V is for Van Morrison

Known as "Van the Man" by his fans, Morrison started his professional career when, as a young teenager in the late 1950s, he played a variety of instruments, including the guitar, harmonica, keyboards, and saxophone, in a range of Irish showbands who covered the popular hits of the day, before rising to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the gritty Northern Irish R&B band Them with whom he recorded the garage band classic, "Gloria". His solo career began under the pop-hit oriented guidance of Bert Berns with the release of the hit single "Brown Eyed Girl" in 1967. After Berns' death, Warner Bros. Records bought out his contract and allowed him several sessions to record Astral Weeks in 1968. Even though this album would gradually garner high praise, it was initially poorly received; however, the next one, Moondance, established Morrison as a major artist, and throughout the 1970s he built on his reputation with a series of critically acclaimed albums and live performances. Morrison continues to record and tour, producing albums and live performances that sell well and are generally warmly received; sometimes collaborating with other artists, such as Georgie Fame and The Chieftains. In 2008 he performed Astral Weeks live for the first time since 1968. (from Wikipedia)

You can read more about Van Morrison here when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. I can remember dancing to Van Morrison's hits back in the mid to late 60s when I was attending university. My favourites were "Gloria" and "Brown-Eyed Girl." But I'd forgotten all about him until my sweetie brought over one particular CD that has become one of our favourites. It was produced in 1998 and is entitled "Van Morrison * Poetic Champions Compose." I think we'll probably have one of the songs on this album for our first dance when we eventually get married - it's called "Someone Like You." For a taste of Van Morrison singing this song, click here and go to the top right of the page:

I've been searching a long time

For someone exactly like you

I've been travelling all around the world

Waiting for you to come through.

Someone like you makes it

All worth while

Someone like you keeps

Me satisfied.

Someone exactlyLike you.

I've been travellin' a hard road

Lookin' for someone exactly like you

I've been carryin' my heavy load

Waiting for the light to come

Shining through.

Someone like you makes it

All worth while

Someone like you keeps

Me satisfied.

Someone exactlyLike you.

I've been doin' some soul searching

To find out where you're at

I've been up and down the highway

In all kinds of foreign lands

Someone like you... [etc.]

I've been all around the world

Marching to the beat of a different

Drum.

But just lately I have

Realised

The best is yet to come.

Someone like you... [etc.]