RORY GALLAGHER
‘CHECK SHIRT WIZARD – LIVE IN ‘77’
RELEASED ON FRIDAY 6th MARCH ON CHESS/UMC
Available on 2CD / 3LP / Digital HD / Digital Standard
Following on from the highly successful ‘BLUES’ album, Chess/UMC are proud to be releasing ‘Check Shirt Wizard- Live In ‘77’.
This 20-song, previously unreleased, set is culled from four shows (London, Brighton, Sheffield and Newcastle) during an early 1977 tour across the UK in support of Rory’s then latest album ‘Calling Card’. Featuring fantastic live versions of tracks from that album as well as songs from the 1975 ‘Against The Grain’ album and other live favourites.
This new album has been mixed from the original multi track tapes from the Rory archive, which were recorded by the Rolling Stones and Jethro Tull’s mobile studios and mastered at Abbey Road.
Rory Gallagher’s most popular albums have always been his live ones, such as ‘Live! In Europe’, ‘Irish Tour ’74’ and Stage Struck. He was an artist that came alive when onstage and this album covers a previously undocumented live period. “The whole concert was taped on the Jethro Tull Maison Rouge mobile by the way, and from where I was standing that concert on record would surpass the classic “Live in Europe” album. And that’s saying a lot.” Brian Harrigan Melody Maker – 1977, Hammersmith Odeon, London.
The cover painting is by a young Irish graffiti artist Vincent Zara who has stencilled Rory’s image across his home country.
If ever there was a “musician’s musician” then that accolade surely belongs to Rory Gallagher. Renowned for his blistering live performances and highly respected for his dedication to his craft, he died in 1995, aged just 47, yet his reputation has continued to flourish in the years since. Indeed, some of rock’s most seminal figures, from Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton, Queen’s Brian May to The Smiths’ Johnny Marr, have cited him as an influence. Rory remains a touchstone for all would-be guitar heroes in the 21st Century.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoW–ze-MRM
Rory Gallagher
Check Shirt Wizard – Live in ’77
Formats: 2CD / 3LP / Digital HD / Digital Standard
Label: Chess / UMC
Release date: 6 March 2020
Pre-Order the album from https://RoryGallagher.lnk.to/CSW
Track listings
2 CD / Digital
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
3 LP / 180gram Black Vinyl
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)
“The man who changed my musical life was Rory Gallagher, I picked up a guitar because of him.”
– Johnny Marr
“Rory didn’t sound like anybody else…He had a very individual, independent kind of tone and approach and everything. He’s always been a big hero to me.”
– Slash
“He was just a magician, he’s one of the very few people of that time who could make his guitar do anything it seemed. It just seemed to be magic. I remember looking at that battered Stratocaster and thinking how does that come out of there?”
– Brian May
“Rory was probably the most natural player I’ve ever seen. In all the gigs we did together I don’t think I ever heard him play the same thing twice. He was the ultimate performer.”
– Ritchie Blackmore
“A Million Miles Away was the first song I learned on guitar. The story goes that when Jimi Hendrix was asked how it felt to be the greatest guitarist in the world, he answered, “I don’t know. Go ask Rory Gallagher.”
– Ed Sheeran
“The man who got me back into the blues.”
– Eric Clapton
“I really liked Rory, he was fine guitarist and singer and lovely man”
– Jimmy Page
“When I was with Humble Pie and we were all just beginning to feel like we were getting it together, Rory was the one to measure yourself against. To be able to play like that with such intensity was awesome and really the only other guitarist that had that ability was Hendrix. I could never get a sound like that from my Strat no matter how hard I tried. He was a real credit to music and pushed it to another level altogether.”
– Peter Frampton
“It is truly remarkable how many guitarists over the years have cited Rory Gallagher as an influence. I was introduced to his playing during the Taste years but it was during one of Rush’s early tours opening for Rory in the fall of 1974 that left the greatest impression. He oozed passion in his playing and I envied his ability to transcend the moment. I learned a lot from him as a guitarist, but it was his character that touched me most.”
– Alex Lifeson (RUSH)
“Rory Gallagher he was a great player. I’ve seen him perform several times he just used to use a little Fender amp and that beat-up old Strat, but boy, he could make that guitar talk. He was another guitar player who never got the credit he deserved, it’s incredible.”
