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George
Thorogood (born February 24, 1950) is a blues-rock performer from Wilmington,
Delaware. He was raised on Clearview Avenue in Naamans Gardens, a suburb of
Wilmington.
Thorogood's demo Better Than the Rest was recorded in 1974 and released in 1979. In 1976 he recorded his debut album, the eponymous George Thorogood & The Destroyers with his band, The Destroyers (sometimes known as The Delaware Destroyers or simply GT and D) and issued the album in 1977. Thorogood released his next album titled Move It On Over in 1978 with The Destroyers, which included the hit "Move It On Over". "Please Set A Date" and their remake of the Bo Diddley song "Who Do You Love" both followed in 1979. Before devoting himself exclusively to music, Thorogood played semi-pro baseball.[1]In the late 1970s, Thorogood played on a team in Delaware in the Roberto Clemente League which was created in 1976. He was the second baseman and was chosen rookie of the year in the league. Soon after this achievement, The Destroyers forced him to quit playing the sport. In the 1970s, George and the band were based in Boston.
George and the Delaware Destroyers were friends with Jimmy Thackery and the Nighthawks. While touring in the 1970s, the Destroyers and the Nighthawks happened to be playing shows in Georgetown (DC) at venues across the street from each other. The Destroyers were engaged at The Cellar Door, the Nighthawks at Desperados. At midnight, by prior arrangement, while both bands played the same song ("Madison Blues") in the same key (E), George and Jimmy left their clubs, met in the middle of M street, exchanged guitar cables and went on to play with the opposing band.
George and the Destroyers are also notable for undertaking a rigorous touring schedule[2] after appearing throughout the Rolling Stones tour in 1981. After two shows in Boulder, Colorado, George and his band flew to Hawaii and played for only one night. The next night they appeared in Alaska for one show. The following day the band flew to Washington State, met their roadies who had their Checker car and a truck, and continued a one show per state tour for all fifty states in exactly fifty nights. In addition, they played Washington, DC on the same day that they performed a show in Maryland.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Thorogood recorded some of his most well known works. "Bad to the Bone" was used frequently in television and the big screen. Several appearances include Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the comedy Problem Child, John Carpenter's Christine, and during many episodes of the television sitcom Married with Children. This track also was used during the intro to the movie "Major Payne". The same song is also featured in the game Rock 'n Roll Racing. It is also played during football pregame festivities at Mississippi State University. Quincy Jones once said to Thorogood, "The three things important in a record is the tune, tune, and the tune".
A huge baseball fan[2] for most (if not all) of his life, as well as playing minor league baseball as a catcher during the 1970s, when asked about his rigorous touring schedule - specifically his "50/50" Tour (50 states in 50 days) - his immediate response was "Well, it was in the off-season. So, it was nothing. Didn't have to miss a single game." He took his daughter to Chicago for her first major league game (Cubs vs. Rockies), during which he sang "Take Me Out To The Ball Game". With obvious excitement in his voice, he said, "I told her, 'You'll see a stadium where Babe Ruth called his shot, Ernie Banks hit his 500th home run, and Milt Pappas threw a no-hitter!'"
Born 24 Feb. 1950, Wilmington, Delaware, USA. White blues guitarist George Thorogood first became interested in music, notably Chicago blues, when he saw John Paul Hammond performing in 1970. Three years later he formed the Destroyers in Delaware before moving them to Boston where they backed visiting blues stars.
Thorogood played early in his career as an opener for Hound Dog Taylor and the Houserockers and was greatly influenced by them. Other musicians worth mentioning are John Lee Hooker (Thorogood has said that he is the best man to play with Hooker because they both play as "wrong"), Elmore James, Chuck Berry, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. The Delaware Destroyers comprised Thorogood (guitar), Michael Levine (bass), and Jeff Simon (drums). School friend Ron Smith played guitar on and off to make up the quartet. There was briefly another bass player, Bill Judefind. According to some sources the Destroyers played quite often like the Houserockers, without a bass player.
In 1974 they recorded some demos in Boston which were later released in 1979 as an MCA ripoff-album called Better Than The Rest. No record company was really interested in them, so they kept on playing blues in small clubs. It was not until hot July night in 1975 when diehard blues fanatic John Forward was looking for some live blues in Boston area. He decided to go to Joe's Place in Cambridge although he had never heard of George Thorogood and Delaware Destroyers who played there. He got extremely exited about them, named himself as Fan Number 1 and put them in touch with independent folk label Rounder.
