Legend’s Song SOLD 2 Million COPIES…BUT He Was TOO POOR To Enjoy It! | Professor of Rock
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- Опубліковано 6 січ 2025
- "Coming up the story of the groovy, “feel good” pop classic, Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison. Despite the song’s tremendous, enduring success, Van Morrison, who composed it & sang it, didn’t feel good about ANYTHING to do with the song. First of all, he made a terrible deal with a record label in which he received no royalties, and had to beg this unscrupulous label for a little money just to survive. And then there was the simple fact that Van, just flat-out hated the song, even though history has deemed it his signature tune,…one of the greatest classic songs ever and the rest of the human race LOVES it!! As they say in the music business…a hit is a hit is a hit, even if the artist who created it doesn’t want it to be. We cast some memories, and reveal the honest truth NEXT on Professor of Rock.
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#classicrock #60smusic #vinylstory #vanmorrison
Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you remember trying to pull your Stretch Armstrong toy apart back in the day you’ll dig this channel of pure musical nostalgia make sure to subscribe below right now. And check the notification bell so you get our new interviews and stories. Check out our Patreon and become a part of our mission to remember the classics. Also, check out our merch!
It’s time to induct another all-time great into the New Standards. It’s the show that honors songs that transcend genre, fad, or generation songs that have become the soundtrack of our lives regardless of age or century.
One of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon a citizen of the United Kingdom is Knighthood. There is an elite company in the musical artist category for those who have received that exaltation. I’m referring to Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, Elton John, Bob Geldof, Ray Davies, and Bono- along with producer extraordinaire, George Martin. In 2016, Van Morrison joined that prestigious list when Queen Elizabeth II anointed him as Sir George Ivan Morrison for his contributions to popular music and tourism in Northern Ireland.
Nearly 50 years before receiving that historic honor, Van Morrison was far from Buckingham Palace. He was a destitute artist struggling to regain control of his career. It was back in 1967….Van had just exited from Them, a group he co-founded, and embarked on a solo career. He was talked into making a horrible business decision and entered into a contract with a new label where he was cheated out of being paid any royalties.
At the same time, his first solo single was a smash that sold over 2 million copies, but he was much too angry & much too poor to enjoy it. The single was the feel-good classic “Brown-Eyed Girl:”
Van Morrison hails from Belfast, Ireland. His mother was a former professional tap dancer, and his father was an electrician by trade, who had the LARGEST collection of records in Northern Ireland.
Because of his Dad’s vast collection, Van grew up on many of the all-time luminaries of recorded music: Hank Williams, Muddy Waters, Lead Belly, Ray Charles, and Solomon Burke. The last two are perhaps the most impressionable on the Irish lad. When Van turned 11, he began to play a variety of instruments- the guitar, the harmonica, and the tenor sax.
Poll: What is your pick for the best solo career after a singer left a famous band?
1.Paul McCartney;
2.Paul Simon; 3. Michael Jackson;
Honorable mention: Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Tina Turner, Sting, Steve Winwood.
Hagar
Sting
Paul Simon
I'll nominate Lionel Richie (formerly of the Commodores).
Brown Eyed Girl is a song my husband sang to our daughters when they were little. He’s got bright green eyes and they always complained about their own eyes. “Daddy why don’t I have eyes like you?” “Because they are like your mother’s are and you are beautiful.”
It always brings back sweet memories of our girls when they were little.
Thanks for the Time Machine, you are the best!
Van Morrison, the man who once said, What’s the difference between G~d and Bono?
G~d doesn’t think he’s Bono
😆
Favorite Van Morrison song has to be "In to the Mystic", my wife and I discovered it several years after it's initial release. Not that we don't like several other Morrison but Mystic came along at an interesting time in our relationship!
One of my personal favorite songs of all time.
YES. One of his very best, IMO.
Not a bad choice at all
Without a doubt that is My all time favorite V.M. song. I just can't understand WHY everyone who attempts to cover it actually turn the Bass line "inside out". Nobody EVER plays the bass line of that song correctly. Use some really good headphones that deliver accurate sound and listen closely to the bass. And then listen to ANY "cover" of the song and you will understand what I am saying.
