Van Morrison in Ireland
Encyclopedia
Van Morrison in Ireland is the first official video by Northern Irish singer-songwriter
Van Morrison
, released in 1981 of a concert Morrison recorded in Northern Ireland
two years earlier. The video also shows footage of the band whilst touring in Ireland and images of Belfast
, including Hyndford Street and Cyprus Avenue. Tony Stewart of the NME
states "The band display a range of textures reminiscent of The Caledonia Soul Orchestra
, first with the dark resonence of Toni Marcus' violin, then Pat Kyle's bright sharp tenor sax and finally Bobby Tench
's prickly electric guitar".
This concert featured the band with which Morrison recorded his 1978 album Wavelength
, augmented by a horn section and violinist. The concert included two songs from Wavelength, the title track and "Checkin' It Out". The rest of the songs had originally been recorded at least seven years earlier, the latest of these being "Saint Dominic's Preview
" from 1972. Also on the video are two songs Morrison had recorded when fronting the band Them
in the mid 1960s — "Don't Look Back
" and "Gloria".
, Northern Ireland
, in February 1979. This was the first time that Morrison had played in Belfast, since 1965.
's review of the whole concert:
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...
, released in 1981 of a concert Morrison recorded in Northern Ireland
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...
two years earlier. The video also shows footage of the band whilst touring in Ireland and images of Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, including Hyndford Street and Cyprus Avenue. Tony Stewart of the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
states "The band display a range of textures reminiscent 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...
, first with the dark resonence of Toni Marcus' violin, then Pat Kyle's bright sharp tenor sax and finally Bobby Tench
Bobby Tench
Robert Tench , also known as Bob Tench, Bobby Tench and Bobby Gass is a British vocalist and guitarist. Originally a bass player he began singing with Gass influenced by artists such as Sam Cooke and Ray Charles...
's prickly electric guitar".
This concert featured the band with which Morrison recorded his 1978 album Wavelength
Wavelength (album)
Wavelength, the tenth album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison was released in the spring of 1978. The album has a different musical sound than his previous albums, leaning towards a pop sound with prominent electric guitars and synthesizers. Wavelength was Morrison's best selling...
, augmented by a horn section and violinist. The concert included two songs from Wavelength, the title track and "Checkin' It Out". The rest of the songs had originally been recorded at least seven years earlier, the latest of these being "Saint Dominic's Preview
Saint Dominic's Preview (song)
"Saint Dominic's Preview" is the title song on the 1972 sixth album of Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. Gary Mallaber plays drums on this song and Morrison's then wife, Janet Planet, is one of the back-up vocalists....
" from 1972. Also on the video are two songs Morrison had recorded when fronting the band Them
Them (band)
Them were a Northern Irish band formed in Belfast in April 1964, most prominently known for the garage rock standard "Gloria" and launching singer Van Morrison's musical career...
in the mid 1960s — "Don't Look Back
Don't Look Back (John Lee Hooker song)
"Don't Look Back " is a song written by Blues singer-songwriter John Lee Hooker and released as a single in 1964. As a duet Hooker performed with Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, it was a Grammy Award winner in Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 1998 from the album, Don't Look...
" and "Gloria".
Recording
The film consists of a performance of ten tracks recorded in BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
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...
, in February 1979. This was the first time that Morrison had played in Belfast, since 1965.
Songs
Brian HintonBrian Hinton
Brian Hinton, MBE is an English poet and musicologist. In June 2006 he was honoured in H. M. the Queen’s Birthday Honours List with an MBE for services to the Arts.-Education:...
's review of the whole concert:
They open with "Moondance", Katie Kissoon taking a verse, then a slightly ponderous "And It Stoned Me", then flow gracefully "Into the Mystic". As this is not 1970, they then come bang up to date with a rocky "Wavelength", the "poised blues" of "Don't Look Back" and a rolling "Wild Night". Katie Kissoon sings "Crazy Love", "with Kyle's flute circling, dipping and gliding off Peter Bardens' delicate piano phrasing". Van is back for "Checkin' it Out", with John Altham on baritone sax, then it's "Kingdom Hall" and a raft of classics, a jangly and ragged "Moonshine Whiskey", a controlled "Tupelo Honey". On "Saint Dominic's Preview", when Van reaches the line about "it's a long way back to Belfast city" the crowd explode, as do Van's lungs on "I've Been Working", blowing the guts out of his harmonica. Indeed they are part of the performance, adding to the inspiration. They shout fruitlessly for "Gloria", between a ten minute "Caravan" and a final encore of "Cyprus Avenue", where Van laughs, shouts, and falls to the ground.
