Thin Lizzy: The Untold Story of Baby Face and Phil Lynott's Musical Journey
Thin Lizzy, a band with a turbulent history of personnel changes and group crises, had the potential to conquer the world in the early '70s. Bassist Phil Lynott, the heart of the band, was offered a chance to form a supergroup with Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore and Ian Paice. The trio, known as Baby Face, played together briefly but Lynott's playing didn't meet the required standard. Despite Lynott's staggering voice and entertaining stage presence, his bass playing needed to be on par with the likes of Jack Bruce.
Lynott, a poet and lyricist, didn't need to be a technical bassist with Thin Lizzy as his basslines always complemented the band's sound. He used a black Fender Precision bass with a mirrored scratchplate, which he used to interact with the audience during performances. The band later used the name Baby Face as a song title on their album Shades of a Blue Orphanage and recorded a Deep Purple tribute album under the name Funky Junction in 1972.