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'''''His Band and the Street Choir''''' is the fourth solo album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter [[Van Morrison]], released on 15 November 1970 by [[Warner Bros. Records]]. The album was originally titled ''Virgo's Fool'', but for the album's release the name was changed without the singer's consent. Recording began in April 1970 in a small church in [[Woodstock, New York]]. However this was originally intended to be a [[demo (music)|demo]] session. Morrison entered the A&R Studios, 46th Street, New York in June to begin production on ''His Band and the Street Choir'', but was later forced to use tracks from the demo session to complete the album. The songs produced from both recording sessions were later praised for their free, relaxed sound, despite most of them containing simple lyrics. The album was originally intended to be recorded ''[[a cappella]]'' (with only vocal backing) by the group Morrison billed as the Street Choir. However the five songs released on the album that included the choir also featured a backing band. These changes, among others, in the production of ''His Band and the Street Choir'' have led Morrison to think little of the album in later years even though it charted well and received good reviews at the time of its release.
'''''His Band and the Street Choir''''' is the fourth solo album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter [[Van Morrison]], released 15 November 1970 by [[Warner Bros. Records]]. Originally titled ''Virgo's Fool'', ''His Band'' was renamed by Warner Bros. without Morrison's consent. Recording began April 1970 with a [[demo (music)|demo]] session in a small church in [[Woodstock, New York]]. Morrison entered the A&R Studios on 46th Street in New York City the following June to produce ''His Band and the Street Choir'', but plans for rush-release forced him to finish the album using demo-session tracks.


Reviewers praised the work of both sessions for their free, relaxed sound, though they contained simpler lyrics than his previous work. Morrison had intended to record the album ''[[a cappella]]'' (with only vocal backing) using a group of friends, the Street Choir. Morrison was dissatisfied with the addition of female vocalists, and the album's songs featuring the Street Choir were given instrumental backing. These changes and others have led Morrison to regard ''His Band and the Street Choir'' poorly in later years, even though it charted well and elicited good reviews.
⚫
Upon its release in America, ''His Band and the Street Choir'' was as well received as Morrison's previous album ''[[Moondance]]'', and climbed to number 32 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' charts. The album also reached number 18 on the [[UK Album Chart]]. A major reason for ''His Band and the Street Choir'''s success was the lead single "[[Domino (Van Morrison song)|Domino]]", which reached the US Top Ten, passing the position attained by Morrison's previous hit, "[[Brown Eyed Girl]]". It remains Morrison's most successful single of his solo career (as of 2010). Two other singles from the album were produced, "[[Blue Money (Van Morrison song)|Blue Money]]" and "[[Call Me Up in Dreamland]]". Although they were less successful, they both managed to reach the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].

⚫
American audiences praised ''His Band and the Street Choir'' as well as Morrison's previous album ''[[Moondance]]''; ''His Band'' peaked at number 32 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' charts. The album also reached number 18 on the [[UK Album Chart]]. The work's success was largely owed to "[[Domino (Van Morrison song)|Domino]]", a sampler single which reached the US Top Ten and surpassed his hit "[[Brown Eyed Girl]]". As of 2010, It remains Morrison's most successful single of his solo career. Warner Bros. released two other singles, "[[Blue Money (Van Morrison song)|Blue Money]]" and "[[Call Me Up in Dreamland]]"; though less successful, they still managed to reach the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].


==Production==
==Production==
===Recording===
===Recording===
''His Band and the Street Choir'' was Morrison's third record to be produced for [[Warner Bros. Records]].<ref>{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=221}}</ref> The first recording session for the album began in April 1970, originally intended to be a [[demo (music)|demo]] session. It took place in a church in [[Woodstock, New York|Woodstock]] with limited recording equipment, because at first nothing was intended to be released from it. It consisted of left over tracks from Morrison's previous two albums ''[[Astral Weeks]]'' and ''[[Moondance]]'', two new songs, "Crazy Face" and "Give Me a Kiss", and three [[instrumental]]s.<ref name="Heylin, p.238">{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|page=238}}</ref>
''His Band and the Street Choir'' was Morrison's third record produced for [[Warner Bros. Records]].<ref>{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=221}}</ref> The album's first recording session began in April 1970. Originally intended to be a [[demo (music)|demo]] session with no official releases, it took place in a church in [[Woodstock, New York|Woodstock]] with limited recording equipment. Morrison worked on leftover material from his previous two albums (''[[Astral Weeks]]'' and ''[[Moondance]]''), wrote two new songs ("Crazy Face" and "Give Me a Kiss"), and recorded three [[instrumental]]s.<ref name="Heylin, p.238">{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|page=238}}</ref>