They made their first album in 1975 but the album was not released until 1977 because of many different reasons. Some say that Thorogood was too "rocking" for folk label Rounder, but Rounder claims that they had no suitable photos for the album (!!). During recording sessions bass player Levine was fired or resigned and was replaced by Bill Blough. After some good publicity about their first album, Thorogood & Destroyers released their second album in 1978. That got much more fame and made Thorogood & Destroyers known even here in Finland... The title track, a cover of Hank Williams' classic, was pulled as a single and recieved heavy FM airplay, helping the album to the American Top 40 and go gold.
Smith left in 1980 and was replaced by saxophonist Hank Carter. Carter, who lived in the same city as Thorogood, was considered as the toughest player in town (even tougher than Thorogood) and nobody had the guts to ask him to join The Destroyers until 1980. Carter accepted their offer immediately and is still playing with them after 17 years. Thorogood, a former semi-professional baseball player, took time away from music that season to play ball but by 1981 was back in the fold as the band opened for the Rolling Stones at several their American gigs. The venues were unfamiliar to Thorogood as normally he shunned large areas for smaller clubs, even going to extent of playing under false names to prevent the smaller venues being overcrowded. George Thorogood & Destroyers' famous tour in 1981 was called 50/50. That meant they toured 50 states in 50 days and played a gig in every one of them. No nights off!
After their third album in 1980 with Rounder they signed to EMI. Their final breakthrough album was in 1982 released Bad To The Bone. Song called Bad To The Bone got to the movie Christine and they made their first music video from that same song featuring Thorogood and Bo Diddley playing some pool. The title track of the album became their first major crossover hit, thanks to MTV's saturation airplay of the song's video. The album went gold and spent nearly a full year on the charts. In 1985 Destroyers released their perhaps best selling album, Maverick. A song from that album, I Drink Alone, even got to the Don't Drink and Drive-campaign. In the same year they appeared at Live Aid playing with blues legends Albert Collins and Bo Diddley.
In 1986 EMI noticed how popular George Thorogood And The Destroyers really were and released a live album called simply Live. They have continued releasing albums after that every two years and their newest album is in 1999 released Half a Boy Half a Man. Nobody seems to know anything about George Thorogood's personal life. He doesn't want to talk about it, claiming that he is a ageless man who enjoys rough life and endless touring. He is interested only in music, beer, whiskey, women and baseball. He understands someone writing about John Lee Hooker or James Brown - people who've made an incredible impact on music history. But the Destroyers? We're like a burger joint, he says. Then again, there's nothing wrong with selling cheeseburgers as long as they're quality cheeseburgers, he adds and says that's the way he thinks of the Destroyers.
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The Destroyers
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The Hard Stuff Release Date: May 30, 2006 1. The Hard Stuff 2. Hello Josepine 3. Moving 4. I Got My Eyes on You 5. I Didn't Know 6. Any Town USA 7. Little Rain 8. Cool It 9. Love Doctor 10. Dynaflow Blues 11. Rock Party 12. Drifter's Escape 13. Give Me Back My Wig 14. Taking Care of Business 15. Huckle Up Baby |
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Greatest Hits: 30 Years of Rock Release Date: May 17, 2004 1 Madison Blues 2 One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer 3 Move it on over 4 Who do you Love 5 Bad to the Bone 6 I Drink alone 7 Gear Jammer 8 Willie and the Hand jive 9 the sky is crying (Live) 10 Reelin' & Rockin' (Live) 11 You talk too Much 12 If you don't Start Drinking (I'm going to leave) 13 Get a haircut 14 Rocking My life away (alternate take) previously unreleased 15 American Made 16 Who do you Love (Rothrock Remix) |
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Ride 'Til I Die Release Date: March, 2003 1. Greedy Man 2. American Made 3. Sweet Little Lady 4. Don't Let The Boss Get You Down 5. Devil In Disguise 6. She's Gone 7. The Fixer 8. You Don't Love Me (You Don't Care) 9. My Way 10. That's It, I Quit 11. Wash My Hands In Muddy Water 12. Move It 13. Ride 'Til I Die |
