When you have been turning out new music for nigh on six decades, whether performing solo, in seminal ensembles, in exciting collaborations, or with esteemed accompanists, the back catalogue can sometimes become overlooked.
Christy Moore has lived several music lives at this stage, an odyssey that has led as down as many backroads as it has the motorways to mainstream fame and success, and it seems like on every aberration off the beaten track Christy has dropped gold. As one of those rare artists who has somehow managed to remain relevant and socially pertinent to this day, you could forgive Christy for forgetting where he buried the treasure.
In the archives of Christy Moore’s history, beyond the multi-platinum albums and the big songs that have sound-tracked a society, lay many dormant gems on dusty discs in lonely libraries. It was time to go looking for them, to piece back the puzzle, to celebrate and appreciate those moments once again.
Here, on this first-ever comprehensive retrospective of Christy’s early works, we find a selection of songs from Christy’s run of albums and live TV appearances from 1969 to 1981. Many of these tracks have only ever been available on long-lost vinyl pressings or in the case of the RTÉ and BBC performances, they have, until now, remained unreleased.
“This Early Years project has uncovered songs and recordings long since forgotten. Some tracks are rough and ready just as my life was back then, most bring back good memories of nights long gone, of songs long since sung. I am happy that these early works have been remastered, given a fresh context and a new lease of life. Thanks for listening”. Christy Moore, Dublin, August 2020