My favourite version of that song is Colin James's (sorry Van)
One of the anecdotes that Randy Bachman (BTO, Guess Who), wrote about in his book "Vinyl Tap Stories", is about running into Van Morrison backstage in 1968. Morrison was crying and when Bachman asked why, Morrison told him that he was about to go on stage to mime "Brown Eyed Girl" for a TV Show (Cleveland) and didn't have a guitar because he couldn't afford one. Bachman lent/gave Morrison a guitar. 🎸😎
One reason for that sad circumstance was that a record company gangster had smashed Van's own guitar over his head.
@@carlmassengale1027 WTF? OMG I've heard that he was an **hole. Maybe I would become one too if I were him.
Fascinating. I was thinking that Randy Bachman would be younger than Van Morrison. Nope. 1943 vs. 1945.
His current net worth is $90 million so fairytale ending.
@@OAlem In this case, according to the story I read, the heavy showed up to impress upon Van how things were going to be. Van being drunk became mouthy, belligerent, confrontational, at which point he had to learn by demonstration whom he was talking to.
SO glad Van fought his way out of that terrible contract and finally started getting the financial rewards he deserved for his amazing talent.
Kevin Rowland and Dexys apparently did a lot to improve his financial situation with their fantastic cover of Jackie Wilson Said back in 82. One of my favourite 7” singles of all time, backed with Let’s Make This Precious on the B side and with that legendary Top of The Pops performance where they had a static back projection of British darts player Jocky Wilson behind them as a visual gag
@@mrhaltonokthis is truth
One of my favorite songs. How can anyone not love it? Twenty-five years later, I'm still singing it to my brown eyed girl. It never fails to lift my spirits.
No kidding. It's such a great singalong!
Easily I've heard it so many times that I can't stand the song
@@doctornova3015 - I know what you mean. I've had that happen with other songs I used to love. Fortunately, I haven't heard this song that much, and it holds a funny and special moment for me and my wife.
@@doctornova3015I don't hate it, but I wouldn't choose to play it. Maybe because I'm female and don't have brown eyes, so I feel no attachment to the song whatsoever. I hear it and think, eh, who cares? Not a bad song, it just doesn't speak to me the way other songs do.
So cute! What a perfect song to dedicate to a girl with brown eyes.
Brown-Eyed Girl is one of those songs that everyone knows and everyone likes. And whenever you hear it, you WILL be singing it for the rest of that day. It can't be helped!
Agree to disagree. Just like Stairway to Heaven , I loved it at first. Just like Stairway , overplaying has led to familiarity , has led to contempt.
@dad4ever-c90 Truth! Thanks for the earworm Professor. 😂
@@Redd_Fawkes I was the same way about The Moody Blues Night's In White Satin. Now the years have gone by I finally started liking it again. It was just over played and I knew the band had other "better" songs.
@@Redd_Fawkes I feel the same way, and never thought "Brown Eyed Girl" was his signature song.
For me, it's "Moondance". The melody, the lyrics, the whole sensuous feel of the song has no rival.
Sha la la la la la…😊
Wow Adam, what timing you have! My first memory of this song was as a little kid, maybe 6 or 7 years old, playing my mom’s 8 track of it on the old radio in our living room. My mom and I would dance to it and she’d sometimes sing along. This is one of my favorite memories to look back on. Mom passed away a couple days ago. This song is on her playlist of her favorites I’m putting together for her service next week. She was indeed a brown-eyed girl and she will be missed. Thank you for covering the history of one of her favorite songs.
❤❤❤
😥💔💔😢
A very upbeat classic! It is truly the case that sometimes a creator just cannot get with a song of theirs, but it helped define musical history.
It certainly did! Hello RC32! Always love seeing your comments! What artists would you like to see covered on here?
@@ProfessorofRock Thank you for the kind words! I would love Thin Lizzy at some point! Cheers
He is far from the only one. A lot of artists have said they do not like their most famous songs.
@@RC32Smiths01If the Professor does do a video about Thin Lizzy he needs to be sure of the pronunciation of the name. I have heard that the h is silent so it is pronounced like Tin Lizzy.
