His most well known playing is on the 1987 Whitesnake self titled album, also known simply as 1987. For the Whitesnake record John Sykes used two Mesa Boogie Coliseum heads and his favorite Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar.
Sykes fell victim to Whitesnake's revolving door; he was fired near the end of the 1987 recording sessions, but managed to record all his parts, save for the solo on "Here I Go Again" which was added later by Adrian Vandenberg.
This was Whitesnake's most successful recording, selling over 20 million copies worldwide. Songs like "Still of the Night", "Is This Love", "Give Me All Your Love", and particularly "Here I Go Again" were all hits, with the album reaching #2 on the Billboard Top 200.
Hoping to capitalize upon the success of 1987, Geffen Records signed Sykes to form a new band. After auditioning several vocalists (including Tony Martin and Ray Gillen), Sykes was encouraged to handle vocal duties himself. With fretless bassist Tony Franklin and drummer Carmine Appice, Blue Murder was formed.
Their self titled debut did moderately well, with "Valley of the Kings" receiving substantial airplay on MTV's Headbanger's Ball, the follow-up Nothing But Trouble received no promotion from Geffen and died quickly. A live recording, Screaming Blue Murder, was to be the band's final release.
Sykes has since recorded several solo albums, including Loveland, 20th Century, and Nuclear Cowboy. His latest album is a new live recording titled Bad Boy Live, which covers a large swath of his career, from the Thin Lizzy days through his most recent solo efforts.
In 1999, John Sykes' solo song "Cautionary Warning" was used in the anime series Black Heaven. The footage accompanying the song was rotoscoped from one of Sykes' concerts, which was a very striking statement for use in previews. Sykes' involvement in the series was the key feature of Pioneer USA's marketing.
In 2006, he got his own signature Gibson Les Paul Custom which was modeled after his favorite guitar, and has used it when touring with Thin Lizzy all around the UK and Ireland.
After over a decade fronting the reformed Thin Lizzy, John announced his departure from the band in June 2009.
Solo albums
As Sykes - Out of My Tree (1995)
As John Sykes - Loveland (1997)
As Sykes - 20th Century (1997)
As Sykes - Nuclear Cowboy (2000)
As John Sykes - Bad Boy Live! (2004)
As John Sykes - Sy-Ops (2021)
Please Don't Leave Me
John Sykes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'd fool around all the time
Oh how I loved that girl when she was mine
But now she'd left me for another guy
And it really brought me down
For without that girl
I was lost and found
Oh darling please don't leave me
Oh darling please don't hurt me this way
Oh darling please don't leave me
Now I get messed up and I fool around
But there's no fun anymore
They say times must change
But I'm not so sure
Lost lovers of summer
As you go your separate way
Remember memories you owe
Won't bring back those special days
Oh darling please don't hurt me this way
Oh darling please don't leave me
Oh darling please don't hurt me this way
Oh darling please don't leave me
The lyrics of John Sykes's song Please Don't Leave Me depict a story of lost love and the pain that comes with it. The song talks about the memories of the summer when the couple would go crazy and fool around all the time. The singer professes his love for her during that time, and how much he enjoyed her company. Despite all that, she left him for another guy, and the singer was crushed. He felt lost and found without her presence.
The chorus of the song is like a plea from the singer to his lost love, begging her not to hurt him anymore and to come back to him. He admits to messing up and fooling around, but that there is no more fun anymore. The lyrics show how heartbroken and distraught he is over the loss of his love, and how he is not sure whether time heals all wounds or not.
