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The Boys Are Boxed: Thin Lizzy “BBC Sessions” Set Coming Soon

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With the recent wave of expanded reissues of the Thin Lizzy catalogue across the pond (in some cases after years of waiting), it’s easy for eager fans to ask what comes next. The answer is quite a doozy: November sees the release of a massive seven-disc box set that captures the band’s various live stands recorded by the BBC.

The set has everything stored in the BBC archives, including sessions with the likes of Bob Harris and John Peel through the ’70s, two sets at London’s Golders Green Hippodrome recorded for BBC In Concert in 1973 and 1974, a 1981 gig at the Hammersmith Odeon, one at Hitchin’s Regal Theatre in 1983 and a DVD featuring two complete shows, performances on Top of the Pops and The Old Grey Whistle Test and more. Some of the tracks were resurrected by the work of fans and collectors, who supplied their own tapes for Universal to include as much music as possible. (The BBC commonly erased tapes after using them, meaning that some performances aren’t complete.)

While some of these tracks have been released before – some tracks bowed on Strange Fruit’s Peel Sessions compilation in 1994, others on the aforementioned recent expanded editions and the 1977 show at The Rainbow Theatre was the basis for the iconic Live and Dangerous album – this is likely going to be a set that hardcore Lizzy fans won’t want to miss. (And casual fans also have something to look forward to: a cut-down double-disc set is also being released on the same day, November 7.)

So what’s in the box? Find out after the jump.

Thin Lizzy at The BBC (UMC (U.K.), 2011)

Disc 1: Sessions 1971-1973

  1. Look What The Wind Just Blew In (Sounds of The Seventies – 7/7/1971) *
  2. Return of the Farmer’s Son (Sounds of The Seventies – 7/7/1971)
  3. Whiskey in the Jar (John Peel Session – 11/14/1972) * +
  4. Suicide (John Peel Session – 11/14/1972) +
  5. Black Boys on the Corner (John Peel Session – 11/14/1972) +
  6. Saga of the Ageing Orphan (John Peel Session – 11/14/1972) * +
  7. Vagabond of the Western World (John Peel Session – 7/31/1973) * +
  8. Gonna Creep Up on You (John Peel Session – 7/31/1973) * +
  9. Little Girl in Bloom (John Peel Session – 7/31/1973) +
  10. Randolph’s Tango (John Peel Session – 8/6/1973) *
  11. The Rocker (John Peel Session – 8/6/1973)
  12. Slow Blues (John Peel Session – 8/6/1973) *
  13. Randolph’s Tango (Bob Harris Session – 8/29/1973)
  14. Little Girl In Bloom (Bob Harris Session – 8/29/1973) *
  15. The Rocker (Bob Harris Session – 8/29/1973) *

Disc 2: Sessions 1974

  1. Little Girl in Bloom (Rock On Session – 2/25/1974) +
  2. Little Darling (Rock On Session – 2/25/1974)
  3. Showdown (Rock On Session – 2/25/1974) *
  4. Sitamoia (Bob Harris Session – 3/6/1974) +
  5. Little Darling (Bob Harris Session – 3/6/1974) * +
  6. Slow Blues (Bob Harris Session – 3/6/1974) +
  7. Showdown (Bob Harris Session – 3/6/1974) +
  8. It’s Only Money (John Peel Session – 4/4/1974)
  9. Little Darling (John Peel Session – 4/4/1974) +
  10. Still in Love with You (John Peel Session – 4/4/1974) +
  11. Black Boys on the Corner (John Peel Session – 4/4/1974) * +
  12. Sitamoia (John Peel Session – 4/4/1974) *
  13. She Knows (John Peel Session – 10/4/1974) *
  14. It’s Only Money (John Peel Session – 10/4/1974) *
  15. Sha La La (John Peel Session – 10/4/1974) *
  16. Philomena (John Peel Session – 10/4/1974) *

Disc 3: Sessions 1974-1977

  1. Dear Heart (Bob Harris Session – 10/23/1974)
  2. Banshee (Bob Harris Session – 10/23/1974)
  3. Half Caste (John Peel Session – 5/29/1975) *
  4. Rosalie (John Peel Session – 5/29/1975) * +
  5. Suicide (John Peel Session – 5/29/1975) +
  6. Emerald (John Peel Session – 2/12/1976) +
  7. The Warrior (John Peel Session – 2/12/1976) +
  8. Cowboy Song (John Peel Session – 2/12/1976) * +
  9. Jailbreak (John Peel Session – 2/12/1976) * +
  10. Don’t Believe a Word (John Peel Session – 9/23/1976) * +
  11. Johnny (John Peel Session – 9/23/1976) * +
  12. Fools Gold (John Peel Session – 9/23/1976) +
  13. Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed (John Peel Session – 9/23/1976) +
  14. Killer Without a Cause (John Peel Session – 8/1/1977) +
  15. Bad Reputation (John Peel Session – 8/1/1977) * +
  16. That Woman’s Gonna Break Your Heart (John Peel Session – 8/1/1977) +
  17. Dancing in the Moonlight (It’s Caught Me in Its Spotlight) (John Peel Session – 8/1/1977) * +
  18. Downtown Sundown (John Peel Session – 8/1/1977)

Disc 4: In Concert 1973-1974

  1. The Rocker (Live @ Golders Green Hippodrome, London – 7/26/1973)
  2. Things Ain’t Working Out Down At the Farm (Live @ Golders Green Hippodrome, London – 7/26/1973) *
  3. Slow Blues (Live @ Golders Green Hippodrome, London – 7/26/1973)
  4. Gonna Creep Up On You (Live @ Golders Green Hippodrome, London – 7/26/1973)
  5. Suicide (Live @ Golders Green Hippodrome, London – 7/26/1973) *
  6. She Knows (Live @ Golders Green Hippodrome, London – 11/27/1974)
  7. It’s Only Money (Live @ Golders Green Hippodrome, London – 11/27/1974)
  8. Still in Love with You (Live @ Golders Green Hippodrome, London – 11/27/1974) *
  9. Showdown (Live @ Golders Green Hippodrome, London – 11/27/1974)
  10. Rock ‘N’ Roll with You (Live @ Golders Green Hippodrome, London – 11/27/1974)
  11. Baby Drives Me Crazy (Live @ Golders Green Hippodrome, London – 11/27/1974) *

Disc 5: Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London – 11/27/1981

  1. Angel of Death +
  2. Renegade * +
  3. Hollywood (Down on Your Luck) +
  4. The Pressure Will Blow
  5. Killer on the Loose * +
  6. The Boys Are Back in Town +
  7. Are You Ready
  8. Baby Drives Me Crazy
  9. Emerald +

Disc 6: Live at the Regal Theatre, Hitchin, U.K. – 1/26/1983

  1. Introduction
  2. Jailbreak
  3. This is the One
  4. Cold Sweat *
  5. The Sun Goes Down
  6. The Holy War
  7. The Boys Are Back in Town *
  8. Rosalie
  9. Baby Please Don’t Go
  10. Still in Love with You
  11. Dancing in the Moonlight (It’s Caught Me in Its Spotlight)
  12. Baby Drives Me Crazy

Disc 7: DVD

  1. The Boys Are Back in Town (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London – 3/29/1978) +
  2. Emerald (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London – 3/29/1978) +
  3. Dancing in the Moonlight (It’s Caught Me in Its Spotlight) (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London – 3/29/1978) +
  4. Massacre (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London – 3/29/1978) +
  5. Still in Love with You (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London – 3/29/1978) +
  6. Don’t Believe a Word (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London – 3/29/1978) +
  7. Are You Ready? (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London – 3/29/1978) +
  8. Sha La La (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London – 3/29/1978) +
  9. Baby Drives Me Crazy (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London – 3/29/1978) +
  10. Me and the Boys (Live at The Rainbow Theatre, London – 3/29/1978) +
  11. Jailbreak (Live at the Regal Theatre, Hitchin, U.K. – 1/26/1983)
  12. This is the One (Live at the Regal Theatre, Hitchin, U.K. – 1/26/1983)
  13. Cold Sweat (Live at the Regal Theatre, Hitchin, U.K. – 1/26/1983)
  14. The Sun Goes Down (Live at the Regal Theatre, Hitchin, U.K. – 1/26/1983)
  15. The Holy War (Live at the Regal Theatre, Hitchin, U.K. – 1/26/1983)
  16. The Boys Are Back in Town (Live at the Regal Theatre, Hitchin, U.K. – 1/26/1983)
  17. Rosalie (Live at the Regal Theatre, Hitchin, U.K. – 1/26/1983)
  18. Baby Please Don’t Go (Live at the Regal Theatre, Hitchin, U.K. – 1/26/1983)
  19. Whiskey in the Jar (Live on Top of the Pops – 2/1/1973)
  20. Jailbreak (Live on Top of the Pops – 7/29/1976)
  21. Don’t Believe a Word (Live on Top of the Pops – 7/29/1976)
  22. Dancing in the Moonlight (Live on Top of the Pops – 8/11/1977)
  23. Dancing in the Moonlight (Live on Top of the Pops – 8/25/1977)
  24. Rosalie (Cowgirl Song) (Live on Top of the Pops – 5/11/1978)
  25. Rosalie (Cowgirl Song) (Live on Top of the Pops – 6/22/1978)
  26. Waiting for an Alibi (Live on Top of the Pops – May 1979)
  27. Sarah (Live on Top of the Pops – May 1979)
  28. Chinatown (Live on Top of the Pops – 1980)
  29. Are You Ready (Live on Top of the Pops, 4/30/1981)
  30. Are You Ready (Live on Top of the Pops – May 1981)
  31. Back on the Streets (Live on The Old Grey Whistle Test, 2/9/1979)
  32. Don’t Believe a Word (Live on The Old Grey Whistle Test, 2/9/1979)
  33. Ode to a Black Man (Live on The Old Grey Whistle Test – 4/11/1981)
  34. Somebody Else’s Dream (Live on The Old Grey Whistle Test – 4/11/1981)
  35. Renegade (Live on Three of a Kind – 1983)