@@kevincozens6837- It’s Thin Lizzy with the “th” sound to everyone but the Irish, who pronounce it Tin Lizzy. That was the inside joke of the name. I’m much more concerned about the pronunciation of Phil’s last name, which is LY-nott. Most people incorrectly say “LIN-it”.
I remember that in the summer of 67, there were at least three Calyso inspired songs by British singers: Carrie Ann by the Hollies, There is a Mountain, by Donovan, and Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison. It made my summer exciting, plus being set up across the street from the ocean. At the beach every day. These were exuberant beach songs to me
Good observation.
Van Morrison recorded many outstanding songs and great albums. "Brown-Eyed Girl" was his feel-good pop hit and my personal favorite song of his. Many people covered this song and performed it in concert including Jimmy Buffett. Speaking of Jimmy Buffett, I want to acknowledge the sad news of his recent passing. Jimmy invented an entire musical genre known as tropical rock. While everyone knows his iconic signature song "Margaritaville", his musical catalog is much more than that. Other great songs of his includes "Cheeseburger In Paradise", "Volcano", and "Come Monday". His music is island escapism. It transports you mentally on vacation to a tropical island. He was consistently one of the top grossing concert performers each year. He has one of the most passionate, loyal, and dedicated fan bases known as Parrot Heads. Anyway, since "Brown Eyed Girl" was probably Jimmy's favorite cover song to perform in his concerts, I though it was appropriate to mention his passing and I hope the professor does a tribute episode to him. Jimmy Buffett is one of my favorites and will be very much missed.
A friend bought A White Sport Coat and A Pink Crustacean in 1973. One listen and I was an instant fan. My favorite Buffet song is probably A Pirate Looks at Forty, off of what I consider his greatest album, A1A.
I found one of J.B.'s albums that I have never heard before. It was titled Songs You Don't Know By Heart. I really hope the Professor of Rock does a show about him and that album.
Songs You Don't Know By Heart?@@debbie4503
@bjs301 Yes. I had heard " Come Monday" on AM/ FM radio. Then A1A came out. We played it , and then again. One more time and I said this guy is very clever. Been a fan since. I saw him maybe 35 times from 1978/ 2003. Best Wishes
@@jimfritz2087 And best wishes to you. His concerts were a lot of fun.
Saw him in Vegas years ago. Amazing show, I've never seen any musician manipulate a crowd like him. Brought you up and then down like a master. He was very passive aggressive about Brown Eyed Girl. He said "I'm only playing this because everyone complains if I don't".
My favorites are “Moondance” and “Have I Told You Lately”. Love Van Morrison.
I’m 60 years old and only recently, in the grand scheme of things, realized that every feel good sing-a-long tune that I knew the lyrics to was performed by Van Morrison. I proudly purchased 3 of his albums to play on my phone. Look how far we’ve come from vinyl to cassettes, from CD’s to digital music and back again to vinyl. What a wonderful ride! 🎶 ❤
I still collect CDs & will never go back to vinyl.
It is interesting to see the revival of vinyl. I still have a milk crate full of old Lps and an old Technique turntable that I've had since 1979 when I was 16. I haven't even tried to play them in decades. I'm not even sure the turntable will work, but even if it doesn't, I'm still considering buying one just to play some of this old stuff. I just dug out an old cassette player to play some old mix tapes that I made in the early 80's. Fun to listen to that stuff after all these years.
Van Morrison was the favorite performer of a friend of mine from high school, Julie. She was definitely one of the best looking girls in the school, hands down. Also one of the nicest people in the school. Everybody loved her, even the girls! At our 20th or 25th reunion, I can't remember which, she and I were sitting at a table when Brown Eyed Girl came on. Julie jumped up, grabbed my hand and begged me to dance with her. I did. It is one of my fondest memories. She passed away before our 40th reunion from a bacterial infection of some kind. We all spent a lot of time sharing our favorite stories about her. We all missed her dearly.
Van Morrison’s song “Someone Like You” is the best love song ever. Brown eyed Girl is just a happy song with a great hook.
A good friend of mine fronted a classic rock cover band that played many casinos and bars in Washington State. He usually played a good mix of music throughout the night in shows that would run a few hours. But one night, six of his first seven songs were Van Morrison.
And then he asked if the audience had any requests. I couldn't resist.