[[File:Van Morrison His Band And The Street Choir back image.jpg|350px|right|thumb|alt=Seven long-haired young men in casual clothes sit close together, look forward, and smile. One of the men in the middle of the shot leans on another man's head while holding a cup in his other hand.|Van Morrison's band in 1970 (from left to right): Alan Hand, [[John Platania]], Keith Johnson, Dahaud Shaar, [[Van Morrison]], John Klingberg, [[Jack Schroer]].]]
[[File:Van Morrison His Band And The Street Choir back image.jpg|350px|right|thumb|alt=Seven long-haired young men in casual clothes sit close together, look forward, and smile. One of the men in the middle of the shot leans on another man's head while holding a cup in his other hand.|Van Morrison's band in 1970 (from left to right): Alan Hand, [[John Platania]], Keith Johnson, Dahaud Shaar, [[Van Morrison]], John Klingberg, [[Jack Schroer]].]]
Three musicians were brought back from the ''Moondance'' sessions: saxophonist [[Jack Schroer]]; guitarist [[John Platania]] and bassist John Klingberg. The [[backing vocal]] trio of [[Cissy Houston|Emily Houston]], [[Judy Clay]] and [[Jackie Verdell]] who sang on one track, "If I Ever Needed Someone", also returned from Morrison's previous album. [[Multi-instrumentalist]] and assistant producer for ''His Band and the Street Choir'', Dahaud Shaar, was a veteran of the ''Moondance'' tour, but he did not play on the album itself.<ref name="Hinton, p.121"/> Keyboardist Alan Hand joined Morrison's band in late April 1970, replacing [[Jeff Labes]] who had left the band to move to Israel.<ref name="Heylin, p.238"/> Another new recruit, trumpeter Keith Johnson, played [[Hammond organ]] on the recording of "I've Been Working" before Hand joined.<ref name="Hinton, p.121"/>
Morrison brought back three musicians from the ''Moondance'' sessions: saxophonist [[Jack Schroer]], guitarist [[John Platania]], and bassist John Klingberg. The [[backing vocal]] trio of [[Cissy Houston|Emily Houston]], [[Judy Clay]] and [[Jackie Verdell]] also returned, having sung on "If I Ever Needed Someone" from Morrison's previous album. [[Multi-instrumentalist]] Dahaud Shaar joined as assistant producer for ''His Band and the Street Choir''; he was a veteran of the ''Moondance'' tour but did not play on the actual album.<ref name="Hinton, p.121"/> Keyboardist Alan Hand joined Morrison's band in late April 1970, replacing [[Jeff Labes]] who had left the band to move to Israel.<ref name="Heylin, p.238"/> Trumpeter Keith Johnson played [[Hammond organ]] on the recording of "I've Been Working" before Hand joined.<ref name="Hinton, p.121"/>


In June Morrison entered the A&R recording studios, 46th Street, New York to begin work on a new album that would later become ''His Band and the Street Choir''.<ref name="Heylin, p.520"/> Morrison assembled an ''[[a cappella]]'' vocal group called the Street Choir, in the attempt to make a full ''a cappella'' album. The female vocalists in the [[choir]] consisted of Morrison's then wife, Janet "Planet" Rigsbee, and the wives of two members of Morrison's band; [[Martha Velez]] (Keith Johnson) and Ellen Schroer (Jack Schroer).<ref name="Hinton, p.121">{{harvnb|Hinton|2000|p=121}}</ref> The rest of the choir, Dahaud Shaar, Larry Goldsmith and Andrew Robinson, were friends of Morrison who lived near Woodstock. These male singers were in fact what Morrison was looking for when he wanted to record an ''a cappella'' album, as he commented, "I had a group of people in mind for the Street Choir ... I asked them if they wanted to sing ... then the old ladies [wives and girlfriends] got involved and it ruined the whole thing."<ref name="Rogan">{{harvnb|Rogan|2006|p=257}}</ref>
Morrison entered the A&R recording studios on 46th Street in New York City around June to begin work on the new album.<ref name="Heylin, p.520"/> He assembled a vocal group called the Street Choir and intended to make a full ''a cappella'' album. Morrison recruited his friends Dahaud Shaar, Larry Goldsmith and Andrew Robinson, who lived near Woodstock. He then allowed three females to join: Morrison's then wife, Janet "Planet" Rigsbee, and the wives of two members of Morrison's band, [[Martha Velez]] (Keith Johnson) and Ellen Schroer (Jack Schroer).<ref name="Hinton, p.121">{{harvnb|Hinton|2000|p=121}}</ref> Morrison wanted to feature only male vocalists, later commenting, "I had a group of people in mind for the Street Choir ... I asked them if they wanted to sing ... then the old ladies [wives and girlfriends] got involved and it ruined the whole thing."<ref name="Rogan">{{harvnb|Rogan|2006|p=257}}</ref>


