Rory's Setlists Over The Years

[capo]

I have been enjoying and listening to nothing but the Irish Tour '74 box set the last few weeks. What a wealth of riches! It got me to thinking of all the great classic songs Rory had to drop from his setlists as the years rolled on so he could include his newest material. For instance, "In Your Town", my 'newest' old favorite that features Rory's most ferocious and intense slide playing. Far as I can tell he stopped playing it by 1975. Same with another rediscovery, "Hands Off". I think he stopped including "Cradle Rock" for over ten years until that surprise version at Ballyronan in 1989. I saw him in 1985, and beggers can't be choosey, but I would have rather have heard a "In Your Town" instead of the old "Bullfrog" chestnut. And lets not even bring up no Taste songs ever being played again! It must have been difficult for Rory to put these setlists together with all the wealth of great songs to choose from. Yeah, he didn't really have a written setlist per se, but he had a general idea what would be played that night. Anyway, so many great songs. So many.

[Annie Elliott]

If you could put together your ideal Rory setlist, which songs would you choose?

[capo]

Well, this was tough! I am going to be realistic and not have Rory perform a Springsteen like marathon. In 1991, his peak as a performer, music wise, he performed about 20 songs. So, sticking to that number, here goes:

1. Country Mile 2. Moonchild 3. Crest Of A Wave 4. Garbage Man 5. Tattoo'd Lady 6. Bad Penney 7. Last Of The Independents 8. I Fall Apart 9. Aint Too Good 10. Overnight Bag 11. Seems To Me 12. OOTWP 13. Empire State Express 14. Million Miles Away 15. Fuel To The Fire 16. Loose Talk 17. Slumming Angel 18.Shadow Play 19. MWTK 20. In Your Town. Fin

[AnnaMaria]

If he still was alive and on stage I wonder if he ever would play any of his Taste songs? Seems at least he was on speaking terms with Charlie and John at the end. Maybe even if he wasn´t going to play with them (as he mentioned in an interview) he could have played a couple of tracks with his own band. Maybe.

[RobertaSparrow]

That would have been nice, he did do walking blues, and I think that was one he did with Taste, that was toward the end of his life. But I think aside from Sinnerboy, he never again did any of the songs he penned while with Taste. He did tease his audience decades later with the intro to "What's Going On," but only enough to get them cheering.

I bet that eventually he would have done some of his older stuff if he was still with us. Those older songs were his creations too, even though they were taken from him for a while.

He seldom used a formal set list, he just sort of decided on the fly what the audience would want to hear next, and usually he chose correctly.

[AnnaMaria]

He did get the Taste songs back didn´t he? Even if it was in the 90´s or something? Or am I wrong?

Yes, I saw him teasing the audience with "What´s going on". No problem remember the riff there.

[RobertaSparrow]

He did get the Taste songs back didn´t he? Even if it was in the 90´s or something? Or am I wrong?

Yes, I saw him teasing the audience with "What´s going on". No problem remember the riff there.

I think so, yes. Maybe part of the bad memories associated with the break up of Taste put him off the songs. I bet he would have come 'round to doing them again though if he had had more years.

And that one where he does the opening riff, What's Going On, we'll never know, but if his band had jumped in with the response, I wonder if he would have kept going. He sounds so tired at the beginning of that, but he still has his sense of humor, and his playfulness-

[Annie Elliott]

Here's a set list I'd love to see, although if we're including Taste songs there would be a few changes.

1. Who’s That Coming 2. Jukebox Annie 3. Seven Days 4. Tatoo’d Lady 5. Bad Penny 6. Out on the Western Plains 7. Overnight Bag 8. Cradle Rock 9. Heaven’s Gate 10. Continental Op 11. Just the Smile 12. Sleep on a Clothes Line 13. I’m Not Surprised 14. Calling Card 15. Philby 16. Wheels Within Wheels 17. Lonesome Highway 18. Signals 19. Ride on Red 20. In Your Town

[capo]

Excellent setlist Annie. Some real gems he never played live. He'd have a extended acoustic set with your list. Cynthia would like that. Hey, Cynthia, lets see yours, 20 songs the limit.

[AnnaMaria]

Well Capo since you didn´t want M Y list I´m going to write it down here. From the Swedish jury: 1. Do you read me 2. Calling Card 3. I´m not awake yet 4. It´s you 5. All around man 6. Too much alcohol 7. When you´ll be mine 8. Just a Little bit (the funky version) 9. Young fashioned ways 10. Edged in blue 11. Who´s that coming 12.Lonesome Highway 13. Continental Op 14.Cradle Rock 15.Wheels within Wheels 16. Walk on hot coals 17. Can´t Believe it´s true 18. Souped-up Ford 19. Hands off 20. In your town