Shades Of A Blue Orphanage

Posted by putp1put39 on Mar 29, 2014 in Listening to, Thin Lizzy | Comments Off

Well here I sit listening to Thin Lizzy, ‘Shades Of A Blue Orphanage’ no less. Yes I have a copy on CD digitally re-mastered and all sorts of bonus tracks that disturb me. So the question you are asking did I sell my Soul and whats the story with Eddie Prevost?

And shame on you who are wondering what I am talking about, do you know nothing ? Did you not read THE FUNKY NOMAD provisos, its what it all about. Now click the link and catch up will you, goodness gracious me unbelievable. ( Yes I know I asked you to subscribe and thanks)

So now we are on the same page did I sell my soul, well I don’t think so but it had me a bit worried, had I accidentally made a deal at the crossroads. Does making an offer on the interweb constitute a contract with unknown arcane powers? Probably not, or maybe yes, its hard to tell at this point. In truth I found out a while ago 2010 that this had been re-released, I bought a copy a few months back but have not admitted to it for various reasons. Will the journey now be over for riseanddeardemise.ca has the purchase of Shades killed the whole premise? And of course what of Eddie Prevost.

Nothing is straight forward in the world of the Funky Nomad, if it was what would I have to blog about, what would keep me up at night.

Question, why didn’t I just go buy it when it came out if it was so important to me, walk over to HMV place an order and just buy it. To be honest it seemed a bit like cheating. In theory I could take the whole list of missing albums pay the price and there they would be. But its not the same, I went to the record store the first time round, both new and second hand (Impulse in this case, that’s where I found Shades. (Of course I did not buy it new, it came out in 1972.)

So for those of you sinners asking who the hell is Thin Lizzy? I feel truly sorry. I can say this. Thin Lizzy played their last gig 28th August 1983 at Redding Festival (Well at least for me) Phil Lynott died of organ failure brought on by Alcohol and Drug abuse Jan 4 1986. And for me that was that.

THE END

(at this point you might need to get a cup of tea, this is going to take longer than I thought.)

Well obviously not, who but a Lizzy fan would name their Blog 25 years later Rise and Dear Demise and claim it to be The Life and Times of a Funky Nomad. ( As it happens I have been a bit of a Nomad and am in all probability a bit Funky.) If you were going to do an incognito Bio Blog of course you need to hide it. So only a true friend would be able to find it. Actually even with hints it remained hidden for a year, a repository of overflowing memories from that all important 10th box. ( Talk to the penguins if you want to know more about that)

It should have gone away, I had sold all my vinyl, all the above Thin Lizzy included. But it lurked leaving me wondering as mentioned before where was I was going to get a copy of….Well I sold it for $10 worth a lot more really but life laundry in process, emigration imminent.

So the big question is will I be replacing the rest now I have Shades? The answer, I don’t think so; something strange has happened. I started with ‘Live and Dangerous’ back in 1979, started this Blog with listening to –‘Live and Dangerous.‘ ( Which I still do, I invested in a shiny CD, its entirely possible my vinyl copy is out there alive somewhere trying to make its way home, if anyone sees it let me know; its the one with lots of scratches on.) Shiny CD it might be but its not the same joy as owning an old vinyl double album. (Imagine this at full resolution 12″ x 12″ or I guess fully open 12″ x 24″)

Then I bought ‘Thin Lizzy’ on CD (Never could afford or find a copy of the vinyl) and then nothing; they were there at HMV but I wanted Shades, only that would tame the beast. For years for some reason I was missing ‘Jailbreak’ don’t know why, when I came to buy it after tribute band Twin Lizzy insisted on playing most of it at the ‘Mucky Duck” ( Thanks TAFF ) I had to find a copy, CD’s were the thing at this point so it took a lot of flee-markets and car boot sales to acquire a copy of the vinyl and job done only to sell that too, I don’t think I ever played it just had to have it.

So what had I fallen in love with, the Bass, the stage show, the guitars the legendary Rock performances…..

I had fallen in love with the poetry, the words, the texture ( And of course the Bass). I listen these days to the first 2 Albums and wonder if we all would be better off if Whiskey in the Jar had never been written,(Unfortunately a bonus track on my new Shades CD.) If Phil Lynott never became a drug fueled Rock God and instead dwindled away into an Alcoholic Poet of a long standing tradition.

Of course the young me seen here in this photo, (And yes that’s my mums blouse, so what.) would argue with me he has so many memories attached and is heavily invested in Thin Lizzy ( And what are those I hear you ask, what memories?)

Well it all started some time in 1978 when Live and Dangerous was released, I had no musical taste ( No comments please) only young back then only just a teen. I was the proud owner of 2 ABBA albums Arrival and Waterloo and for some reason a single by David Essex ‘Coming Home’. My wildly exciting southern, London Based, Drum Playing Levi 501 wearing cousin was up visiting (Same age ) took me to the record store and informed me what I needed to spend my cash on was this band called Thin Lizzy and something that was apparently live and dangerous. I owned it for 4 days before I could play it. It was half term and we were staying at the Grandparents. ( More of that later). So I had to be content with looking at it and touching it and imagining what it was I had in my hands and I am happy/sad to say there was no going back. Here are a few of the highlight as otherwise this could go on forever.

( Should probably have split this into 3 or 4 posts but I figure I may only be able to get you all to read one Lizzy Blog every year or so.)

