Gary Moore (2,034 views)

[BAZanine]

Robert William Gary Moore (4 April 1952 - 6 February 2011)
Associated Acts: Skid Row (1968 - 1971), Colosseum II (1975 - 1978), Thin Lizzy (1974, 1977, 1978 - 1979)
Years Active: 1969 - 2011
Vocal Range: E2 - B5

SPOILER: Click to show

{Vocal Summary}Although he's known more so for his outstanding guitar skills, Gary Moore also possessed quite the capable voice. Earlier on in his career, he would oftentimes go for more of an all-out vocal style with less technique involved, a la Jimi Hendrix, a notable inspiration of Moore's. However, throughout the 1980s, he focused more on hard rock elements in his music and along with this developed a better technique. These improvements included more consistent belts as well as heady wails that wouldn't be out of place in different metal genres. But that said, this era of his voice was relatively short-lived as come the 1990s, Moore took more of a straight blues approach with his vocals and his music as a whole. This change would last the remainder of his career. During this era, he cut back on the vocal acrobatics he'd be willing to display both in studio and live, only occasionally utilising his upper range in a comparable fashion. However, he developed a stronger lower register than he was known for earlier on and grew more comfortable with bridging as well as rasp. Despite his vocals not being his primary instrument per se, Moore's voice was still one that was not far off from many a lead singer during his time and one that compliments his sound quite well.

Significant High Notes:

