In an age before the internet, breaking into the United States’ rock ‘n’ roll market as a band based outside of North America felt next to impossible. Without major financial support, most bands wouldn’t graduate beyond their regional music scene. And in the late 1970s, the Irish band Thin Lizzy was wondering whether they would join this ill-fated group of musicians who never quite made it across the pond.
In a 2016 interview with Classic Rock magazine, Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham recalled the bleak future the band was looking toward post-1974. “Everyone around us was telling us it was make-or-break time,” he said. “So, no pressure there, then.”
This was right around the time that Thin Lizzy was writing and recording Jailbreak, their sixth studio album. The band demoed around fifteen tracks with plans to include ten on the final release. Of the five that they rejected, one became the band’s most iconic hit, thanks in no small part to two radio DJs from Kentucky.
How Louisville Radio Helped Thin Lizzy Break Onto the Scene
Of all the musical hotspots a non-U.S. citizen might think of when they consider markets to break into, the most common tend to be places like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, or New Orleans. Far fewer people outside of the United States would think—or even remember—a less ubiquitous hub like Louisville, Kentucky. Still, musicians would be wise not to overlook these inland metro areas. At least, that’s the lesson Thin Lizzy was learning in the late 70s.
According to Scott Gorham, the band’s manager had to convince the musicians not to scrap “The Boys Are Back In Town”. (Remember, they were planning on getting rid of five demo tracks before their final release.) “We were pretty bad at picking the singles,” Gorham admitted to Classic Rock. So, on the advice of their manager, the band revisited their demo track, adding lyrics and the signature guitar harmonies.
After that, all they could do was hope that Jailbreak would be their break. They needed to prove their friends wrong and finally make it big. And as it turns out, Louisville was just the place to make Thin Lizzy’s dreams a reality. “It was these two deejays in Louisville, Kentucky, that made the song a hit by playing it incessantly until other radio stations caught on,” Gorman said. The guitarist said the album and their hit song by way of the Kentucky airwaves were the band’s “savior.”
Thanks in no small part to those Louisville deejays, Thin Lizzy climbed to the top of the charts, peaking at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 on the U.K. Singles chart. Even today, “The Boys Are Back In Town” remains a staple in classic rock radio rotations—in Louisville, too.
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