"Do you know any Van Morrison?"
Only a small percentage of songs end up still being played regularly 50+ years later. "Brown Eyed Girl" has stood the test of time and is still as popular today as it ever was. Whenever it's played we all can't help but sing along. I never knew he got screwed like he did over this song. I've heard too many stories like that. It's shameful and disgusting that some record companies take advantage of artists like they do.
It surly has. Thanks for sharing your comment!
It’s right up there with Hey Jude and Stairway to Heaven
@ProfessorofRock ... Worth mentioning the 4 or so compilation albums issued using recordings from the Bang sessions switching out a song or two to profit off of Van's popularity and his fans' insatiable thirst for his early recordings up to and including the "Bang Masters" release. Bang Masters includes the ~1:30 songs that Van threw together to fulfill the court ordered completion of his Bang contract, including ones that were quite insulting to the management.
Some of the Bang recordings were songs that would appear on Astral Weeks and others seem to fit but were not included. They were grittier styled versions. I have hears that he was quite upset that they were released as he had considered them to be works in progress and had not intended their release.
I always loved his music and of course this song. But when I discovered Moondance my life was completely changed and I became a HUGE fan.
It's such a grand track! Van has such a great voice. Have you ever seen him live?
@@ProfessorofRock Unfortunately I have not. I was actually just looking at his website to see if he would be anywhere near me. But not yet.
I love Moondance!
Moondance is always in my heart.
I'm old enough to remember the summer of 67, and hearing this on the radio so often I got tired of it. It seemed out of place to me in the psychedelic 60's to hear a new song that sounded like an oldie from the 50's. But now, whenever it comes on the radio, I crank it up!
I have 5 children. My 3rd born daughter is the only one who has brown eyes, and I play this song and sing it to her every year on her birthday.👁💖
So cool!
How old is she and when does she celebrate her bday?
Van Morrison is one of my favorite singers. That is so wild that he inspired Jim Morrison. To be honest, I love Van Morrison's solo work so much that I forget that he was even in the industry at the same time as Jim Morrison. Don't get me wrong, I liked his older songs. But I seriously LOVED so many of his solo works.
I kept hearing Jimmy Buffett singing this in concert this so many times. A gem of a song.
Great cover version.
good version
R.I.P. Jimmy
Professor of Rock, you really do have the scoop on all the greatest bands! I always find new reasons to love old tunes. Van Morrison is dear to many of us.
Van Morrison songs make my SOUL SMILE... ❤
Me too!
Same here.
❤❤❤❤
This is the first song I ever learned to play on guitar, it’s become one of my signature ones when I play live. I did NOT know all this about it
I'm old enough to remember Them. They introduced me to a whole new type of music that grabbed my total attention. The sheer raw energy in 'Here comes the Night' and 'Gloria' blew me away. 'Brown Eyed Girl' was very different and was a good career move but just didn't grab me like his music with Them.
This is my ringtone when my wife calls. Like her, the song is beautiful and joyful!
I must use this as my ringtone too.
One of the interesting little tidbits of this song is that the back beat is remarkably similar to the Tokens' "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." As a result, it is easy to fuse the songs together. There are several versions of this fusion around, including a few here on UA-cam, generally entitled "Brown Eyed Lion."
I own almost every Van album. Every fall, I pull them out and listen to every track. He's always been an artist who defies genrefication. Amazing how many good songs from one man's mind.
Going to see Van Morrison in Las Vegas this weekend. Better late than never. My wife and I both fell in love with Moondance and made it our song! He is truly a mystical songwriter.
Geez. Were there any record companies that weren't corrupt??? John Fogerty's hell with Fantasy Records and Saul Zaentz comes to mind, of course, but there are so many stories and I keep discovering more...
This is a phenomenal song! Such a great sing along, but as most sing alongs, the artist dislikes everything about it. Hopefully he comes to appreciate that this song means a lot to many, many people, including me and my brown eyed girl. My favorite song from Van Morrison is Tupelo Honey. Hearing the list of his influences it's unsurprising that his music catalog is so enjoyable.
No kidding He's had so many great albums. What's your favorite album by him? Thanks for watching.