So 18th April 1979 you have The Funky Nomad and Peter (The other guy in the photo , not the same Peter with the dressing gown but Peter S) (more of my old side kick to come) in the balcony watching Thin Lizzy light flashing of Phil’s scratch plate and Gary Moore ripping it up, Scott Gorham’s silky locks swishing all over the place. Well worth queuing round City Hall and getting up at 5 am and still only just managed to get tickets. it was my first concert ever.
Some time between the above and the below, lets say Friday 23rd of April 1982. I was in Rebels with the usual suspects drinking Newcastle Brown, when I find myself sitting next to this girl I vaguely remember from King Ecgberts school. She tells me she is Phil Lynott’s girlfriend or something similar and if I turn up at the stage door Monday night she can get me backstage. Sound reasonable after a number of bottles of Dog. So having no ticket for the rescheduled gig originally for March (Gary Moore falling ill in Germany or something) after a few pints of Snakebite in the Wapentake (Very bad for a school night) I turn up at the back door of the City Hall some time during the encore, I can hear them through the walls. And you know what completely don’t get to meet the band and get back stage. Funnily enough just as I give up and head for the last # 50 bus home out comes the road crew and the said girl and jump into a Limo. Oh well will learn for next time. (Not)
October 17th 1982 my 18th Birthday, Thin Lizzy Birthday request at full volume in Rebels (Can’t remember what track ( I would guess Rosalie), something to do with the Newky Brown or too much air guitar and headbanging, however I made sure I only played the Bass parts). What underage drinking you say, never say I, I look a lot older than that see my spiffy mustachio. Now anyone with a computer will realize October the 17th 1982 was a Sunday. I guess my last trip to Rebels was the Friday before. Together with underage drinking I also gave up Rebels, its the last time I can remember being there. ( That doesn’t guarantee I wasn’t, I just cant remember.)
That leads us to Thin Lizzy farewell tour 1983, a wonderful 2 nights in Sheffield. February 14th and 15th 1983. Valentines, ah remember it well. ( Valentines is a bit of a roller coaster I would guess if my experiences are anything to go by there is more misery to this day than happiness, but happiness there surely is. Recently I have been playing with the 80/20 rules recently had 80% going great and 20% not so bad followed by 80% down the crapper and hanging on by a mere 20%. What this is really about is 80% of the time 20% of what you do makes the world go round. So if on Valentines 8 girls ( over the years) messed you about or your love was unrequited and 2 were great and became something meaningful all is well in the world. All is well in my world this is the story of something that can’t be categorized inside the 80/20 I think it was an angel a 100% er that was not meant for me but some other lucky individual. I am OK I got mine in Spades.) I got tickets, I got 3 tickets, 3rd row, the show was fantastic surged up to the edge of the stage rocked my arse off said goodbye with all my heart. Goodbye Thin Lizzy Goodbye. The other 2 tickets someone special and her little brother. My girlfriend I here you say good god no, not then no in the same mysterious way girlfriends came to me they left. The rumor mill tells of a story of a very beautiful girl who thought she might like to go out with me. This usually doesn’t happen to me (She should know better, a story I will never tell ) and yes we go out we listen to music (Of course we go to school together didn’t we all ) we play Drafts , go to concerts generally hang around in the group, go to parties, hang around the village buy Thin Lizzy Tickets for Valentines Day. As beautifully as I was appraised of her interest I was persuaded that perhaps I did not want to be her boyfriend anymore. As it sounded reasonable, that was how the New Year 1983 started, with me uncoupled again. leaving only the farewell Lizzy concert and no bad feeling at all. Why wasn’t more of my life like that? A mysterious Italian Coach Driver once described her as having the most magnificent legs ever and he should not have been looking at 16 year old’s. (Of that story I may or may not tell you but Italy will never be the same again.) Oh and by the way I got engaged on Valentines and have been married for 17 years of undeserved happiness my 20% accounting for 80% of my happiness.

( So hang in there you have nearly made it, and what of Eddie Prevost?…..)

So what of Eddie Prevost? Some years ago a very wise man Spir Sr introduced me to a very valuable concept, music to play when you want people to go home and the party has ended. And yes we had many parties there ( Non of which I am going to tell you about until my daughter has grown up. She subscribes to my blog bless her heart, and no I am sure it wasn’t me that Albert was aimed at, well I am fairly sure). If you have never come across free-form Jazz before then I don’t know what to say. Spir Sr’s Album of choice was an inspired piece of work by Albert Ayler. (Maybe its stuff like this and soon to be explained Eddie Prevost who are responsible for me happily playing Charlie Mingus at work and wondering what everyone is complaining about. ( Don’t worry we will be getting back to Thin Lizzy after a few messages from our sponsors.) I am not the only deranged Lizzy Freak in my/our circle of friends imagine a party where after a lot of beer Taff finds a box full of Lizzy Vinyl and we start at one end and finish at the other and as the sun comes up want’s to start again well on goes Eddie Prevost. This was bought me by my good friend Peter S from Rare & Racey on the occasion of my 17th birthday and has been used at every party since, once through a Carlsbro PA and Marks speakers. Parents were away and I think the neighbors had no Idea what to make of it. ( Funnily enough when I was selling my Vinyl at the car boot sale I gave it away, felt it was only fair to the guy who bought my Blue Nile Not that there was anything wrong with Blue Nile but he looked as though he could handle it, I warned him it was supposed to change the world (maybe it did)