Thin Lizzy

Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist/vocalist Phil Lynott, met while still in school. Lynott assumed the role of frontman and led them throughout their recording career of twelve studio albums until the band split in 1984. Thin Lizzy are best known for their songs "Whiskey in the Jar", "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back in Town", all major international hits still played regularly on hard rock and classic rock radio stations. After Lynott's death in 1986, various incarnations of the band have emerged over the years based initially around guitarists Scott Gorham and John Sykes, though Sykes left the band in 2009. Gorham later continued with a new line-up including Downey. Lynott, Thin Lizzy's de facto leader, was composer or co-composer of almost all of the band's songs, and the first black Irishman to achieve commercial success in the field of hard rock music. As well as being multiracial, the band drew their members not only from both sides of the Irish border but also from both the Catholic and Protestant communities during The Troubles. Their music reflects a wide range of influences, including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock, and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock.
==Links To Peel==
Peel seemed to discover the band in 1971, when he met Phil Lynott and the rest of the band on a ferry between Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead, before the upcoming release of their first record. On the sleevenotes Peel wrote for Thin Lizzy's first Peel Session release, he mentioned:
"The story of my first meeting with Phil Lynott and the boys aboard a ferry, salt caked smokestacks and the rest, between Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead, has been told too many times already. Suffice to say, Thin Lizzy were crossing to England for the first time aboard the same boat as myself, made contact and urged me to listen out for them. ... Throughout the first half of the seventies, they provided a welcome antidote to much of the pretentious hogwash that bedevilled the age ..."
The band did eleven sessions for Peel's show and Peel himself invited Phil Lynott to the studio to discuss the band's 'Live And Dangerous' double album and Lynott's solo album on the 29 May 1978 show. After the end of the 70's, Peel seemed to lose interest in the band, although he played Whiskey In A Jar as a Peelenium 1973 choice on 17 November 1999.
On 14 April 1999, he played a track from the band's sessions album, at the request of Tim from Ash, and admitted:
"I did loads of gigs with Thin Lizzy around the time of these things (the band's Peel sessions) but don't remember a great deal about them. I would love to have millions of amusing anecdotes, you know, about things that we got up, but frankly I would have to make them up, to be honest."
==Festive Fifty Entries==
*1978 Festive Fifty: Emerald (Live) #49
==Peelenium==
*Peelenium 1973: Whiskey In A Jar
==Sessions==
Eleven sessions.
*Peel session tracks were compiled on Thin Lizzy - The Peel Sessions (CD, Strange Fruit, 1994) and Thin Lizzy At The BBC (2xCD, Universal, 2011) and (6xCD, Universal, 2011).
*Session #3 available on Shades Of A Blue Orphanage (CD, 2010, Decca)
*"Black Boys On The Corner" from #3 and "Vagabonds Of The Western World" / "Gonna Creep Up On You" from #4 available on Vagabonds Of The Western World (2xCD, 2010 Decca).
*Session #7 available on Nightlife (Deluxe Expanded Edition) (2xCD, 2012, Mercury / Universal).
*An unofficial release was also made Thin Lizzy - The BBC Sessions (LP, Unofficial Release, Black Eagle Records, 2005)
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1. Recorded: 1971-10-12. Broadcast: 03 November 1971. Repeated: 29 December 1971
*Raygun / The Rise And Dear Demise Of The Funky Nomadic Tribes / Dublin / Clifton Grange Hotel
2. Recorded: 1972-04-26. Broadcast: 02 June 1972. Repeated: 21 July 1972
*Call The Police / Things Ain’t Working Our Way Down At The Farm / Chatting Today
3. Recorded: 1972-11-14. Broadcast: 28 November 1972. Repeated: 06 February 1973
*Whiskey In The Jar / Suicide / Black Boys On The Corner / The Saga Of The Ageing Orphan
