Gary Moore – Still Got The Blues (Live at Hammersmith Odeon)
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A decisive left turn: Gary Moore trades hard rock voltage for a blues statement built to last
Released in March 1990 as the title track and lead single from his eighth solo album, “Still Got The Blues” marked a clear break in Gary Moore’s career. After decades moving through Skid Row, Thin Lizzy, G-Force, Colosseum II, and high-gain solo work, he pivoted to electric blues—an instinctive course correction that would define his 1990s and deliver his biggest commercial return.
The career pivot
By the late ’80s Moore had the résumé of a lifer, but he wanted to get back to first principles. “I wasn’t trying to emulate that slickly produced, clean American guitar sound,” he told Q in 1992. “I wanted something more rough and ready… It was just like starting over.” It was a risk in 1990, when blues wasn’t chart fashion, but the move connected.
Recording and production
Produced by Moore with Ian Taylor for Virgin Records, the album keeps the title track unvarnished and direct. Moore’s primary voice here is a 1959 Gibson Les Paul he acquired in 1989 (nicknamed “Stripe”) rather than Peter Green’s famed “Greeny,” which he reserved on the album for “Midnight Blues” and “Stop Messin’ Around”. The choice underscored the project’s intent: authenticity over sheen.
Guests, material, and the Peter Green line
Moore’s blues credentials were reinforced by appearances from Albert King and Albert Collins, and by George Harrison’s vocal/guitar cameo on “That Kind of Woman”. Originals like “Still Got The Blues”, “Moving On”, and “King of the Blues” sat alongside respectful cuts of Otis Rush’s “All Your Love” and Jimmy Rogers’ “Walking By Myself”, plus Fleetwood Mac’s “Stop Messin’ Around”. The album was dedicated to Peter Green—mentor, compass, and the man who’d entrusted Moore with “Greeny.”
Chart performance and commercial reach
The single arrived in May 1990 and reached No. 31 in the UK. In the U.S., “Still Got The Blues” became Moore’s sole solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 (peaking at No. 97 in February 1991). The album itself peaked at No. 13 in the UK and No. 83 in the U.S., then proved durable: platinum in the UK (September 1994) and in multiple territories including Australia and Germany; gold in the U.S. (November 1995). Worldwide sales settled around three million—his career best.
Copyright case
On 3 December 2008, a Munich court ruled that the “Still Got The Blues” guitar solo infringed elements of Jud’s Gallery’s 1974 instrumental “Nordrach”. The court found no evidence of deliberate copying but held that intent wasn’t required; Moore denied prior knowledge of the track. Damages were awarded to bandleader Jürgen Winter. The decision didn’t dent the song’s standing with listeners.
Legacy and influence
The album became Moore’s template for the decade ahead—After Hours (1992), Blues Alive (1993), Blues for Greeny (1995), Back to the Blues (2001). It also helped re-open mainstream space for guitar-forward blues in the early ’90s. Admiration came from peers and press; Bob Geldof called him “one of the great Irish bluesmen,” and guitarist polls routinely cite his touch and phrasing. After Moore’s death in 2011, Eric Clapton honored him by performing “Still Got The Blues” live, later cutting it for Old Sock (2013).
Technical details
Released: March 1990 (album); May 1990 (single)
Album: Still Got the Blues
Genre: Electric blues, blues rock
Length: 6:10 (album version)
Label: Virgin Records
Writer: Gary Moore
Producers: Gary Moore, Ian Taylor
Chart peaks
Single — UK Singles Chart: No. 31 (1990)
Single — US Billboard Hot 100: No. 97 (Feb 1991)
Album — UK Albums Chart: No. 13 (1990)
Album — US Billboard 200: No. 83 (Feb 1991)
Personnel and Credits
Gary Moore — vocals; guitars; producer
Ian Taylor — co-producer
Guests (album): Albert King — guitar; Albert Collins — guitar; George Harrison — vocals, guitar on “That Kind of Woman”
Songwriting: Gary Moore (title track)
