bob geldof photo
By Steve Newton
Rory Gallagher is quite likely the most underrated rock-guitar player of all time. Even though his instrumental prowess has been constantly raved about by such longtime fans as Slash, Brian May, and The Edge, a lot of music fans have never even heard him.
Perhaps most shocking is the fact that, even though the Irish stringbender has been eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for a whopping 24 years, he’s never even been nominated!
That is really freakin’ bizarre.
Hardcore Gallagher fans like myself never stop hoping that one day he’ll get the worldwide recognition he deserves. Thankfully, Gallagher was first and foremost a live performer, and he played thousands of gigs before dying of complications from a liver transplant in 1995. Luckily, somebody was smart enough to get the tape rolling once in a while.
Back in early 1977 Rory was touring across the U.K. and the tape machines were switched on at four shows in London, Brighton, Sheffield, and Newcastle. Universal Music Canada has announced that those recordings have resulted in a new collection called Check Shirt Wizard Live in ’77, which will be released on March 6 in vinyl, CD, and digital formats.
I can’t friggin’ wait.
The set was produced by Gallagher’s nephew Daniel, whose father Donal (Rory’s brother-manager) took him to his first Rory gig.
“The first time I ever saw my uncle Rory playing live was at the Hammersmith Odeon, London in 1987,” Daniel Gallagher recalls in a press release. “At the time, being five years old, I had little awareness of what my uncle and father did for a living. I used to think Rory meant magician when he said he was a musician. We got to the side of the stage, and there was uncle Rory playing his battered Fender Stratocaster to thousands of rockin’ fans.
“Ten years earlier, at the very same venue, Rory was performing tracks from his then latest album Calling Card. I found the multitrack tapes to this 1977 concert and three others from the same tour in our tape archive and decided to see what magic was on them. What I found was Rory and his band at peak performance… I hope the tracks I selected to mix and master are what Rory might’ve chosen himself.”
Check Shirt Wizard: Live in ’77 3LP vinyl edition
SIDE A
1. Do You Read Me (Live From The Brighton Dome, 21st January 1977)
2. Moonchild (Live From The Brighton Dome, 21st January 1977)
3. Bought And Sold (Live From Sheffield City Hall, 17th February 1977)
SIDE B
4. Calling Card (Live At The Hammersmith Odeon, 18th January 1977)
5. Secret Agent (Live From Sheffield City Hall, 17th February 1977)
6. Tattoo’d Lady (Live From The Brighton Dome, 21st January 1977)
SIDE C
7. A Million Miles Away (Live At The Hammersmith Odeon, 18th January 1977)
8. I Take What I Want (Live From Sheffield City Hall, 17th February 1977)
9. Walk On Hot Coals (Live At The Hammersmith Odeon, 18th January 1977)
SIDE D
10. Out On The Western Plain (Live From Sheffield City Hall, 17th February 1977)
11. Barley & Grape Rag (Live From Sheffield City Hall, 17th February 1977)
12. Pistol Slapper Blues (Live From Sheffield City Hall, 17th February 1977)
13. Too Much Alcohol (Live At The Hammersmith Odeon, 18th January 1977)
14. Going To My Hometown (Live At The Hammersmith Odeon, 18th January 1977)
SIDE E
15. Edged In Blue (Live At Newcastle City Hall, 18th February 1977)
16. Jack-Knife Beat (Live At The Hammersmith Odeon, 18th January 1977)
17. Souped-Up Ford (Live From The Brighton Dome, 21st January 1977)
SIDE F
18. Bullfrog Blues (Live From The Brighton Dome, 21st January 1977)
19. Used To Be (Live At Newcastle City Hall, 18th February 1977)
20. Country Mile (Live At Newcastle City Hall, 18th February 1977)
Sadly, I never got to interview Rory Gallagher, to my infinite regret. But I have talked to hundreds of other great guitarists since 1982. Consider subscribing to my Patreon page, where you can hear my conversations with:
I nominate Rory for sure he
should have been there years ago. I saw him once in Las Vegas Nevada in the 70s the concert was going to be Fleetwood Mac before Stevie Nick’s, Rory Gallagher, and Deep Purple. It ended up being a riot because Deep Purple’s lead singer had a sore throat and wouldn’t come out. Fleetwood Mac and Rory offered to join together and play in place of Deep Purple. It didn’t get to happen.
Hi Steve, I used to live in chilliwack 1967-1969, hung out with the Tarrass brothers, Gord was my age, but remember Mark and John, I believe it was 1972 at the coliseum, Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac and Rory, I remember Gord and I being blown away, loved him ever since, cheers, Mark.
Sent from my iPhone
>
Hi Mark. Yes, I vaguely remember the Tarrass name. Good to hear from you. Thanks for your comment. You are so lucky to have seen Rory live–especially on a bill with Deep Purple and Fleetwood Mac. What a memory!