Van Morrison The Concert
Encyclopedia
Van Morrison: The Concert is the second video released by Northern Irish
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. This video mainly consisted of Morrison's work from his last two albums; including four songs from both Avalon Sunset
and Irish Heartbeat
. The video also features jazz singer Georgie Fame
on Hammond organ
.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, first released in 1990. Recorded in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
the previous year, the concert featured two special guests and long-time friends Mose Allison
Mose Allison
Mose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
and John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
, each of whom performed some of their own songs. This video mainly consisted of Morrison's work from his last two albums; including four songs from both Avalon Sunset
Avalon Sunset
Avalon Sunset is the nineteenth album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1989 The album has been described as "a powerful statement that the often turbulent muse had stabilized and was now a sublime force flowing through Van Morrison".The 29 January 2008 reissued and...
and Irish Heartbeat
Irish Heartbeat
Irish Heartbeat is the eighteenth album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is a collaboration with the traditional Irish musical group The Chieftains, released in 1988...
. The video also features jazz singer Georgie Fame
Georgie Fame
Georgie Fame is a British rhythm and blues and jazz singer and keyboard player. The one-time rock and roll tour musician, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still a popular performer, often working with contemporaries such as Van Morrison and Bill Wyman.-Early life:Fame took piano lessons from the...
on Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
.
Track listing
All songs written and arranged by Van Morrison unless stated otherwise.- "I Will Be ThereI Will Be There (Van Morrison song)"I Will Be There" is a song featured on Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison's sixth album Saint Dominic's Preview . The song is also the B-side to Morrison's single "Warm Love", released in 1973....
" - 2:17 - "Whenever God Shines His LightWhenever God Shines His Light"Whenever God Shines His Light" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and released on his 1989 album Avalon Sunset as a duet with Cliff Richard. Although the album was released in June 1989, this song was released as a single in November 1989 for the Christmas...
" - 5:27 - "Cleaning WindowsCleaning Windows"Cleaning Windows" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and recorded on his 1982 album, Beautiful Vision.-Recording and Composition:...
" - 3:27 - "OrangefieldOrangefield (song)"Orangefield" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and released on his 1989 album Avalon Sunset. The song takes place on "a golden Autumn day" and is named for the school for boys that Morrison attended during his youth in Belfast, Northern Ireland.The song was...
" - 2:56 - "When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God" - 4:18
- "Benediction" (Mose AllisonMose AllisonMose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
) - 3:00 - "Raglan RoadOn Raglan Road"On Raglan Road" is a well-known Irish song from a poem written by Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh named after Raglan Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin. In the poem the poet, walking on a "quiet street", recalls a love affair he had with a young woman...
" (Traditional) Arr. (Morrison/Paddy MoloneyPaddy MoloneyPaddy Moloney is one of the founders of the Irish musical group The Chieftains and has played on every one of their albums.He was born in Donnycarney in Dublin. His mother bought him a tin whistle when he was six and at the age of eight he started to learn the Uilleann pipes. He also plays button...
) - 3:44 - "CarrickfergusCarrickfergus (song)"Carrickfergus" is an Irish folk song. The origins of the song are unclear, but it has been traced to an Irish language song, "Do bhí bean uasal" , which is attested to the poet Cathal Buí Mac Giolla Ghunna, who died in 1745 in County Clare.The song appears on a ballad sheet in Cork City in the mid...
" (Traditional) Arr. (Morrison/Moloney) - 3:23 - "Summertime in EnglandSummertime in England"Summertime in England" is the longest song on Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison's 1980 album, Common One and is approximately fifteen minutes long. Although the album this appeared on was not successful critically or commercially, this song would be performed by Morrison in concert...
/Common One" - 13:25 - "CaravanCaravan (Van Morrison song)"Caravan" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1970 album, Moondance. It was a concert highlight for several years and was included as one of the songs on Morrison's 1974 acclaimed live album, It's Too Late to Stop Now.It was also performed by...
/Birdland" (Morrison), (Joe ZawinulJoe ZawinulJosef Erich Zawinul was an Austrian-American jazz keyboardist and composer.First coming to prominence with saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, Zawinul went on to play with trumpeter Miles Davis, and to become one of the creators of jazz fusion, an innovative musical genre that combined jazz with...
