Bad Penny, Rory Gallagher
Bad Penny tribute 1948 - 1994, duration: 4.47 minutes.
Discovering a new song or awesome live performance is always a pleasure, even for this writer at the age of 68. One such discovery occurred in late February 2025. It was Bad Penny, by the late, great Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher (1948-95). How it happened is unclear, but when a live version popped up on YouTube, the writer was intrigued. He looked around and found others, along with an original studio recording. The majority of the live recordings were off video or soundboard and are high quality. Why the interest in this specific song? Because it is a classic, late 70s rock song, with a catchy, though simple and rocking melody, and an awesome lead break and riff in D minor. All versions are linked below, along with a discussion of the song, its music, words and performance variations. Along the way anecdotes of Rory Gallagher are interspersed. The song was obviously a favourite with the band, as it was played live through to at least the end of the 80s.
-------------------------
2. Recordings
Bay Penny began life as a 4.03 minute long studio recording, put down at the Dierks Studios in Germany during March-April 1979 and released in September on the Chrysalis label's Top Priority LP. The songs on the album were mostly hard rock.
Bad Penny (studio), 1979, duration: 4.06 minutes.
The writer had purchased two Gallagher LPs during the mid' 70s - Sinner and Saint 1975 and Calling Card 1976 - but missed out on Top Priority. He had toured Australia in 1975, and again in 1980, following the release of Top Priority, and likely thereby likely missing out on a performance of Bad Penny.
Bad Penny (Live, video), Alright Now (TV show), Newcastle, 19 March 1980, duration: 4.28 minutes.
The studio audience - about 100 young people - included a heap of headbangers, male and female, which very much reflected the activity of the writer at the time, who was then aged 24 but preferred his rock hard like Rory's in this song. Another audio only live version is known from 1980.
Bad Penny (Live, audio), world tour, 1980, duration: 6.40 minutes.
This latter version was issued as a bonus track on the 1999 re-release of the original 1980 Stage Struck LP. The location of the recording is not known to the writer at this stage. Another live audio-only version, possible from the 1980 world tour, is known.
Bad Penny (Live, audio), Paris Olympia, 8 March 1982, duration: 5.39 minutes.
The next live version also comes from 1982.
Bad Penny (Live, video), Loreley Festival, Germany, Rockpalast, 28 August 1982, duration: 5.03 minutes.
This version is a slight extension of the recorded version, with the bass solo and chord-based ending. Another live audio version from 1984 is known.
Bad Penny + intro jam (Live, audio), Tegeln Blues Festival, 1984, duration: 9.46 minutes.
The intro jam includes Rory vocalising along with his guitar in a blues manner for about 4.30 minutes.
Bad Penny (Live, video), Montreux, 1985, duration: 9.50 minutes.
This live Montreux performance is undoubtedly the greatest captured live performance of the song by Rory, with his guitar just singing and full of so much emotion during the first half; the second half includes a bass jam followed by a chard based and arpeggio finger picking close. The lyrics sung by Rory during this performance also vary from the recorded version. Another version from Vienna, two years later is known. Rory can be seen at the time to be suffering from his liver problem, which result in an operation and his eventual early death seven years later. This version starts c.5 minutes in.
Bad Penny (Live, video), Vienna, 1987, duration: 7.12 minutes.
In this version Rory is not playing his worn Fender Stratocaster; instead he has a 1960 Gibson Melody Maker - of which he had four - with a single pickup. The following recording appears to be a bootleg from the audience.
Bad Penny (Live, audio), Rock City, Nottingham, 1987, duration: 7.21 minutes. Bootleg.
------------------------
3. Lyrics
Rory Gallagher never married or is known to have had any children or long-term relationships. His was closet with his brother Donal, who also served as his manager. Rory appeared to be something of a loner, dedicated to his music and performance. It is interesting, therefore, to scan the lyrics to Bad Penny and note their reference to a relationship which did not work out.
[Recorded version 1979]
Well, like a bad penny you've turned up again
You're in my sights
There's a mist on my lens
I think you know how it was
When I tripped and fell
Well, you double-dealed me, baby
And I broke like a shell, hey
Like a bad penny you've sure lost the glow
But I'm out of reach
Your smile's sure gone cold
Well, it can't ever be like it was then
Well, don't you fool with me, baby
Don't you mess with my plans, hey
Some stormy nights
Your memory haunts me
You won't go away
Well, like a bad penny you
Have turned up in the change
Try to fit into the picture
You can't get inside the frame
I think you know I'm still sore
But I'm on the mend
Times sure have changed
It won't happen again
* [Rockpalast version 1982]
Well, like a bad penny you've turned up again
You're in my sights, there's a mist on my lens
I think you know how it was when I tripped and fell
Well, you've double-dealed me, baby and I broke like a shell, oh
Well, like a bad penny you've sure lost the glow
But I'm out of reach, your smile's sure gone cold
Well, it can't ever be like it was then
Well, don't you fool with me, baby
Well, don't you mess with my plans
Some stormy nights
Your memory haunts me
You won't go away
Well, like a bad penny you have turned up in the change
Try to fit into the picture, you can't get inside the frame
I think you know I'm still sore but I'm on the mend
Times sure have changed, it won't happen again
Well, like a bad penny spins around and around
Well, you won't know what's gone wrong when it all falls down
You got to learn from now on to stop playing games
You ought to keep on moving, you got to spin on your way
Some lonely nights
I hear you calling
Won't you go away?
