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

Thin Lizzy on stage in 1979
Author: Scott ColothanPublished 20th Jan 2025
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.

Midge Ure on stage in 2024

“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.

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