Van Morrison

**Sir George Ivan Morrison** OBE (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter, instrumentalist and record producer. His professional career began as a teenager in the late 1950s, playing a variety of instruments including guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone for various Irish showbands, covering the popular hits of that time. Van Morrison rose to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the Northern Irish R&B and rock band, Them, with whom he recorded the garage band classic "Gloria". His solo career began in 1967, under the pop-hit orientated guidance of Bert Berns with the release of the hit single "Brown Eyed Girl". After Berns's death, Warner Bros. Records bought out his contract and allowed him three sessions to record Astral Weeks (1968). Though this album gradually garnered high praise, it was initially a poor seller.

## Links to Kershaw

Kershaw in the January 2013 blogpost mentioned that Van Morrison's Astral Weeks is in his top ten all time albums. He also mentioned that Morrison's song, Cyprus Avenue, was the song to which he had his virginity taken:

> *"The song to which I had my virginity taken. Spookily, I was indeed, as Van sings in this transcendental masterpiece, “conquered in a car seat”. There is a whole chapter in the book about this farcical experience. Don’t worry – it doesn’t get too medical. Joanna (for it was she) and I are, to this day, huge pals. And Van’s Astral Weeks album (about which I could write a whole book) remains in my all-time top ten. Always will do."* [1]
>
>

## Shows Played

   1986
* 03 November 1986 (John Peel): Brown Eyed Girl (LP - Blowin' Your Mind!) Bang

1987
* 17 September 1987: Alan Watts Blues (LP - Poetic Champions Compose) Mercury

1988
* 14 April 1988: Astral Weeks
* 23 June 1988: Irish Heartbeat (LP - Irish Heartbeat) Mercury

1991
* 24 March 1991: It's Stormy
* 08 September 1991: Why Must I Always Explain
* 15 September 1991: Ordinary Life
* 22 September 1991: I'm Not Feeling It Anymore (album - Hymns To The Silence) Polydor
* 22 December 1991 (& John Lee Hooker): I Cover The Waterfront (CD - Mr. Lucky) Silvertone

1993
* 01 May 1993 (& John Lee Hooker): Gloria (CDS) Polydor
* 22 May 1993: Wasted Years (CD - Too Long In Exile) Polydor
* 12 June 1993: Too Long In Exile (CD - Too Long In Exile) Polydor
* 26 June 1993: St Dominic's Preview
* 02 October 1993: Brown Eyed Girl (LP - Live At The Roxy) Warner Bros.

1994
* 30 April 1994: So Quiet In Here / That's Where It's At (2xCD - A Night In San Francisco) Polydor
* 14 May 1994: In The Garden / You Send Me / Allegheny (2xCD - A Night In San Francisco) Polydor
* 21 May 1994: I Forgot That Love Existed (2xCD - A Night In San Francisco) Polydor
* 24 September 1994: He Ain't Give You None (2xCD - Payin' Dues) Charly

1995
* 17 December 1995: No Religion (CD Single) Polydor

1997
* 02 February 1997: The Healing Game

1998
* 05 January 1998: Mule Skinner Blues (CD - The Songs Of Jimmie Rodgers (A Tribute)) Egyptian/Columbia

2000
* 23 March 2000: Domino (2xCD - It's Too Late to Stop Now) Polydor

2002
* 24 May 2002: Choppin Wood (CD - Down The Road) Polydor

2003
* 09 May 2003: Take It Where You Find It (CD - Wavelength) Polydor
* 06 June 2003: Santa Fe / Beautiful Obsession (CD - Wavelength) Polydor
* 02 November 2003: Little Village (CD - What's Wrong With This Picture?) Blue Note Promo

2004
* 04 January 2004: Little Village (CD - What's Wrong With This Picture?) Blue Note
* 30 May 2004: Cyprus Avenue (CD - Astral Weeks) Warner Bros.
* 31 October 2004: St Dominic's Preview (live)

2005
* 17 April 2005: Just Like Greta (CD - Magic Time) Polydor
* 24 April 2005: Just Like Greta (CD - Magic Time) Polydor
* 03 July 2005: Celtic New Year (CD - Magic Time) Polydor

2006
* 05 February 2006: Things Have Gone To Pieces (CD - Pay The Devil) Polydor
* 12 February 2006: There Stands A Glass (CD - Pay The Devil) Polydor
* 19 March 2006: Pay The Devil (CD - Pay The Devil) Polydor
* 16 April 2006: Backstreet Affair (CD - Pay The Devil) Polydor
* 10 December 2006: Warm Love (album - The Best Of Van Morrison) Polydor

2021
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 4: Saint Dominic's Preview (2xCD - It's Too Late To Stop Now) Polydor

2023
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 20: Brown-Eyed Girl (album - Live At The Roxy) Warner Bros.
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 20: Wavelength (album - Live At The Roxy) Warner Bros.
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 21: Bulbs (album - Veedon Fleece) Warner Bros.
* Andy Kershaw Podcast Episode 22: Bright Side Of The Road (album - Into The Music) Mercury

## External Links

* Wikipedia
* Discogs
* Official Website