4. Recorded: 1973-07-31. Broadcast: 07 August 1973. Repeated: 27 September 1973.
*Vagabonds Of The Western World / Gonna Creep Up On You / Little Girl In Bloom
5. Recorded: 1973-08-06. Broadcast: 16 August 1973. Repeated : 30 October 1973.
*Randolph's Tango / The Rocker / Slow Blues
6. Recorded: 1974-04-04. Broadcast: 11 April 1974. Repeated: 06 June 1974, 18 July 1977, 28 August 1978
*It's Only Money / Little Darling / Still In Love With You / Blackboys On The Corner / Sitamoia
7. Recorded: 1974-10-03. Broadcast: 24 October 1974. Repeated: 19 December 1974, 24 May 1977
*She Knows / It's Only Money / Sha La La La / Philomena
8. Recorded: 1975-05-29. Broadcast: 05 June 1975. Repeated: 31 July 1975
*Half Caste / Rosalie / Suicide / Freedom Song
9. Recorded: 1976-02-12. Broadcast: 09 March 1976. Repeated: 12 April 1976
*Emerald / The Warrior / Cowboy Song / Jailbreak
10. Recorded: 1976-09-23. Broadcast: 11 October 1976. Repeated: 23 December 1976, 03 January 1977, 21 March 1977
*Don't Believe A Word / Johnny / Fool's Gold / Johnny The Fox Meets The Weed
11. Recorded: 1977-08-01. Broadcast: 22 August 1977. Repeated: 26 September 1977, 0x September 1977, 27 March 1978
*Killer Without A Cause / Bad Reputation / That Woman's Gonna Break Your Heart / Dancing In The Moonlight / Downtown Sundown
==Live==
Recorded at the Atlantis. Broadcast: 01 September 1973. Repeated: 22 December 1977
#The Rocker
#Things Ain’t Working Out Down On The Farm
#Slow Blues
#Gonna Creep Up On You
#Suicide
==Other Shows Played==
(The following list was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive and is certainly incomplete. Please add further details if known.)
;thumb|220x220px1971
*08 May 1971: Look What The Wind Blew In (album - Thin Lizzy) Decca SKL 5082
*25 September 1971: Things Ain't Working Out Down At The Farm (7" - New Day) Decca
;1972
*14 April 1972: I Don’t Wanna Forget How To Jive (LP – Shades Of A Blue Orphanage) Decca
*09 May 1972: Call The Police (LP - Shades Of A Blue Orphanage) Decca
;1973
*01 May 1973: Randolph’s Tango (single) Decca
*08 May 1973: Randolph’s Tango (single) Decca
*28 August 1973 (A Touch Of The Moon): Randolph's Tango
*04 October 1973: Vagabond Of The Western World (album - Vagabonds Of The Western World) Decca SKL 5170
*11 October 1973: Little Girl In Bloom (album - Vagabonds Of The Western World) Decca SKL 5170
*23 October 1973: Gonna Creep Up On You (album - Vagabonds Of The Western World) Decca SKL 5170
*18 December 1973: 'Gonna Creep Up On You (album - Vagabonds Of The Western World) Decca SKL 5170
;1974
*02 May 1974: Little Darling (7") Decca
;1975
*26 May 1975: Whisky In The Jar (single) Decca
*16 December 1975: Wild One (7") Vertigo 6059 129
;1976
*18 March 1976: Unknown Tracks (LP - Jailbreak) Vertigo
*28 April 1976: The Boys Are Back In Town (7") Vertigo
*04 August 1976: 3 Unknown Tracks (LP - Remembering Part 1) Decca
*07 October 1976: Tracks from the 'Johnny The Fox' LP
*22 October 1976: Rocky (album - Johnny The Fox) Vertigo 9102 012
*03 November 1976: Don't Believe A Word (LP - Johnny The Fox) Vertigo
*17 November 1976: Don't Believe A Word (7") Vertigo
