Solo in Soho

Solo in Soho is the debut solo album by Irish rock singer Philip Lynott, released while he was still in Thin Lizzy. Current and former Lizzy members guested on the album, including Scott Gorham, Brian Downey, Snowy White, and Gary Moore. Brian Robertson also contributed to the writing of one of the tracks, "Girls".

Solo in Soho
Cover photo by John Swannell
Studio album by Philip Lynott
Released	18 April 1980[1]
Recorded	Winter 1979–early 1980
Studio	Good Earth Studios, Soho, London, Compass Point Studios, Nassau, The Bahamas
Genre	Rock
Length	35:47
Label	Vertigo (Europe and Japan) Mercury (Canada) Warner Bros. (US)
Producer	Philip Lynott, Kit Woolven
Philip Lynott chronology
Solo in Soho (1980) The Philip Lynott Album (1982)
Singles from Solo in Soho
"Dear Miss Lonely Heart" Released: March 1980 "King's Call" Released: June 1980 "Yellow Pearl" Released: December 1980

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	9/10[3]
Hot Press	(mixed)[4]
Music Week	[5]
Smash Hits	5/10[6]

Guest musicians

Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler plays on the single "King's Call", a lament to Elvis Presley. Huey Lewis plays harmonica on "Tattoo (Giving It All Up for Love)" and "Ode to a Black Man". The latter track is devoted to Iconic African, or African diaspora freedom fighters of the 20th century, including Malcolm X, Rastafari, Haile Selassie, Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix and other socially aware or politically conscious blues- Rhythm and blues artists from history, such as Robert Johnson and Motown singer, Stevie Wonder. Lewis later covered "Tattoo" on the 1982 Huey Lewis and the News album Picture This, titled "Giving It All Up for Love".

Yellow Pearl

"Yellow Pearl" was released as a single in two remixed versions; the first of these was later used as the theme tune from 1981 until 1986 for the popular BBC TV music programme Top of the Pops. This version was later included on Lynott's second solo album, The Philip Lynott Album.

Critical reception

Billboard gave the album a positive review, saying that Lynott's "lyrics have special appeal". He resumed: "There is nothing here even vaguely similar to the dramatic rock energy of "The Boys Are Back in Town" yet this is a bold and interesting batch of tunes aided by uncluttered arrangements and sound playing".^[7]

Track listing

All songs by Philip Lynott, except where noted.

Side one

1. "Dear Miss Lonely Hearts" (Lynott, Jimmy Bain) – 4:11
2. "King's Call" – 3:40
3. "A Child's Lullaby" – 2:43
4. "Tattoo (Giving It All Up for Love)" – 3:21
5. "Solo in Soho" – 4:15

Side two

6. "Girls" (Lynott, Bain, Brian Robertson) – 4:00
7. "Yellow Pearl" (Lynott, Midge Ure) – 4:06
8. "Ode to a Black Man" – 4:06
9. "Jamaican Rum" – 2:43
10. "Talk in 79" – 3:00

Singles

• "Dear Miss Lonely Hearts" / "Solo in Soho" – 7" / 12" (1980)
• "King's Call" / "Ode to a Black Man" – 7" (1980)
• "Yellow Pearl" / "Girls" – 7" / 12" (1981)

Personnel

• Philip Lynott – bass guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboards, Minimoog, vocoder, string machine, percussion, vocals, producer
• Scott Gorham – guitars (tracks 1, 4, 8)
• Snowy White – guitars (tracks 1, 5)
• Mark Knopfler – electric guitar (track 2)
• Gary Moore – guitar (track 9)
• Jerome Rimson – bass guitar (track 5)
• Huey Lewis – harmonica (tracks 4, 8)
• Fiachra Trench – string and brass arrangements (tracks 3, 4)
• Jimmy Bain – piano, Minimoog, string machine (track 6)
• Billy Currie – ARP synthesizer (track 7)
• Midge Ure – ARP synthesizer, Minimoog, string machine (track 7)
• Brian Downey – drums, percussion (track 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9)
• Bob Benberg – drums, percussion (track 6)
• Mark Nauseef – drums, percussion (tracks 8, 10)
• Tony Charles – steel drums (track 9)
• Andy Duncan – percussion (tracks 3 and 5)
• Julia – backing vocals (track 5)
• Lena – backing vocals (track 6, 7)
• Sophie, Margi, Silver, Christine – backing vocals (track 6)

Production

• Kit Woolven – producer, engineer
• Tony Visconti, "Flash" Gordon Fordyce, Will Reid-Dick – engineers
• Ian Cooper – mastering
• Chris O'Donnell – art direction
• Linda Sutton, Roger Cooper – artwork and design
• John Swannell – photography

Charts

Chart (1980)	Peak position
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[8]	22
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[9]	6
UK Albums (OCC)[10]	28