Van Morrison turns 61

Got temporarily married to many a fine memorable rainbow woman to the
singing of the man

T

(From a disreputable web site)
Van Morrison -- singer, songwriter and world class artist -- celebrates his
sixty-first birthday today. As a guy who has absorbed all the strains of
American popular music and recapitulated them in his own unique blend and
voice, Van stands shoulder to shoulder with the greats in my pantheon of
popular music idols. I don't think we have quite taken his measure.

"Caravan" is one of the beautiful fantasy songs from the burst of creative
energy that resulted in "Astral Weeks," "Moondance," "His Band and Street
Choir," "Tupelo Honey" and "Saint Dominic's Preview." "Caravan" is Van's
take on Curtis Mayfield's "Gypsy Woman," with a tribute to radio and to the
music that has been so much a part of his inspiration. It's a highlight of
"Moondance" and it's one of the two songs that Van picked to sing with the
Band at the Band's final concert on Thanksgiving in 1976 at the Winterland
Ballroom in San Francisco.

Van's performance with the Band is memorably documented on film in Martin
Scorsese's "The Last Waltz." Below, courtesy of YouTube, is the clip with
Van and the Band performing "Caravan" from "The Last Waltz." Van steals the
show. The camera catches Van with the barest hint of a smile as he
triumphantly leaves the stage. "Hey, Van the Man," Robbie Robertson
explains.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BxYV1jGuj5U



.

Quantcast