Blues rock icon Rory Gallagher has beaten Irish music legends U2 and Thin Lizzy to the title of Ireland’s Greatest Music Artist in a vote hosted by Dublin radio station Newstalk. The accolade coincides with a multitude of 50th anniversary releases celebrating Gallagher’s 1971 eponymous debut album due out in a fortnight's time.
Rory Gallagher fans will also be treated to another 50-year celebration as the Museum of Reading commemorates the golden anniversary of the Reading Festival with their exhibition The 1971 Reading Festival: For the First Time.
Kicking off in 1971 with Gallagher on the bill, the festival has long been one of the UK’s biggest musical events, attracting bands and fans alike from all over the world. Named after Gallagher’s song “For the Last Time” from his 1971 debut album and curated by rock photographer Jill Furmanovsky, the exhibition tells the story of the first Reading Festival while showcasing items from Gallagher’s archive, including his 1966 Fender Telecaster electric guitar and Vox AC30 amplifier.
Mastered at London’s Abbey Road Studios and spread over five discs, the Rory Gallagher 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set is a fan’s treasure-trove. This ultimate collection includes a fresh mix of the original album; a six-song BBC Radio John Peel Sunday Concert; four BBC Radio Sounds of the Seventies session tracks, and 30 previously unreleased outtakes and alternate takes.
A previously unreleased 50-minute DVD of Rory's first-ever solo concert filmed in Paris for the Pop Deux TV show is also included.
This incredible 50th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set celebrating Rory Gallagher's eponymous 1971 debut album is available here.
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