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Moondance (Van Morrison song)

 

 
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Moondance (Van Morrison song)
 
 
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"Moondance" is a popular song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter

File:Joan Baez Bob Dylan crop.jpgSinger-songwriter is a term that refers to performers who Lyricist, composer and singing their own Musical piece including lyrics and melody....
 Van Morrison
Van Morrison

George Ivan Morrison Order of the British Empire is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since the late 1950s....
 and is the title song on his 1970 album Moondance
Moondance

Moondance is the third solo album by Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in February 1970 on Warner Bros. Records and peaked at #29 on Billboard Music Charts's Pop Albums chart....
. It was not released as a single until 1977.

The song is played mostly acoustic
Acoustic music

Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses musical instrument s which produce sound through entirely Musical acoustics means, as opposed to electronic means....
, anchored by electric bass
Bass guitar

The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
, with accompaniment by piano
Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard instrument. Widely used in Western music for solo performance, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to musical composition and rehearsal....
, guitar
Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
, saxophone
Saxophone

The saxophone is a conical-Bore transposing instrument musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a Single-reed instrument mouthpiece similar to the clarinet....
, and flute
Flute

The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike other woodwind instruments, a flute is a reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air against an edge....
 with the instruments played with a soft jazz swing. It's a song about autumn, the composer's favorite season. Towards the end of the song, Morrison imitates a saxophone.

"Moondance" is the most frequently played song by Morrison in concert, as it is the only song known to have been played over 1,000 times.

In the media "Moondance" is one of the moon-themed songs used in An American Werewolf in London
An American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf in London is a Cinema of the United States-Cinema of the United Kingdom comedy film/horror film, screenwriter and film director by John Landis....
, a comedy-horror film released in 1981.

This song is featured in the 2007 movie, August Rush as performed by Jonathan Rhys Meyers with Robin Williams
Robin Williams

Robin McLaurim Williams is an Academy Award-, Golden Globe-, and Grammy Award-winning United Statesn comedian and actor.Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980....
 playing harmonica
Harmonica

The harmonica is a free reed aerophone wind instrument which is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes....
 and also features an instrumental version by Chris Botti
Chris Botti

Christopher Stephen Botti or Chris Botti [BOH-tee] is an American trumpeter and composer. Born in Portland, Oregon and raised in Corvallis, Oregon, Oregon, he spent two years of his childhood growing up in Italy....
.

"Moondance" is one of the songs featured on the compilation album Michael Parkinson: My Life In Music, which is a 2-disc CD of Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson

Sir Michael Parkinson, Order of the British Empire is an English people broadcaster and journalist. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson , from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007....
's favorite songs.




e have been many recorded versions of the song and it is also a very popularly performed instrumental band song.






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Encyclopedia


"Moondance" is a popular song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter

File:Joan Baez Bob Dylan crop.jpgSinger-songwriter is a term that refers to performers who Lyricist, composer and singing their own Musical piece including lyrics and melody....
 Van Morrison
Van Morrison

George Ivan Morrison Order of the British Empire is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since the late 1950s....
 and is the title song on his 1970 album Moondance
Moondance

Moondance is the third solo album by Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in February 1970 on Warner Bros. Records and peaked at #29 on Billboard Music Charts's Pop Albums chart....
. It was not released as a single until 1977.

The song is played mostly acoustic
Acoustic music

Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses musical instrument s which produce sound through entirely Musical acoustics means, as opposed to electronic means....
, anchored by electric bass
Bass guitar

The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
, with accompaniment by piano
Piano

The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard instrument. Widely used in Western music for solo performance, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to musical composition and rehearsal....
, guitar
Guitar

The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
, saxophone
Saxophone

The saxophone is a conical-Bore transposing instrument musical instrument considered a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and are played with a Single-reed instrument mouthpiece similar to the clarinet....
, and flute
Flute

The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike other woodwind instruments, a flute is a reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air against an edge....
 with the instruments played with a soft jazz swing. It's a song about autumn, the composer's favorite season. Towards the end of the song, Morrison imitates a saxophone.

"Moondance" is the most frequently played song by Morrison in concert, as it is the only song known to have been played over 1,000 times.

Morrison on the writing of the song


In the media

"Moondance" is one of the moon-themed songs used in An American Werewolf in London
An American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf in London is a Cinema of the United States-Cinema of the United Kingdom comedy film/horror film, screenwriter and film director by John Landis....
, a comedy-horror film released in 1981.