Morrison abandoned the concept when he decided to use the band from the demo tracks on the songs that featured the Street Choir. He was unhappy with the songs recorded with the choir, as he wanted to use the group for a different effect: "Street Choir was going to be an ''a cappella'' group. I wanted these certain guys to form an ''a cappella'' group so that I could cut a lot of songs with just maybe one guitar. But it didn't turn out."<ref name="Collis">{{harvnb|Collis|1996|p=122}}</ref> The demos from the first session, excluding the instrumentals and an early version of "Virgo Clowns", were all used to complete the album.<ref name="Heylin, p.520"/> Morrison was unsatisfied with some of the final recordings, most notably the song "Street Choir", of which he did a last minute reworking.<ref name="Heylin, p.242">{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=242}}</ref> From the second recording session, five of the six songs that made it onto the album featured the Street Choir.<ref name="Heylin, p.520">{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=520}}</ref>
Morrison abandoned the concept when he decided to use the band from the demo tracks on the songs that featured the Street Choir. He was unhappy with the songs recorded with the choir, as he wanted to use the group for a different effect: "Street Choir was going to be an ''a cappella'' group. I wanted these certain guys to form an ''a cappella'' group so that I could cut a lot of songs with just maybe one guitar. But it didn't turn out."<ref name="Collis">{{harvnb|Collis|1996|p=122}}</ref> The demos from the first session, excluding the instrumentals and an early version of "Virgo Clowns", were all used to complete the album.<ref name="Heylin, p.520"/> Morrison felt unsatisfied with some of the final recordings, and notably reworked the song "Street Choir" shortly before studio work concluded.<ref name="Heylin, p.242">{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=242}}</ref> Five of the six songs recorded during the second session and released on the album featured the Street Choir.<ref name="Heylin, p.520">{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=520}}</ref>


===Composition===
===Composition===
Some of the songs featured on ''His Band and the Street Choir'' had been recorded before for the albums ''Astral Weeks'' and ''Moondance''. These songs were rewritten both lyrically and musically for their release on ''His Band and the Street Choir''. This was because the original recordings featured different instrumentation and personnel from the band Morrison had assembled to record his new album.<ref name="Heylin p.518-520">{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|pp=518–520}}</ref> The songs on the album borrow from a range of [[music genre]]s and have a free, relaxed sound,<ref name="Landau"/> while the simple lyrics lack the level of poetry expected in Morrison's songs.<ref>{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|page=235}}</ref>
Some songs featured on ''His Band and the Street Choir'' were first recorded for the albums ''Astral Weeks'' and ''Moondance''. Morrison rewrote and rearranged them for release on ''His Band'', as the original recordings featured different personnel and instrumentation than his choices for the new album.<ref name="Heylin p.518-520">{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|pp=518–520}}</ref> The songs on the album borrow from various [[music genre]]s and have a free, relaxed sound;<ref name="Landau"/> the simple lyrics lack the level of poetry popularly expected from Morrison's work.<ref>{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|page=235}}</ref>


The first recording of a song that would feature on ''His Band and the Street Choir'' was "[[I've Been Working]]". It was an outtake from the ''Astral Weeks'' sessions in 1968 and ''Moondance'' sessions in 1969.<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/> The version of the song produced on ''His Band and the Street Choir'' is an upbeat funk number influenced by soul music, particularly [[James Brown]]. Morrison and the [[horn section]] come together on the chorus, where Morrison [[scat singing|scats]] the words "Woman, woman, woman, you make me feel alright".<ref name="Landau"/>
The first song recording that would feature on ''His Band and the Street Choir'' was "[[I've Been Working]]", an outtake from the ''Astral Weeks'' sessions in 1968 and ''Moondance'' sessions in 1969.<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/> The final version produced on ''His Band and the Street Choir'' is an upbeat funk number influenced by soul music, particularly that of [[James Brown]]. Morrison and the [[horn section]] come together on the chorus, where Morrison [[scat singing|scats]] the words "Woman, woman, woman, you make me feel alright".<ref name="Landau"/>


