Wild Frontier

Wild Frontier is the sixth solo studio album by Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore, released on 2 March 1987.[5] His first studio effort after a 1985 trip back to his native Belfast, Northern Ireland, the album contains several songs about Ireland. The album is dedicated to the memory of Moore's close friend and former Thin Lizzy bandmate Phil Lynott, who died on 4 January 1986, with the words "For Philip" on the rear cover.

For the Prodigy song, see Wild Frontier (song).

Wild Frontier
Studio album by
Gary Moore
Released2 March 1987 (1987-03-02)
Length37:20
Label10/Virgin
ProducerPeter Collins, Pete Smith, James "Jimbo" Barton, Gary Moore
Gary Moore chronology
Run for Cover
(1985)		 Wild Frontier
(1987)		 After the War
(1989)
Singles from Wild Frontier
  1. "Over the Hills and Far Away"
    Released: December 1986[1]
  2. "Wild Frontier"
    Released: February 1987
  3. "Friday on My Mind"
    Released: April 1987[2]
  4. "The Loner"
    Released: August 1987
  5. "Take a Little Time"
    Released: November 1987
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal4/10[4]

Wild Frontier contains the hit single "Over the Hills and Far Away", which reached No. 20 in the UK,[6] as well as a cover of the Easybeats' song "Friday on My Mind". The Max Middleton-penned "The Loner" was originally recorded by Cozy Powell for his Over the Top album in 1979 (on which Moore performed, albeit not on Powell's recording of "The Loner"). The track was substantially altered by Moore for his own recording, thus he is credited as a co-writer. The song "Crying in the Shadows", which was released as the B-side of the "Over the Hills and Far Away" single in December 1986 and appears as a bonus track on the CD version of Wild Frontier, was also recorded by Japanese singer Minako Honda, titled "The Cross (Ai No Jujika)", with Moore on guitar.

Gary Moore was joined by The Chieftains on select tracks from this album.[7][8][9]

All drums on Wild Frontier are sequenced with a drum machine, which AllMusic described as Moore's "most fatal" decision, leading to a "disappointing" album.[10]

Covers

"Over the Hills and Far Away" has been covered by the Finnish symphonic power metal band Nightwish on their 2001 EP of the same title, by Swedish viking metal band Thyrfing on their album Urkraft, and by Patty Gurdy on her Shapes & Patterns EP (2018). The Rockoutstandout reviewer wrote, "Patty Gurdy’s cover with a hurdy gurdy and vocals gives us a completely different take on the song altogether and it works very well. The echo effect on the vocals give this track that well known powerful atmosphere that the original song is able to do. I love this quirky cover and I always feel a sense of warmth when hearing the song."[11] The Spanish band Saurom also recorded a cover of this song with alternative lyrics, titled "La Disolución de la Comunidad".

Christy Moore recorded a version of Johnny Boy on his 2021 album, Flying Into Mystery and released it as a single in November 2021.[12] He performed the song live on the Late Late Show, noting his long time admiration for Gary Moore as a musician, and performed it following his receipt of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards 2021.[13][14]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Over the Hills and Far Away"Gary Moore5:20
2."Wild Frontier"Moore4:14
3."Take a Little Time"Moore4:05
4."The Loner" (instrumental, originally recorded by Cozy Powell)Max Middleton, Moore5:54
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
5."Friday on My Mind" (The Easybeats cover)George Young, Harry Vanda4:11
6."Strangers in the Darkness"Moore, Neil Carter4:38
7."Thunder Rising"Moore, Carter5:43
8."Johnny Boy"Moore3:15
CD release
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Over the Hills and Far Away"Moore5:20
2."Wild Frontier"Moore4:14
3."Take a Little Time"Moore4:05
4."The Loner"Middleton, Moore5:54
5."Friday on My Mind"Young, Vanda4:11
6."Strangers in the Darkness"Moore, Carter4:38
7."Thunder Rising"Moore, Carter5:43
8."Johnny Boy"Moore3:15
9."Over the Hills and Far Away" (12” version)Moore7:26
10."Wild Frontier" (12” version)Moore6:38
11."Crying in the Shadows"Moore5:01
2002 remastered CD bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."The Loner" (Extended mix)Middleton, Moore7:16
13."Friday on My Mind" (12” version)Young, Vanda6:15
14."Out in the Fields" (live)Moore5:28