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Who do You Love Release Date: 2002 1. Can't Stop Loving 2. Move it on Over 3. I'll change my style 4. Madison Blues 5. Bottom of the sea 6. Baby Please Set a date 7. Who do you love? 8. House of Blue Lights 9. The Sky is crying 10. One bourbon Scotch and Beer 11. Ride on Josephine 12. New Hawaiian Boogie 13. I'm Wanted 14. I'm just your good thing 15. Night time 16. Who do you love (Live Version) |
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Anthology Release Date: August 2000 Disc 1 01. Madison Blues 02. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer 03. Delaware Slide 04. Move It On Over 05. The Sky Is Crying 06. I'm Wanted 07. Nobody But Me 08. Bad To The Bone 09. Willie And The Hand Jive 10. I Drink Alone 11. Gear Jammer 12. Long Gone 13. Reelin' & Rockin' (Live) 14. Bottom Of The Sea (Live) 15. Night Time (Live) Disc 2 01. Who Do You Love (Live) 02. bad to the bone 03. you talk to much 04. i'm ready 05. shake your money maker 06. if you don't start drinkin' (I'm gonna leave) 07. hello little girl 08. long distance lover 09. get a haircut 10. howlin' for my baby 11. christine 12. let's work together (Live) 13. Johnny B. Goode (Live) 14. Rockin' my life away 15. i don't trust nobody |
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Half a Boy/Half a Man Release Date: 1999 01. I Don't Trust Nobody 02. Double Shot 03. 99 Days in Jail 04. Half a Boy, Half a Man 05. As Long as I Have You 06. B.I.G.T.I.M.E. 07. Be Bop Grandma 08. Nothing New 09. Just Passin' Thru 10. Hellbound Train 11. Not Tonight |
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Live in '99 Release Date: November 1999 01. Be Bop Grandma 02. Who do you love? 03. night time 04. i drink alone 05. one bourbon, one scotch, one beer 06. half a boy, half a man 07. get a haircut 08. bad to the bone 09. move it on over 10. i don't trust nobody 11. you talk too much |
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Rockin' My life away Release Date: March 1997 01. get back into rockin' 02. trouble everyday 03. night rider 04. the usual 05. Living with the shades pulled down 06. manhattan slide 07. rockin' my life away 08. jail bait 09. my dog can't bark 10. blues hang-Over 11. stoop down 12. Rock & Roll Man |
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Let's Work Together Release Date: april 1995 01. No particular place to go 02. ride on josephine 03. bad boy 04. cocaine blues 05. if you don't start drinkin' (I'm gonna leave) 06. i'm ready 07. i'll change my style 08. get a haircut 09. gear jammer 10. move it on over 11. you talk too much 12. let's work together 13. st. louis blues 14. johnny B. Goode |
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Haircut Release Date: july 1993 01. Get a Haircut 02. howlin' for my baby 03. killer's bluze 04. down in the bottom 05. i'm ready 06. cops and robbers 07. done dead train 08. want ad blues 09. my friend robert 10. baby don't go |
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The Baddest of George Thorogood Release Date: july 1992 01. bad to the bone 02. move it on over 03. i'm a steady rollin' man 04. you talk to much 05. who do you Love? 06. gear jammer 07. i drink alone 08. one bourbon, one scotch, one beer 09. if you don't start drinkin' (I'm gonna leave) 10. treat her right 11. long gone 12. louie to frisco |
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Boogie People Release Date: january 1991 01. if you don't start drinkin' i'm gonna leave 02. long distance lover 03. mad man blues 04. boogie people 05. can't be satisfied 06. no place to go 07. six days on the road 08. born in chicago 09. oklahoma sweetheart 10. hello little girl |
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The George Thorogood Collection Release Date: 1989 01. Bad to the bone (4:49) 02. blue highway(4:48) 03. Gear jammer (4:31) 04. willie and the hand jive (4:01) 05. i drink along (4:30) 06. Wanted Man (3:09) 07. memphis tennessee (5:48) (Bonus Track) 08. treat her right (3.29) 09. you talk too much (4:33) 10. born to be bad (3:31) 11. miss luann (4:08) 12. who do you love? (4:58) (Bonus Track) 13. one bourbon, one scotch, one beer (5:42) 14. madison blues (5:27) |
