The Boys Are Back In Town – Thin Lizzy (1976)

Description

Additional information about this Thin Lizzy vinyl art.

Thin Lizzy – The Artist

Thin Lizzy are a hard rock band formed in Dublin, Ireland in 1969. Two of the founding members, drummer Brian Downey and bass guitarist and lead vocalist Phil Lynott, met while still in school. Lynott led the group throughout their recording career of twelve studio albums, writing most of the material. The singles “Whiskey in the Jar” (a traditional Irish ballad), “Jailbreak”, and “The Boys Are Back in Town” were major international hits. After Lynott’s death in 1986, various incarnations of the band 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 rock music. Thin Lizzy featured several critically acclaimed[citation needed] guitarists throughout their history, with Downey and Lynott as the rhythm section, on the drums and bass guitar. 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 or classic rock.

The Boys Are Back In Town  – The Song

The Boys Are Back In Town is a single from Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy and written by frontman, singer-songwriter Phil Lynott. The song was originally released in 1976 on their album Jailbreak. It was while touring in America promoting the jailbreak album that the song was heavily promoted by two DJs in Louisville, Kentucky. They fell in love with the song and played it incessantly until other stations in the surrounding area picked up on it causing it to kickstart the sales of the album, and help propel the band to stardom. At the 2012 Republican National Convention, the song was used to introduce Vice-Presidential Candidate Paul Ryan on stage. This unauthorised use of the song caused controversy. Both Lynott’s mother, Philomena Lynott, and Thin Lizzy lead guitarist Scott Gorham criticised its use, suggesting that Lynott would not have wanted his music used for any political use, including endorsing politicians.

Phil Lynott – The Shape

Modelled into the head of Phil Lynott with his distinctive haircut. Philip Parris Lynott (1949 – 1986) was an Irish musician and songwriter. His most commercially successful group was Thin Lizzy, of which he was a founding member, the principal songwriter, lead vocalist and bassist. He was known for his distinctive plectrum-based style on the bass, and for his imaginative lyrical contributions including working class tales and numerous characters drawn from personal influences and Celtic culture. Lynott was born in the West Midlands but grew up in Dublin with his grandparents. He remained close to his mother, Philomena, throughout his life. He fronted several bands as a lead vocalist, including Skid Row alongside Gary Moore, before learning the bass guitar and forming Thin Lizzy in 1969. After initial success with “Whiskey in the Jar”, the band had several hits in the mid-1970s with hits such as “The Boys Are Back in Town”, “Jailbreak” and “Waiting for an Alibi”, and became a popular live attraction combining Lynott’s vocal and songwriting skills with dual lead guitars. 

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