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WHEN VAN PLAYED CYPRUS AVENUE (320kbs-m4a/65mb/28mins)
BBC Radio 4 broadcast: 3rd October 2015
"And I'm caught one more time
Up on Cyprus Avenue..."
Van Morrison made a number of references in his songs to the east Belfast neighbourhood in which he grew up, none more directly than in Cyprus Avenue from his 1968 album Astral Weeks. Romantic images of leaves shaking on a tree, rainbow ribbons in a young girl's hair and a mansion on the hill evoke memories of Cyprus Avenue in the years before Van left Northern Ireland to pursue his career in the States.
Cyprus Avenue - with its intricate arrangement of flute, harpsichord and strings - was recorded in New York, far from the well-heeled, tree-lined avenue along which the young Van would pass on his way home to the working class area of Hyndford Street. This was in the years before the Troubles. East Belfast was steadfastly loyalist and protestant.
When the arts broadcaster Marie-Louise Muir moved into the area, she was already aware of the iconic quality of street's name - not just from Van Morrison's song, but from the fact that the Reverend Ian Paisley lived on Cyprus Avenue. Marie-Louise was a Catholic 'blow-in'. So, when Van announced that he'd be celebrating his 70th birthday by playing a gig literally feet from her front door, she was curious to see how the community would respond.
Produced by Alan Hall.
A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio Four.
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 30th September 2016
Van Morrison looks back at his life and work in a series of interviews with Leo Green. Last in a series first broadcast on BBC Radio 2.
Tonight Van discusses the way he records, the reasons why his music is so popular with film and TV producers (featuring in over 150 films to date) and introduces duets with PJ Proby, the late Bobby Womack and Mavis Staples.
Van Morrison - Jackie Wilson Said [Polydor]
Georgie Fame & Van Morrison - Who Can I Turn To [Verve]
Van Morrison - Spanish Steps [Virgin]
Van Morrison - Coney Island [Mercury]
Van Morrison - Real Real Gone [Polydor]
Van Morrison - Sweet Thing [Warner Bros]
Van Morrison - Wonderful Remark [Polydor]
Van Morrison - Days Like This [Polydor]
Van Morrison - Someone Like You [Mercury]
Van Morrison & Bobby Womack - Some Peace Of Mind [Polydor]
Van Morrison & Mavis Staples - If I Ever Needed Somone [RCA]
Van Morrison - The Healing Game [White]
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 29th September 2016
In the week that Van Morrison performs a special concert on BBC Radio 2, another chance to hear a series of interviews he gave to Leo Green.
Van looks back at his life and work, and in this programme focuses on the influence he has had on other artists . Including covers of his songs by the likes of Michael Bublé, Tom Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker.
Michael Bublé - Moondance [143/Reprise]
Jimi Hendrix - Gloria [Virgin]
Ben E. King - Into The Mystic
William Bell - Have I Told You Lately
Tom Jones - I'm Not Feeling It Anymore [Dover]
John Lee Hooker & Van Morrison - The Healing Game [Pointblank]
Ray Charles & Van Morrison - Crazy Love [EMI/Liberty]
Tom Jones & Van Morrison - Sometimes We Cry
Van Morrison - Keep It Simple [Exile]
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 28th September 2016
In the week that he performs a special concert for BBC Radio 2, the legendary Van Morrison looks back at his life and work in a series of interviews with Leo Green.
This second episode of four takes in Van's early life as a solo musician, and in particular his debut solo album, the classic Astral Weeks.
Recorded over three days with legendary jazz musicians Astral Weeks (1968) is a still singular album combining street poetry, jazz improvisation, Celtic invocation and Afro Celtic Blues wailing. Morrison would weave these and myriad other influences into the albums that followed in quick succession.
Reflecting on new life in America on the joyous Sinatra soul of Moondance (1970) and the country inflected Tupelo Honey (1971) he summoned old spiritual and ancestral life in the epic St Dominic's Preview (1972) closer track Listen to the Lion.
Steering his own course throughout the 80s on albums such as No Guru, No Method, No Teacher he claimed Celtic roots with The Chieftains on Irish Heartbeat. Teaming with Georgie Fame brought new impetus to his live show while Avalon Sunset saw him back in the album and single charts by the decades end.
