| "The Farmer" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Thin Lizzy | |
| B-side | "I Need You" |
| Released | 31 July 1970 |
| Recorded | July 1970 |
| Studio | Trend Studios, Baggot Street, Dublin |
| Length | 3:29 |
| Label | Parlophone [1] |
| Songwriter(s) | Phil Lynott |
| Producer(s) | John D'Ardis |
"The Farmer" is the debut single by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, released on Parlophone in 1970. It is the only recording by the original four-piece line-up of Phil Lynott, Eric Bell, Brian Downey and Eric Wrixon.
Thin Lizzy were formed at the end of 1969, and quickly gained press reputation around Dublin, as the members were already known in local bands around the city. [2]
After playing a showcase gig at St Aidan's Hall in July 1970, Thin Lizzy were signed by EMI Ireland to record a single. The song, written by lead singer and bassist Phil Lynott, was recorded at Trend Studios, Baggot Street, and produced by John D'Ardis. [3] The B-side was a D'Ardis composition, "I Need You", which featured a brass section. [4]
The group were inexperienced at recording, and turned up with their live PA, as guitarist Eric Bell thought D'Ardis would record the band live with their stage equipment, rather than use studio gear. [5]
After recording, the group were told by their management that they were short of money and needed to get rid of one member. Keyboardist Eric Wrixon did not appear to fit in with the rest of the group's long-term plans, and quietly left. [6] Lynott and Bell subsidised the band's income by performing as a folk duo in various Dublin pubs. [5]
The single was released by Parlophone on 31 July 1970. [5] Five hundred copies of the single were pressed, but only 283 copies were sold. [7] [8] The remainder of the unsold records were probably melted down and recycled. The group were disappointed with the failure of the single, but it is now one of the rarest releases by Thin Lizzy. In the 21st century, copies have been sold for around £800. [6]
Thin Lizzy are an Irish hard rock band formed in Dublin in 1969. 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 sometimes heavy metal.
Philip Parris Lynott was an Irish musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the co-founder, lead vocalist, bassist, and primary songwriter for the hard rock band Thin Lizzy. He was known for his distinctive pick-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.
Eric Robin Bell is a Northern Irish rock and blues musician, best known as a founding member and the original guitarist of the rock group Thin Lizzy from 1969 to 1973. After his time in Thin Lizzy, he briefly fronted his own group before joining The Noel Redding Band in the mid-1970s. He has since released several solo albums and performs regularly with a blues-based trio, the Eric Bell Band.
Brian David Robertson is a Scottish rock guitarist, best known as a former member of Thin Lizzy and Motörhead.
Thin Lizzy is the debut studio album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, released on 30 April 1971. The album was followed by the EP New Day, produced and recorded by Nick Tauber at Decca Studios on 14–17 June 1971 and released on 20 August 1971. The songs from the EP were included in later editions of the album.
Live and Dangerous is a live double album by the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, released in June 1978. It was recorded in London in 1976, and Philadelphia and Toronto in 1977, with further production in Paris. It was also the last Thin Lizzy album to feature guitarist Brian Robertson, who left the band shortly after its release.
John James Sykes is an English guitarist, best known as a member of Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy and Tygers of Pan Tang. He has also fronted the hard rock group Blue Murder and released several solo albums.
Remembering – Part 1 is a compilation album by rock group Thin Lizzy, one of the first compilations of the band's early years with Eric Bell, released by their record company at that time, Decca Records, in an apparent attempt to cash in on the chart success Lizzy had recently begun enjoying with Vertigo. It includes "Sitamoia" and "Little Darling", both featuring Gary Moore during his first brief stint with the group, the first of which was previously unreleased. The time frame of the album stretches from 1971 to 1974. The album was issued in the US as Rocker (1971-1974) in 1977 by London Records, with the song "Honesty Is No Excuse" instead of "A Song for While I'm Away".
Brian Michael Downey is an Irish drummer. He was a founding member of the rock band Thin Lizzy and the only other constant in the band aside from leader Phil Lynott until their disbandment in 1983. Downey also co-wrote several Thin Lizzy songs. Allmusic critic Eduardo Rivadavia has argued that Downey is "certainly one of the most underrated [rock drummers] of his generation".
Whiskey In The Jar is a compilation album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, originally released in 1996, covering the early part of the band's career. There are various versions of this album, released by different record companies, with the same track listing but with different covers.
Wild One: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy is a 1996 compilation album by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy. It was released ten years after the death of frontman Phil Lynott in 1986 as a tribute to him.
Vagabonds Kings Warriors Angels is a 2001 4-disc set by Irish rock group Thin Lizzy, which also contains a book chronicling the life of the band and music in some detail, with rare photos and a discography. The set was packaged in a longbox format with the booklet fixed inside like a book.
"Sarah" is a pop song released in 1979 by Irish rock group Thin Lizzy, included on their album, Black Rose: A Rock Legend. The song was written by the band's frontman Phil Lynott and guitarist Gary Moore about Lynott's newborn daughter. The song was also issued as a single, and appeared on several compilation albums including Wild One: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy. The song was never performed live by Thin Lizzy, but it was adopted as a live favourite by Lynott's post-Thin Lizzy project, Grand Slam, and featured on Live in Sweden 1983, a recording of Lynott's solo band.
Funky Junction were an Irish rock band formed in 1972 specifically to record a single album of songs made famous by British band Deep Purple, which was released as Funky Junction Play a Tribute to Deep Purple in January 1973. Among the band's lineup were all three members of the early 1970s incarnation of Thin Lizzy.
"Still in Love with You" is a song originally recorded by Thin Lizzy. The studio version was first released on their 1974 album Nightlife, and went on to be a live favourite, showcasing the guitarists, including Brian Robertson, Scott Gorham, Gary Moore and John Sykes. Live versions were released on the albums Live and Dangerous, Life, BBC Radio One Live in Concert, The Peel Sessions and One Night Only.
"Do Anything You Want To" is a song by the Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy. It was the second single released from their 1979 album Black Rose: A Rock Legend. It was recorded at Pathe Marconi EMI Studios in Paris, France.
"Hollywood (Down on Your Luck)" is a song by the Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, written by guitarist Scott Gorham and bassist/vocalist Phil Lynott, and released as a single in 1982. It was the only single to be released from their 1981 album Renegade.
Philomena Lynott was an Irish author and entrepreneur. She was the mother of Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott. Her autobiography, My Boy, documents their relationship. She was the proprietor of the Clifton Grange Hotel in Manchester, which provided accommodation for a number of bands in the 1970s including Thin Lizzy.
"Cowboy Song" is a song by hard rock band Thin Lizzy that originally appeared on their 1976 album Jailbreak.