"[[Domino (Van Morrison song)|Domino]]" had been recorded many times before its release. Its first was in Autumn 1968, after the ''Astral Weeks'' sessions.<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/> Morrison rearranged "Domino" many times while in the studio, recording [[rap music|rap]] and [[harmony]] versions.<ref>{{harvnb|Unterberger|The Genuine Philosopher's Stone review}}</ref> The version released on ''His Band and the Street Choir'' has a moderate [[tempo]], with a reoccurring bass line [[riff]] and rhythm guitar.<ref>{{Harvnb|Alfred Music Publishing|p=4}}</ref> Horn [[overdubbing|overdubs]] were later added.<ref name="Brooks, p.55"/> A [[flute]] part was also written for the final version of the song, but was abandoned because it was considered too complex.<ref name="Hinton"/> The song is believed to be a tribute to [[Fats Domino]];<ref name="Oocities">{{harvnb|Floman|Oocities review}}</ref><ref name="Hinton">{{harvnb|Hinton|2000|pp=122–123}}</ref> however the lyrics in a previous recording of the song suggest differently: "He let us in and we drank the wine that went to our heads / And we used to lay on a feather bed and laugh at the man called Domino".<ref>{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=213}}</ref> "If I Ever Needed Someone", like "Domino", was first recorded in Autumn 1968.<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/> The song is one of many blues influenced tracks on the album.<ref name="DeWitt"/>
"[[Domino (Van Morrison song)|Domino]]" had been recorded many times before its release, first in Autumn 1968 after the ''Astral Weeks'' sessions.<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/> Morrison rearranged "Domino" many times, recording [[rap music|rap]] and [[harmony]] versions.<ref>{{harvnb|Unterberger|The Genuine Philosopher's Stone review}}</ref> The version released on ''His Band and the Street Choir'' contains a moderate [[tempo]], reoccurring bass line [[riff]], and rhythm guitar;<ref>{{Harvnb|Alfred Music Publishing|p=4}}</ref> Morrison later added horn [[overdubbing|overdubs]].<ref name="Brooks, p.55"/> He also wrote a [[flute]] part, but it was abandoned after being deemed too complex.<ref name="Hinton"/> The song was considered a tribute to [[Fats Domino]],<ref name="Oocities">{{harvnb|Floman|Oocities review}}</ref><ref name="Hinton">{{harvnb|Hinton|2000|pp=122–123}}</ref> but the lyrics in a previous recording are inconsistent with this view: "He let us in and we drank the wine that went to our heads / And we used to lay on a feather bed and laugh at the man called Domino".<ref>{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=213}}</ref> Like "Domino", Morrison first recorded "If I Ever Needed Someone" in Autumn 1968;<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/> it is one of many blues-influenced tracks on the album.<ref name="DeWitt"/>


"Virgo Clowns" was originally recorded during the early winter of 1969 as "(Sit Down) Funny Face". Its next recording occurred during the first ''His Band and the Street Choir'' session, entitled just "Funny Face". The song was re-recorded in the second session, when it was retitled as "Virgo Clowns".<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/><ref>{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=240}}</ref> In the version released on ''His Band and the Street Choir'' Morrison and John Platania duet on acoustic guitars, while the drummer, Dahaud Shaar, doubles up on [[bass clarinet]].<ref name="Hinton"/>
"Virgo Clowns" was first recorded during the early winter of 1969 as "(Sit Down) Funny Face". Morrison next recorded it during the first ''His Band and the Street Choir'' session, entitling it simply "Funny Face". He re-recorded it in the second session, retitling it "Virgo Clowns".<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/><ref>{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=240}}</ref> In its final form, Morrison and John Platania duet on acoustic guitars, and drummer Dahaud Shaar doubles up on [[bass clarinet]].<ref name="Hinton"/>