B5 ("Time to Heal")
A5 ("Castles" War Dance version, "Rockin' Every Night")
G♯5 ("Boogie My Way Back Home", "Time to Heal", "Victims of the Future")
G5 ("Castles" War Dance version, "Getaway Blues", "Murder in the Skies", "Ready for Love", "Rockin' Every Night", "Sail Across the Mountain", "This Thing Called Love")
F♯5 ("Foxey Lady" live London Hippodrome 2007, "Run for Cover", "Shapes of Things to Come", "Victims of the Future")
F5 ("If You Be My Baby", "Mad Dog Woman")
E5 ("Boogie My Way Back Home", "Don't Take Me for a Loser", "End of the World", "The Love Story", "Murder in the Skies", "Ready for Love", "This Thing Called Love", "Thunder Rising")
E♭5 ("Castles" War Dance version, "Have You Heard?", "One Good Reason", "Victims of the Future")
D5 ("All I Want", "Don't You Lie to Me (I Get Evil)", "Hold on to Love", "Hot Gossip", "If the Devil Made Whiskey", "Mad Dog Woman", "The Man Who Never Was", "Sail Across the Mountain", "Secret Places", "Time to Heal", "Virgo's Daughter")
C♯5 ("All Your Love", "Always Gonna Love You", "The Blues Is Alright", "Cold Hearted", "I Can't Quit You Baby", "I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow", "Kidnapped", "Night of the Warm Witch", "Shapes of Things to Come")
C5 ("All Time Low", "Business as Usual", "Can't Find My Baby", "Don't Take Me for a Loser", "Empty Rooms", "End of the World", "Felicity", "Fire" live London Hippodrome 2007, "I Look at You", "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know", "I Wonder Why (Are You So Mean to Me)", "If the Devil Made Whiskey", "If You Be My Baby", "The Love Story", "The Man Who Never Was", "Midnight Blues", "Murder in the Skies", "My Sarah", "Only Fool in Town", "Out in the Fields", "Rest in Peace", "Rockin' Every Night", "Running from the Storm", "Saturday Morning Man", "Secret Places", "Take a Little Time", "This Thing Called Love", "Thunder Rising", "Wasn't Born in Chicago", "Wishing Well")
B4 ("After the War", "All I Want", "All Your Love", "Back on the Streets", "Bad for You Baby", "Ball and Chain", "Because of Your Love", "Boogie My Way Back Home", "Castles" War Dance version, "Cold Day in Hell", "Cold Hearted", "Crying in the Shadows", "Dancin'", "Don't Take Me for a Loser", "End of the World", "Enough of the Blues", "Eyesight to the Blind", "Falling in Love With You", "Fanatical Fascists", "Felicity", "Friday on My Mind", "Getaway Blues", "Hot Gossip", "How Many Lies", "I Look at You", "Key to Love", "Kidnapped", "King of the Blues", "The Law of the Jungle", "Led Clones", "Manic Depression" live London Hippodrome 2007, "Movin' on Down the Road", "My Baby (She's So Good to Me)", "My Sarah", "Over the Hills and Far Away", "Ready for Love", "Run for Cover", "Sail Across the Mountain", "Saturday Morning Man", "Secret Places", "She's Got You", "Speak for Yourself", "Stormy Monday", "Strangers in the Darkness", "Teenage Idol", "That Kind of Woman", "This Thing Called Love", "Thunder Rising", "Virgo's Daughter", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" live London Hippodrome 2007, "Walking by Myself", "Wild Frontier", "The Woman's in Love", "You Upset Me Baby")
B♭4 ("All Time Low", "Can't Find My Baby", "Did You Ever Feel Lonely?", "Do Anything You Want to Do", "Done Somebody Wrong", "Empty Rooms", "Enough of the Blues", "Go on Home", "Hold on to Love", "How Many Lies", "The Hurt Inside", "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know", "Just Can't Let You Go", "Like Angels", "Merry Go Round", "Night Creeper", "Night of the Warm Witch", "Oh Pretty Woman", "Only Fool in Town", "Out in the Fields", "Rest in Peace", "Running from the Storm", "Since I Met You Baby", "Siren Song", "Song for Donna", "Stop Messin' Around", "Take a Little Time", "Waiting for an Alibi", "Woke Up This Morning", "Worry No More")
A4 ("Afraid of Tomorrow", "After the War", "All Your Love", "Always Gonna Love You", "The Awakening", "Back on the Streets", "Ball and Chain", "The Blues Is Alright", "Business as Usual", "Checkin' Up on My Baby", "Cold Black Night", "Cold Hearted", "Crying in the Shadows", "Don't Believe a Word", "Don't You Lie to Me (I Get Evil)", "Down the Line", "Drowning in Tears", "Empty Rooms", "Falling in Love With You", "Fanatical Fascists", "Fire", "Friday on My Mind", "Foxey Lady" live London Hippodrome 2007, "Gemini and Leo", "Glory Days", "Gonna Rain Today", "Hold on to Love", "Holding On", "I Can't Quit You Baby", "I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow", "I Don't Live Today" live London Hippodrome 2007, "I Have Found My Love in You", "I Look at You", "I Loved Another Woman", "I Wonder Why (Are You So Mean to Me)", "If the Devil Made Whiskey", "If You Be My Baby", "Johnny Boy", "The Law of the Jungle", "Like Angels", "Listen to Your Heartbeat", "Livin' on Dreams", "Lonesome Still", "Mar", "Merry Go Round", "Mojo Boogie", "Moving On", "Murder in the Skies", "My Sarah", "Naked Flame", "Night Creeper", "No Reason to Cry", "Once in a Lifetime", "One Fine Day", "One Good Reason", "Over the Hills and Far Away", "Parisienne Walkways", "Power of the Blues", "Rectify", "Rest in Peace", "Rivers", "Rockin' and Rollin'", "Run for Cover", "Running from the Storm", "Separate Ways", "Shapes of Things to Come", "Siren Song", "Someday Baby", "Song for Donna", "Speak for Yourself", "Spirit", "Still Got the Blues", "Story of the Blues", "Surrender", "Take a Little Time", "Teenage Idol", "Tell Me Woman", "Texas Strut", "There's a Hole", "Thirty Days", "Time to Heal", "Toughest Street in Town", "Trouble at Home", "Umbrella Man Blues", "Walkin' Thru the Park", "Wasn't Born in Chicago", "What Are We Here For", "When the Sun Goes Down", "Where Did We Go Wrong", "Where in the World", "Why Does Love (Have to Go Wrong)", "Wishing Well", "Woke Up This Morning", "World Keep Turnin' 'Round", "World of Confusion", "Wrong Side of Town", "You", "You Know My Love")
G♯4 ("All I Want", "Cold Day in Hell", "Felicity", "Fire", "Foxey Lady" live London Hippodrome 2007, "The Hurt Inside", "I Had a Dream", "King of the Blues", "No Reason to Cry", "Once in a Lifetime", "Ready for Love", "The Same Way", "Trouble Ain't Far Behind", "Trouble at Home", "Winds", "The Woman's in Love")
G4 ("Afraid of Tomorrow", "All Time Low", "As the Years Go Passing By", "The Awakening", "Bad for You Baby", "Business as Usual", "Can't Find My Baby", "Castles" Strange New Flesh version / War Dance version, "Checkin' Up on My Baby", "Cold Black Night", "Cold Wind Blows", "Did You Ever Feel Lonely?", "Done Somebody Wrong", "Don't Believe a Word", "Don't Start Me to Talkin'", "Down the Line", "Evil", "Eyesight to the Blind", "Fanatical Fascists", "Falling in Love With You", "Friday on My Mind", "Glory Days", "Go on Home", "Gonna Break My Heart Again", "Hard Times", "Have You Heard?", "Hot Gossip", "House Full of Blues", "How Many Lies", "The Hurt Inside", "I Have Found My Love in You", "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know", "I'll Play the Blues for You", "Jumpin' at Shadows", "Just Can't Let You Go", "The Loner", "Long Grey Mare", "Looking Back", "Lost in Your Love", "Love That Burns", "Memory Pain", "Merry Go Round", "Midnight Blues", "Movin' on Down the Road", "My Baby (She's So Good to Me)", "Need Your Love So Bad", "Nothing's the Same", "Oh Pretty Woman", "One Fine Day", "Only Fool in Town", "Picture of the Moon", "Power of the Blues", "Preacher Man Blues", "Purple Haze" live London Hippodrome 2007, "Rivers", "She's Got You", "Since I Met You Baby", "Song for Donna", "Spanish Guitar", "Stand Up", "Stop Messin' Around", "Stormy Monday", "Sundown", "Tell Me Woman", "That Kind of Woman", "That's Why I Play the Blues", "There's a Hole", "Thirty Days", "Thunder Rising", "Torn Inside", "Toughest Street in Town", "Trouble Ain't Far Behind", "Umbrella Man Blues", "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" live London Hippodrome 2007, "Walkin' Thru the Park", "Walking by Myself", "Wasn't Born in Chicago", "What Are We Here For", "Where in the World", "Wild Frontier", "The Wind Cries Mary" live London Hippodrome 2007, "Winds", "Wishing Well", "World Keep Turnin' 'Round", "World of Confusion", "Worry No More", "Wrong Side of Town", "You Upset Me Baby")

