Description
PHIL LYNOTT Solo In Soho ORIGINAL WEST GERMAN CD RARE
Rare original West German CD album
Vertigo 842 563 2
P) & (C) 1980 Phonogram Ltd.
BIEM/STEMRA
Made in Germany
AAD
Barcode: 042284256322
Matrix / Runout: 842 563-2 01
Other: LC 1633
Solo In Soho = Studio album by Philip Lynott
Released: 17 September 1980
Recorded: Winter 1979 / early 1980 at Good Earth Studios, Soho, London; Compass Point Studios, Nassau
Genre: Rock
Length: 35:47
Label: Vertigo
Producer: Philip Lynott, Kit Woolven
Solo in Soho is the first solo album by Philip Lynott, released while he was still in Thin Lizzy. Current and former Lizzy members guested on the album including Scott Gorham, Brian Downey, Snowy White, and Gary Moore. Brian Robertson also contributed to the writing of Girls.
Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler plays on “Kings Call”, a lament to Elvis Presley. Huey Lewis plays harmonica on “Tattoo (Giving It All Up For Love)” and “Ode To A Black Man”. Lewis later covered the former on his 1982 album, Picture This.
“Yellow Pearl” was released as a single in two remixed versions – the first of these being later used as the theme tune for the British TV programme Top of the Pops. This version was later included on Lynotts second solo album The Philip Lynott Album.
Track listing:
All songs by Philip Lynott, except where noted.
“Dear Miss Lonely Hearts” (Jimmy Bain, Lynott) 4:11
“Kings Call” 3:40
“A Childs Lullaby” 2:43
“Tattoo (Giving It All Up for Love)” 3:21
“Solo in Soho” 4:15
“Girls” (Bain, Lynott, Brian Robertson) 4:00
“Yellow Pearl” (Lynott, Midge Ure) 4:06
“Ode to a Black Man” 4:06
“Jamaican Rum” 2:43
“Talk in 79” 3:00
Philip Lynott bass guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboards, minimoog, vocoder, string machine, percussion, vocals
Scott Gorham guitars (tracks 1, 4, 8) Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders(Since 2012), 21 Guns (1991 – 2000)
Snowy White guitars (tracks 1, 5) Thin Lizzy (1980 – 1982),
Mark Knopfler electric guitar (track 2) Dire Straits (1977 – 1995),
Gary Moore guitar (track 9) Thin Lizzy, Colosseum II (1975 – 1978), Mother’s Finest (Since 1972), BBM, Skid Row(1968 – 1971)
Jerome Rimson bass guitar (track 5)
Huey Lewis harmonica (tracks 4, 8)
Fiachra Trench strings (tracks 3, 4)
Jimmy Bain piano, synthesizer minimoog, string machine (track 6) Dio, Rainbow (1975 – 1977), Last in Line (2012 – 2016), Hear ‘n Aid (1985 – 1985), Wild Horses (1978 – 1981)
Billy Currie ARP synthesizer (track 6)
Midge Ure ARP synthesizer, mini moog, string machine (track 7)
Brian Downey drums, percussion Thin Lizzy, Funky Junction
Bob Benberg drums, percussion (track 6)
Tony Charles steel drums (track 9)
Andy Duncan percussion (tracks 3 and 5)
Julia backing vocals (track 5)
Lena backing vocals (track 6, 7)
Sophie backing vocals (track 6)
Margi backing vocals (track 6)
Silver backing vocals (track 6)
Christine backing vocals (track 6)
When they made Phil Lynott, they broke the mould. A charismatic rock star-poet with a Brazilian father and an Irish mother, there was no one else like him in the 70s or 80s. He was a rogue, a charmer, a superstar, onstage and off. But most of all, he was one of the great songwriters, whether with Thin Lizzy or on his own – and this “Ode To A Black Man” is one of his best songs…he delivered a powerful statement in this funk-driven track: “The people in this town that try to put me down… could never understand a black man.” The message was clear: there are some things that fame and success cannot erase.
Check Phil Lynott and Friends Performing Ode To A Black Man Live At Old Grey Whistle Test (11th April 1981) Phil Lynott on bass and Vocals. Brian Downey on Drums Darren Wharton on Keyboards. Billy Bremner on guitar Huey Lewis on the harmonica. A great collaboration of seeing both Huey Lewis and Phil Lynott playing the song together.
One of Lynott’s finest solo songs was this heartfelt tribute to Elvis Presley. With Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler on guitar, Lynott recalled the night ‘The King’ died in 1977: “I bought a bottle of wine… a bottle of gin… played his records all night.”Lynott’s fans did much the same on January 4, 1986.
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Solo Debut,
Don’t expect Thin Lizzy part two, but this album has some great tracks. Kings Call sounds like something off of Black Rose I must say, it’a great song. Dear Miss Lonely Hearts, Yellow Pearl, I just can’t explain how much I love this album. Ode To A Blackman was actually written during the Black Rose Sessions. Fantastic album. Give it a listen.
5.0 out of 5 stars Genius,
Just read the song credits: at least fifty percent of this album features Brian Downey, Scott Gorham, Gary Moore and Snowy White – the core of Thin Lizzy. Elsewhere we find Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits (on the glorious Kings Call single), Midge Ure of Ultravox (on Yellow Pearl, which became the theme tune to the UKs Top of the Pops for many years), and Huey Lewis (who would later release his own version of one of the songs here, Tattoo, and who incidentally is one mean harmonica player). A solo album was the ideal place for Phil Lynott to try out styles unsuitable for Thin Lizzy, and though the results were patchy, certain gems were immediately apparent. The title track, with its reggae beat, must surely be one of Lynott’s finest recordings. Ode To A Black Man thrills with its chunky bass and sharp lyrics. Talk In 79 allows Lynott to deliver a spoken monologue set against a tight bass & drum line, showcasing just what a superb bass player he really was. Elsewhere we have Dear Miss Lonely Hearts which wouldn’t have been out of place on Lizzy albums such as Renegade or Chinatown. Although Phil Lynott’s solo work never seriously challenged his bands output, Solo in Soho (and to a much lesser degree his second solo album) exhibit instances of the pure talent that marked him out as one of rock musics true innovators, and Solo in Soho remains the finest album that Thin Lizzy never released.
5.0 out of 5 stars emotive flashbacks of Phil’s life,
when you listen to music like this, it just brings home how sad Chart music has become. cliched manufactured candyfloss has taken over from soul searching songwriting with an edge,tracks like girls, a child’s lullaby and the title track, are just examples of lost true music missing in today’s chart pap. buy it
5.0 out of 5 stars Phil’s solo album is best remembered for 2 tracks; Dear Miss Lonely Hearts – the hit single and for his Top of the Pops theme “Yellow Pearl” arguably the best theme in the shows history. But there more to it than that, the Ode to a Black Man, Kings Call and Solo in Soho all could have been the feature tracks.
Review video:
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.