Thin Lizzy

 Today in 1981 Thin Lizzy released the album Renegade

Dublin,Ireland Hard Rock/Heavy Metal

Status:Split-up

Years active: 1969-1984, 1996-2001, 2004-2012

Thin Lizzy's storied career as a bluesy hard rock band peaked in 1976 when their single "The Boys Are Back In Town" became a massive radio hit in America. Throughout the seventies the band, arguably Ireland's best-known hard rock band of all time, was a staple in Europe as well as the states, finally breaking up in 1984, two years before leader Phil Lynott passed away. In the intervening years, a variety of lineups, usually helmed by mainstay guitarist Scott Gorham, have continued to tour as Thin Lizzy, though they frequently re-iterated that they would not be recording new material. Finally, in late 2012, they decided they did indeed want to record new material, but not under the Thin Lizzy name, and the decision was made to fork off a new band, and thus Black Star Riders was founded. The core of BSR (Gorham, vocalist Ricky Warwick, and guitarist Damon Johnson) also continue to gig as Thin Lizzy (more of a tribute at this point) with various guests, most recently including Aerosmith's Tom Hamilton and Judas Priest's Scott Travis as the rhythm section.

Vertigo Records

Phil Lynott – bass guitar, vocals(R.I.P. 1986)

Scott Gorham – guitars, backing vocals

Snowy White – guitars, backing vocals

Darren Wharton – keyboards, organ, Minimoog, backing vocals

Brian Downey – drums, percussion

1. Angel Of Death (6:18)

2. Renegade (6:09)

3. The Pressure Will Blow (3:48)

4. Leave This Town (3:50)

5. Hollywood (Down On Your Luck) (4:10)

6. No One Told Him (3:36)

7. Fats (4:02)

8. Mexican Blood (3:41)

9. It's Getting Dangerous (5:34)

Total Time 41:11

Track 1 by Lynott, Wharton.

Tracks 2, 7 by Lynott, White.

Tracks 3, 4, 5 & 9 by Lynott, Gorham.

Tracks 6 & 8 by Lynott.

Reissued on 23rd September 2013 with 5 bonus tracks of b-sides and rare extended mixes:

10. Trouble Boys

11. Memory Pain

12. Hollywood (extended version, 12" mix)

13. Renegade (edited, 7")

14. Hollywood (7" Promo edited)

Recording information:

Recorded at:

Odyssey Studio, London; Morgan Studio, London; Compass Point Studio, Nassau.

Mixed at Battery Studio, London.

Cut at Townhouse Studio, London.

Renegade is the eleventh studio album by Irish band Thin Lizzy, released in 1981. Though not his first appearance, this was the first album in which keyboard player Darren Wharton was credited as a permanent member, becoming the fifth member of the line-up. As such, he made a contribution as a songwriter on the opening track "Angel of Death". However, even though he had officially joined the band, his picture was omitted from the album sleeve.

Renegade was the second and final album to feature guitarist Snowy White. By his own admission, White was more suited to playing blues than heavy rock and he quit by mutual agreement the following year. He went on to have a hit single with "Bird of Paradise" in 1983.