@@ProfessorofRock I like Astral Weeks and Saint Dominic's Preview is pretty darn good.
I hope he has come around to it considering its impact in recent years.
I’m obsessed…obsessed…with Van Morrison. There will never be another like him.
Love that song. I dedicate this one to my wife who has brown eyes :). Sometimes it seems musicians don't know how great the hooks are that they have created
No kidding. Thanks for watching!
I’m pretty sure he has come around to it now that he’s gotten older.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Maybe he didn't like the song because he made no money on it at the beginning. And now it is a just a reminder of it. My pop psychology 101 lol :)
@@thetitleisours1 That makes a lot of sense. The record labels are so ruinous.
I can't help but wonder how many wonderful artists abandoned music due to bitterness over a bad contract, before they had a chance to really shine.
No kidding. How many more legends did we miss out on?
As Depeche Mode said, the grabbing hands grab all they can. Sad.
i had the pleasure of seeing van play this at the whiskey a go go i early '68 with a band consisting of only him, a flute player and a bassist. great show. and an audience of no more than 25 people!
"Brown Eyed Girl" is an all-time classic-It'll never get old.
Man, just another fantastic job Adam.
Your dad would be incredibly proud of what you've accomplished.
Keep on movin on brother....
This song is never over. I always make sure I make my kids listen to the scatting at the end of the song. They couldn’t make Van stop singing they just had to fade him out. He was in the groove with this one.
I would sing this to my daughter all the time. When she got married, it was the song we danced to.
Dude, you are a brilliant historian. This was your best episode EVER. Thanks for what you do. Your channel is amazing.
I cannot listen to this song without thinking of Julia Roberts in "Sleeping with the Enemy". A terrific use of this piece.
So much of Van's music soothing to the soul
Me too. What a suspence movie. Especially when all the cans in the cupboard were straight.
True that. I couldn't do pop culture too much in this one because it's been used SO much!
@@catherine6653and the towels rearranged
LAURA !
Movies like that unsettle me…
POR always speaks of his father whenever he reminisces about particular songs. But I’ve never heard him speak about his mom. Maybe he can grace us with one of her favorite songs soon.
Crazy story behind this all time classic. Funny how some artists hate their biggest hit. Van voice is like no other and his timing is fantastic.A happy feel good song if there ever was one. Great episode professor!
No kidding!
He got SCREWED. Big time.
I sang Brown Eyed Girl to my baby girl when she needed to be rocked to sleep. Still love this song, it brings back wonderful memories!
I used to sing this to my youngest daughter when she was a toddler (yes, she has brown eyes)! I left out the romantic lines, but she loved her Daddy singing to her.
I'm a musician. You can imagine how many times I was asked to do Brown Eye Girl.
I like the time and have no problem playing it.
However, I come to find there are a Lot of musicians that fight it off like a plague.
Weird thing is most say because they played so much they don't want to do it anymore. My responce is " we have this list of tunes you play every gig for the last year and more, why not this time ? "
They still agrue no. Bummer.
I remember the tune back in the days mostly when my family would get into my fathers 1958 Imperial, drive from NY to NJ to hang for the day with family.
It seemed the 2 great tunes were played together Brown Eyed Girl and the Cracklin Rose.
Oh,also Joy to the world. We all samg together except my father. He was a pure country music guy.
Yet, I remember those songs too.
Thanks for sharing this video. Brought back Good memories.
Yes I remember "Brown Eyed Girl". I was in California (in the Navy) when the record came out, I liked it, but thought it a bit racy for the time.
Still, I really think "Moon Dance" was his best tune, lots of jazz feel in it.
I didn't know any of Van's back story, except that he was from Ireland. Thanks for sharing this, thanks for doing a spot about my suggestion, and thanks for the tributes to Jimmy Buffet and Gary Wright. ;-)
Just playing in a local band, you get tired of every song your band plays, I can't imagine writing one then to have it pulled out from under you like that. Every time he sings it, he probably feels that all over again but he's stuck between his fans and the hateful feelings. This actually changes how I feel about this song and will probably put moon dance ahead of it from now on. Great video,,,, again.
Peace ✌️
WE could all be so lucky!
I imagine it must be tough for him.
