Album · 50 years old this year
Johnny the Fox
Johnny the Fox is the seventh studio album by the Irish hard rock band Thin Lizzy, released on 16 October 1976. It followed Jailbreak, issued earlier the same year, and was written and recorded while Phil Lynott was recovering from hepatitis, an illness that had forced him off the road halfway through the Jailbreak tour.
The record produced a British hit single in "Don't Believe a Word". It also marks the end of an era for the band's line-up, as it was the last Thin Lizzy studio album to feature guitarist Brian Robertson as a full member. Personality clashes between Robertson and Lynott saw him sacked, reinstated and then sacked again. For anyone tracing the group's story through the 1970s, it captures a band at a busy, turbulent moment.
Johnny the Fox: tracklist, credits and charts
10 tracks · 36:10Tracklist
- 1JohnnyPhil Lynott4:27
- 2RockyDowney, Gorham, Lynott3:43
- 3BorderlinePhil Lynott and Brian Robertson4:37
- 4Don’t Believe a WordPhil Lynott2:19
- 5Fools GoldPhil Lynott3:57
- 6Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the WeedDowney, Gorham, Lynott3:42
- 7Old FlamePhil Lynott3:11
- 8MassacreDowney, Gorham, Lynott3:02
- 9Sweet MarieScott Gorham and Phil Lynott3:59
- 10Boogie Woogie DancePhil Lynott3:13
- Produced by
- John Alcock
- Recorded at
- Ramport (London)
- Recorded
- August 1976
- Labels
- Philips, Vertigo
- Length
- 36:10
Line-up
- Brian Downey · drums (drum set)
- Scott Gorham · guitar
- Phil Lynott · bass guitar, vocals, acoustic guitar
- Brian Robertson · guitar
Singles
- “Johnny the Fox Meets Jimmy the Weed” · 30 July 1976 (USA only)
- “Don't Believe a Word” · 26 November 1976
- “Rocky” · 1976
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1976–77 | 52 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1976–77 | 52 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1976–77 | 93 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Gold |
From MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Only what the sources record is shown.
62.9
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
2.0k
ListenBrainz listeners
58k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
5.6k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 16 October
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1971
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1971
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1972
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1973
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1974
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1975
Jailbreak
1976
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1976
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1977
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1978
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1979
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1979
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1980
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1981
Thunder and Lightning
1983
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1991
Dedication: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy
1991
BBC Radio 1: Live in Concert
1992
The Peel Sessions
1994
Wild One: The Very Best of Thin Lizzy
1996
Whisky in the Jar
1996
One Night Only
2000
Vagabonds Kings Warriors Angels
2001
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2004
The Definitive Collection
2006
UK Tour 75
2008
Still Dangerous: Live at Tower Theatre Philadelphia 1977
2009
A Song For While I’m Away
2024
The Acoustic Sessions
2024
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2024
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1976
2024
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More on Philips
The label →
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date musicbrainz + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 16 October 1976 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 1976 | |
| Wikidata | 16 October 1976 | |
| UK / Europe release | 16 October 1976 | earliest UK or European date |
13 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1976 | IE | Philips | other | |
| 16 October 1976 | GB | Vertigo | original | |
| 1990 | XE | Vertigo | 042282268723 | other |
| 1990 | JP | Vertigo | 4988011315213 | other |
| 20 April 1990 | US | Vertigo | 042282268723 | other |
| 1996 | XE | Mercury Records | 731453229525 | other |
| 2011 | XE | Mercury Records | 0600753320778 | deluxe |
| 24 January 2011 | GB | Mercury Records | 0600753320778 | other |
| 8 February 2011 | XW | UMC | 00600753320778 | deluxe |
| 2014 | US | Mercury Records | 600753535615 | other |
| 21 February 2020 | XE | Vertigo | 602508026386 | other |
| 27 September 2024 | XE | Vertigo | 602448681560 | other |
| — | — | EMI | 00731453229525 | other |
Cover art sources
deezer · upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1200×1200 | upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 600×600 | upscaled |