Phil Lynott - Yellow Pearl (Both Versions - REACTION) | Thin Lizzy Thursday

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[@buserk]

I was there at the time, literally, the guy in the house opposite played on the live reggae version of Yellow Pearl. And I saw Phil in GrandSlam perform it. I just remember the Attack, Attack... I was young and no body told me it was the Top of the Pop theme. I resent my dad for not telling me.

[@Michael-----]

Was refreshing to learn that Greg ranked the Soho version higher than The Philip Lynott Album version. Just when I think he has no clue at all, he steps up his game and surprises me with his greatness.😏

[@DreamsSketcher]

Michael that was an absolutely gorgeous back handed compliment! Gold star!😀😀😆

[@neilburns8869]

I had no idea that there was 2 different versions of this track.

[@reubster529]

KZbin messed with the audio

[@quolizzy1554]

This is very much the experimental side of Phil shining through here. Not to everyones taste, but even so was successful in terms of becoming one of Phil's highest solo hits in the UK at least, and became the Top of the pops theme for 5 years after Midge Ure from Ultravox remixed it hence the two versions, which was a big deal in the day at the time to create music for Top of the pops. If you listen to the Grand Slam version its very much rocked up and Phil has fun with it live in 1984 as it wasent played live at the time of it being a hit in 1981, so had fun no doubt with it live all though 2 or 3 years too late perhaps. For the record I actually prefer the 2nd version personally as I think it sounds more pumped up, and the fact it flows better and was the version that brought so much success for Phil, the 1st version for me kinda sounds like a demo to the 2nd in hindsight, but that could just be the way I see it. Great reaction though as always from Greg 👍

[@quolizzy1554]

Looking forward to this one as always 👌

[@daz1973uk]

The 2nd version more punch version was for BBC Top Of The Pops more info here -kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKDLeqKXet2Vb5Y

[@delorangeade]

This one is a classic. The second version is much the better of the two, but it's basically a Midge Ure track anyway. Most of the work on it is his. It's always fun to watch Greg trying to make sense of the lyrics. These are just meant as a throwaway play on words. Yellow Peril and Pearl of the Orient. Also, The Yellow Magic Orchestra. Nothing too deep there. Sometimes it helps to be British, and sometimes it helps to have been around at the time. When this was recorded Japan was the dominant economic power in Asia, source of innovation and technology, while the citizens of Shanghai were still riding around on bicycles wearing blue suits and getting over the cultural revolution. Writing the theme tune for TOTP was a very big deal. This replaced a version of Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin, so it marked quite a cultural shift. It's also worth noting that Synth Pop and The New Romantic movement were dominant forces in UK music and fashion at that point, rock music was a minority presence, and this song was at the vanguard of both. Midge Ure at this time had become more successful and famous than Phil, so it made sense to be publicly associated with him. You should research him a little more. To my ears the throwaway synth pop of the 1980's was still way more creative, and has stood the test of time, far better than the equivalent hair metal of that era, but I think that's almost always been true of British music over American.

[@Michael-----]

@@gregtroyan *Except the last two sentences and the second sentence.* Fixed it for you. You believe the Soho version is overall superior. And of course you rightly took offense to the shot at hair metal. Does he realize a lot of "hair metal" came from the UK?

[@brianmolloy4926]

You have just said a lot of what I was going to D. Is Yellow Pearl a brilliant track? - maybe not but the fact that it was the TOTP tune was huge !! I grew up listening to Led Zepp as the theme for THE tv show about Pop music for a teenager getting into music and the only thing that slightly mitigated a change of theme tune from the Zeppelin boys was the fact that my local hero Phil- penned the replacement. ! Midge Ure was huge in the UK and Ireland. I could scarcely believe he was in Lizzy for a while and by all accounts - neither could Midge!! He is often quoted as saying " I was the worst guitarist Lizzy never had " . Midge would go on to be at the forefront of Electro pop with Ultravox - not really my cup of tea- but they were very popular. He also was a force alongside Bob Geldof in establishing Band Aid and the live Aid concerts. - I'm sure you know all this but I think it's worth noting that Phil was ,according to some sources ,really disappointed not to be asked to be involved in Live Aid . I agree about the Yellow Peril / Pearl comparison. People in factories were fearing automation and pictures of Robots in Japan building cars sent shivers down a lot of working people's spine. I think Phil was commenting on the anti Asian sentiments at the time and the fear that they ( The Japanese machines) will arise and the need people felt to fight back and attack !! OK that's it for now !!! Cheers ✌ ☘

[@delorangeade]

@@gregtroyan I thought I might sneak that one past you.

[@delorangeade]

@@brianmolloy4926 It meant a lot for Yellow Pearl to be the TOTP theme tune because it demonstrated that Phil could still be relevant at a time when Thin Lizzy's popularity was just beginning to wane. Midge Ure was also in The Rich Kids with Glen Matlock and was part of Visage as well, so he had connections with the original punks and the the Blitz Club, scene, which was about as on trend as you could get. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure have always been slightly evasive about why Phil was not involved in Live Aid, although, given the shape he was in, and the stories circulating about him, at the time, there were sound reasons for him not being part of it.

[@delorangeade]

@@Michael----- Haven't we discussed before the terrible effect sniffing hairspray had on David Coverdale? I don't think he's ever recovered. I draw a distinction between salt-of-the earth NWOBHM bands like Iron Maiden and Saxon, and the likes of Def Leppard and Whitesnake for whom standing too close to a naked flame was a fire hazard of almost thermonuclear proportions.

[@quolizzy1554]

Can I ask Greg how come we got two premiers for 25th of November and 2nd December already? I actually try to avoid seeing the premiers as they give away what songs are to be reacted to. I actually love watching the random generator and seeing your reaction as to what song it is, so hence why I hate viewing the premiers. Is there a way to let everyone know about the Premier without listing what the track is?

[@quolizzy1554]

@@gregtroyan no worries mate 👍

[@Michael-----]

I assume he is reacting to the Solo In Soho and The Phil Lynott Album version. The Soho version to me is superior. But the live in Sweden '83 version is better than them both. Greg likes to crap on live music so we rarely get to hear any here.:-) Remember when he did the reaction to the Sydney show? That was great. Should do a reaction to another live Lizzy show. That could maybe be the X-mas special edition of Thin Lizzy Thursday(Dec. 23rd)

[@quolizzy1554]

I tend to think Greg doesn't completely avoid Live material because he doesn't like it. He reacts to studio versions as they are exactly as the band intended them to be, plus the lyrics are easier to comment on, as some live versions the lyrics can stray from the original studio version. That said some live versions make the songs shine at their best, I think the Live and Dangerous album highlights this. Tracks like Massacre, Sha La La, Suicide really explode to life on the L&D recordings. I think Greg would agree to my sentiments.

[@quolizzy1554]

Michael, the Premier highlights both versions, meaning the single version and album version I assume. Not sure if Greg will do the Sweden version or indeed the Grand Slam live versions from 1984.

[@Michael-----]

@@quolizzy1554 If it isn't obvious that I was giving Greg sh&t about live music and never playing any on here then I apologize and will use a bigger laughing emoji for you in the future.😏 Have a good one mate! Keep believing in the power of Lizzy!

[@quolizzy1554]

@@Michael----- its ok mate, knew you were light hearted about it. Just wanted to add my idea of why I think Greg doesn't include live material very often. I'd quite like Greg react to the Live in London concert from 1983 one day. More specifically Live in Hitchen. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5q6cmetrr6ama8

[@briandonaghy2458]

Totally crap