In 1986, Chet Baker: Live at Ronnie Scott’s London presents Baker in an intimate stage performance filmed with Elvis Costello and Van Morrison as he performs a set of standards and classics, including “Just Friends”, “My Ideal”, and “Shifting Down”. Augmenting the music, Baker speaks one-on-one with friend and colleague Costello about his childhood, career, and struggle with drugs.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-quote-left”]I wished I had you in Carrickfergus
Only for nights in Ballygrand
I would swim over the deepest ocean
The deepest ocean to be by your side[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]
“Carrickfergus” is an Irish folk song, named after the town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It was first recorded, under the name “The Kerry Boatman”, by Dominic Behan on an LP called “The Irish Rover”, released in 1965.
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Van Morrison has performed “Carrickfergus” 86 times live (1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2002 & 2003) – top year was 1989 with 31 performances.
I love this song, and no one does it better than Van Morrison. Here are three brilliant versions.
From the album “Irish Heartbeat” w/The Chieftains:
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-quote-left”]A concert to rank with the greatest by anyone..
-Brian Hinton (Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison)
Rock ‘n’ roll comes in many different shapes and sizes, and on the night of April 26, 1970, it came to the Fillmore West in the form of a barrel-chested Irishman in a silk shirt and flares.
–concertvault.com
A perfect stereo soundboard recording. This is official release quality. Van and the band are in great form,if you like VM – this is one not to miss.
–panicstream.net [/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Fillmore West (San Francisco, CA)
April 26, 1970
Van Morrison – vocals
John Klingberg – bass
Jeff Labes – piano, organ
John Platania – guitar
Jack Schroer – alto sax
Collin Tilton – tenor sax
Dave Shaw – drums
Setlist:
1. Moondance
2. Glad Tidings
3. Crazy Love
4. Come Running
5. The Way Young Lovers Do
6. Everyone
7. Brown Eyed Girl
8. And It Stoned Me
9. These Dreams Of You
10. Caravan
11. Cyprus Avenue
12. Into The Mystic
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-quote-left”]And the caravan is on it’s way
I can hear the merry gypsies play
Mama mama look at Emma Rose
She’s a-playin with the radio
La, la, la, la…[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Originally recorded on July 30, 1969 at Mastertone Studios in New York City with Lewis Merenstein as producer. Released on “Moondance” January 27, 1970.
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-quote-left”]The gypsy life and the radio are both images of harmony, images that bless. Van is “getting back into the romanticism bit with gypsies and all that. I´m really fascinated by gypsies. I love them.” Van Morrison also based the song on real memories while living in a rural house in Woodstock, New York, where the nearest house was far down the road. He described why he included the reference to radio in the song:
-Brian Hinton (Celtic Crossroads)[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-quote-left”]Send me your picture
Send me your pillow
Send it through Krishna
On the Vanlose Stairway[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-quote-left”]..A larger point to be made with “Vanlose Stairway” is that no matter what words Morrison is singing, it is the music and singing itself that offers a glimpse at the soul — the true inspiration of the term soul music. And Morrison is nothing if not a soul singer. The lyrics just happen to add to the soul-stirring music. It does not matter that most people have no idea what Vanlose refers to, especially given that Morrison does not pronounce it correctly. But the descending three chords of the verse — played by a horn section and turnaround uplifting chorus — hit the listener on a gut level, especially on the powerful live recording of the song on A Night in San Francisco (1994), which truly transcends anything mere words could communicate.
-Bill Janovitz (allmusic.com)[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Vanlose Stairway is track 7 on his 1982 album, Beautiful Vision. It has been performed 729 times live (289 times as part of a medley) according to ivan.vanomatic.de (great website btw).
