I was slightly late to the party where Van Morrison is concerned. I missed out the early seventies and really only caught up in the early eighties through my best pal, Mr. Perkin Warbeck, who had always been a devotee of the man. Van love really came properly when I met my wife and she guided me through the early years and hidden gems. Around 1990 we did a gig in Tipperary where we were second on the bill to Van. That night I thought we played pretty well and did all the things which make you feel as if you should be feeling quite smug about the hour or so you were on the stage. So smug in fact that we took seats out in the stadium to watch Van to whom we thought we may have given some pause for thought. Then Van came on. Reader we weren’t even close.
That night Van debuted songs from his new album, Enlightenment, and by the time he’d got through the opener I knew he was dealing aces with his Real Gone beating ours hands down.
Earlier in the day the Irish promoter had come into our dressing room and said, ‘Would you like to say hello to Van?’ Sure I thought..then started getting nervous on the way to his dressing room/tent. ‘You do one of my songs,’ he said. ‘Van’ I almost blurted out, ‘we pretty well do them all.’ He was referring to a live version of Angeliou we’d released and he seemed to approve. After that I made a quick exithaving had a beautifully happy Van moment. Yes, I still tell my kids about it.
We’ve been on a bill together since but I decided to leave Van and let the mystery be as Iris Dement wisely counselled in song. Van is a phenomenon who has made some of the most significant to rocknsoulnjazznbluesncountry that is only possible to categorise as Van Morrison. There have been many who have come close to channeling his influence and you can hear it in Springsteen, Graham Parker, Elvis Costello, Rickie Lee Jones and so many more. I don’t think Tom Waits would be fully Tom had he never heard Van’s music. I have no concrete evidence of this but I think I’m on solid ground.
Van tuned 80 over the weekend and in honour of that milestone we thought we would celebrate his in fluence on country music and country music’s influence on him. We’ll play Van songs and country classics through the lens of Van in the second hour of this week’s show. Elsewher we have an unreleased classic from Charley Pride, new releases from Ken Pomeroy, Lainey Wilson and a fabulou track from another Irish lover of country music – CMAT. If that’s not enough we’ll have a beautiful new recording by another great octogenarian, Mavis Staples. It’s all within two hours of Another Country live this Tuesday evening at five past eight on BBC Sounds or BBC Radio Scotland. Join me if you can.
Hi Ricky…I always wondered whether the lyric ‘Van playing out…’ on your evocative ‘In Our Room’ was the legendary Van Morrison. Now we know. I was 18 in 1987 when you debuted with Raintown, so yes, love your old stuff, but what a journey you have led us on. Didn’t think it could get better than City of Love (came to see you at Hammersmith in Nov 2021) but Great Western Road has been beautiful.. what an amazing show you gave us in Cardiff this year… and also in Cardiff and Glasgow back in 2023 with ‘All the Old 45s’ show. You are my heroes, I respect you so, so much, and I’ve loved getting into The Boss, and also Homesick James, and James and Bobby purify.
Really loved the beautiful tribute to gave to the legendary Rev. James Prime, bless him, on your recent tour. Here in South Wales a favourite tipple is a decent dark mild called ‘Rev. James’.
Also loving Mavis Staples.
Visited Dundee on a road trip a few years ago, and found myself looking at old Tenamant Blocks and I found a closed off Graveyard where nothing moved!
Thank you much for all your music Ricky, and Lorraine and all of you. Thanks also for ‘Walking Back Home’ and in your writing and music, your honesty about faith, and hope and love and work..
Can I close by inviting you to our Raintown a.k.a. Swansea, when you mark 40 years in 2027? Love you so much, and my boys do too. Just learnt yesterday I’m going to be a Grandad next May. Feels far too young at 57!! Any advice Ricky? Can’t wait til 3 generations of us get along to a DB gig. Love you all so much. Take care of you all. God bless you lovely man. (Rev.) Andy Walker. (Methodist Church Minister in Wales, but eyeing up vacancies in Scotland for next posting… well with a name like Andrew Walker, rather than Dai Jones, I know where I truly belong. Love to you all. Thank you again Ricky.