← Behind The Song: Classic Rock Chronicles
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It's season three on We Fixed it. You're welcome. And we're still just getting started.
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I think we've identified very clearly that
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there are major issues here.
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The problem is the rebrand backfired. People were confused.
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No apologies. The door hits you on the way out. Fired on the spot. Companies, culture, chaos. If it's broken, we're gonna fix it. That's my fix this time around.
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I like that idea. I love that.
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New episodes drop weekly wherever you get your favorite podcasts. We fixed it. You're welcome.
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This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with a name your price tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try it@progressive.com, progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Pricing coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states.
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Welcome to the behind the Song podcast,
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taking you deeper into classic rock's most timeless tunes. Here's your host, Janda. I'm Janda. And in this episode of behind the Song, Powered by Chick Fil A, we're digging into the life of a man who many called the architect of Irish rock, the G Man, Rory Gallagher. While the rest of the 70s guitar gods were draped in silk and flying around in private jets, Gallagher was carrying his own amps, playing one guitar and one guitar only and and wearing flannel shirts. He was the anti rock star. To understand Rory Gallagher's rise, you have to look at a teenager in 1960s Cork, Ireland, who was obsessed with the Delta blues. While his friends were playing pop covers in matching suits in show bands, as they were called then, Gallagher was teaching himself Muddy Waters riffs on a plastic guitar. He refused to release singles because he believed the music belonged in the moment and not a three minute radio edit. And he refused an offer to be a member of the Rolling Stones. He was really all about the music. He played the same 1961 Sunburst Stratocaster throughout his life, an instrument he bought at a music shop in Cork when he was just 15. It was reportedly the very first one in Ireland, ordered by another showband guitarist who decided he wanted a red one instead. Gallagher bought it on layaway for £100, an astronomical sum for a teenager at the time. He played that same guitar for the next 32 years, and by the time he was done with it, his own sweat had literally eaten the finish off the wood and his battered Strat had become the stuff of legend. Gallagher didn't just wake up as a guitar God, he survived the aforementioned show band era. Six piece outfits playing waltzes and pop covers. Kind of like boy bands of today in matching outfits, running around. At 15, he was in the Fontana Show Band, wearing the uniform, but secretly working out blues covers like the Beatles. Gallagher honed his craft playing grueling eight hour sets in the clubs of Hamburg, Germany. This is where his marathon stage presence was born. He eventually stripped it all back. Dissatisfied with the limitations of a large band, Rory formed taste in 1966. This was the moment he truly arrived. Inspired by the power trio format of Cream and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Taste stripped everything down to guitar, bass and drums. In 1968, the band moved to London and signed with Polydor and they became a staple at the Marquee Club, where his reputation as a guitarist's guitarist began to spread. The defining moment for Taste was their performance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, playing to over 600,000 people alongside Jimi Hendrix and the who. They were so killer they were called back for five encores. Hendrix was there, the who were there, but the crowd wanted the man from Cork. He set out on a solo career in 1971 and embarked on his most prolific creative era. His self titled solo album set the tone for his sound. Aggressive blues rock mixed with delicate acoustic folk. And this is when his trademark flannel shirt became a staple too. He didn't want to glam it up like everybody else did back then. He wanted to dress and look like the people that came to see him play. He was legendary for staying after shows until three in the morning to sign every single autograph and talk about his gear and his sound with fans. He saw himself as a working man whose job happened to be playing the blues. And he did a pretty legendary thing. In 1974, he decided to set out on a tour of Ireland during the height of the Troubles, when most bands had crossed Ireland off of their tour map completely. It was simply