Wild Frontier

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title: "Wild Frontier" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1987-albums", "gary-moore-albums", "virgin-records-albums", "albums-produced-by-james-barton-(producer)", "albums-produced-by-peter-collins-(record-producer)"] topic_path: "arts/music" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Frontier" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox album"]

FieldValue
nameWild Frontier
typestudio
artistGary Moore
coverWildFrontier.jpg
borderyes
released
genrePop metal
length37:20
label10/Virgin
producerPeter Collins, Pete Smith, James "Jimbo" Barton, Gary Moore
prev_titleRun for Cover
prev_year1985
next_titleAfter the War
next_year1989
misc{{Singles
nameWild Frontier
typestudio
single1Over the Hills and Far Away
single1date8 December 1986
single2Wild Frontier
single2date16 February 1987
single3Friday on My Mind
single3date27 April 1987
single4The Loner
single4date17 August 1987
single5Take a Little Time
single5date23 November 1987
::

| name = Wild Frontier | type = studio | artist = Gary Moore | cover = WildFrontier.jpg | border = yes | alt = | caption = | released = | recorded = | studio = | genre = Pop metal | length = 37:20 | label = 10/Virgin | producer = Peter Collins, Pete Smith, James "Jimbo" Barton, Gary Moore | prev_title = Run for Cover | prev_year = 1985 | next_title = After the War | next_year = 1989 | misc = {{Singles | name = Wild Frontier | type = studio | single1 = Over the Hills and Far Away | single1date = 8 December 1986 | single2 = Wild Frontier | single2date = 16 February 1987 | single3 = Friday on My Mind | single3date = 27 April 1987 | single4 = The Loner | single4date = 17 August 1987 | single5 = Take a Little Time | single5date = 23 November 1987 | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1score = | rev2 =Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal | rev2Score = 4/10 | noprose = yes

Wild Frontier is the sixth solo studio album by Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore, released on 2 March 1987. 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.

Wild Frontier contains the hit single "Over the Hills and Far Away", which reached No. 20 in the UK, 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.

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.{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wild-frontier-mw0000190972 |title=Gary Moore - Wild Frontier Review |last=Rivadavia |first=Eduardo |work=AllMusic |access-date=October 4, 2021 }}

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." 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. 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.

Track listing

| headline = Side one | title1 = Over the Hills and Far Away | writer1 = Gary Moore | length1 = 5:20 | title2 = Wild Frontier | writer2 = Moore | length2 = 4:14 | title3 = Take a Little Time | writer3 = Moore | length3 = 4:05 | title4 = The Loner | note4 = instrumental, originally recorded by Cozy Powell | writer4 = Max Middleton, Moore | length4 = 5:54 | headline = Side two | title5 = Friday on My Mind | writer5 = George Young, Harry Vanda | note5 = The Easybeats cover | length5 = 4:11 | title6 = Strangers in the Darkness | writer6 = Moore, Neil Carter | length6 = 4:38 | title7 = Thunder Rising | writer7 = Moore, Carter | length7 = 5:43 | title8 = Johnny Boy | writer8 = Moore | length8 = 3:15 | headline = CD release | title1 = Over the Hills and Far Away | writer1 = Moore | length1 = 5:20 | title2 = Wild Frontier | writer2 = Moore | length2 = 4:14 | title3 = Take a Little Time | writer3 = Moore | length3 = 4:05 | title4 = The Loner | writer4 = Middleton, Moore | length4 = 5:54 | title5 = Friday on My Mind | writer5 = Young, Vanda | length5 = 4:11 | title6 = Strangers in the Darkness | writer6 = Moore, Carter | length6 = 4:38 | title7 = Thunder Rising | writer7 = Moore, Carter | length7 = 5:43 | title8 = Johnny Boy | writer8 = Moore | length8 = 3:15 | title9 = Over the Hills and Far Away | note9 = 12” version | writer9 = Moore | length9 = 7:26 | title10 = Wild Frontier | note10 = 12” version | writer10 = Moore | length10 = 6:38 | title11 = Crying in the Shadows | writer11 = Moore | length11 = 5:01 | headline = 2002 remastered CD bonus tracks | title12 = The Loner | note12 = Extended mix | writer12 = Middleton, Moore | length12 = 7:16 | title13 = Friday on My Mind | note13 = 12” version | writer13 = Young, Vanda | length13 = 6:15 | title14 = Out in the Fields | note14 = live | writer14 = Moore | length14 = 5:28

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.

