Rory Gallagher’s 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Box Set

Rory Gallagher 50th Anniversary Edition

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Rory Gallagher’s eponymous 1971 debut solo album, UMC/UMe is pleased to announce the September 3 release of a five-disc deluxe box set of the album. Rory Gallagher 50th Anniversary Edition will include a brand-new mix of the original album, 30 previously unreleased outtakes and alternate takes, a six-song 1971 BBC Radio John Peel Sunday Concert, plus four 1971 BBC Radio Sounds of the Seventies session tracks, all mastered at Abbey Road Studios.

Also included is a previously unreleased 50-minute DVD of Rory’s first-ever solo concert which was filmed in Paris for the “Pop Deux” television show. All formats are available to pre-order HERE

The extensive box set package will also contain a 32-page hardback book with many rare and previously unseen photographs from British rock photographer Barrie Wentzell, essays and memorabilia from the album recording including hand-written song lyrics by Rory, and an exclusive limited-edition poster.

The 2CD and 3LP editions of the album will be cut-down versions from the deluxe box set. There will also be a special limited-edition Neon Orange (transparent) 1LP featuring the John Peel Sunday Concert exclusively available via UMG’s online stores uDiscover and Sound of Vinyl.

The box set will also include exclusive liner notes written by his brother and manager Donal Gallagher, his longtime bass guitarist Gerry McAvoy (1970-1991) and photographer Barrie Wentzell, plus a full 1971interview with Rory by journalist Roy Eldridge.

The debut album features some of the most beloved Rory songs such as “I Fall Apart”(Rory’s second most-streamed song), “Laundromat” and “Just The Smile.” While reviewing numerous tapes during the 2021 mixing sessions, two songs were added to the collection: the previously unreleased “At The Bottom,” a track Rory ended up re-recording for his 1975 Against The Grain album, plus “Advision Jam,” a rocking instrumental. The recording saw Rory Gallagher on guitar and lead vocals as well as alto sax, harmonica and mandolin, Gerry McAvoy on bass and Wilgar Campbell on drums. Atomic Rooster’s Vincent Crane plays the piano on two out of the 10 songs on the album “Wave Myself Goodbye” and “I’m Not Surprised.”

Rory had not played live since his previous band Taste disbanded on October 24, 1970. When Rory’s eponymous solo album was released in May 1971, he embarked on a 16-date UK tour that included 10 days touring Ireland and a short jaunt in Switzerland.

Recorded at the legendary Advision Studios in Fitzrovia, London, Rory’s eponymous debut album showcases the Irish guitarist as a multi-faceted interpreter of the blues with a cross-section of the blues from acoustic to heavy blues soul. Advision was one of the hottest recording studios in the 60s and 70s and home of classic albums recorded by The Yardbirds, The Who, The Move, T. Rex, David Bowie, Kate Bush, Elton John, Slade, Gentle Giant, Gerry Rafferty, and many more.

If ever there was a “musician’s musician” then that accolade belongs to Rory Gallagher. Renowned for his blistering live performances and highly respected for his dedication to his craft, he died in 1995, aged just 47.

Rory’s timeless reputation has continued to flourish in the years since. Indeed, some of rock’s most seminal figures, from Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton, Joe Satriani to Joe Bonamassa, Queen’s Brian May to The Smiths’ Johnny Marr, Slash of Guns N Roses to the Edge of U2, have cited him as an influence. Rory remains a touchstone for all would-be guitar heroes in the 21st Century.

When asked “How does it feel to be the best guitarist in the world,” Jimi replied: “I don’t know, why don’t you go and ask Rory Gallagher.”

FORMATS AND TRACK LISTING

4CD + 1 DVD Deluxe Set / Super Deluxe Digital

CD1

Laundromat – 50th Anniversary Edition
Just The Smile – 50th Anniversary Edition
I Fall Apart – 50th Anniversary Edition
Wave Myself Goodbye – 50th Anniversary Edition
Hands Up – 50th Anniversary Edition
Sinner Boy – 50th Anniversary Edition
For The Last Time – 50th Anniversary Edition
It’s You – 50th Anniversary Edition
I’m Not Surprised – 50th Anniversary Edition
Can’t Believe It’s True – 50th Anniversary Edition

CD2

Gypsy Woman – Tangerine Studio Session
It Takes Time – Tangerine Studio Session
I Fall Apart – Tangerine Studio Session
Wave Myself Goodbye – Tangerine Studio Session
At The Bottom – Alternate Take 1
At The Bottom – Alternate Take 2
At The Bottom – Alternate Take 3
At The Bottom – Alternate Take 4
Advision Jam
Laundromat – Alternate Take 1
Just The Smile – Alternate Take 1
Just The Smile – Alternate Take 2
I Fall Apart – Alternate Take 1
Wave Myself Goodbye – Alternate Take 1
Wave Myself Goodbye – Alternate Take 2

CD3

Hands Up – Alternate Take 1
Hands Up – Alternate Take 2
Hands Up – Alternate Take 3
Hands Up – Alternate Take 4
Hands Up – Alternate Take 5
Hands Up – Alternate Take 6
Sinner Boy – Alternate Take 1
Sinner Boy – Alternate Take 2
Sinner Boy – Alternate Take 3
For The Last Time – Alternate Take 1
For The Last Time – Alternate Take 2
For The Last Time – Alternate Take 3
It’s You – Alternate Take 1
It’s You – Alternate Take 2
I’m Not Surprised – Alternate Take 1
I’m Not Surprised – Alternate Take 2
Can’t Believe It’s True – Alternate Take 1

