Queen of the Slipstream
Encyclopedia
"Queen of the Slipstream" is a romantic ballad
written by Northern Irish
singer-songwriter
Van Morrison
and recorded on his 1987 album, Poetic Champions Compose
. It was also released as a single in the U.K.
in 1988.
.
The song is composed in the key of E major
with a chord progression
of E-G#m-A. The bridge
uses the progression of F#m-C#m-F#m-E-F#m-C#m-F#m-C#m. The song is written in 4/4 time and is played at a slow tempo
.
Morrison used a full string orchestra
for "Queen of the Slipstream", as Fiachra Trench
, the arranger of the string parts in the piece, told biographer Peter Mills: "[Morrison's] string sessions in the USA had been for a smaller section than I used: I think we had about 26 players. The string session went very smoothly ... On "Queen of the Slipstream" I reduced the strings to a chamber group for Van's harmonica solo and the second bridge which follows. Otherwise it's the full section." Trench went on to say: "Some of the string lines are derived from Neil Drinkwater's piano lines. I often use that technique when writing string arrangements, it helps to make the strings sound more part of the track, less like an overdub, less pop."
The song references Morrison's "Astral Weeks
" in the term "the slipstream", as well as his 1970 song "Come Running
" in the lines "I see you slipping and sliding in the snow ... you come running to me, you'll come running to me".
that was released in 1990. It was included as a track on the movie hits compilation album, Van Morrison at the Movies - Soundtrack Hits
that was released by EMI
in February 2007. It is one of the songs on the Polydor U.K.
October 2007 release, Still on Top - The Greatest Hits
. The UK released three disc album is a limited edition.
of the 1990 film, Extreme Close-Up.
It was a favorite song of actress Farrah Fawcett
and was played during the opening credits for the documentary
Farrah's Story shown on NBC
on May 15, 2009. It also was played once again during the film.
On January 10 2010 Mary Portas
chose the track when appearing on Desert Island Discs
.
performed a cover version of "Queen of the Slipstream" on Van Morrison's 1994 tribute album
, No Prima Donna: The Songs of Van Morrison
. This song was also performed by Son Seals
on Van Morrison's third tribute album Vanthology: A Tribute to Van Morrison
. It was covered by Kevin Welch
on his album Millionaire.
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
written by Northern Irish
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...
and recorded on his 1987 album, Poetic Champions Compose
Poetic Champions Compose
AllMusic's review referred to it "another of the art records" that Morrison had been producing since perhaps Common One but called it a "bit shocking" that "Morrison begins to shake off his self-conscious straitjacket here, letting a little more grit into the music, even if the record still is...
. It was also 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...
in 1988.
Recording and composition
"Queen of the Slipstream" was recorded at the same sessions as the other tracks that were released on Poetic Champions Compose in the summer of 1987 at the Wool Hall Studios, BeckingtonBeckington
Beckington is a village and civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England, across the River Frome from Lullington about three miles north of Frome...
.
The song is composed in the key of E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
with a chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
of E-G#m-A. The bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
uses the progression of F#m-C#m-F#m-E-F#m-C#m-F#m-C#m. The song is written in 4/4 time and is played at a slow tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
.
Morrison used a full string orchestra
String orchestra
A string orchestra is an orchestra composed solely or primarily of instruments from the string family. These instruments are the violin, the viola, the cello, the double bass , the piano, the harp, and sometimes percussion...
for "Queen of the Slipstream", as Fiachra Trench
Fiachra Trench
Fiachra Terence Wilbrah Trench is a musician and composer from Drogheda, County Louth in Ireland....
, the arranger of the string parts in the piece, told biographer Peter Mills: "[Morrison's] string sessions in the USA had been for a smaller section than I used: I think we had about 26 players. The string session went very smoothly ... On "Queen of the Slipstream" I reduced the strings to a chamber group for Van's harmonica solo and the second bridge which follows. Otherwise it's the full section." Trench went on to say: "Some of the string lines are derived from Neil Drinkwater's piano lines. I often use that technique when writing string arrangements, it helps to make the strings sound more part of the track, less like an overdub, less pop."
The song references Morrison's "Astral Weeks
Astral Weeks (song)
"Astral Weeks" is the title song and opening track on the 1968 album Astral Weeks by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison.-Recording:...
" in the term "the slipstream", as well as his 1970 song "Come Running
Come Running
"Come Running" is a song written by singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1970 album Moondance."Come Running" was also the only song to survive the Astral Weeks demos for Warner Bros. in 1968.-Recording:...
" in the lines "I see you slipping and sliding in the snow ... you come running to me, you'll come running to me".
Other releases
"Queen of the Slipstream" was one of the songs included on Van Morrison's first compilation album, The Best of Van MorrisonThe Best of Van Morrison
The Best of Van Morrison is a compilation album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1990 ....
that was released in 1990. It was included as a track on the movie hits 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 Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 2007 comprising 19 songs as featured in various movies. The album was released on 12 February 2007 in the United Kingdom and February 13, 2007 in the United States. ...
that was released by EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
in February 2007. It is one of the songs on the Polydor 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...
October 2007 release, 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...
. The UK released three disc album is a limited edition.
In the media
Queen of the Slipstream" was a feature on the soundtrackSoundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of the 1990 film, Extreme Close-Up.
It was a favorite song of actress Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett
Farrah Fawcett was an American actress and artist. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the first season of the television series Charlie's Angels, in 1976...
and was played during the opening credits for the documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Farrah's Story shown on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
on May 15, 2009. It also was played once again during the film.
On January 10 2010 Mary Portas
Mary Portas
Mary Portas , is an English retail adviser, journalist and television presenter.-Early life and education:Portas was born and brought up in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, in a family of five children. Educated at St Joan of Arc Catholic School, Rickmansworth, she looked after her youngest brother...
chose the track when appearing on Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
.
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...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, 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...
, vocal - Neil Drinkwater - pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
- Roy Jones - 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 ....
- Steve Pearce - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Fiachra TrenchFiachra TrenchFiachra Terence Wilbrah Trench is a musician and composer from Drogheda, County Louth in Ireland....
- string arrangement
Covers
Brian KennedyBrian Kennedy (singer)
Brian Edward Patrick Kennedy is an Irish singer-songwriter and author, known for his ballads, and has represented Ireland at Eurovision 2006. He is the younger brother of musician Bap Kennedy.-Personal life:...
performed a cover version of "Queen of the Slipstream" on Van Morrison's 1994 tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
, No Prima Donna: The Songs of Van Morrison
No Prima Donna: The Songs of Van Morrison
No Prima Donna: The Songs of Van Morrison released in October 1994 is the first tribute album for the songs of singer-songwriter Van Morrison. The album was produced by Van Morrison and his friend for many years, Phil Coulter. Morrison's longtime girlfriend, Michelle Rocca was the model on the...
. This song was also performed by Son Seals
Son Seals
Frank "Son" Seals was an American electric blues guitarist and singer.-Career:He was born in Osceola, Arkansas where his father, Jim "Son" Seals, owned a small juke joint. He began performing professionally by the age of 13, first as a drummer with Robert Nighthawk, and later as a guitarist...
on Van Morrison's third tribute album Vanthology: A Tribute to Van Morrison
Vanthology: A Tribute to Van Morrison
Vanthology: A Tribute to Van Morrison released in August 2003 is the third tribute album for the songs of Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison.-Track listing:All songs by Van Morrison#"Tupelo Honey" performed by Little Milton - 4:39...
. It was covered by Kevin Welch
Kevin Welch
Kevin Welch is an American country music artist. He has charted five singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts and released eight studio albums...
on his album Millionaire.