Van Morrison – I Just Want to Hear Some Rhythm and Blues Music
Contents
Looking for something to help you relax and unwind? Check out our latest Van Morrison album, I Just Want to Hear Some Rhythm and Blues Music. With its soothing melodies and classic R&B sound, this record is sure to become a favorite in your collection.
The Early Years
Van Morrison was born on August 31, 1945, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His father, George, was a shipyard electrician and his mother, Violet, a housewife and singer. Morrison grew up in a working-class, Protestant area of Belfast and was exposed to a wide range of music from an early age. He began playing the saxophone when he was nine and the guitar when he was eleven. He also showed an interest in writing poetry.
Morrison’s musical influences
Van Morrison’s music is often described as a mix of blues, rock, and Celtic influences. However, Morrison has said that his early years were spent listening to rhythm and blues music. He cites Ray Charles, James Brown, and Wilson Pickett as some of his favorite artists from that genre.
His early bands
Van Morrison began his musical career as a member of several bands in the early 1960s, including Them. In 1964, Them had a hit with “Gloria”, which was written by Morrison. He left the band in 1966 and released his first solo album, Blowin’ Your Mind!, the following year.
During his time with Them, Morrison began to develop his own unique style of music, which was influenced by rhythm and blues, soul, and Celtic music. After leaving Them, he continued to explore these musical genres on his solo albums. His 1968 album Astral Weeks is considered to be one of the greatest albums of all time and is particularly influential in the development of Celtic rock.
In the 1970s, Morrison continued to experiment with different musical styles on his albums. He also began to incorporate elements of jazz into his music. He achieved commercial success with the release of several albums during this decade, including Moondance (1970), His Band and Street Choir (1970), Tupelo Honey (1971), and Veedon Fleece (1974).
In the 1980s and 1990s, Morrison focused on more personal themes in his songwriting. He also returned to performing live after a period of time spent focusing on studio work. He remains an active recording artist and performer today and has released numerous successful albums in recent years, such as Down the Road (2002) and Duets: Re-Working the Catalogue (2015).
The Breakthrough
It was the mid-’60s when a young Belfast-born musician named Van Morrison started to make his mark on the U.K. music scene. He was just 21 years old when he released his debut album, Them Featuring Van Morrison, in 1966. The album was a huge success, reaching number one on the UK charts.
The release of “Brown Eyed Girl”
“Brown Eyed Girl” was released as a single in June 1967, reaching number 10 in the UK and number 8 in the US. The song was included on Morrison’s debut album, Blowin’ Your Mind!, which was released later that year.
The song is a simple love song about a young man’s infatuation with a brown-eyed girl, and has been described as “a tribute to youthful innocence and optimism”. It has been voted one of the best pop songs of all time by various publications, including Rolling Stone, who placed it at number 121 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Morrison’s international success
Van Morrison achieved international success in the 1960s with a series of hit singles, including “Brown Eyed Girl”, “Moondance” and “Days Like This”. He has continued to tour and release new music throughout his career, and is widely revered as one of the most influential and innovative musicians of his generation.
The Later Years
Van Morrison’s return to form in the later years of his career has been nothing short of amazing. At a time when most artists are relaxing and slowing down, Morrison has been busy churning out some of the best music of his career. If you’re a fan of rhythm and blues, then you owe it to yourself to check out Van Morrison’s later work.
Morrison’s return to his roots
After a period of experimentation, Morrison returned to his roots with the album I Just Want to Hear Some Rhythm and Blues Music. The album was recorded in Memphis with members of Booker T. & the MGs and featured a cover of Mose Allison’s “I Ain’t Got Nothing but the Blues”.
His later albums and tours
In 1985, Morrison returned to Top 40 radio airplay with the release of No Guru, No Method, No Teacher. The lead single, “Take It Easy Baby”, peaked at number 35 in the UK. In the US, the single “Give Me My Freedom”/”Freedom Dance” reached number 17 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. Morrison toured Europe and North America in support of the album throughout 1985 and 1986.
In March 1987, Morrison released his eleventh studio album, Poetic Champions Compose. The album was relatively successful in the UK, reaching number 9 on the UK Albums Chart and spawning the hit single “Domino”. Despite its success in Britain, the album was not as successful in other markets. In America, it peaked at number 125 on the Billboard 200 and only spawned one minor hit single with “Got to Go Back”. In support of Poetic Champions Compose, Morrison toured Europe and North America throughout 1987 and 1988.
By 1989, interest in Morrison’s work was at a commercial low point. He released his twelfth studio album A Sense of Wonder that year to little fanfare; it peaked at number 51 on the UK Albums Chart and did not chart in America. However, the album’s title track became a hit in Ireland when it was used as the theme song to RTÉ’s coverage of that year’s FIFA World Cup.
In 1990, Morrison released Enlightenment. The album was not a commercial success but received positive reviews from critics. It would be his last release on Mercury Records; he would not release another album until 1992’s Hymns to the Silence.
