Kelly’s brother Wells was a drummer who also introduced King Harvest to “Dancing in the Moonlight,” but he soon left France before the song was reorded. He was also present while the band recorded “Dancing in the Moonlight.” Another American also by the name of Sherman Kelly joined the band one time, becoming a third member of the King Harvest’s keyboards unit alongside Altback and Robinson. New Yorker drummer Steve Cutler joined King Harvest in their final six months in Paris. This lineup would experience several changes later. Altback, Robinson, Tujela and Novak previously attended Cornell University together. And although he never sought to overtly copy Van, maybe this was Phil paying homage in some way.The formation of King Harvest occured in 1970 where four Americans Ron Altback, Davy “Doc” Robinson (both on keyboards), Ed Tujela (guitar) and Rod Novak (saxophone) met in Paris, France.
“I think a lot of Van rubbed off on Phil. He loved the guy, loved his lyrics, loved his voice and the way he presented things,” says Scott Gorham. I guess he was right about that arrangement… though my way would have been just as cool.”Īlthough Dancing In The Moonlight is often compared to the work of Bruce Springsteen, its most obvious debt is to Irish soul singer Van Morrison, a long-time hero of Phil Lynott. It’s a song that taps into the idea that everyone has of Phil – this romantic, cocky character – and it’s come to be a definitive Lizzy song. “The first time we played it you could see everyone singing along, so we knew it had connected. “It’s definitely one of our coolest songs,” says Gorham.
It would become a high point of the band’s live set, immortalised the following year on the magnificent Live And Dangerous album, and remains central to the Thin Lizzy live experience almost four decades on. “Thankfully they absolutely loved it.”Ī Top 20 hit in the UK, Dancing In The Moonlight helped propel its parent album to No.4 in the UK (their highest placing to date) and put them back in the US Top 40. “It seemed like a big gamble, and we did wonder what the fans were going to think, because it was way different from anything else that we’d brought out,” says Gorham. The producer’s stroke of genius was to bring in Supertramp saxophonist John Helliwell to provide the irresistible melodic counterpoint to Lynott’s breezy vocal.ĭropped into radio playlists at the height of punk rock in the summer of ’77, (as a double A-side seven inch backed with the album’s title track), Dancing In The Moonlight carried a twinkling sense of nostalgia, playfulness and innocence gleefully out of step with the times. I said: ‘Okay, I’ll go with your way, you’ve been right in the past.’”ĭespite initial concerns about working without his long-time foil Robertson, Gorham adapted quickly and thrived, his West Coast harmonic sensibilities bringing a lightness of touch to Lynott’s new composition, adding colour and shade without ever threatening to overpower the central bass riff. But he was pretty adamant that the way he was presenting it was the most commercial approach. I like that.’ I had another groove in my head that was different than the way he was presenting it – mine was tougher, whereas his was more ‘skippy’. “Phil said: ‘I’ve got this kinda groove… What do you think?’” says Gorham. “And by the way, that’s the single – Dancing In The Moonlight.”Ī jazzy, swinging, finger-snapping tale of teenage romance on the streets of South Dublin, the centrepiece of what became the Bad Reputation album was initially presented to Scott Gorham and drummer Brian Downey as just a simple bass line, Gorham recalls. “It’s a great record, it’s fantastic,” said O’Donnell. They’re falling down drunk.” The manager duly flew to Toronto to salvage the situation and to convince all involved that they were working on something special. One week into the recording, it appeared that Lizzy might not just be down a guitar player, but also a producer, when Visconti threatened to leave the session, telling O’Donnell: “I can’t work with these guys.
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