
He resigned from his factory job
He was tired if makin' peanuts so jumped out of the tree
He was frustrated with his low-paying job and wanted to change careers
He couldn't wait another day to get out of that place
He was eager to leave his job and find a better opportunity
He punched the clock and he broke its face
He was so angry that he physically damaged the clock at his workplace
He ditched his chick and he sold his car
He left his girlfriend and sold his car to pursue his music career
He bought himself a hot guitar
He purchased an expensive, high-quality guitar
He joined a band and they cut some tracks
He became a part of a music group and recorded some songs together
He hit the road and he's never looked back
He began touring and never returned to his past life
And now they're playing all his records on the radio
His music is popular and frequently played on the radio
And everyone knows that he's gonna be a teenage idol
Everyone is certain that he will become a famous teenage idol
He's a teenage idol
He has achieved his dream of becoming a teenage idol
He knows how to rock and roll
He is talented and skilled at performing rock and roll music
A teenage idol
He is a well-known and admired teenage celebrity
He's way out of control
He's wildly successful and his fame is overwhelming
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GARY (GB MOORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind