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Van Morrison

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Van Morrison is a Northern Irish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, born in 1945 in Belfast, the only child of a shipyard electrician and a mother who had been a singer and tap dancer. His father had one of the largest record collections in Northern Ireland, with blues, gospel, jazz and folk. Van Morrison played guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone in showbands before becoming, in the mid-1960s, the singer of the Belfast R&B band Them. With them he wrote and recorded Gloria, a standard for garage bands. His solo career began in 1967 with Brown Eyed Girl, under the guidance of producer Bert Berns.

Music and breakthrough

After Berns's death, Warner Bros. bought his contract and gave him three sessions for Astral Weeks (1968). The album sold poorly at first, but is now regarded as a classic. Moondance (1970) made him a major name, and in the 1970s highly acclaimed albums and live performances followed. More than forty albums have reached the British top 40.

Influence

Much of his music follows the forms of soul and early rhythm and blues. Another part consists of long, spiritually inspired musical journeys influenced by the Celtic tradition, jazz and associative storytelling, such as Astral Weeks. Together these strands are sometimes called Celtic soul. Morrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, received two Grammys and was knighted in 2016.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Astral Weeks and notice how the voice floats freely above the acoustic accompaniment. Can you hear how the story is more a mood than an anecdote?

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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See also

Categories: Artists