When Gary Moore and Albert Collins Teamed Up for "Too Tired"
Gary Moore's 1990 album, Still Got the Blues, signaled the beginning of a new phase of the guitarist's career. Moore, who had played mostly jazz-fusion, rock, hard rock and a touch of shred for years, was now throwing his hat into the electric blues guitar arena.
Most fans would agree it was a successful move. The album's first single, the explosive title track, was Moore's only single to to chart in Billboard's Hot 100. Better yet, it even was covered by one of Moore's first guitar heroes, Eric Clapton, 23 years later.
The rest of the album featured tight, high-energy recordings and some seriously great players, including UK session legend Nicky Hopkins on keyboards and American blues gods Albert King and Albert Collins. Moore and Collins even teamed up to shoot a music video for an old Johnny “Guitar” Watson track called "Too Tired," and you can watch it below.
Above all else, it's a fun clip that shows Moore (playing a Strat) and Collins (playing a Tele, of course) shooting it out on porches, on a street and in the midst of an ever-more-menacing-looking motorcycle gang. Of course, it's also a reminder of all the talent we've lost since the video was shot. Moore died in 2011 at age 58; Collins died in 1993 at 61. Even the aforementioned Nicky Hopkins died only four years later (1994) at age 50.
Sorry, I'm not trying to bring you down! Watch Moore and Collins have a laugh below.
P.S.: Moore also made a music video with Albert King (who died in 1992 at age 69); be sure to check out "Oh Pretty Woman" at the bottom of this story.
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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.
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