"Crazy Face", although not recorded before with the same title and lyrics, had evolved from a Morrison song entitled "Going Around with Jesse James",<ref name="Brooks, p.55">{{harvnb|Brooks|1999|p=55}}</ref> which was first recorded on 15 October 1968 for ''Astral Weeks''.<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/> The lyrics of "Crazy Face" and "Going Around with Jesse James" mention American [[outlaw]] [[Jesse James]], which suggests both songs have a similar theme.<ref name="Brooks, p.55"/> "Crazy Face"'s arrangement is written in the irregular [[time signature]] 8/4 (the first, third and seventh [[beat (music)|beats]] of the [[bar (music)|bar]] are emphasised),<ref>{{Harvnb|Alfred Music Publishing|p=18}}</ref> and begins with a gentle piano introduction.<ref name="Brooks, p.55"/>
"Crazy Face" evolved with different lyrics from the Morrison song "Going Around with Jesse James",<ref name="Brooks, p.55">{{harvnb|Brooks|1999|p=55}}</ref> first recorded on 15 October 1968 for ''Astral Weeks''.<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/> The lyrics of both mention American [[outlaw]] [[Jesse James]].<ref name="Brooks, p.55"/> Morrison arranged "Crazy Face" in the irregular [[time signature]] 8/4; the first, third and seventh [[beat (music)|beats]] of the [[bar (music)|bar]] are emphasised,<ref>{{Harvnb|Alfred Music Publishing|p=18}}</ref> and the song begins with a gentle piano introduction.<ref name="Brooks, p.55"/>


"Give Me a Kiss" and "Gypsy Queen" are the remaining songs that were recorded at the album's first recording session.<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/> "Give me a Kiss" had been written about either Planet or his newly born baby girl [[Shana Morrison|Shana]].<ref name="Brooks, p.55"/> The song is a [[twelve bar blues]] in the style of [[boogie rock]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Alfred Music Publishing|p=10}}</ref> a genre of music prominent in the 1960s. Therefore the song has been compared to the work of artists such as [[The Beatles]]<ref name="Hinton"/> and [[Elvis Presley]].<ref name="Brooks, p.55"/> Reviewers believed the song "Gypsy Queen" was inspired by "Gypsy Woman", first recorded by [[Curtis Mayfield]] and [[The Impressions]].<ref name="Landau"/><ref name="DeWitt">{{harvnb|DeWitt|1983|p=88}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Collis|1996|p=123}}</ref><ref name="Brooks"/> The song, in [[Johnny Rogan]]'s opinion, is "a failed attempt to recapture the spirit of '[[Caravan (Van Morrison song)|Caravan]]'&nbsp;",<ref>{{harvnb|Rogan|2006|p=258}}</ref> another Morrison composition inspired by "Gypsy Woman", released on the album ''Moondance''.<ref>{{harvnb|Bangs|Marcus|1970-03-19}}</ref> Morrison sings the song in [[falsetto]],<ref name="Hinton"/> while keyboardist Alan Hand plays [[celesta|celeste]], imitating a [[music box]] at both the beginning and end of the song.<ref name="Brooks">{{harvnb|Brooks|1999|p=57}}</ref>
"Give Me a Kiss" and "Gypsy Queen" are the final songs recorded at the album's first session.<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/> Morrison wrote "Give me a Kiss" about either Planet or his newly born baby girl [[Shana Morrison|Shana]].<ref name="Brooks, p.55"/> The song is a [[twelve bar blues]] in the style of [[boogie rock]],<ref>{{Harvnb|Alfred Music Publishing|p=10}}</ref> a genre of music prominent in the 1960s, and has been compared to the work [[The Beatles]]<ref name="Hinton"/> and [[Elvis Presley]].<ref name="Brooks, p.55"/> Reviewers believed the song "Gypsy Queen" was inspired by "Gypsy Woman", first recorded by [[Curtis Mayfield]] and [[The Impressions]].<ref name="Landau"/><ref name="DeWitt">{{harvnb|DeWitt|1983|p=88}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Collis|1996|p=123}}</ref><ref name="Brooks"/> [[Johnny Rogan]] feels the song is "a failed attempt to recapture the spirit of '[[Caravan (Van Morrison song)|Caravan]]'&nbsp;",<ref>{{harvnb|Rogan|2006|p=258}}</ref> another Morrison composition inspired by "Gypsy Woman", released on the album ''Moondance''.<ref>{{harvnb|Bangs|Marcus|1970-03-19}}</ref> Morrison sings the song in [[falsetto]],<ref name="Hinton"/> while keyboardist Alan Hand plays [[celesta|celeste]], imitating a [[music box]] at the beginning and end of the song.<ref name="Brooks">{{harvnb|Brooks|1999|p=57}}</ref>