Van Morrison continued to advance on his status as a game- changing artist through the 90s and into the 21st century.
Awards and accolades - a Brit, an OBE, an Ivor Novello, 6 Grammys, honorary doctorates from Queen's University Belfast and the University of Ulster, entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the French Ordres des Artes et des Lettres - attest to the international reach of Van's musical art.
Van Morrison - Bright Side Of The Road [Polydor]
Van Morrison - Moondance [WB]
Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl [Metro]
Van Morrison - Have I Told You Lately [Polydor]
Van Morrison - Astral Weeks [Warner]
Van Morrison - Glad Tidings [Warner]
Van Morrison - Why Must I Always Explain [Polydor]
Van Morrison - If I Ever Needed Someone [Warner Bros.]
Van Morrison - St Dominic's Preview [Hummingbird]
Van Morrison - Bulbs [Polydor]
Van Morrison - Cleaning Windows [Polydor]
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 27th September 2016
In an extremely rare series of interviews with Leo Green, the legendary Van Morrison looks back at his life and work.
This first episode of four takes in Van's early life as a musician, his first influences and the start of his career in Belfast and Hamburg with the band Them.
After working with Them's New York producer Bert Berns on beautiful Top 40 pop hit 'Brown Eyed Girl' (1967), Morrison moved to another realm.
Recorded over 3 days with legendary jazz musicians Astral Weeks (1968) is a still singular album combining street poetry, jazz improvisation, Celtic invocation and Afro Celtic Blues wailing.
Morrison would weave these and myriad other influences into the albums that followed in quick succession.
Reflecting on new life in America on the joyous Sinatra soul of Moondance (1970) and the country inflected Tupelo Honey (1971) he summoned old spiritual and ancestral life in the epic St Dominic's Preview (1972) closer track Listen To The Lion.
Steering his own course throughout the 80s on albums such as No Guru, No Method, No Teacher he claimed Celtic roots with The Chieftains on Irish Heartbeat. Teaming with Georgie Fame brought new impetus to his live show while Avalon Sunset saw him back in the album and single charts by the decades end.
Van Morrison continued to advance on his status as a game- changing artist through the 90s and into the 21st century.
Awards and accolades - a Brit, an OBE, an Ivor Novello, 6 Grammys, honourary doctorates from Queen's University Belfast and the University of Ulster, entry into The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and the French Ordres Des Artes Et Des Lettres - attest to the international reach of Van's musical art.
Van Morrison - Domino [Polydor]
Lonnie Donegan - Muleskinner Blues (Feat. Van Morrison) [RCA]
Rory And Alex Mcewan - In The Pines
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - Blue Feeling [N/A]
Lonnie Donegan - Rock Island Line [Old Gold]
Jimmy Giuffre - Train And The River [Great Movie Themes]
Ray Charles - What I'd Say [Rhino/WSM]
Bobby “Blue” Bland - Yield Not To Temptation [Ace]
Them - I Got A Woman
Them - Gloria [Polydor]
CLASSIC IRISH ALBUMS: VAN MORRISON - ASTRAL WEEKS (320kbs-m4a/62mb/27mins)
BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 17th March 2016
In a programme first broadcast on BBC Radio Ulster in 2008, Ralph McLean looks back at the magic involved in making a true Irish rock classic, Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks".
Van Morrison - Astral Weeks [Warner]
Van Morrison - Cyprus Avenue [Warner Brothers]
Van Morrison - Beside You [Warner]
Van Morrison - Madame George [Warner]
Van Morrison - Ballerina [Warner]
Van Morrison - Slim Slow Slider [Warner]
Van Morrison - Cyprus Avenue [Warner Brothers]
Them & Van Morrison - Baby, Please Don't Go [Castle]
Van Morrison & John Lee Hooker - Gloria [Polydor]
Van Morrison - Brown Eyed Girl [Warner]
Van Morrison - Beside You [Warner]
Van Morrison - The Way Young Lovers Do [Warner Bros]
Van Morrison - Sweet Thing [Warner Bros]
Van Morrison - Astral Weeks [Warner]
Van Morrison - Madame George [Warner]
Van Morrison - Cyprus Avenue [Warner Brothers]