* denotes track also available on double-disc version
+ denotes previously released material

Mike Duquette

Michael Duquette (Founder) was fascinated with catalog music ever since he discovered there was more than one version of John Williams' soundtrack to E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. A 2009 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in journalism, Mike paired his profession with his passion through The Second Disc, one of the first sites to focus on all reissue labels great and small. His passion for reissues turned into a career, with bylines on catalog at Discogs, City Pages and Ultimate Prince and credits on titles including the Grammy-winning 'Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of "Weird Al" Yankovic.' Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike lives in Astoria, Queens with an ever-expanding collection of music.

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Comments

  1. Nearly all the tracks with maybe 5 exceptions have appeared on the recent Thin Lizzy deluxe reissues. The DVD tracklisting is not all that different from the Live And Dangerous DVD (standalone) as well as the bonus DVD that appeard on the Live and Dangerous Deluxe edition. The packaging on the box looks cool but I will think about ordering it. The single disc track listing looks good as well, but I might wait to see if these tracks appear on future deluxe reissues of Nightlife, Fighting, Renegade and Thunder and Lightning.

    Reply

      • I just did a recheck of the track list above. It is more like 12. Here are the tracks to the best of what I can see haven’t appeared on the recent deluxe versions:

        1. Still in Love with You (John Peel Session – 4/4/1974)

        2. Showdown (Bob Harris Session – 3/6/1974)

        3. It’s Only Money (John Peel Session – 4/4/1974)

        4. She Knows (John Peel Session – 10/4/1974) *

        5. It’s Only Money (John Peel Session – 10/4/1974) *

        6. Sha La La (John Peel Session – 10/4/1974) *

        7. Philomena (John Peel Session – 10/4/1974) *

        8. Dear Heart (Bob Harris Session – 10/23/1974)

        9. Banshee (Bob Harris Session – 10/23/1974)

        10. Half Caste (John Peel Session – 5/29/1975) *

        11. Rosalie (John Peel Session – 5/29/1975) * +

        12. Suicide (John Peel Session – 5/29/1975) +

        That covers the first 3 discs. As for the final two live discs from 1981 and 1983, I think they have appeared elsewhere but I am not totally sure. As much as I love Thin Lizzy, I haven’t made up my mind if I will order this set.

        Reply

  3. There’s a track missing from the Hammersmith show. I’ve come across a bootleg that had a version of ‘Don’t Believe A Word’ on it.

    Reply

  4. Thanks, George.
    and the ones you’ve got there seem like they would be the prime candidates for the upcoming Nightlife and Fighting deluxe editions.

    Maybe this set makes more sense if you are satisfied with your non-deluxe versions of the album and aren’t buying the reissues.

    Reply

    • I agree and I really enjoy the Thin Lizzy deluxe reissues. But I did order the 2 CD version of the BBC sessions from Amazon.co.uk since I don’t see any plans yet for the remaining albums to get a deluxe remaster treatment anytime soon. While the packaging on the 7 disc set looks great, I can’t see the justification to spend 100 bucks on a set where I have easily 80% of the tracks as recent reissues. I am sure the artwork on the 2 disc set is as good so it would be cool to check out.

      Reply

  5. the easy way. buy the 2cd and then download the individual tracks you want from the reissues via any reputable retailer. just a thought

    Reply

  6. I have the Japanese SHM-CD version of this set, the audio is so much better sounding than the mercury re-issue ones. for me it was worth the purchase. A stellar set. could have used more, but still, this set is amazing!

    Reply

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