Personnel

  • Gary Moore – lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, lead and backing vocals, producer on tracks 5, 7, and 8
  • Neil Carter – keyboards, backing vocals
  • Bob Daisley – bass
  • Roland Kerridge – drum programming
  • Paddy Moloney – pipes on tracks 1, 7 and 8
  • Sean Keane & Martin Fay – fiddle on tracks 1 and 8

;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 – mixing on tracks 3 and 6
  • Bob Kraushaar – mixing on track 10

Charts

Album

::data[format=table] | Chart (1987) | Peak position | Canada (RPM Top 100) | Finnish Albums Chart{{cite web| url=http://suomenlistalevyt.blogspot.fi/2015/08/mok-moy.html | Spanish Albums Chart | |---|---|---|---|---| | 95 | | | | | | publisher= Sisältää hitin / Timo Pennanen| access-date=9 June 2018}} | 1 | | | | | 2 | | | | | ::

Singles

::data[format=table]

YearSingleChartPosition
1986"Over the Hills and Far Away"Irish Singles Chart6
UK Singles Chart20
1987Finnish Singles Chart1
Norwegian Singles Chart1
Swedish Singles Chart7
Dutch MegaCharts22
Mainstream Rock Tracks (US)24
Swiss Singles Top 10027
New Zealand Singles Chart43
"Wild Frontier"Finnish Singles Chart4
Irish Singles Chart22
UK Singles Chart35
"Friday on My Mind"Finnish Singles Chart15
Irish Singles Chart18
UK Singles Chart26
New Zealand Singles Chart30
Dutch MegaCharts72
"The Loner"UK Singles Chart53
"Take a Little Time"UK Singles Chart75
::

Certifications

References

References

  1. "Music Week".
  2. "Music Week".
  3. (25 April 1987). "New Singles".
  4. "Music Week".
  5. "Music Week".
  6. {{AllMusic. Eduardo. Rivadavia
  7. (1 November 2005). "The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 2: The Eighties". [[Collector's Guide Publishing]].
  8. "Brit certifications for Gary Moore".
  9. "Gary Moore Official Charts". [[Official Charts Company]].
  10. (1988-03-24). "Chieftains, Tops in Irish Folk Music, Celebrate Their Silver Anniversary".
  11. Wonderlea, Harold Mac. (2011-09-15). "Gary Moore Discusses His Latest Album, Gear and Phil Lynott in 1987 Guitar World Interview".
  12. Himes, Geoffrey. (1987-08-21). "MOORE'S MAGIC ROCK ANTHEMS". Washington Post.
  13. Whittingham, Lotty. (17 June 2018). "Half Way Post: Songs That Have Made My Year So Far (Pt. 1)".
  14. "StackPath".
  15. (19 November 2021). "Christy Moore brings tears and laughter to Late Late".
  16. "Winners of the RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards 2021 announced at powerful ceremony in Vicar Street".
  17. "Gary Moore - Wild Frontier".
  18. "RPM Top 100 Albums - June 6, 1987".
  19. Salaverri, Fernando. (September 2005). "Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002". Fundación Autor-SGAE.
  20. "The Irish Charts: search for Gary Moore". [[Irish Recorded Music Association]].
  21. "Gary Moore – Over the Hills and Far Away (Song)". [[Media Control Charts]].
  22. "Gary Moore – Over the Hills and Far Away (Song)". [[Media Control Charts]].
  23. "Gary Moore – Over the Hills and Far Away". [[Media Control Charts]].
  24. "Gary Moore Chart History: Mainstream Rock". [[Billboard (magazine).
  25. "Gary Moore – Over the Hills and Far Away". [[Media Control Charts]].
  26. "Gary Moore – Over the Hills and Far Away (Song)". [[Media Control Charts]].
  27. "Gary Moore – Friday on My Mind (Song)". [[Media Control Charts]].
  28. "Gary Moore – Friday on My Mind". [[Media Control Charts]].
  29. (26 December 1987). "Gold & Platinum Awards 1987". worldradiohistory.com.

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