This song is featured in the 2007 movie, August Rush as performed by Jonathan Rhys Meyers with Robin Williams
Robin Williams

Robin McLaurim Williams is an Academy Award-, Golden Globe-, and Grammy Award-winning United Statesn comedian and actor.Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980....
 playing harmonica
Harmonica

The harmonica is a free reed aerophone wind instrument which is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes....
 and also features an instrumental version by Chris Botti
Chris Botti

Christopher Stephen Botti or Chris Botti [BOH-tee] is an American trumpeter and composer. Born in Portland, Oregon and raised in Corvallis, Oregon, Oregon, he spent two years of his childhood growing up in Italy....
.

"Moondance" is one of the songs featured on the compilation album Michael Parkinson: My Life In Music, which is a 2-disc CD of Michael Parkinson
Michael Parkinson

Sir Michael Parkinson, Order of the British Empire is an English people broadcaster and journalist. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson , from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007....
's favorite songs.

Acclaim

  • "Moondance" was listed as #226 on the Rolling Stone
    Rolling Stone

    Rolling Stone is a United States-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J....
     magazine's 2004 feature, The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
    The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time

    The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2004, a year after the magazine published its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time....
    .
  • It is also one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll
    The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll

    The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll is an unordered list of 500 songs, created by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, that they believe have been most influential in shaping the course of rock and roll, though some of them belong to different styles even after the consolidation of rock music ....
    .
  • It was listed as No. 19 on the All Time 885 Greatest Songs compiled in 2004 by WXPN
    WXPN

    WXPN is a non-commercial, public broadcasting radio broadcasting operated by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia that broadcasts a music format called adult album alternative ....
     from listener's votes.


Appearance on other albums

  • "Moondance" is one of the songs performed in 1979, on Morrison's first video Van Morrison in Ireland
    Van Morrison in Ireland

    Van Morrison in Ireland is the first official Video by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1981 of a concert Morrison recorded while in Ireland two years earlier....
    , released in 1981.
  • "Moondance" was performed in a medley with Fever
    Fever (1956 song)

    "Fever" is a song credited to Eddie Cooley and "John Davenport" . The song was a rhythm and blues hit for Little Willie John that crossed over and became a pop standard after being transformed, with additional lyrics, by Peggy Lee....
     in 1989, for Morrison's second video Van Morrison The Concert
    Van Morrison The Concert

    Van Morrison The Concert is the second video released by Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Van Morrison, first released in 1990. Recorded in New York the previous year, the concert featured two special guests and long-time friends Mose Allison and John Lee Hooker, each of whom performed some of their own songs....
    , released in 1990.
  • As originally recorded on the album Moondance
    Moondance

    Moondance is the third solo album by Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in February 1970 on Warner Bros. Records and peaked at #29 on Billboard Music Charts's Pop Albums chart....
    , it is one of the songs on the 1990 compilation album The Best of Van Morrison
    The Best of Van Morrison

    The Best of Van Morrison is a compilation album by Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1990 .This was his first ever "Best of" album and was one of the best-selling albums of the 90s, spending a year and a half on the UK chartsafter charting at #4 and at #1 in Australia on the ARIA Charts....
    .
  • A medley with My Funny Valentine
    My Funny Valentine

    For the album by Miles Davis, see My Funny Valentine "My Funny Valentine" is a show tune from the 1937 Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart musical Babes in Arms....
     appears on the 1994 live album     A Night in San Francisco
    A Night in San Francisco

    A Night in San Francisco is a live album by Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1994 .Guest artists were John Lee Hooker, Junior Wells and Jimmy Witherspoon as well as Morrison's daughter, Shana Morrison....
    .
  • A be-bop influenced version is on the 1996 album How Long Has This Been Going On
    How Long Has This Been Going On

    How Long Has This Been Going On is an album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, "with Georgie Fame and Friends", released in 1996 ....
    .
  • It appears on the 2006 limited edition CD Live at Austin City Limits Festival
    Live at Austin City Limits Festival

    Live at Austin City Limits Festival by Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Van Morrison is a limited edition live album recorded from the Austin City Limits Festival concert at which he was the first night headliner on September 15, 2006....
    .
  • "Moondance" is the 10th song performed on the 1980 disc of Morrison's DVD released in 2006, Live At Montreux 1980/1974
    Live at Montreux 1980/1974

    Live at Montreux 1980/1974 is the first official DVD by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released on October 16, 2006. The films consist of two separate performances by Van Morrison at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland....
    .
  • A previously unreleased version, recorded at the Greek Theater in 1986, appears on the 2007 compilation album Van Morrison at the Movies - Soundtrack Hits
    Van Morrison at the Movies - Soundtrack Hits

    Van Morrison at the Movies - Soundtrack Hits is a compilation album by Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 2007 comprising 19 songs as featured in various movies....
    .
  • A live version performed at the Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club
    Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club

    Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club is a jazz nightclub which has operated in London since 1959.The club opened on October 30 1959 in a basement at 39 Gerrard Street in London Soho district....
     with Georgie Fame
    Georgie Fame

