Hey Mr. DJ
Encyclopedia
"Hey Mr. DJ" is a popular song written by Northern Irish singer Van Morrison
and recorded on his 2002 album, Down the Road. It was released as a single in the U.K.
and charted at number fifty-eight. The single includes two popular Morrison compositions as the B-side; both have been included in the compilation album Still on Top - The Greatest Hits
.
Rolling Stone magazine reviewer David Fricke
has said this about the song "'Hey Mr. DJ' is a requiem for the one-on-one electricity of pre-Clear Channel radio, swinging with sweet brass and the iconic echo of Sam Cooke's 'Having a Party'."
, intended for an album entitled Choppin' Wood. Prior to the release of the album, Lewis' contributions to the song were removed and string and vocal overdubs were added.
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...
and recorded on his 2002 album, Down the Road. It was released as a single in the U.K.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and charted at number fifty-eight. The single includes two popular Morrison compositions as the B-side; both have been included in the 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 Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison in 2007 . It was released...
.
Rolling Stone magazine reviewer David Fricke
David Fricke
David Fricke is a senior editor at Rolling Stone magazine, where he writes predominantly on rock music. In the 1990s, he was managing editor before stepping down.-Background:David Fricke is a graduate of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania...
has said this about the song "'Hey Mr. DJ' is a requiem for the one-on-one electricity of pre-Clear Channel radio, swinging with sweet brass and the iconic echo of Sam Cooke's 'Having a Party'."
Recording history
The song was originally recorded in 2000 with Linda Gail LewisLinda Gail Lewis
Linda Gail Lewis is an American singer and pianist. She is the sister of Jerry Lee Lewis.She plays piano and has recorded with Stephen Ackles, Van Morrison, and with her brother. She also has recorded with her two daughtersMaryJean Ferguson, and Annie Marie Dolan in a group called The Lewis 3...
, intended for an album entitled Choppin' Wood. Prior to the release of the album, Lewis' contributions to the song were removed and string and vocal overdubs were added.
Personnel
- Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan 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...
- acoustic guitar, vocals - John Allair - Hammond organHammond organThe 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...
- Crawford Bell - background vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
- Olwin Bell - background vocals
- Lee Goodall - tenorTenor 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...
and alto saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
s - Mick GreenMick GreenMichael Robert "Mick" Green was an English rock and roll guitarist who played with Johnny Kidd & The Pirates and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas.-Biography:He was born Michael Robert Green, in Matlock, Derbyshire...
- acoustic guitar, 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... - Karen Hamill - background vocals
- David HayesDavid HayesDavid Hayes is the name of:*David Hayes , American sculptor*David J. Hayes , U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior*David A. Hayes , Australian Thoroughbred racehorse trainer*David Hayes , Canadian writer...
- bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, double bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Matt Holland - trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
- Bobby Irwin - 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 ....
- Siobhan Pettit - background vocals
- Johnny Scott - background vocals
- Rosie Wetters - celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, string section leader - Aine Whelan - background vocals
Appearances on other albums
- This song was included on the compilation album, The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3 is a compilation album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, that was released on June 11, 2007 in the UK with a digital version released in the U.S. on iTunes Music Store, on June 12, 2007. Manhattan/EMI Music Catalog Marketing released the CD...
. - "Hey Mr. DJ" is included on the 3CD limited edition of the 2007 compilation album, Still on Top - The Greatest HitsStill on Top - The Greatest HitsStill on Top – The Greatest Hits is the third compilation album to be issued by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison in 2007 . It was released...
, as the opening song on the third CD.