Love Van... one of my all time favorites musicians. Jusy so underrated. The longevity is insane. Guy has been churning out great albums for 50 plus years. Moondance and Astral weeks obviously being the best of all his releases. Something about listening to those albums just puts me in a mood that few other musicians can match.
Great work Adam! Scooby snacks for you.
This is me and "My Brown Eyed Girl's" song. My daughter and I would sing it in car rides after her mother and I divorced. Brings back great memories!
My allegiance is to Liberty, the Repubic and Democracy.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
One of the greatest songs of all time....... but due to a bad contract resulted in poverty. Unbelievable!
Have a great Hump Day, Professor. Great shirt!
Same to you! Thanks! What would you like to see next Roger?
@@ProfessorofRock
Something about Yes or Blue October. Thanks!
That really sucks.
My dads favourite artist ever. This mans songwriting is otherwordly in my opinion. The lyrics and composition take his music to another level. Philosophers Stone, In the Garden, Sense of Wonder, Queen of the slipstream etc. and my all time fave into the mystic. Van the Man is the Goat, legend !
One of my earliest memories is of standing on my dads feet and dancing to Brown eyed girl. When I hear it, I can almost feel my dads arms.
“Into the Mystic” was always my favorite Van Morrison song. Would love to hear the story behind that one.
I heard this on the radio when I was a kid in the 70s. Always listening to the transistor radio.
Excellent history lesson. Thank you for all the details.😊
Transistor Radios! I miss those along with real D.J.'s!
@@debbie4503 Me too. So many DJs have UA-cam channels.
Love Them, and Van Morrison solo.
The impact of this seminal song is exemplified by the fact that even the obscure sub-sub-genre of techno known as psychedelic trance has a traack that just plain drops the 'You're my brown-eyed girl' sample right in the middle of a breakdown. No echo/delay effects, no vocoder or anything. Just the pure sample, then back into the 130ish BPM track. I can't imagine being in poor Van's shoes and having to perform my most popular song knowing that I would be earning nothing from its massive popularity. That look of his on Bandstand definitely said it all. Thanks for the intensely detailed dive into this classic.
*Sigh......take me back in time!! Wherever has the time gone? So many good memories. I remember when this song came out!!!* 💕💕💕💕💕
I saw him at Jazz Fest New Orleans in the late 90's. Despite people shouting for it, he refused to acknowledge them and didn't play it.
Great Video - I was not aware of much of the info on this video and I knew nothing about his early years - Van The Man is one of the all time greats - THANKS!
You absolutely blew my mind. I had no idea of "Them" but I have known their songs since forever!
Even tho most of the lyrics don't apply to us; this is my daughter and I's song. The energy matches her through and through. She has brown eyes just like me. If this song plays I'll ignore my hatred of dancing and rush the floor to be with her for this one 🥰
I have brown eyes too and this is the perfect song to uplift my mood.
This is a 60s feel good classic. When I used to play this one live, everyone would sing along! Another job well done . P.O.R.!! 👍👍🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵🎶🎶🎶🎶🎶
Does anyone care what people hate? I love this song, its easy to love, and more fun, fulfilling and just plain good.
There is a southern rock band in Minnesota that does a version of Brown Eyed Girl. It always gets the Dancefloor filled!
Most pop songs use the bridge to up the ante - this does the opposite with a bass breakdown! Brilliant. A perfect song
Brown Eyed Girl was the song my husband and I danced to at our wedding, because we danced to it the day we met. It was so much fun! It has always been special to me, since I always hated my brown eyes, but my mom would sing it to me, and I just loved the song. It is such a sweet, hopeful song to me, and I will always appreciate it.
My favorite by him was “These Are The Days.” Such an underrated song.
My brother had a Hulk one as well and yes within a few months it was starting to secrete some ooze!
Record companies should be put out of business for doing what they have done to many great artists!
Thank you for showcasing this great performer!
Van has made some absolutely incredible albums over his career, he is such a gifted storyteller. When I was caring for my mom with Alzheimers we used to listen to the bluesy Too Long in Exile CD she loved it as did I. Enlightenment, Avalon Sunset, Hymns to the Silence, so many absolutely great recordings.