The rest of the compositions were taken from the second recording session.<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/> "[[Call Me Up in Dreamland]]" is a catchy [[gospel music|gospel]] style composition. The Street Choir were used prominently in the song as biographer Ken Brooks notes, "it is this track that reminds the listener that this album was originally intended to be recorded ''a-cappella''".<ref name="Brooks, p.56">{{harvnb|Brooks|1999|p=56}}</ref> The lyrics refer to life on the road,<ref name="Hinton"/> as Morrison was in the process of touring while he recorded the album.<ref name="Rogan"/> "[[I'll Be Your Lover, Too]]" was inspired by Morrison and Janet Planet's marriage.<ref name="Brooks, p.56"/> This acoustic ballad has a moderate tempo and 4/4 time, with one 5/8 bar before the vocal comes in.<ref name="Hinton"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Alfred Music Publishing|p=22}}</ref> "[[Blue Money (Van Morrison song)|Blue Money]]" is pun-filled, and refers to Morrison's financial situation at the time.<ref>{{harvnb|Marcus|1979|p=20}}</ref> The song is about a model, perhaps Planet<ref name="Hinton"/> who had worked in the industry for a time just before she met Morrison.<ref name="Heylin, p.127">{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=127}}</ref> "Sweet Jannie" is the second twelve-bar blues on the album. The song, about young love, is another on the album that reviewers had speculated to be about Planet.<ref name="Landau">{{harvnb|Landau|1971-02-04}}</ref><ref name="DeWitt"/> Although the lyrics suggest a different inspiration, "I've been in love with you baby / Ever since you were in Sunday school". This has led biographer [[Clinton Heylin]] to beieve it is more likely that the song was written about memories from Morrison's childhood, when he attended Sunday school in [[Belfast]];<ref>{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=9}}</ref> Planet is a California-raised Texan.<ref name="Heylin, p.127"/> In the album closer "Street Choir" Morrison repeats the questions, "Why did you leave America / Why did you let me down / And now that things are better off / Why do you come around". Writer [[Brian Hinton]] described these lyrics as "perversely bitter". Musically the song prominently features Keith Johnson's trumpet and Morrison's harmonica.<ref name="Hinton"/> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' reviewer [[Jon Landau]] believed the song was one of the "two or three finest songs" of Morrison's career at that point, due to its "musical and poetic energy".<ref name="Landau"/>
The second recording session yielded the remaining material.<ref name="Heylin p.518-520"/> "[[Call Me Up in Dreamland]]" is a catchy [[gospel music|gospel]]-style composition. The Street Choir featured conspicuously in the song; biographer Ken Brooks noted, "it is this track that reminds the listener that this album was originally intended to be recorded ''a-cappella''".<ref name="Brooks, p.56">{{harvnb|Brooks|1999|p=56}}</ref> The lyrics refer to life on the road,<ref name="Hinton"/> as Morrison was touring when he recorded the album.<ref name="Rogan"/> "[[I'll Be Your Lover, Too]]" was inspired by Morrison and Janet Planet's marriage.<ref name="Brooks, p.56"/> This acoustic ballad has a moderate tempo and 4/4 time, with one 5/8 bar before the vocal comes in.<ref name="Hinton"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Alfred Music Publishing|p=22}}</ref> "[[Blue Money (Van Morrison song)|Blue Money]]" is a pun-filled reference to Morrison's financial situation.<ref>{{harvnb|Marcus|1979|p=20}}</ref> The song is about a model, perhaps Planet,<ref name="Hinton"/> who worked in the industry before meeting Morrison.<ref name="Heylin, p.127">{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=127}}</ref> "Sweet Jannie" is the second twelve-bar blues on the album; written about young love, the song is another that reviewers speculated was about Planet.<ref name="Landau">{{harvnb|Landau|1971-02-04}}</ref><ref name="DeWitt"/> The lyrics, "I've been in love with you baby / Ever since you were in Sunday school" led biographer [[Clinton Heylin]] to believe it was written about memories from Morrison's childhood when he attended Sunday school in [[Belfast]];<ref>{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=9}}</ref> Planet is a California-raised Texan.<ref name="Heylin, p.127"/> In the album closer "Street Choir" Morrison repeats the questions, "Why did you leave America / Why did you let me down / And now that things are better off / Why do you come around". Yhe song prominently features Keith Johnson's trumpet and Morrison's harmonica.<ref name="Hinton"/> Writer [[Brian Hinton]] described these lyrics as "perversely bitter", and ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' reviewer [[Jon Landau]] felt "Street Choir" was one of the "two or three finest songs" of Morrison's career because of its "musical and poetic energy".<ref name="Landau"/>