The song is a classic representation of the genre of power ballads, which gained prominence in the 80s and early 90s. It is a slow-tempo song with a heavy emphasis on emotions and feelings. It showcases Sykes's musical and lyrical talent, as well as his ability to create emotional and relatable stories through his music. The song has a haunting quality to it, with its melancholic melody and heart-wrenching lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
In the summer we'd be crazy
During the summer months, we would have wild and impulsive behavior
We'd fool around all the time
We would engage in playful and flirty behavior continually
Oh how I loved that girl when she was mine
I had an intense and profound affection for the girl when we were together
But now she'd left me for another guy
However, she has now ended our relationship and chosen someone else
And it really brought me down
This has caused me to feel very sad and depressed
For without that girl
Because I am no longer with that girl
I was lost and found
I am now feeling disoriented and uncertain about my life
Oh darling please don't hurt me this way
I am appealing to my former lover not to cause me pain by leaving me
Oh darling please don't leave me
I am asking my former lover not to abandon me and end our relationship
Now I get messed up and I fool around
In my current state, I engage in reckless and irresponsible behavior
But there's no fun anymore
However, this kind of behavior now does not bring me pleasure or happiness
They say times must change
People often say that the passage of time requires changes in our lives
But I'm not so sure
I am not convinced that this is always true
Lost lovers of summer
Former partners who were together in the summertime
As you go your separate way
As our lives take different paths
Remember memories you owe
Recall the positive experiences we shared with each other
Won't bring back those special days
However, it will not bring back the time when we were together and things were good
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANTOINE DOMINO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
K.
In the summer we'd be crazy
We'd fool around all the time
Oh how I loved that girl when she was mine
But now she'd left me for another guy
And it really brought me down
For without that girl
I was lost and found
Oh darling please don't hurt me this way
Oh darling please don't leave me
Oh darling please don't hurt me this way
Oh darling please don't leave me
Now I get messed up and I fool around
But there's no fun anymore
They say times must change
But I'm not so sure
Lost lovers of summer
As you go your separate way
Remember memories you owe
Won't bring back those special days
Oh darling please don't hurt me this way
Oh darling please don't leave me
Oh darling please don't hurt me this way
Oh darling please don't leave me
rockrabbitt
In the summer
We'd be crazy
We'd fool around all the time
Oh how I loved that girl
When she was mine
But now she left me
For another guy
And it really brought me down
For without that girl
I was lost, I found
Oh, darling, please don't hurt me this way
Oh, darling, please don't leave me
Oh, darling, please don't hurt me this way
Oh, darling, please don't leave me
Now I get messed up
And I fooled around
But it's no fun anymore
They say times must change
But I'm not so sure
Lost lovers of summer
As you go your separate ways
Remember memories you hold
Will bring back
Those special days
Oh, darling, please don't hurt me this way
Oh, darling, please don't leave me
Oh, darling, please don't hurt me this way
Oh, darling, please don't leave me
Don't leave me
Not now
Please don't leave
Oh, please don't leave me
Oh, darling, please don't hurt me this way
Oh, darling, please don't leave me
In the summer
We'd be crazy
We'd fool around all the time
Lost lovers of summer
As you go your own way
Oh, darling, please don't leave me
Johan Nilsson
I'm a die hard Lynott-fan and I remember hearing this song back in 82, thinking "God this is cheezy crap!" :)
But now.. Philips voice has always been magic to me. Now I find myself listening and singing it over and over again! "They same times must change, but I'm not so sure" - yes I am! :)
Rest in peace Black Rose of Ireland. You will forever be my king of rock!
Nazz Mann
The guitar solo in this is fantastic to me.
The Reb
@Nazz Mann exactly an awesome solo
Ashton de Queljoe
Beautiful words man
Eric mcgivern
I bought this in Callers Newcastle for 50 p money well spent I think@!!
Patrick Cummins
Great vocals by Phil and great guitar by John
Mark Powell
The sun is just setting here in Tucson it is beautiful and this song is playing I think the song has started my life fresh and anew , Oh , wait a minute could just be the methadone kicking in ! Little of both !
Armando Sanchez
la mejor version de todas, es una verdadera pena que john ya no haga giras
MrSmokeydog
Their will never be another musician like Phil Lynott. Fortunately he encouraged and helped to influence John Sykes in his style of music that still reflects that influence to this day.
twoo57
That intro gives me chills EVERY TIME !