Saturday, June 28, 2008

van morrison: the angry young them!



she's 'bout 5'4"... from her head to the ground.

One of the greatest defining rock n' roll moments outside of the U.S. was from this young Belfast group, looking over the water not east to The Rolling Stones or The Beatles, but west across the Atlantic Ocean separating one small island from an entire continent.

When George Ivan Morrison first visited the States in 1966 - supporting The Doors for a three-week-long residency at the Whisky-a-Go-Go - his namesake, Jim reflected over a drink or two that the two in fact might be blood related.

When Syd Barrett was dethroned in London, ex window cleaner Van remarked to Peter Jenner and a worried Roger Waters that the coup would pose no danger whatsoever to the Floyd's commercial viability, since all the teeny boppers who purchased their records no doubt thought Pink Floyd was the group's lead singer anyway.

This phenomenal 45 can still be found on many pub jukeboxes throughout Glasgow, partly owing to Morrison's Ulster Scots heritage. Put it on for a spin, and you automatically glance back over your shoulder half-expecting to witness an invasion of suited and booted young men wielding open razors and claw hammers.

Primal hormone therapy.

THEM: GLORIA* from "Gloria b/w Baby, Please Don't Go" 45 (Decca) 1964 (UK)

ANGRY YOUNG THEM


* link removed by request

6 comments:

WEB SHERIFF said...

WEB SHERIFF
Protecting Your Rights on the Internet
Tel 44-(0)208-323 8013
Fax 44-(0)208-323 8080
websheriff@websheriff.com
www.websheriff.com

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Hi IB,

On behalf of Exile Productions and Exile Publishing, we would kindly ask you not to post pirate copies of Van Morrison albums / tracks on your site.

We do appreciate that you are fans of / are promoting Van, but Exile would greatly appreciate your co-operation in removing your links to the pirate files in question.

Thank you for respecting the artist's and labels' wishes and, if you / your readers want good quality, non-pirated, preview tracks from Van's new album - "Keep It Simple" - full versions of "That's Entrainment" and "Behind The Ritual" (along with album track samplers) are available for fans and bloggers to link to on Lost Highway's web-site at http://www.losthighwayrecords.com .

Up-to-the-minute info on Keep It Simple and Van’s 2008 shows is, of course, also available on www.vanmorrison.com and www.myspace.com/vanmorrison and, for a limited period, you can still hear Van's exclusive BBC concert at http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio2_aod.shtml?radio2/r2_vanmorrison and you can also see his BBC sessions at http://www.bbc.co.uk/musictv/vanmorrison/video/ .

As you will appreciate, this e-mail is written on a without prejudice basis and, as such, all of our clients' accumulated, worldwide rights and remedies remain strictly reserved : please excuse this required formality.

With Thanks & Regards,

WEB SHERIFF

ib said...

Hi, "Web Sheriff", thank you for your comment.

Despite the fact that I have included a link to Amazon for visitors to purchase the album on which this featured track appears, I will of course comply with your request to remove the link post haste.

Apologies to Van, through his vested association with 'Exile'.

Your driver said...

That was courteous

Anonymous said...

How very polite.
Utterly, and form-lettery, polite.
Quite.

ib said...

Could be worse, matt. If you do a google you will see that "Web Sheriff" are considered the good guys! White hats, etc.

WEB SHERIFF said...

WEB SHERIFF
Protecting Your Rights on the Internet
Tel 44-(0)208-323 8013
Fax 44-(0)208-323 8080
websheriff@websheriff.com
www.websheriff.com

"Howdy" IB, Jon & Matt,

Many thanks for you - equally courteous - posts.

All The Best for the W'end,

WEB SHERIFF