The "brown-eyed girl" isn't usually the one we are with. It's the one from our past, the one who we make perfect with our memory
Amazing and shocking history. Van is the best! His voice sounds like my favorite instruments, sax and bagpipes. 12 years of tap dancing classes. Putting my shoes back on. Rock on!!!💖💖💖
He's awesome!
Haha, sax and bagpipes! Love it.
Brown eyed girl is my favorite song of all time! I had no idea that Van Morrison didn't get any money from it. What a shame!
I remember back in my garage band days in the late '70s, three songs all groups had to play to get gigs in these parts were "Proud Mary," "La Bamba," and "Brown Eyed Girl," forward to 2023. I don't play in bands anymore, but my brother-in-law does. We were talking about songs people request, and he said that La Bamba and Brown Eyed Girl are still high on the request list. He mentioned how his band would be playing to a seemingly empty bar. Then someone will request Brown Eyed Girl, and people fill the dance floor. When the song is over, the people disappear.
One of my favorites , takes me back to high school...and my 'brown-eyed girl".
Moondance is his best album, but his collaboration with The Chieftains was a good one (if a bit touchy for the artists).
Into The Mystic is, by far, the best song he ever made. Thanks to Andy at @ShutUp&Play, I know more than just the bass parts. ☺️
I remember listening to this song all the time back in the 1970s when I was a kid. My parents had it on 8-track; it was on--get this--Dick Clark's 20 Years of Rock and Roll.
My wife picked me out of a crowd at a concert. Based on what she described noticing, she had seen me singing along with 'Brown Eyed Girl' at a Trout Fishing In America concert. So Brown Eyed Girl became our song. We had twenty two years together.
"Moondance" is on my all-time favorite albums list! Every song is perfection!
Love Van the Man, my favorites being 'Wavelengths', and 'Real Real Gone', and 'Jackie Wilson Said'. I was fortunate to see him in 2018, wonderful show!
Interesting topic. While I love some of his early music, like Moondance and Into The Mystic, like Van, I never cared for Brown Eyed Girl, but mostly because they played it to death when it came out. That said, if someone asked me if there was one song that every cover band should have on it's set list, I'd say it should be that one. It's universally loved. Thanks Adam.
I’d also put in Yesterday by the Beatles
I remember when Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, and Tom Petty went out on tour together.... a friend who went to one of the shows said it was a great show, and he also said that Tom Petty came along as an interpreter.... in case you didn't understand what Dylan and Morrison were singing.....
My wife and I saw Van at the Wang Center in Boston - I forget the year, but within the last 10 years. Range wasn’t quite the same, but all the power was still there. He sounded great. Excellent show. He did perform Brown-eyed Girl, but a totally different arrangement.
I've always thought that it was the outlier of Van Morrison's catalog, "one of these things is not like the other." It makes sense now.
Remember driving around in my Mom’s 1967 Mustang with top down listening to that song.
Yepper...Riding around with Mom and Dad, both. Everybody loved Van Morrison's 'Brown-Eyed Girl'. Remember I and two sisters as the oldest in my family needing to sit down in the back seat and the little sisters and standing and swaying as we bumped along.
AGREE WITH HIS DISTASTE OF 'TINY TIM'. As a kid, NEVER UNDERSTOOD WHAT KIND OF WOMAN WOULD EVER MARRY HIM AS HAPPENED ON JOHNNY CARSON'S TONIGHT SHOW MY MOM WATCHED AFTER SHE TUCKED US INTO BED and it was a spectacle she made allowances that night, for me to watch.
Actually, impressed with his 'high-risk' behavior displayed in confronting the Mob...Situation could have ended differently removing the following music making this man one of my all-time favorites. Always loved Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights and Morrison's 'Into the Mystic' never ceases to bring Olivier's Heathcliff and Oberon's Kathy roaming the Moors together as spirit ghosts forever closing the movie.
VERY UNDERRATED ARTIST.
I got a Stretch Armstrong from Santa in 1976, one of the few times Santa could afford a newly released toy. The day after Christmas we left for a 5 hour drive to see family. Stretch froze on the long, col drive and was completely stiff when we arrived at my Aunts. Being the brilliant 9 year old I was, I turned on her oven to thaw him out. I’m sure you can imagine the rest, lol. I was devastated when I opened the oven to find him dripping thru the racks, not to mention how upset the adults were when they saw all the melted plastic covering the inside of the oven. Fun times…
So I didn't know Van was Irish. Or that Whitney's mom was a professional singer. So much knowledge in this post!
