Classic Pop Icons

Van Morrison celebrates his 65th birthday today. He was born George Ivan Morrison in Bloomfield, Belfast, Northern Ireland, on August 31 1945.

Morrison left school at 15 in 1960 and took on a number of jobs before becoming a window cleaner. Music was always a passion though and he played with a number of bands in this period, including the Monarchs, who he went on to tour the UK and Germany with. The band recorded their first single in November 1963 in Germany under the name George and the Monarchs. The single was “Boozoo Hully Gully”/”Twingy Baby” and it was a minor hit in Germany.

The Monarchs disbanded shortly after this and in 1964 Morrison put together a new band, The Gamblers, which was soon renamed Them and signed to Decca Records. This was Morrison’s big break. Over the next two years, Them released two albums and ten singles, including hits with “Baby Please Don’t Go” and “Here Comes the Night.”

Them – “Baby Please Don’t Go”

Them – “Here Comes the Night”

Morrison’s long solo career began when he was signed to Bang Records in 1967. A recording session in New York in March 1967 led to the album “Blowin’ Your Mind!” and the single “Brown Eyed Girl”, which was a top 10 US hit and has become a classic.

After signing for Warner Bros in 1968, Morrison recorded “Astral Weeks” which has become one of the most highly regarded albums of the 1960s, but wasn’t a great commercial success. In 2008 he performed “Astral Weeks” live for the first time since 1968. This can be heard on the album “Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl.”

Morrison’s next album, “Moondance“, was his real commercial breakthrough as a solo artist and would go on to become a multi-platinum seller after initially peaking at number 29 on the US album chart. On “Moondance” Morrison successfully blended elements of jazz, soul, country, and blues to produce a timeless collection of songs. The title track is one of Morrison’s most loved and well known recordings.

Van Morrison – “Moondance”

A string of hit albums and tours followed which solidified Van Morrison’s reputation as a gifted songwriter and performer. This included a resurgence in popularity in the UK in the early to mid-90s, where he scored five top ten albums between 1990 and 1995. His recent output has also been particularly well received, with his latest studio album, “Keep It Simple” (2008), a top ten hit in the UK and the US.

Happy 65th Birthday to Van Morrison.

You can buy the albums referenced above from the following online retailers:

Title
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks (CD)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now
Van Morrison – Moondance (CD)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now
Van Morrison – Keep It Simple (CD)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks Live At the Hollywood Bowl (CD)	Buy Now	Buy Now	N/A	Buy Now