Early Beginnings

G. T. Moore was born in Reading, Berkshire, England in 1949 as Gerald Thomas Moore. As a singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist with a recording career that stretches back to the early seventies, he is a true pioneer and maverick of the British music scene.

His performing career began in 1966 with Gerald T. Moore and the Memphis Gents. After moving to Maidenhead to go to Art School and later to London, Gerald experimented with his own solo band while at the same time working with folk group Heron. This band released one album, one double album and three singles; all produced by Peter Eden and all mixed in Pye studios, Marble Arch.

After the break-up of Heron, Peter Eden got Gerald a deal with Jonathan King’s label U.K. Records. An album was recorded and a single released (Song for America), but he soon became busy with a new band G.T.Moore and the Reggae Guitars. The band grew on the Pub Rock circuit in London, and later, nationally; playing a mix of reggae and soul they were the first white band to attempt an authentic sound.

Late 70′s early 80′s

Around the late seventies, Gerald was is some demand as a session player, working together with Van Morrison, Dr. John and Johnny Nash. With some of the Texan guys from Nash’s band he formed The Rhythm Tramps. The Rhythm Tramps began to play almost exclusively in Europe, mainly Holland. Soon Gerald was living in Amsterdam where he was introduced to Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry by the Dutch label Black Star liner. Black Star liner arranged for an album to be recorded in Jamaica, ‘The return of Pipecock Jackson’. They also put Gerald in Harry J’s, to record the track Utopia, which was released in Benelux in 1980. Inspired by his Jamaican experience, he returned to form The Outsiders, a large scale-touring band complete with horn section. They gigged extensively around Europe during the early 1980 ‘s recording a studio album that was sadly never released. After the split-up of The Outsiders and somewhat disillusioned with the Reggae scene, Gerald returned to London. Initially to play some club dates with Eric Burdon , but eventually to build and run a studio in Notting Hill Gate, Mangrove studio.

Mangrove was a hang out for many of the local reggae singers such as Alton Ellis, Bob Andy and Bim Sherman, but they also recorded some of the more trendy inhabitants of Notting Hill like Wendy James and Transvision Vamp. The pressure of over three years almost 24 hour studio work slowly built up, and it wasn’t long before Gerald was back on the road again. This time with a Belgian based band, G.T.Moore and the Beat Popes, a Hendrix type three-piece.

The Belgian connection

Currently working in Belgium, having just finished an album (Celtic Dub) with Belgian folk group the Brothers, he was recording what he called ‘a fusion of different roots music, ‘ with a new band The Roots Federation. In the summer of 2001 G.T Moore teamed back up with Scottish singer songwriter Brian Nelson. G.T played on and produced his record “Beautiful Losers”/Free Space Records -’95 and played with the group until Dirk Van Gansbeke, the drummer and also a great songwriter & singer, died in a car crash in November 1999. Now they play as the duo Brian Nelson & G.T Moore, and when possible accompanied by Dolf Wolf on bass. At the beginning of 2003 Gerald decided to form a full size Reggae band “G.T. Moore & The Outsiders.” Despite his tunes especially “Turn Israel” and “Ganja Flower” being played on the sound system circuit he hasn’t toured Britain for over twenty years! Partly because of this, and partly to push his profile in Europe, the new band was formed.

The Lost Ark Studio

In 2011 G.T. Moore started recording with Bregt De Boever in The Lost Ark Studio. Bregt makes it his mission to work with legendary artists like G.T. Moore, having worked previously with The Congos, Congo “Ashanti” Roy, Prince Allah, Eric Judah, Sylford Walker and so on. G.T. Moore & The Lost Ark Band start touring in 2012, while working on material that will be released late 2012 – early 2013. The story keeps on being written. More news to follow.