Listen to Cissy Houston's recording of 'Midnight train to Georgia'..best version ever, even better than Gladys Knight who I've always adored.
Listen to Cissy Houston's recording of 'Midnight train to Georgia'..best version ever, even better than Gladys Knight who I've always adored.
I remember when I first heard this song. I was instantly hooked on it. I don’t know who his brown eyed girl was but I know who mine was at that time. I later in my teens wrote a song entitled “Brown Eyed Black Hair” after my brown eyed girl. ❤😂😊
Van Morrison had some great songs. Wavelength, Moondance, Bright Side of the Road are some I listen to all the time
Love Brown Eyed Girl. Never would have imagine he hated it or he got so screwed over it. Sad how this happens so much in the music and entertainment industry though. My daughter loved the girl band TLC. Classic instance of using artists like literal minimum wage workers.
I think it might be pretty cool to make a list of the songs that are all about music artists decrying the production companies. Right off the top of my head I’d say the two most famous are “Have a Cigar” by Pink Floyd and Billy Squiers “The Stroke”. Jon Bon Jovi’s “Burning Bridges”?
Great show as always Professor.
Nick Lowe wrote some songs like that. He hated the record company he was signed with and wanted to go in a new direction with Stiff Records (their slogan, "If it isn't Stiff, it isn't worth a f*ck"). The record company refused to let him out of his contract so he decided to write some "bad" songs to change their minds.
In order to free himself, he came up with the idea to record some songs so bad and uncool that the company would lose interest in him. At the time, the Bay City Rollers were all the rage with kids, so he wrote a couple of cheesy novelty songs about that band. The problem was, he was too talented. The record company loved his songs ("Bay City Rollers, We Love You" and "Rollers Show"), and one of them was actually a big hit in Japan.
He also wrote a scathing song called "I Love My Label" that was more to the point:
"...Oh I'm so proud of them up here
We're one big happy family
I guess you could say I'm the poor relation
Of the parent company
They always ask for lots of songs
And no more than 2:50 long
So I write 'em some
They never talk behind my back
And they're always playing my new tracks when I come along
I love my label
I love my label, yeah
And my label's got high hopes in me..."
Of course it was very sarcastic. He finally got out of that contract and did some great work with Stiff as an artist and as a producer. He produced other artists such as Elvis Costello, The Damned, The Pretenders, and John Hiatt.
This song is a wedding reception stsple. I'm in the Hospitality industry and this song gets played alot!!
Brown eyed girls is one of my favorite songs I'm sorry it has the poor history with the music label! Everytime I hear the song and he says transistor radio I just think how many young people don't understand that reference.
Saw Van in Santa Barbara in 83, he was great of course but as a special treat his band was dressed as superheroes. Mose Allison was the opener....good times!
He wanted to be an artist. He moved to the Boston area and lived in Cambridge MA in the late 60's after getting out of his record deal with Bang!. He wrote "Astral Weeks" while he was there. He recorded the album with very little practice with The Modern Jazz Quartet. The book "Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968" tells the story.
What a shame he was taken advantage of like that. There are so many unscrupulous people in this world, especially in the music industry. I guess it shouldn't surprise me that the guy was connected to the Mob. I can totally see why Van would be so annoyed at having to perform this song. Moon Dance is so far superior, it's not even in the same realm. Thanks for sharing the background of this song. Have an excellent day, Adam.
YES! I always thought "Moondance" is his signature song. I still love that song. It reminds me of the only man I truly loved, who died in 1989. When I hear that song I instantly think of the best times of my life, dancing in the moonlight with the man who owned my heart. He took it with him when he left this world.
Screw those record people.
Unscrupulous music business people led to the early deaths of Buddy Holly and two members of Bad Finger.
@@LazyIRanch, I'm sorry for your loss.
I've been listening to Astral Weeks a lot lately. It amazes me that the whole album was recorded in something like two sessions.