    Georgie Fame is a United Kingdom rhythm and blues and jazz singer and Keyboard instrument player. He was born in Leigh, Greater Manchester....
     is also included on the 2007 compilation album The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3
    The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3

    The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3 is a compilation album by Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Van Morrison, that was released on June 11, 2007 in the United Kingdom with a digital version released in the United States on iTunes Music Store, on June 12, 2007....
    .
  • A 1986 live recording of "Moondance", with a recreation of The Caledonia Soul Orchestra
    The Caledonia Soul Orchestra

    The Caledonia Soul Orchestra was the band created by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison in 1973. The band is often considered one of the tightest performing backup groups of the 1970s....
     is included on the 2007 compilation album, Still on Top - The Greatest Hits
    Still on Top - The Greatest Hits

    Still on Top - The Greatest Hits is the third compilation album to be issued by Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Van Morrison in 2007 . It was released...
    .


Personnel on original release

  • Van Morrison
    Van Morrison

    George Ivan Morrison Order of the British Empire is a Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist, who has been a professional musician since the late 1950s....
     - vocals
    Singing

    Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the human voice, which is often contrasted with regular speech. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist....
    , guitar
    Guitar

    The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
  • John Klingberg - bass guitar
    Bass guitar

    The electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a plectrum.The bass guitar is similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar, but with a larger body, a longer neck and Scale length, and usually four strings tuned to the same pitches as those of the double bass, whic...
  • Jeff Labes - piano
    Piano

    The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard instrument. Widely used in Western music for solo performance, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to musical composition and rehearsal....
  • Gary Mallaber
    Gary Mallaber

    Gary Mallaber is a Los Angeles session musician drummer, percussionist and singer. He got his start playing drums in a band from Buffalo, New York, known as Raven ....
     - drums
    Drum kit

    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as cowbell s, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer....
  • John Platania
    John Platania

    John Platania is a well-known session musician, guitar player, and record producer.Platania was born in New York?s Mid-Hudson Valley, in Ulster County, near Woodstock , New York....
     - guitar
    Guitar

    The guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six Strings , but Tenor guitar, Seven-string guitar, Eight-string guitar, Ten-string guitar, Eleven-string guitar, Twelve-string guitar, Thirteen-string guitar and doubleneck guitar string guitars also exist....
  • Jack Schroer
    Jack Schroer

    Jack Schroer was a saxophonist, pianist and arranger best known for his work with Van Morrison in the 1970s as a member of his band The Caledonia Soul Orchestra....
     - alto saxophone
    Alto saxophone

    The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by the Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax. The alto, with the Tenor saxophone, is the most common size of saxophone....
  • Collin Tilton - tenor saxophone
    Tenor saxophone

    The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the Alto saxophone, is the most common size of saxophone....
    , flute
    Flute

    The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike other woodwind instruments, a flute is a reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air against an edge....


Covers

There have been many recorded versions of the song and it is also a very popularly performed instrumental band song. One of the most known covers of the song was from Michael Bublé
Michael Bublé

Michael Steven Bubl? is a Canada big band vocalist and actor. He has won several awards, including a Grammy Award and multiple Juno Awards. While his first album reached the top ten in Lebanon, the United Kingdom and his home country of Canada, it achieved only modest chart success in the United States....
's self-titled album in 2003. The song also plays a role in the 2007 movie August Rush, in which it is sung by Louis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and played by Wizard (Robin Williams
Robin Williams

Robin McLaurim Williams is an Academy Award-, Golden Globe-, and Grammy Award-winning United Statesn comedian and actor.Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980....
) on the harmonica. The soundtrack also features a cover of the song by Chris Botti
Chris Botti

Christopher Stephen Botti or Chris Botti [BOH-tee] is an American trumpeter and composer. Born in Portland, Oregon and raised in Corvallis, Oregon, Oregon, he spent two years of his childhood growing up in Italy....
.

Van Morrison on cover versions of the song:
Quite a number of people have recorded "Moondance". There are some great versions including Bobby McFerrin
Bobby McFerrin

Robert "Bobby" McFerrin, Jr. is a ten-time Grammy Award-winning jazz-influenced a cappella vocal performer and conductor. He is best known for his 1988 hit song "Don't Worry, Be Happy"....
's. I also like a version of "Moondance" that was done by Grady Tate
Grady Tate

Grady Tate, , is a hard bop and soul-jazz drummer and singer.He has played with Lena Horne, Astrud Gilberto, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Blossom Dearie, Chris Connor, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Cal Tjader, Peggy Lee, Bill Evans, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Tom Rapp, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Stanley Turrentine, Charles Earland, Quincy Jones,...
 years ago.


External links

  • Moondance 1970s
  • Film, Van Morrison in Ireland