Well, like a bad penny you have turned up again
You're in my sights, well, there's a mist on my lens
I think you know how it was when I tripped and fell
Well, you've double-dealed me, baby, I cracked like a shell, yeah
------------=------------
4. Lessons / Reaction videos
The ongoing popularity of Bad Penny, especially amongst guitarists, is evidenced by the number of lesson videos on YouTube and social media. Some of those, both short and long, are linked below. The song is in D minor, with a chord progression of Dm, Fm, C and Dm, with two separate hammer-ons in the second part of the sequence. The filler riff and lead breaks are also basically in D minor pentatonic.
Another recent social media phenomena is the reaction video, where young people - often a group of two or three - listen to old songs. Many of the participants are American, with a large percentage Black. As a result, there are a number where Bad Penny is the subject and the reactions are usually amazement at the existence of such a brilliant, largely unknown guitarist and similar song.
Bad Penny - College students' first time reaction, Andy & Alex, 3 June 2021, YouTube, duration: 12.00 minutes.
Bad Penny, Rob Squad Reactions, 28 December 2023, YouTube, duration: 8.17 minutes.
--------------------------
5. Bibliography
Chapurri, Marcelo Gobello, Rory Gallagher: El ultimo hero, Lenoir, 2016, 140p.
Coghe, Jean-Noel, Rory Gallagher: A Biography, Mercier Press, 2002, 192p.
-----, Rory Gallagher: Rock 'n' road blues, Castor Astral, 2010. French language edition.
Connaughton, Marcus, Rory Gallagher: His Life and Times, The Collins Press, 2012, 259p.
Curtis, Mike, Rory Gallagher: Complete recordings illustrated, APS Publications, 2022.
Gallagher, Rory, The Essential Rory Gallagher - volume 1 (Tab), Music Sales America, 2009, 128p.
------, The Essential Rory Gallagher - volume 2 (Tab), Music Sales America, 2009, 121p.
-----, The Essential Rory Gallagher: The Complete Taste, Hal Leonard, 2010, 152p.
-----, The Essential Acoustic Rory Gallagher, Music Sales America, 2013, 144p.
-----, Rory Gallagher: Irish Tour '74, Hal Leonard, 2015, 176p.
-----, Selections from Rory Gallagher - Blues note for note guitar transcription (tab), Hal Leonard, 2019, 152p.
----- and Lizabeth Kramer, The Legend of the Seventh Son, n.d., 52p.
McAvoy, Gerry, Riding Shotgun: 35 years on the road with Rory Gallagher and Nine Below Zero, SPG Triumph, 2005, 352p.
O'Hagen, Lauren Alex and Rayne Morales, Rory Gallagher: The Later Years, Wymer UK, 2024, 442p.
Rory Gallagher, Good Times (magazine), 2020.
Rossi, Fabio, Rory Gallagher: Il bluesman bianco con la camicia a quadri, 2024, 150p.
Rowley, Neville, Rory Gallagher - Irish Blues, Mot et le Reste, 2025. French language.
Vignoles, Julian, Rory Gallagher: The Man Behind the Guitar, Gill Books, 2021, 288p.
--------------------------
| Bad Penny, Rory Gallagher | Bee Gees, Wollongong 1963-66 | Blue Fender Bronco 1968 | Catfish Blues Cold Chisel @ Wollongong 1976+ | Cream Gibson SG | Finch, Bulli, 2020 | Fuzz Tone | Jackson C. Frank | Jimi Hendrix Flying V | Jimmy Page Dragon Telecaster | Jo Ann Kelly | Kahvas Jute & Chariot 1970-2005 | Little Richard, Wollongong 1957 | Leftards - Gong punk 2017+ | MC5 | Meet Me in the Bottom | Nick Drake Guitars | Peter Green | Shocking Blue | Tales of Brave Ulysses | The Expression 1981-85 | Vamps 1965-77 | Wheels of Fire 1968 | Yardbirds |
Last updated: 20 March 2025
Michael Organ, Australia
Comments
Post a Comment