– Ace Frehley (KISS)
“As soon as I heard Cradle Rock, I was hooked. I thought, ‘This is what I want to be when I grow up.”
– Joe Bonamassa
“There’s very few true blues people. Rory stood out because he did it all the way through his life, that’s what he did. Who else is there? I can’t think of anyone that stands out as a real true honest follower of the blues and singer of the blues as Rory was.”
– Bill Wyman
“There’s blues players, you know some guys who play some blues licks but was like improvising with that scale. He was improvising on the quarter tones, improvising on the feedback, improvising on the vibrato. If you close your eyes and take out the rhythm section and hear him playing it’s right up there with avant grade jazz music. I see a strong similarity between the approach to improvising over the blues between Rory and Jimi Hendrix. They were both virtuosos who were able to manipulate even the minutest aspect of the blues and do things that had never been played before.”
– Larry Coryell
“It’s not too much to say that what like Hendrix did for the electric blues, Rory did in an Irish context.
You know Hendrix was the great originator, he sought of did field hollers for the pace age you know.
But Rory absolutely injected some Irish thing into it.”
– Bob Geldof
Online: http://www.rorygallagher.com/
Quote: “A Million Miles Away was the first song I learned on guitar. The story goes that when Jimi Hendrix was asked how it felt to be the greatest guitarist in the world, he answered, “I don’t know. Go ask Rory Gallagher.” – Ed Sheeran”
THIS IS COMPLETE BULLSHIT, The same story goes around for Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Rory himself, and so on. URBAN MYTH!
It’s no bulshit story my friend. Hendrix was asked this during the Isle of Wight festival in august 1970. He just saw the Taste performance and told the interviewer after that question: “go ask Rory Gallagher”. I never heard this by the guitarists you mention. Ed Sheeran is right.
De data van sommige wereldnummers staan op 1977, maar lijken verdomd veel op Irish Tour 1974. Zoals Million Miles Away, Walk on Hot Coals.
Weer heerlijke live plaats van Rory. Wel jammer dat het album door het gebrek aan fadeout zo hier en daar een wat rommelig karakter krijgt.
Ondanks dat blijft het een genot om Rory te horen spelen.
De 3 dubbel cd van Rory Gallagher is voor mij de laatste die ik koop van Rory. Nu een half jaar later weer n dubbel Cd Wizard. Ik heb alle LP’s en Cd’s van Rory. Maar volgens mij is de zin(met het zogenaamde nooit uitgebrachte materiaal) helaas een verdomd irritante verkoop truc geworden, bij de laatste 5 albums. Van bepaalde songs kan ik wel 5 of 6 verschillende versies beluisteren. Verschrikkelijk zoals dit alles uitgevent wordt. Ik weet bijna zeker dat als Rory nog zou leven,dit niet zo ongegeneerd zou plaatsvinden. Ik hoop niet dat Donal Gallagher hier achter zit, maar in ieder geval wel de plaatmaatschappij Chess. Wat een treurnis!!!!
Ik ben afgehaakt met het kopen van “”nieuw” live Gallagher materiaal. Voegt weinig toe aan wat ik al heb. Laatste aankoop was de luxe versie Blues, die was zeker de moeite waard.
Iedereen heeft recht op zijn eigen mening maar wat een gezeur en gemiep over deze geweldige nieuwe live release van Rory Gallagher! Puike aanvulling op een Rory Gallagher verzameling. Er is bewust gekozen voor deze tour. Voorheen bracht men om de 2 studio albums een live album uit echter niet tussen Irish Tour en Stage Truck. Dit nieuw live album uit 1977 past daar precies tussen in. Als Gallagher fan had ik nog een en ander aan te merken op postume re-issues en releases welke kort na zijn dood volgden maar “Blues” en “Check Shirt Wizard” zijn precies het tegenovergestelde van ongeneerde lijkenpikkerij. Als iemand vind dat enkele songs identiek zijn aan de opnames op Irish Tour dan heb je toch écht iets aan je oren! De versie van “Million Miles Away” op “Check Shirt Wizard” is véél langzamer gespeeld (en daardoor voor een fan een puike aanwinst). Voor mij mogen ze over 6 maanden wéér zo’n parel uitbrengen!