Midge Ure reflects on his 'wonderful' stint with Thin Lizzy: 'It was a schoolboy dream'
The Ultravox frontman appeared on My Secret Planet Rocks on Sunday night
Last updated 20th Jan 2025
Ultravox frontman Midge Ure has spoken to Planet Rock about his “wonderful” time as a touring member of Thin Lizzy.
Midge Ure was the very special guest on My Secret Planet Rocks last night (19th January), and he told host Mark Jeeves about the mind-blowing experience of briefly joining Thin Lizzy’s ranks following Gary Moore’s shock departure in July 1979.
“It was a schoolboy dream,” Ure enthused. “I had seen (Thin) Lizzy, I’m going back to the Picasso Club in Glasgow where I saw just about everyone. I saw (Irish blues rockers) Skid Row initially, who were the band that Philip signed for prior to Thin Lizzy.
“Then I read about this other band Thin Lizzy, and I went to see Thin Lizzy as a three-piece and absolutely fell in love with them – melodic, beautiful, Philip had a really distinctive voice, a really charismatic frontman. It was great. I think it was probably the first-ever (Thin Lizzy) UK dates on the mainland.
“So, that stuff really, really sticks with me. So, to find that a handful of years on, I'm standing on stage in Japan or America - it was America initially - opening up for Journey in these kind of mega domes, these 30,000/40,000 capacity venues with Thin Lizzy having spent 24 hours learning the entire set on the plane and in a hotel room, it’s real pinch me moments.”
Ure continued: “That's the joy. It's not the platitudes and it's not the Platinum records and it's not the money and it's not the acclaim. It's those moments that people never, ever experience. And I've had so many of them it's just ludicrous. So, to me, that was just wonderful. From starry-eyed fan to standing on stage there playing harmony guitar parts all night, it was just wonderful.”
Alongside performing on Thin Lizzy’s tours in North America and Japan, Midge Ure also played guitar on the new versions of ‘Things Ain’t Working Out Down at the Farm’ and ‘Dublin’ on Thin Lizzy’s 1979 compilation album ‘The Continuing Saga of the Ageing Orphans.’
Prior to his touring stint, Ure also had a songwriting credit on ‘Get Out of Here’ on Thin Lizzy’s seminal ‘Black Rose’ album.
Ure continued to collaborate with Phil Lynott after touring with Thin Lizzy in 1979 and 1980. Most notably, he co-wrote and performed synthesiser on Lynott’s 1981 single ‘Yellow Pearl’, which was used as the Top of the Pops theme in the 80s.
Listen to Midge Ure on My Secret Planet Rocks:
You can listen to the entire episode of Midge Ure on My Secret Planet Rocks below.
Alongside two tracks my Thin Lizzy, Ure also picks songs by Free, Cream, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie and Yes.
The entire episode is repeated at 9pm on Wednesday 22nd January.
The 50 greatest rock singers of all time, including Phil Lynott:
50) Beth Hart
49) Sebastian Bach
Bands a member of: Skid Row, Madam X, Damnocracy, solo artist
48) Elvis Presley
47) Mike Patton
Bands a member of: Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Fantômas, Tomahawk, Dead Cross, Peeping Tom, Lovage, Kaada/Patton, Hemophiliac, Nevermen
46) Layne Staley
Bands a member of: Alice in Chains, Mad Season, Class of '99
45) Sammy Hagar
Bands a member of: Van Halen, Montrose, Sammy Hagar & the Waboritas, Chickenfoot, Sammy Hagar and the Circle, Hagar Schon Aaronson Shrieve, Planet Us.
44) Chester Bennington
Bands a member of: Linkin Park, Dead by Sunrise, Grey Daze, Kings of Chaos, Stone Temple Pilots
43) Jon Anderson
Bands a member of: Yes, The Warriors, Mabel Greer's Toyshop, ,Jon and Vangelis, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, Yes featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman
42) Bruce Springsteen
41) David Draiman
Bands a member of: Disturbed
40) James Hetfield
Bands a member of: Metallica
39) Dave Grohl
Bands a member of: Foo Fighters (vocals, guitar); Nirvana, Them Crooked Vultures, Scream, Mondo Generator (drummer and backing vocals); Sound City Players, (vocals, guitar and drums); Probot (lead guitar, drums, bass)
38) Geddy Lee
Bands a member of: Rush, The Big Dirty Band (bass only).
