Listen to unreleased version of Thin Lizzy song Sugar Blues

A portrait of Thin Lizzy in 1980 — (Image credit: Keystone / Stringer / Getty Images)

Thin Lizzy have shared a previously unreleased version of their Chinatown album track Sugar Blues.

The rough mix released today was originally recorded at Good Earth Studios in London’s Soho on July 7, 1980. On this version, frontman Phil Lynott was yet to complete the lyrics for the track, with significant changes to the guitar phrasing and solos.

Sugar Blues (Rough Mix) will feature on the recently announced Rock Legends box set. A collection of 99 tracks – 74 of which are previously unreleased – the compilation will celebrate 50 years of Thin Lizzy spread across 6CD/DVDs.

Rock Legends will be the first instalment in a career-spanning release programme.

The collection has been overseen by Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham and Lizzy expert Nick Sharp from a collection of newly discovered tapes. Rock Legends has also been newly mastered by Andy Pearce and will include demos, radio sessions, live recordings and rare edits.

The DVD will contain the BBC documentary Bad Reputation and Thin Lizzy’s 1976 performance on Rod Stewart’s A Night On The Town TV special.

Aside from the music, the collection will also come with tour programme replicas, Lynott poetry books, four prints by Lizzy cover artist Jim Fitzpatrick and a book with quotes by all members of the band about their time playing with Lynott .

A statement adds that it’ll also contain “a selection of famous fans such as Slash, Lemmy, Joe Elliot, Geddy Lee, James Hetfield, Ian Gillan, Henry Rollins, Billy Corgan, Bobby Gillespie, Craig Finn, John McEnroe and Pat Cash talking about the band.”

Phil Lynott is also the cover star of issue 279 of Classic Rock magazine, which is on sale now, with the mag looking back at the history of Thin Lizzy through the eyes of Scott Gorham and Brian Downey.

The mag also features Peter Green, Blues Pills, Fantastic Negrito, Kiss, James Dean Bradfield, an Icons Of Rock’N’Roll book, a look back at Monsters Of Rock and much more.

Classic Rock 279 — (Image credit: Future)

Briony is the Editor in Chief of Louder and is in charge of sorting out who and what you see covered on the site. She started working with Metal Hammer, Classic Rock and Prog magazines back in 2015 and has been writing about music and entertainment in many guises since 2009. Her favourite-ever interviewee is either Billy Corgan or Kim Deal. She is a big fan of cats, Husker Du and pizza.