) - 7:31 - "MoondanceMoondance (Van Morrison song)"Moondance" is a popular song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is the title song on his 1970 album Moondance.Morrison did not release the song as a single until November 1977, seven and a half years after the album was released. It reached the Billboard Hot 100, charting...
/FeverFever (1956 song)"Fever" is a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, who used the pseudonym John Davenport. It was originally recorded by Little Willie John in 1956. It has been covered by numerous artists from various musical genres, notably Peggy Lee in 1958....
" (Morrison), (John DavenportOtis BlackwellOtis Blackwell was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work significantly influenced rock 'n' roll...
/Eddie Cooley) - 12:15 - "Star of the County DownStar of the County Down"Star of the County Down" is an old Irish ballad set near Banbridge in County Down, in Ireland. The words are by Cathal McGarvey, 1866-1927, from Ramelton, County Donegal...
" (Traditional) Arr. (Morrison/Moloney) - 2:14 - "In the GardenIn the Garden (Van Morrison song)"In the Garden" is a spiritually inspired song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1986 album No Guru, No Method, No Teacher.-Recording and composition:...
" - 7:33 - "Have I Told You LatelyHave I Told You Lately"Have I Told You Lately" is a hit song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and recorded for his 1989 album Avalon Sunset. It is a romantic ballad often played at weddings although it was originally written also as a prayer....
" - 3:29 - "Gloria/Smokestack LightningSmokestack Lightning"Smokestack Lightning" is a classic of the blues. In 1956, Howlin' Wolf recorded the song and it became one of his most popular and influential songs...
" (Morrison), (Chester BurnettHowlin' WolfChester Arthur Burnett , known as Howlin' Wolf, was an influential American blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player....
) - 4:28 - "Serve Me Right to Suffer/T.B. SheetsT.B. Sheets"T.B. Sheets" is a blues-influenced song written and recorded by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, recorded for the Bang Records label in 1967 and included on his first solo album, Blowin' Your Mind!. It later appeared on the Bang compilation, T.B. Sheets.-Recording:"T.B...
" (John Lee HookerJohn Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
), (Morrison) - 5:22 - "Boom Boom" (Hooker) - 3:52
- "She Moved Through the FairShe Moved Through the Fair"She Moved Through the Fair" is a traditional Irish folk song, existing in a number of versions and which has been recorded many times.-Origins:...
" (Traditional) Arr. (Morrison/Moloney) - 4:57
The band
- Van Morrison - vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... - Georgie FameGeorgie FameGeorgie Fame is a British rhythm and blues and jazz singer and keyboard player. The one-time rock and roll tour musician, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still a popular performer, often working with contemporaries such as Van Morrison and Bill Wyman.-Early life:Fame took piano lessons from the...
- organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Bernie Holland - electric and acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
s, backing vocals - Brian Odgers - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Neil Drinkwater - keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s, accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist.... - Dave EarlyDave EarlyDave Early was an English drummer and percussionist. Early worked with Sade, Chris Rea, Van Morrison, The Chieftains, Mary Black, and others. Later he moved to Belfast, where he played with traditional Irish artists. He frequently worked with drummer-percussionist Martin Ditcham...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Richie Buckley - vocals on "Common One", sopranoSoprano saxophoneThe soprano saxophone is a variety of the saxophone, a woodwind instrument, invented in 1840. The soprano is the third smallest member of the saxophone family, which consists of the soprillo, sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, contrabass and tubax.A transposing instrument pitched in...
and tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe 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, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
s - Steve GregorySteve GregorySteve Gregory is an English jazz saxophonist and composer. He plays tenor, alto, soprano and baritone saxophone as well as the flute.Steve Gregory was born in the UK. At St. Paul's School he learned guitar and piano and played clarinet in the school orchestra. He turned down a place at the...
- tenor and baritone saxophoneBaritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
s, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
Special guests
- Mose AllisonMose AllisonMose John Allison, Jr. is an American jazz blues pianist and singer.-Biography:...
- vocals and keyboard on "Benediction" - John Lee HookerJohn Lee HookerJohn Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
- vocals and electric guitar on "Serve Me Right to Suffer" and "Boom Boom"
Production
- Producer and Director - Jon Small
- Producers - Van Morrison, Jim Greenhough
- Photography - The Douglass Brothers
- Design - Bill Smith Studio