Note: The 12" version of "Wild Frontier" was track 5 on the 1987 CD release. There was also a double LP edition including some of the CD bonus tracks.[15]

Personnel
Production
  • Peter Collins – producer on tracks 1, 2, 4, 9, 10 and 12
  • Pete Smith – producer on tracks 3 and 6
  • James "Jimbo" Barton – producer on tracks 5, 7, 8 and 13, engineer on tracks 1 and 2, mixing on tracks 3 and 6
  • Chris Porter – engineer on tracks 2 and 4
  • Mike Stone – producer on track 11
  • Nigel Walker – producer on track 14
  • James Barton - mixer on tracks 3 and 6
  • Bob Kraushaar - mixer on track 10

Charts

Certifications
Sales certifications for Wild Frontier
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Finland (Musiikkituottajat)[36] Gold 42,791[36]
Norway (IFPI Norway)[37] Gold 50,000[37]
Sweden (GLF)[38] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Silver 60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. "Gary Moore singles".
  2. Strong, Martin Charles (1995). The Great Rock Discography. p. 561. ISBN 9780862415419.
  3. Rivadavia, Eduardo. Wild Frontier at AllMusic
  4. Popoff, Martin (1 November 2005). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 230. ISBN 978-1-894959-31-5.
  5. "Brit certifications for Gary Moore".
  6. "Gary Moore Official Charts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  7. "Chieftains, Tops in Irish Folk Music, Celebrate Their Silver Anniversary". Los Angeles Times. 24 March 1988. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  8. Wonderlea, Harold Mac; published, Christine Rebmann (15 September 2011). "Gary Moore Discusses His Latest Album, Gear and Phil Lynott in 1987 Guitar World Interview". guitarworld. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  9. Himes, Geoffrey (21 August 1987). "MOORE'S MAGIC ROCK ANTHEMS". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  10. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Gary Moore - Wild Frontier Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  11. Whittingham, Lotty (17 June 2018). "Half Way Post: Songs That Have Made My Year So Far (Pt. 1)". Rock Out Stand Out. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  12. "StackPath".
  13. Corr, Alan (19 November 2021). "Christy Moore brings tears and laughter to Late Late". RTÉ.ie.
  14. "Winners of the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards 2021 announced at powerful ceremony in Vicar Street".
  15. Gary Moore - Wild Frontier, retrieved 25 April 2022
  16. "Austriancharts.at – Gary Moore – Wild Frontier" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  17. "Dutchcharts.nl – Gary Moore – Wild Frontier" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  18. "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1961: MOK - MOY > Garu Moore". Sisältää hitin / Timo Pennanen. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Gary Moore – Wild Frontier" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  20. "Charts.nz – Gary Moore – Wild Frontier". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  21. "Norwegiancharts.com – Gary Moore – Wild Frontier". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  22. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 978-84-8048-639-2.
  23. "Swedishcharts.com – Gary Moore – Wild Frontier". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  24. "Swisscharts.com – Gary Moore – Wild Frontier". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  25. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  26. "Gary Moore Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  27. "The Irish Cahrts: search for Gary Moore". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  28. "Gary Moore – Over the Hills and Far Away (Song)". Norwegiancharts.com. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  29. "Gary Moore – Over the Hills and Far Away (Song)". Swedishcharts.com. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  30. "Gary Moore – Over the Hills and Far Away". Dutch Charts.nl (in Dutch). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  31. "Gary Moore Chart History: Mainstream Rock". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  32. "Gary Moore – Over the Hills and Far Away". Hitparade.ch (in German). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  33. "Gary Moore – Over the Hills and Far Away (Song)". charts.nz. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  34. "Gary Moore – Friday on My Mind (Song)". charts.nz. Media Control Charts. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  35. "Gary Moore – Friday on My Mind". Dutch Charts.nl (in Dutch). Media Control Charts. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  36. "Gary Moore" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  37. "Gold & Platinum Awards 1987" (PDF). Music and Media. worldradiohistory.com. 26 December 1987. p. 44. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  38. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  39. "British album certifications – Gary Moore – Wild Frontier". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
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