===Packaging===
===Packaging===
''His Band and the Street Choir'' was intended to be rush released in time for Christmas 1970; therefore there was little discussion over the album's packaging. Because of this the album's promotional releases were mistitled ''His Band and Street Choir'', which also contained the track listing in an incorrect order.<ref name="Rogan"/> Janet Planet designed the album cover and wrote the sleeve notes. Brian Hinton commented that her sleeve notes sounded "a little desperate", as she wrote "This is the album that you ''must'' sing with, dance to, you ''must'' find a place for these songs somewhere in your life."<ref name="Hinton, p.121"/>
Warner Bros. scheduled ''His Band and the Street Choir'' for rush-release to sell over Christmas 1970, leaving little time for planning for the album's packaging. The company mistitled the album's promotional releases as''His Band and Street Choir'' and prepared an incorrectly-ordered track listing.<ref name="Rogan"/> Janet Planet designed the album cover and wrote the sleeve notes. Brian Hinton commented that her sleeve notes sounded "a little desperate", as she wrote, "This is the album that you ''must'' sing with, dance to, you ''must'' find a place for these songs somewhere in your life."<ref name="Hinton, p.121"/>


[[David Gahr]] took the [[gatefold]] photos of Morrison surrounded by the group of musicians with their wives and children at a party for Planet's son, Peter, from a previous relationship. The singer dismissed these photos as "rubbish"; however Johnny Rogan commented: "Far worse was the visionary style front cover which included a hilarious image of Morrison in a full-length kaftan."<ref name="Rogan"/> Morrison had complained about the stereotypical front cover as well: " ... people think you're a hippie because of the long hair and beard ... I had [them] because where I lived it was extremely cold ... I never had [the beard] in the summertime. I always had it in the winter because where I lived—upstate New York—there was snow for five months of the year ... I'd bought the kaftan in Woodstock, and that's what people were wearing."<ref name="Rogan"/>
[[David Gahr]] took the [[gatefold]] photos of Morrison surrounded by his musicians with their wives and children at a party for Planet's son Peter, born from a previous relationship. Morrison dismissed these photos as "rubbish", and Johnny Rogan commented, "Far worse was the visionary style front cover which included a hilarious image of Morrison in a full-length kaftan."<ref name="Rogan"/> Morrison complained about the stereotypical front cover as well: " ... people think you're a hippie because of the long hair and beard ... I had [them] because where I lived it was extremely cold ... I never had [the beard] in the summertime. I always had it in the winter because where I lived—upstate New York—there was snow for five months of the year ... I'd bought the kaftan in Woodstock, and that's what people were wearing."<ref name="Rogan"/>


==Reception==
==Reception==
===Chart performance===
===Chart performance===
The album peaked at number 32 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and number 18 on the [[UK Album Chart]].<ref name="US charts">{{harvnb|His Band and the Street Choir at allmusic}}</ref><ref name="UK charts">{{harvnb|Chart Stats}}</ref> In America, at the time of its release, the album was as well received as Morrison's previous album ''Moondance''. However this was mainly because of the sampler single "Domino",<ref name="Hinton p.120">{{harvnb|Hinton|2000|p=120}}</ref> which peaked at number 9 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].<ref name="DeWitt, p.63">{{harvnb|DeWitt|1983|p=63}}</ref> The single remains Morrison's biggest US hit as a solo artist (as of 2010), topping his 1967 hit "[[Brown Eyed Girl]]", from the album ''[[Blowin' Your Mind!]]''.<ref name="Hinton p.120"/><ref>{{harvnb|Marcus|2010|p=5}}</ref> "Domino" was also a hit in The Netherlands, this time it reached number 22 on the [[Dutch Top 40]].<ref name="dutch charts">{{harvnb|Dutch singles history:Van Morrison}}</ref> Jon Landau noted that one reason for the songs chart success could have been the guitar figure at the beginning of the song, which in his opinion "is not only a great way to start a single, but a fine way to begin the album."<ref name="Landau"/> "Blue Money" was the second single released from the album. It faultered just outside the top twenty at number 23 in the US.<ref name="DeWitt, p.63"/> The final single, "Call Me Up in Dreamland" only managed two weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, with its highest chart position a lowly number 95,<ref name="DeWitt, p.63"/> although biographer Ken Brooks believed it deserved better in the charts.<ref name="Brooks, p.56"/> The chart success of the singles released from ''His Band and the Street Choir'' show that Morrison wanted to expand his album audience, as the commercial appeal of the album differs dramatically from his second solo album ''Astral Weeks''. John Platania recollected that for ''His Band and the Street Choir'' Morrison "had designs on getting [songs] airplay[ed] on the radio".<ref name="Heylin, p.242"/>
''His Band and the Street Choir'' peaked at number 32 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] and number 18 on the [[UK Album Chart]].<ref name="US charts">{{harvnb|His Band and the Street Choir at allmusic}}</ref><ref name="UK charts">{{harvnb|Chart Stats}}</ref> The album found warm reception in North America as ''Moondance'' had done, largely owed to the success of "Domino",<ref name="Hinton p.120">{{harvnb|Hinton|2000|p=120}}</ref> a sampler single that peaked at number 9 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].<ref name="DeWitt, p.63">{{harvnb|DeWitt|1983|p=63}}</ref> It remains Morrison's biggest US hit as a solo artist (as of 2010), topping his 1967 hit "[[Brown Eyed Girl]]", from the album ''[[Blowin' Your Mind!]]''.<ref name="Hinton p.120"/><ref>{{harvnb|Marcus|2010|p=5}}</ref> "Domino" was also a hit in The Netherlands, reaching number 22 on the [[Dutch Top 40]].<ref name="dutch charts">{{harvnb|Dutch singles history:Van Morrison}}</ref> Jon Landau of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine attributed the success of "Domino" to the guitar figure at its beginning, which he considered "not only a great way to start a single, but a fine way to begin the album".<ref name="Landau"/> "Blue Money" debuted as the second single, faltering outside the ''Top 20'' at number 23 in the US.<ref name="DeWitt, p.63"/> The final single, "Call Me Up in Dreamland", managed only two weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 by reaching number 95;<ref name="DeWitt, p.63"/> biographer Ken Brooks believed it deserved better.<ref name="Brooks, p.56"/> John Platania recalled that Morrison "had designs" on securing radio airplay for ''His Band'', and the success of its singles reflected a growing audience and commercial appeal for his music.<ref name="Heylin, p.242"/>


