Nicky Moore

 

NICKY MOORE (Samson 1981-1986; 2000-2002)

 

Hello Nicky. Thank you for being here on Samsonworld. You’re a true legend. What’s your real full name? When did you start singing and what were your first professional music projects?

Nicholas Charles Moore. I started on my musical journey as an Exeter chorister aged 8-12. My first professional band was Hackensack and we toured up and down the U.K. and Europe. I must admit although Samson were my favourite band (I felt I could get up most nights without thinking and bare my soul to the audience). My proudest and hardest moments were working with Tiger for three albums I felt challenged both musically and emotionally, especially the last album (note: Test of time) working with Big Jim Sullivan, Les Walker, Percy Jones, and rock legend Simon Phillips. We loved fusing so many genres country/rock/blues/jazz you name it, it all went in to a magical music cauldron. However we so loved the jazz! That last album we decided on a name change to “The Big Jim Sullivan Band”, this worked on a few levels as Jim was so well respected by all the musos. We opened at Reading ‘78 which was nerve racking to say the least, but great gig! Shortly after that our record company dropped us sighting their reasons as “they didn’t know how to market the album”! What bollocks! We put blood, sweat and tears into that 3rd album with the true belief it’d be a smash.

 

What’s your current music project?

 

I’ve recently revisited the Hackensack material reworking some of classic tracks with the original bass player Stew Mills. So we have a new CD out which is exciting called The Final Shunt. Its available via paypal and you can contact me via Facebook if you want to get your hands on a copy.

Before that I worked and wrote with Danny Kyle an acoustic blues album called The Whale and the Wa‘ah.

 

 

When did you meet Paul Samson and Samson for the very first time? How did Paul approach you?

 

I met Paul back in 1981 on tour opening for Samson with The Nicky Moore Band. We both got on like a house on fire from the get go, I loved Samson with “Bruce Bruce”, there was a definite power behind the band, with tracks like Red skies, Losing my grip and Life on run.

 

Before the storm and Don't get mad - get even are two rock classics. The production was far more polished. How do you describe them, musically and stilistically? Is there a secret behind their undeniable music prowess?

 

I’m not sure if we tried to hide it much but our secret was Paul and I had a mutual love of the blues and love of strong melodies. Which made for a more complete sound. It’s all about the blues at the end of the day.

 

What’s your fave record out of the two?

 

Before the storm is my favourite, it definetely captures Samson’s energy. 3 weeks recording and 2 weeks mixing at Music Works on Holloway Road in London, as much as I remember the energy pulsing through the band at the time, mostly I remember how much fun we were had doing it.

With Don’t get mad - get even we approached the lyrics especially as a play on popular cliched sayings... Bite on the bullet, Don't get mad etc. and always felt it had an almost cartoon like quality to the album.

 

Did you got along with the other Samson members of your era in the band?

 

Well we came across Pete Jupp because we wanted someone who played just like Tommy Aldridge.

Chris Almer was also a great guy, very English in his persona. But the real secret behind us getting on was our shared sense of humour, which was horrendous!

 

 

In your view, was Joint Forces a proper Samson album or more of a solo effort? Can you tell us something about its production and recording?

 

First thing that springs to mind was the wonderful drummer on the album. It was always intended to be Paul’s project. John McCoy came in and gave fresh life to the album, we got on fantastically well. It was around that time that the powers that be within the record company decided my face just didn’t fit in “their” idea of Samson. It was shortly after that I started working with Uli Jon Roth, “the German Jimi Hendrix”.

 

Your voice is very powerful and recognizable. You’re regarded as the best Samson singer by many fans. How did you develop it? Where does your technique come from? Tell us about your background as singer.

 

Classical which I’d been trained in as a chorister. I was able to fuse the classical techniques of volume and pitch control and apply them to rock singing. I suppose the cigarettes haven’t helped much.

 

Why did your association with Paul end in 1986, after the release of Joint Forces?

 

As I mentioned before, till ‘85 the record company were happy with our output. Something around that time changed and the record company decided to let me go. After that Paul & I lost touch, unfortunately a lot of the relationships you form in the business seem to go like that.

 

Tell us about the Samson reunion gigs in 2000. Did you enjoy them? What are your best memories about them?

 

To feed off the crowd after all these years was a powerful experience we were all a bit older hopefully a bit wiser but that magic in between the band members was still there. Lovely to work with Paul and Chris. I didn’t get much of a chance to bond with Barry (Thunderstick). I also hadn’t ever worked with him so didn’t know what to expect. Overall it was an amazing honour to be back on stage with the boys.

 

Was P.S.... (2006) originally supposed to be a Samson release? Tell us about the production and the recording of that album.

 

Just a Paul project. Around that time conversations over coffee and set the world to rights, then he’d pop over every few months with his desk and we would work on the tracks. It’s such a shame he didn’t get to see things through to the end as some of my favourite tracks were on that album. But John McCoy did a fantastic job finishing off the tracks.

 

What are your best memories about Paul?

 

One of my personal favourites was after a gig in Sheffield, we got back to the hotel and John McCoy turned up. We got so stoned it was only a matter of time before none of us could talk. We just laughed and laughed tears streaming down our faces. Paul could always make me laugh when the chips were down.

 

Any message for the Samson fans and for the Samsonworld readers out there?

 

Please write to me about my new autobiography for any more juicy details on Samson and many other professional pursuits from the ‘60s till modern day (which is in the final writing stages now, for further details please write to me online).

Thanks for your dedication, keep the faith. Nam myoho renge kyo.


Interview by Tiziano Caliendo. Big thanks to Junior Moore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Essential Nicky Moore Timeline:

 

Nicky Moore was born on June 21th, 1947. 

 

1969-1974: Hackensack

1975-1977: Tiger

1978-1981: The Nicky Moore Band

1981-1986: Samson

1987-1989: Mammoth

1992-2006: Nicky Moore and The Blues Corporation

2013: Kyle & Moore

  

In 2017, Nicky reformed Hackensack with original bass player Stewart “Stew” Mills, guitarist Timmy Moore and drummer Ed Collins. They recorded the album The Final Shunt.

 

 

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