CD4

For The Last Time – Live On BBC “Sounds Of The Seventies” / 1971*
Laundromat – Live On BBC “Sounds Of The Seventies” / 1971*
It Takes Time – Live On BBC “Sounds Of The Seventies” / 1971*
I Fall Apart – Live On BBC “Sounds Of The Seventies” / 1971*
Hands Up – Live On BBC “John Peel Sunday Concert” / 1971
For The Last Time – Live On BBC “John Peel Sunday Concert” / 1971
In Your Town – Live On BBC “John Peel Sunday Concert” / 1971
Just The Smile – Live On BBC “John Peel Sunday Concert” / 1971
Laundromat – Live On BBC “John Peel Sunday Concert” / 1971
It Takes Time – Live On BBC “John Peel Sunday Concert” / 1971

Off air recording

DVD

Interview
Hands Up
Wave Myself Goodbye
It Takes Time
Sinner Boy
For the Last Time
The Same Thing
I Fall Apart

2CD

CD1

CD2

Gypsy Woman – Tangerine Studio Session
It Takes Time – Tangerine Studio Session
I Fall Apart – Tangerine Studio Session
At The Bottom – Alternate Take 3
At The Bottom – Alternate Take 4
Advision Jam
Laundromat – Alternate Take 1
Just The Smile – Alternate Take 1
Wave Myself Goodbye – Alternate Take 2
Hands Up – Alternate Take 2
Sinner Boy – Alternate Take 3
For The Last Time – Alternate Take 1
It’s You – Alternate Take 2
I’m Not Surprised – Alternate Take 1
For The Last Time – Live On BBC “Sounds Of The Seventies” / 1971*
Laundromat – Live On BBC “Sounds Of The Seventies” / 1971*
It Takes Time – Live On BBC “Sounds Of The Seventies” / 1971*
I Fall Apart – Live On BBC “Sounds Of The Seventies” / 1971*
* Off-air recording

3LP

SIDE A

SIDE B

Sinner Boy – 50th Anniversary Edition
For The Last Time – 50th Anniversary Edition
It’s You – 50th Anniversary Edition
I’m Not Surprised – 50th Anniversary Edition
Can’t Believe It’s True – 50th Anniversary Edition

SIDE C

SIDE D

Laundromat – Alternate Take 1
Just The Smile – Alternate Take 1
Wave Myself Goodbye – Alternate Take 2
Hands Up – Alternate Take 2

SIDE E

Sinner Boy – Alternate Take 3
For The Last Time – Alternate Take 1
It’s You – Alternate Take 2
I’m Not Surprised – Alternate Take 1

SIDE F

For The Last Time – Live On BBC “Sounds Of The Seventies” / 1971*
Laundromat – Live On BBC “Sounds Of The Seventies” / 1971*
It Takes Time – Live On BBC “Sounds Of The Seventies” / 1971*
I Fall Apart – Live On BBC “Sounds Of The Seventies” / 1971*
* Off air recording

SIDE A

Hands Up – Live On BBC “John Peel Sunday Concert” / 1971
For The Last Time – Live On BBC “John Peel Sunday Concert” / 1971
In Your Town – Live On BBC “John Peel Sunday Concert” / 1971

SIDE B

Just The Smile – Live On BBC “John Peel Sunday Concert” / 1971
Laundromat – Live On BBC “John Peel Sunday Concert” / 1971
It Takes Time – Live On BBC “John Peel Sunday Concert” / 1971

Deluxe Digital HD / Deluxe Digital Standard

Laundromat – 50th Anniversary Edition
Just The Smile – 50th Anniversary Edition
I Fall Apart – 50th Anniversary Edition
Wave Myself Goodbye – 50th Anniversary Edition
Hands Up – 50th Anniversary Edition
Sinner Boy – 50th Anniversary Edition
For The Last Time – 50th Anniversary Edition
It’s You – 50th Anniversary Edition
I’m Not Surprised – 50th Anniversary Edition
Can’t Believe It’s True – 50th Anniversary Edition
Gypsy Woman – Tangerine Studio Session
It Takes Time – Tangerine Studio Session
I Fall Apart – Tangerine Studio Session
At The Bottom – Alternate Take 3
At The Bottom – Alternate Take 4
Advision Jam
Laundromat – Alternate Take 1
Just The Smile – Alternate Take 1
Wave Myself Goodbye – Alternate Take 2
Hands Up – Alternate Take 2
Sinner Boy – Alternate Take 3
For The Last Time – Alternate Take 1
It’s You – Alternate Take 2

– Jimmy Hendrix
“The man who got me back into the blues.”
– Eric Clapton
“There are a million guys who sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan, but I never heard anybody who could really pull off sounding like Rory Gallagher.”
– Slash
” As soon as I heard Cradle Rock, I was hooked. I thought, ‘This is what I want to be when I grow up.”
– Joe Bonamassa
“I really liked Rory, he was fine guitarist and singer and lovely man”
– Jimmy Page
“He was just a magician, he’s one of the very few people of that time who could make his guitar do anything it seemed. It just seemed to be magic. I remember looking at that battered Stratocaster and thinking how does that come out of there?”
– Brian May
“The man who changed my musical life was Rory Gallagher, I picked up a guitar because of him.”
– Johnny Marr
“A beautiful man and an amazing guitar player. He was a very sensitive man and a great musician.”
– The Edge
“An amazing player, very spirited … he had a particular sound using that Stratocaster and he really got it because of the brute force in the way that he played, he just had such a passion about it.”
– Joe Satriani
“Rory was the one to measure yourself against. He was a real credit to music and pushed it to another level altogether.”
– Peter Frampton