In April 1981, the band's first 'greatest hits' album was released, and The Adventures of Thin Lizzy reached No.6 in the UK, although a stand-alone single, "Trouble Boys", only reached No.53, the band's worst chart placing since 1975. [91] According to White [92] and Wharton, [93] Lynott was the only person who wanted to release it, and nobody else liked the song. "Trouble Boys" had even been pencilled in as the title for the new album, but the single's chart failure resulted in the song being dropped from the album and the title changed to Renegade. [94] One highlight for the band at this time was headlining the first-ever Slane Castle concert on 16 August, with support from Kirsty MacColl, Hazel O'Connor and U2. [95] With the departure of Moore, Lynott decided to expand the line-up with two guitarists, and recruited two new members to complete a tour of Germany in May 1974. These were ex- Atomic Rooster and Hard Stuff guitarist John Cann, and Berlin-born Andy Gee, who had played with Peter Bardens and Ellis. This lineup proved to be temporary, as Lynott and Cann did not get on personally, [43] and Gee was under contract to another record label. The tour was ended early when a disillusioned Downey quit the band, and had to be begged to reconsider, at a time when Thin Lizzy's contract with Decca was coming to an end. [44] Ritchie, Gayle (6 July 2020). "50 years of Thin Lizzy: Remembering the night frontman Phil Lynott took a tumble and fell into a Kirkcaldy crowd". Nostalgia. The Courier . Retrieved 9 March 2021. In early 1975, Thin Lizzy toured the United States for the first time, in support of Bob Seger and Bachman–Turner Overdrive (BTO). When BTO toured Europe later in the year to support their hit single " You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", Thin Lizzy again accompanied them on what was a very high-profile tour. [49] They then recorded the Fighting album, which became the first Thin Lizzy album to chart in the UK, reaching No.60, although the singles still did not chart. Opening with Seger's " Rosalie", the album showed the first real evidence of the twin guitar sound that would lead the band towards their greatest successes, particularly with the dual harmonies of "Wild One" and both guitarists' soloing on "Suicide". [50]

Thin Lizzy without Lynott (1996–present) [ edit ] 1996–2010: John Sykes era [ edit ] John Sykes fronting the reformed version of Thin Lizzy in 2007Lynott died in hospital in Salisbury, Wiltshire, on 4 January 1986, aged 36, having suffered from internal abscesses, pneumonia and septicaemia, brought on by his drug dependency, which led to multiple organ failure. [119] [120] [121] They’d heard that seventy-five per cent of Live And Dangerous was overdubs,” Gorham marvels. “I got kind of angry, and I probably shouldn’t have, but I said: ‘That’s not the point here. You make a live album to prove how good you are as a live band’– and Lizzy was a great live band.” Nevertheless, Visconti signed up for the task of wading through 30 hours of live Lizzy, recorded on different kinds of tape at different speeds and by different engineers. Which is when the rumours began about how live Live And Dangerous really is. I brought an American influence into the band,” suggests Gorham. “I don’t want to say ‘country’, but it was a different influence. I got a kinship going with Phil because I was writing and bringing ideas to him. For all my non-expertise, Iwould write things for Brian Robertson to play.”

The first time I ever properly met Gary Moore was at the airport,” recalls Gorham. Moore and Lynott had a complex relationship. “The day Phil tells me we’re having Gary, he’s getting into a car and gives me a warning: ‘You’re gonna fall in love with this guy.’ Then he rolls down the window and says: ‘But don’t ever trust him’, and drives off. Thanks, Phil.” Robertson was just 18 and came from a family steeped in music; Gorham was a 22-year-old tearaway with a drug conviction before he fled Glendale, California, for London. Gorham’s brother-in-law, drummer Bob Siebenberg, had just joined Supertramp, and Scott hoped the band needed a guitarist. In late 1972, the band embarked upon a high-profile tour of the UK with Slade, who were enjoying a string of hit singles at the time, and Suzi Quatro. Around the same time, Decca released Thin Lizzy's version of a traditional Irish ballad, " Whiskey in the Jar", as a single. The band was angry at the release, feeling that the song did not represent their sound or their image, [35] but the single topped the Irish chart, and reached No.6 in the UK in February 1973, resulting in an appearance on Top of the Pops. It also charted in many countries across Europe. However, the follow-up single, "Randolph's Tango", was a return to Lynott's more obscure work, and it did not chart outside Ireland. [36] Thin Lizzy – UK Tour '75". Uncut, IPC Media. Archived from the original on 28 November 2011 . Retrieved 3 April 2011. And I just heard Bob Dylan is a Thin Lizzy fan,” claims Gorham. “Yeah, Bob, but where were you when we needed you, man?”In actual fact, I think he had a love affair with guitar players. If he could have had his druthers, he would have been a guitar player. Hendrix was his hero.” O’Donnell suggested 17 photographs on the gatefold, one from each song, so listeners could follow the music. The eighteenth photo was chosen by Lynott and showed straw, a razor blade and a rolled-up banknote – a glimpse of the recreational habits that would eventually derail him.