Significant Low Notes:

E3 ("All Your Love", "Always Gonna Love You", "Angel" live London Hippodrome 2007, "Bad for You Baby", "Ball and Chain", "Cold Black Night", "Drowning in Tears", "Friday on My Mind", "Getaway Blues", "Gonna Break My Heart Again", "How Many Lies", "I Ain't Got You", "I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow", "I Don't Live Today" live London Hippodrome 2007, "I Had a Dream", "Johnny Boy", "Just Can't Let You Go", "Key to Love", "King of the Blues", "The Law of the Jungle", "Movin' on Down the Road", "My Baby (She's So Good to Me)", "Need Your Love So Bad", "Night Creeper", "No Reason to Cry", "Once in a Lifetime", "One Fine Day", "One Good Reason", "Picture of the Moon", "Sail Across the Mountain", "Spanish Guitar", "Spirit", "That Kind of Woman", "Thunder Rising", "Time to Heal", "Too Tired", "Trouble Ain't Far Behind", "Walking by Myself", "Wild Frontier", "Wishing Well", "The Woman's in Love", "World Keep Turnin' 'Round", "Worry No More", "Wrong Side of Town", "You Know My Love")
E♭3 ("Angel" live London Hippodrome 2007, "As the Years Go Passing By", "Can't Find My Baby", "Oh Pretty Woman", "Torn Inside", "Victims of the Future", "What Are We Here For")
D3 ("Afraid of Tomorrow", "After the War", "All Time Low", "Always There for You", "Bring My Baby Back", "Don't Start Me to Talkin'", "Hard Times", "Hot Gossip", "How Many Lies", "Mojo Boogie", "Moving On", "Out in the Fields", "Over the Hills and Far Away", "Preacher Man Blues", "Ready for Love", "Rectify", "Sail Across the Mountain", "Saturday Morning Man", "Siren Song", "Stand Up", "Stormy Monday", "Surrender", "There's a Hole", "Thunder Rising", "Trouble at Home", "Virgo's Daughter", "The Wind Cries Mary" live London Hippodrome 2007, "Worry No More")
C♯3 ("Flesh and Blood", "I Had a Dream", "Need Your Love So Bad", "Secret Places", "That Kind of Woman")
C3 ("Always There for You", "As the Years Go Passing By", "Business as Usual", "Castles" War Dance version, "Gemini and Leo", "The Hurt Inside", "I Can't Quit You Baby", "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know", "Memory Pain", "Nowhere Fast", "Oh Pretty Woman", "Out in the Fields", "Surrender", "Torn Inside", "When the Sun Goes Down")
B2 ("Bad for You Baby", "Cold Black Night", "Go on Home", "I Ain't Got You", "Long Grey Mare", "Song for Donna", "Stand Up", "Strangers in the Darkness", "Who Knows (What Tomorrow May Bring)?")
B♭2 ("Evil")
A2 ("Afraid of Tomorrow", "Ain't Nobody", "The Awakening", "Bring My Baby Back", "Dark Days in Paradise", "I Have Found My Love in You", "Listen to Your Heartbeat", "Nowhere Fast", "Texas Strut", "Wasn't Born in Chicago", "We Want Love", "When the Sun Goes Down")
G2 ("After the War", "Cold Wind Blows", "Enough of the Blues", "House Full of Blues", "I Have Found My Love in You", "Listen to Your Heartbeat", "Rectify", "We Want Love")
F♯2 ("Dark Days in Paradise")
F2 ("Can't Help Myself", "Enough of the Blues")
E2 ("Cold Wind Blows", "Go on Home", "Spanish Guitar", "Wasn't Born in Chicago")