Track listing
All songs by Morrison unless noted- Intro. - 0:47
- "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...
" - 3:56 - "Checkin' It Out" - 3:08
- "Moonshine WhiskeyMoonshine Whiskey"Moonshine Whiskey" is a song written by singer-songwriter, Van Morrison and is the concluding track of his 1971 album, Tupelo Honey.It was a popular tune with Morrison in the 1970s and he regularly performed it in concert...
" - 6:10 - "Tupelo HoneyTupelo Honey (Van Morrison song)"Tupelo Honey" is a popular song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and the title song from his 1971 album, Tupelo Honey. The title derives from an expensive, mild-tasting tupelo honey produced in the southeastern United States. Released as a single in 1972, it reached number...
" - 6:09 - "WavelengthWavelength (song)"Wavelength" is the title song from the 1978 album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. Released as a single in 1978, it climbed to number forty two in the US charts, and stayed in the top forty for eleven weeks. According to Howard A...
" - 6:20 - "Saint Dominic's PreviewSaint Dominic's Preview (song)"Saint Dominic's Preview" is the title song on the 1972 sixth album of Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. Gary Mallaber plays drums on this song and Morrison's then wife, Janet Planet, is one of the back-up vocalists....
" - 6:46 - "Don't Look BackDon't Look Back (John Lee Hooker song)"Don't Look Back " is a song written by Blues singer-songwriter John Lee Hooker and released as a single in 1964. As a duet Hooker performed with Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, it was a Grammy Award winner in Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in 1998 from the album, Don't Look...
" (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...
) - 4:26 - "I've Been WorkingI've Been Working"I've Been Working" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison appearing on the album His Band and the Street Choir, released in 1970. The song was first an outtake from Morrison's well received album Astral Weeks of 1968...
" - 5:33 - "Gloria" - 3:41
- "Cyprus AvenueCyprus Avenue"Cyprus Avenue" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1968 album Astral Weeks.In performance it was a concert highlight and closer for years to come and would end with Morrison's command, "It's too late to stop now!" as he stalked from the stage...
" - 9:32
Musicians
- 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...
- 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...
, 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... - Peter BardensPeter BardensPeter Bardens was a keyboardist and a founding member of the British progressive rock group Camel. He played organ, piano, synthesizers and mellotron and wrote songs with Andrew Latimer...
- 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...
, 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...
, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones... - Bobby TenchBobby TenchRobert Tench , also known as Bob Tench, Bobby Tench and Bobby Gass is a British vocalist and guitarist. Originally a bass player he began singing with Gass influenced by artists such as Sam Cooke and Ray Charles...
- lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Mickey Feat - bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Peter Van HookePeter Van HookePeter Van Hooke was drummer in the English band Mike + The Mechanics as well as having drummed for Cliff Richard, Van Morrison's band, Headstone, and Ezio. During the 1980s he successfully co-produced many of Tanita Tikaram's hits.Van Hooke grew up in Stanmore, Middlesex and attended Mill Hill...
- 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 .... - Herbie Armstrong - rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocals - Pat Kyle - 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...
- John AltmanJohn Altman (composer)John Altman is a British film composer, music arranger, orchestrator and conductor.-Biography:Altman was introduced to the music of the 1930s and 1940s at an early age by an uncle who arranged and composed music for big bands and conducted for Judy Garland, the Marx Brothers, and Laurel and Hardy,...
- altoAlto 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...
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 - Toni Marcus - violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
, stroviolaStroh violinStroh violin, Strohviol, or Strohviol, is a trade name for a horn-violin, or violinophone—a violin that amplifies its sound through a metal resonator and metal horns rather than a wooden sound box as on a standard violin. The instrument is named after its designer, John Matthias Augustus Stroh, an... - Katie Kissoon - vocals on "Moondance", backing vocals
- Anna Peacock - backing vocals
Production
- Director - Michael RadfordMichael RadfordMichael Radford is an English film director and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Radford was born on 24 February 1946, in New Delhi, India, to a British father and an Austrian Jewish mother. He was educated at Bedford School before attending Worcester College, Oxford...
- Producer - Rex Pyke
- Sound - Mick Glossop
- Photography - Roger DeakinsRoger DeakinsRoger Antony Deakins, ASC, BSC is an English cinematographer best known for his work on the films of the Coen brothers. Deakins is a member of both the American and British Society of Cinematographers...
, Bill Marshall, Jeff Bains, Christopher Morphet