*18 November 1976: Don't Believe A Word (7") Vertigo
;1977
*15 July 1977: Dancing In The Moonlight (It's Caught Me In Its Spotlight) (7") Vertigo 6059 177
*24 August 1977: Dancing In The Moonlight (LP - Bad Reputation) Vertigo
*30 August 1977: That Woman's Gonna Break Your Heart (LP-Bad Reputation) (Vertigo)
*05 October 1977: Whiskey In The Jar (7") Decca
;1978thumb|right|221x221px|"Whiskey In The Jar", a Peelenium 1973
*18 April 1978: Rosalie / Cowgirl's Song (single) Vertigo
*02 May 1978: Rosalie / Cowgirl's Song (single) Vertigo
*29 May 1978: Rosalie / Cowgirl's Song (single) Vertigo
*29 May 1978: at least 2 sides of (LP - Live & Dangerous) Vertigo
*15 June 1978: Dancing In The Moonlight (It's Caught Me In Its Spotlight) (album - Live And Dangerous) Vertigo 6641 807
*15 June 1978: Massacre (LP - Live And Dangerous) Vertigo
*30 June 1978: Jailbreak (album - Live And Dangerous) Vertigo 6641 807
*26 December 1978: Emerald (album - Live And Dangerous) Vertigo 6641 807 FF #49
;1979
*15 February 1979: Waiting For An Alibi (7") Vertigo LIZZY 003
*20 February 1979: With Love (7" - Waiting For An Alibi) Vertigo LIZZY 003
*21 February 1979: Waiting For An Alibi (7") Vertigo LIZZY 003
*06 March 1979: Waiting For An Alibi (7") Vertigo LIZZY 003
*05 April 1979: Do Anything You Want To (LP - Black Rose) Vertigo
*05 April 1979: Toughest Street In Town (LP - Black Rose) Vertigo
*05 April 1979: S & M (LP - Black Rose) Vertigo
*09 April 1979: Roisin Dubh (Black Rose) (LP - Black Rose) Vertigo
*16 April 1979: Do Anything You Want To (LP - Black Rose) Vertigo
*16 April 1979: Get Out Of Here (LP - Black Rose) Vertigo
*23 April 1979: S & M (LP - Black Rose) Vertigo
*24 April 1979: Got To Give It Up (LP - Black Rose) Vertigo
*08 May 1979: Got To Give It Up (LP – Black Rose - A Rock Legend) Vertigo
*08 May 1979: Get Out Of Here (LP – Black Rose - A Rock Legend) Vertigo
*13 June 1979: Just The Two Of Us (Single - Anything You Want To b-side) Vertigo
*22 August 1979: Things Ain't Working Out Down At The Farm (7") Decca THIN 1
;1996
*09 December 1996: Don't Believe A Word (session) (John Peel's Classic Sessions)
;1999
*15 April 1999: Little Girl In Bloom (Peel Session) 
*31 August 1999: Whiskey In The Jar (Peel Session)
*17 November 1999: 'Whisky In The Jar (7")' (Decca) Peelenium 1973
;2004
*21 October 2004: 'Don't Believe A Word' - (Warners) (Robert Smith of The Cure sits in for the show)
;Phil Lynott
*29 May 1978: Jamaican Rum (only finished track from unnamed future solo LP)
;Others
*Where It's At: 'Half-Caste (7"-B side of Rocky)' (Mercury)
*Punk Fiction: The Boys Are Back In Town
*John Peel: In Session Tonight: Whiskey In The Jar
== Top Of The Pops ==
*05 January 1984 (TOTP): Whiskey In The Jar (clip from 01/02/73)
== See Also ==
* Singles Reviews
* 1974 Top Fifty One Singles
*1975 Top Thirty Singles
* Peel's Sounds Of The 60s And 70s
*Gigography 1974
*Gigography 1975
*Gigography 1978
*Record Collection: Auction
*Books
*Alternative Ulster - John Peel's Favourite Music Scene?
*Album Plays
*Sounds
==External Links==
*Wikipedia
*Discogs
*Official Website
Category:Artists