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Born to be Bad Release Date: january 1988 01. shake your moneymaker 02. you talk to much 03. highway 49 04. born to be bad 05. you can't catch me 06. i'm ready 07. treat her right 08. i really like girls 09. smokestack lightning 10. i'm movin' on |
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Live Release Date: 1986 01. who do you love? (Live) 02. Bottom of the Sea (Live) 03. night time (Live) 04. i drink alone (Live) 05. one bourbon, on scotch, one beer (Live) 06. alley oop (Live) 07. madison blues (Live) 08. bad to the bone (Live) 09. the sky is crying (Live) 10. reelin' & Rockin' (Live) |
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Maverick Release Date: 1985 01. gear jammer 02. i drink alone 03. willie and the hand jive 04. what a price 05. long gone 06. dixie fried 07. crawling king snake 08. memphis 09. woman with the blues 10. let's go go go 11. the ballad of maverick |
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Bad to the Bone Release Date: 1982 01. back to wentzville 02. blue highway 03. nobody but me 04. it's a sin 05. new boogie chillun 06. bad to the bone 07. miss luann 08. as the years go passing by 09. no particular place to go 10. wanted man |
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I'm Wanted Release Date: 1980 01. i'm wanted 02. kids from philly 03. one way ticket 04. bottom of the sea (Live) 05. night time 06. tip on in 07. goodbye baby 08. house of blue lights 09. just can't make it 10. restless |
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More George Thorogood & The Destroyers
Release Date: 1980 01. i'm wanted 02. kids from philly 03. one way ticket 04. bottom of the sea (Live) 05. night time 06. tip on in 07. goodbye baby 08. house of blue lights 09. just can't make it 10. restless |
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Move It On Over Release Date: 1978 01. move it on over 02. who do you love? 03. the sky is crying 04. cocaine blues 05. it wasn't me 06. the same thing 07. so much trouble 08. i'm just your good thing 09. baby please set a date 10. new hawaiian boogie |
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George Thorogood & The Destroyers Release Date: 1977 01. you got to lose 02. madison blues 03. one bourbon, one scotch, one beer 04. kind hearted woman 05. can't stop lovin' 06. ride on josephine 07. homesick boy 08. john hardy 09. I'll change my style 10. delaware slide |
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Taking Care of Business Release Date: May 15, 2007 (France) (Studio) DISC 1 1. Greedy Man 2. American Made 3. Sweet Little Lady 4. Don't Let the Boss Man Get You Down 5. Devil in Disguise 6. She's Gone 7. Fixer, The 8. You Don't Love Me, You Don't Care 9. My Way 10. That's It, I Quit 11. I Washed My Hands in Muddy Water 12. Move It 13. Ride 'Til I Die 14. Hard Stuff (Bonus Track) 15. Give Me Back My Wig (Bonus Tracks) DISC 2: 1. Long Gone 2. Who Do You Love 3. Night Time 4. I Drink Alone 5. One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer 6. Don't Let the Bossman Get You Down 7. Sky Is Crying, The 8. Sweet Little Lady 9. Greedy Man 10. Bad to the Bone 11. Fixer, The 12. That's It, I Quit 13. Rockin' My Life Away |
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Video Hits 2005 1. "Bad To The Bone" 2. "Nobody But Me" 3. "I Drink Alone" 4. "If You Don't Start Drinkin' (I'm Gonna Leave)" 5. "Get A Haircut" 6. "Night Time" - Live At Seattle Bumbershoot Festival '85 |
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30th Anniversary Tour: Live In Europe Release Date: Oct 19, (2004) Additional Release Material: Featurettes - 1. AMERICAN MADE Tracks: 1. "Long Gone" 2. "Who Do You Love" 3. "Night Time" 4. "Drink Alone" 5. "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" 6. "Don't Let The Bossman Get You Down" 7. "The Sky Is Crying" 8. "Sweet Little Lady" 9. "Greedy Man" 10. "Bad To The Bone" 11. "Move It On Over" 12. "The Fixer" 13. "You Talk Too Much" 14. "That's It I Quit" 15. 'Rockin' My Life Away" Bonus Tracks: 1. "Ride 'Til I Die" 2. "Merry Christmas Baby" |
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Live In '99 Release Date: Dec 14, 1999 |
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Live Original Year 1987 Release Date: Aug 28, 2007 recorded deep in the heart of the Midwest at the Fox Theater in St. Louis, Missouri |
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