🎸 Gary Moore – Corridors of Power (1982)
Corridors of Power is the third solo studio album by Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore, released in March 1982. Marking a transition from his jazz-fusion and G‑Force experiments to a harder-edged rock sound, the album combines melodic hard rock, blues, and commercial 1980s rock elements.
Featuring a mix of Moore originals and covers, the album is notable for highly polished production by the legendary Chris Tsangarides and for Moore’s increasingly commanding guitar work, which foreshadowed his later blues-rock mastery.
📀 Album Credits
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Artist: Gary Moore
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Title: Corridors of Power
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Type: Studio album
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Released: March 1982
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Label: Virgin Records (UK), Columbia Records (US)
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Producer: Chris Tsangarides
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Recorded at: Battery Studios, London
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Genre: Hard rock, blues rock
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Length: 38:38
Personnel:
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Gary Moore: lead & rhythm guitars, lead vocals
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Don Airey: keyboards
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Mo Foster: bass
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Ian Paice: drums (of Deep Purple fame)
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Joanne Lynn, Gary Ferguson: backing vocals
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Chris Tsangarides: producer, engineer
The album’s lineup features top-tier session musicians, including Ian Paice, lending a tight, professional hard rock sound.
🎶 Tracklist
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Cold Hearted – 4:35
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Love Can Make a Fool of You – 4:19
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Wishing Well – 3:41
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Moonlight Drive – 3:41
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End of the World – 4:17
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Corridors of Power – 4:35
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Flying – 4:20
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Shapes of Things – 3:33 (cover of The Yardbirds classic)
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Love is Like a Sharp Knife – 5:15
The title track “Corridors of Power” is one of the album’s highlights, blending Moore’s blistering guitar with a strong melodic chorus.
🎸 Notable Songs
🔥 “Cold Hearted”
A driving hard rock opener with dynamic guitar riffs and Moore’s confident vocals — one of the standout tracks for both energy and technical skill.
🎶 “Shapes of Things”
A cover of the 1960s Yardbirds classic, Moore injects heavier guitar tones and virtuosic solos, bridging blues, rock, and 1980s hard rock aesthetics.
🎵 “Corridors of Power”
The title track showcases Moore’s guitar virtuosity, featuring layered riffs, melodic solos, and a hook-driven structure that makes it a signature track from this era.
💖 “Love Can Make a Fool of You”
A more melodic, blues-tinged track, displaying Moore’s songwriting depth beyond technical guitar display.
🎉 Fun Facts & Trivia
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🎸 Ian Paice Collaboration: Ian Paice of Deep Purple played drums on several tracks, bringing a high-caliber rock feel to the album.
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🔊 Production: Produced by Chris Tsangarides, known for his work with Judas Priest and Thin Lizzy, giving the album a crisp, powerful 1980s hard rock sound.
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🎵 Yardbirds Cover: Moore had a deep admiration for classic British blues-rock, reflected in his cover of “Shapes of Things.”
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📀 Commercial Reception: The album received moderate success, charting in the UK but was more influential among guitar enthusiasts and hard rock fans than mainstream pop audiences.
💡 Did You Know?
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The album’s title, Corridors of Power, is said to reflect Moore’s ambition to break into the higher echelons of rock guitar virtuosity in the early ’80s.
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“Flying” became a live favorite during Moore’s 1982 tour, showcasing extended solos and improvisational skill.
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Don Airey, the album’s keyboardist, later went on to play with Rainbow and Deep Purple, cementing the album’s connection to the top-tier rock musicians of the era.
📊 Legacy & Impact
Corridors of Power represents a turning point in Gary Moore’s career: a move toward hard rock with commercial appeal, yet still grounded in blues and jazz-fusion virtuosity. While not as widely known as his later blues classics (Still Got the Blues, 1990), it established Moore as a solo artist capable of commanding both guitar mastery and songwriting skill.
For fans, the album is appreciated as a snapshot of Moore in transition, combining technical prowess, melodic sensibility, and early ’80s rock production. It also bridges the gap between Moore’s fusion-driven G-Force project (1980) and his more polished hard rock/blues output in the mid-to-late 1980s.