…………………………………………………………………….
*Blue marks clear falsetto notes.
*Italics mark non-melodic notes.
*Boldface marks notes that are considered impressive in relation to this person's vocal capabilities.
*Underlines mark notes obscured in the mix of the song.

Best Vocal Performances:

1. Victims of the Future
2. Castles
3. Murder in the Skies
4. Song for Donna
5. Shapes of Things to Come
6. This Thing Called Love
7. Over the Hills and Far Away
8. Out in the Fields
9. Empty Rooms
10. Wasn't Born in Chicago

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}E♭6 ("Spirit"^{[1a] & [2a]})
G5 ("The Blues Is Alright"^[4b])
F5 ("Thirty Days"^[4b])
C♯5 ("Over the Hills and Far Away"^[3a])

B2 ("With Love"^[3a])
G♯2 ("Get Out of Here"^[3a])
F♯2 ("Got to Give It Up"^[3a])
F2 ("Sundown"^[4c])
E♭2 ("Can't Help Myself"^[4c])
D2 ("Out in the Fields"^[3a])
C2 ("Out in the Fields"^[4a])
B1 ("Livin' on Dreams"^{[3b]& [4a]})
F♯1 ("Rectify"^[1b])

.......................................................
[1] Questionable quality.
a. Poor whistle notes.
b. Weak fried notes.

[2] Questionable technique.
a. Possibly inhaled.

[3] Questionable legitimacy.
a. Unidentified backing vocal.
b. Possibly pitch-shifted.

[4] Questionable representativeness.
a. Speaking.
b. Brief woos.
c. Short dips in low range.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Album Ranges}With Skid Row:
Skid (1970) (D3 - D5 - F5)
34 Hours (1971) (F3 - C♯5)

With Colosseum II:
Strange New Flesh (1976) (A2 - B4 - C5 - D5)
Electric Savage (1977) (B♭3 - A4 - D5)^[1a]
War Dance (1977) (C3 - B4 - E♭5 - A5)^[1b]

With Thin Lizzy:
Black Rose: A Rock Legend (1979) (G3 - B4)^[2]

With BBM:
Around the Next Dream (1994) (E3 - C5)

Solo:
Grinding Stone (1973) (D3 - G♯5 - B5)
Back on the Streets (1978) (E2 - B2 - B4)
G-Force (1980) (D3 - B4 - D5)
Corridors of Power (1982) (E3 - A5)
Dirty Fingers (1983) (C4 - C5 - D5)
Victims of the Future (1983) (E♭3 - G♯5)
Run for Cover (1985) (G2 - F♯5)
Wild Frontier (1987) (B2 - E5)
After the War (1989) (G2 - D3 - G5)
Still Got the Blues (1990) (A2 - C♯5)
After Hours (1992) (C3 - C5 - D5)
Blues for Greeny (1995) (B2 - C5 - F5)
Dark Days in Paradise (1997) (E2 - C5 - E♭5)
A Different Beat (1999) (E2 - B♭4)
Back to the Blues (2001) (F2 - G2 - B4)
Scars (2002) (E2 - C5)
Power of the Blues (2004) (B♭2 - G5)
Old, New, Ballads, Blues (2006) (A2 - C♯5)
Close as You Get (2007) (A2 - C5 - E♭5)
Blues for Jimi (released 2012, recorded 2007) (D3 - C5 - F♯5)
Bad for You Baby (2008) (B2 - C5)

[1] Indicates albums in which Gary does not sing for the majority of its duration.
a. Vocals are only on track 3.
b. Vocals are only on track 4.

[2] Indicates albums in which Gary exclusively sings backing vocals.

[Steingrim]

Thunder Rising is a good example of a heavy rock vocalist employing his natural full voice for high notes. Which suits the dramatic lyrics. The song tops out at B4 and keeps hovering beneath that note towards the end, with an E5 in mixed voice for effect.