too dangerous. Belfast was a literal war zone. We're talking barbed wire, armored checkpoints and a nightly curfew. Rory Gallagher was unfazed. He famously pulled up to the concert halls in his battered old car, carrying his Strat and ready to play. No politics, no borders, only the music. He said he wanted to provide a release valve to the fans during those very, very trying times and call it the Road Not Taken. Here's one of the ultimate integrity moves in rock history. In 1975, the Rolling Stones needed a guitar player. After Mick Taylor quit due to creative differences. They called Gallagher and summoned him to Rotterdam to Audition. Gallagher jams with them for three days and he's totally killing it. But the Stones are living the stones life, waiting 15 hours for a snare sound or for Keith to wake up. Meanwhile, Gallagher is strictly a first take kind of guy and, and he has a sold out tour in Tokyo starting in two days. So he goes to Mick Jagger's room for an answer, but Mick is asleep. So he doesn't wait, he doesn't beg. He packs his bags, leaves them in the hallway and heads to the airport. He chose his fans in Japan over becoming a Rolling Stone. To Gallagher, the trade off, gaining world dominating fame at the cost of his musical autonomy simply wasn't a fair deal. And he knew his style of playing wouldn't truly fit with the Stones as they continued to experiment with different styles. I mean, it's hard to think of the Some Girls album with Rory Gallagher in the band. In many ways he didn't lose the Stones, he kept himself. And Keith Richards was quoted as saying, Rory was a fantastic player, but he was a solo man. He didn't want to be a Stone, he wanted to be Rory Gallagher. And you have to respect that. It all worked out. Of course, the Stones eventually hired Ronnie Wood and the rest, as they say, is history. Rory Gallagher was truly a guitarist, guitarist, an inspiration to other guitar players you may have heard of. Legend has it that when Jimi Hendrix was asked what it felt like to be the greatest guitarist in the world, he responded by saying, I don't know. Ask Rory Gallagher. Brian May of Queen credits him with his entire sound. In several interviews he has talked about how he went backstage as a student to ask Rory about his guitar sound, then went out to the music shops afterward to buy exactly the same gear. Eric Clapton said that Gallagher was the man who got him back into the blues. One of the few people who could play the blues and make it sound completely fresh and alive every single night. He called him a true original. And Joe Bonamassa has said that Rory Gallagher is the reason that he does what he does. One of the things that adds to his legend is the fact that Gallagher lived like a monk. He read a lot and was a massive fan of noir films and crime fiction. Much happier reading Raymond Chandler novels than going out on the town. No scandals, no mansions, just a series of flats in London. Living simply and keeping deep roots in Cork. He never married and he had no long term public relationships. His brother and manager Donnell often said that his brother's mistress was his beloved Stratocaster. Donnell and Rory were inseparable. And his other closest acquaintance was Jerry McAvoy, his bassist and longest serving musical partner, with whom he was said to have had a near telepathic connection on stage. Unfortunately, the later years of Rory Gallagher's life were marked by a decline in health and and a struggle with the pressures of the road. Decades of relentless touring, often 200 plus dates a year, took a toll. He had a severe fear of flying and he took sedatives to combat that. In the late 1980s and early 90s, the combination of prescription meds and alcohol led to liver damage. Despite this, he refused to stop touring. Rory Gallagher passed away in London on June 14, 1995, following complications from a liver transplant. He was only 47 years old. The city of Cork came to a standstill for his funeral, with thousands lining the streets to honor their local hero. He gave everything to the stage and kept almost nothing for himself. He didn't just play the blues that he loved, he lived them with an Irish soul, staying true to the Strat and the people who loved the music the way that he did until the very end. I'm Janda and I hope you've enjoyed hearing more about the great Rory Gallagher in this episode of the behind the Song podcast. If you liked it, drop a like and let me know in the comments. Or better yet, tell a friend. Thanks for listening to behind the Song and on the way. Much more Classic rock and Roll hey, did you know Chick Fil? A helps you save time and earn rewards every time you order with the Chick Fil? A app, it's easier than ever to get your favorites fast. Whether you're craving a crispy Chick Fil? A chicken sandwich, fresh made salads, or those golden waffle fries, it's all just a few taps away. Order ahead, skip the line, and even customize your meal exactly how you like it. 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