37) Steve Marriott
Bands a member of: Small Faces, Humble Pie, solo artist
36) David Bowie
35) Shane Greenhall
Bands a member of: Those Damn Crows
34) Danny Vaughn
Bands a member of: Tyketto, Waysted, Vaughn, Snake Oil & Harmony, solo
33) Mick Jagger
Bands a member of: The Rolling Stones, From the Inside, The Illegal Eagles, Burning Kingdom
32) Lemmy
Bands a member of: Motörhead, Hawkwind, The Rockin' Vickers, Opal Butterfly, The Damned, The Head Cat, Sam Gopal
31) Jay Buchanan
Bands a member of: Rival Sons
30) Geoff Tate
Bands a member of: Queensrÿche, Operation: Mindcrime, Sweet Oblivion, solo artist
29) Eddie Vedder
Bands a member of: Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog, Hovercraft, Bad Radio
28) Janis Joplin
Bands a member of: A solo artist who also performed with Big Brother and the Holding Company
27) Phil Lynott
Bands a member of: Thin Lizzy, Grand Slam, The Greedies, Skid Row
26) Stevie Nicks
Bands a member of: Fleetwood Mac, Buckingham Nicks and an esteemed solo artist
25) Brian Johnson
Bands a member of: AC/DC, Geordie
24) Glenn Hughes
Bands a member of: Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Trapeze, Black Country Communion, The Dead Daisies, Finders Keepers, Hughes/Thrall, Phenomena, Hughes Turner Project, Michael Men Project, Kings of Chaos, California Breed, solo artist.
23) Brent Smith
Bands a member of: Shinedown, Smith & Myers
22) Roger Daltrey
Bands a member of: The Who
21) Floor Jansen
Bands a member of: Nightwish, Northward
20) Meat Loaf
19) Axl Rose
Bands a member of: Guns N' Roses, Hollywood Rose, L.A. Guns
18) Steven Tyler
Bands a member of: Aerosmith, Chain Reaction
17) Noddy Holder
Bands a member of: Slade
16) Steve Perry
Bands a member of: Journey, solo artist
15) Rob Halford
Bands a member of: Judas Priest, Halford, Fight, 2wo
14) Ozzy Osbourne
Bands a member of: Black Sabbath, solo artist
13) Danny Bowes
Bands a member of: Thunder, Terraplane, Nuthin' Fancy, Bowes & Morley
12) Lzzy Hale
Bands a member of: Halestorm, Skid Row (temporary singer)
11) Bon Scott
Bands a member of: AC/DC, Fraternity, The Valentines, The Spektors
10) Chris Cornell
Bands a member of: Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, solo artist
9) Ian Gillan
Bands a member of: Deep Purple, Gillan, Black Sabbath, The Javelins, Episode Six, Ian Gillan Band, Gillan & Glover, WhoCares
8) Ann Wilson
Bands a member of: Heart, solo artist
7) David Coverdale
Bands a member of: Whitesnake, Deep Purple, Coverdale-Page
6) Bruce Dickinson
Bands a member of: Iron Maiden, Samson, solo artist
5) Myles Kennedy
Bands a member of: Alter Bridge, Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, Kings of Chaos, solo artist
4) Paul Rodgers
Bands a member of: Free, Bad Company, The Firm, The Law, Queen + Paul Rodgers, solo artist
3) Robert Plant
Bands a member of: Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Band of Joy, The Honeydrippers, various solo bands
2) Ronnie James Dio
Bands a member of: Dio, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, Rainbow, Elf, Ronnie & The Red Caps, Ronnie Dio & The Prophets, The Electric Elves, The Elves
1) Freddie Mercury
Bands a member of: Queen, Ibex Sour, Milk Sea