===Critical response===
===Critical response===
Line 81: Line 83:
| rev5Score = (favorable)<ref name="Landau"/>
| rev5Score = (favorable)<ref name="Landau"/>
}}
}}
Reviewers generally praised ''His Band''. Jon Landau compared it to Morrison's previous work:
Jon Landau of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine praised the album when he reviewed it upon its release:
{{Quote|"''His Band and the Street Choir'' is a free album. It was recorded with minimal over-dubbing and was obviously intended to show the other side of ''Moondance''. And if it has a flaw it is that, like ''Moondance'', it is too much what it set out to be. A few more numbers with a gravity of 'Street Choir' would have made this album as close to perfect as anyone could have stood."<ref name="Landau"/>}}
{{Quote|"''His Band and the Street Choir'' is a free album. It was recorded with minimal over-dubbing and was obviously intended to show the other side of ''Moondance''. And if it has a flaw it is that, like ''Moondance'', it is too much what it set out to be. A few more numbers with a gravity of 'Street Choir' would have made this album as close to perfect as anyone could have stood."<ref name="Landau"/>}}


''[[ZigZag (magazine)|ZigZag]]'' magazine reviewer [[John Tobler]] took the view that "even if it's inferior to ''Moondance'', it is still better than eighty per cent of the records you've got in your collection."<ref>{{harvnb|Yorke|1975|p=88}}</ref> [[Robert Christgau]] took a more critical approach to the album by calling it "a less compelling album than ''Moondance''", as well as containing a "few humdrum cuts and an occasional minor lapse of taste". Nonetheless he gave the album an "A-minus",<ref>{{harvnb|Christgau|1971-03-11}}</ref> which he later upgraded to an "A".<ref>{{harvnb|Christgau|Consumer Guide}}</ref>
''[[ZigZag (magazine)|ZigZag]]'' magazine reviewer [[John Tobler]] felt, "even if it's inferior to ''Moondance'', it is still better than eighty per cent of the records you've got in your collection."<ref>{{harvnb|Yorke|1975|p=88}}</ref> [[Robert Christgau]] was more critical, calling it "a less compelling album than ''Moondance''" containing "a few humdrum cuts and an occasional minor lapse of taste". He nonetheless awarded the album an "A-minus",<ref>{{harvnb|Christgau|1971-03-11}}</ref> later upgraded to an "A".<ref>{{harvnb|Christgau|Consumer Guide}}</ref>
Biographer Brian Hinton commented that ''His Band and the Street Choir'' is "vaguely reminiscent of Bob Dylan's ''[[Nashville Skyline]]''".<ref name="Hinton"/> Singer-songwriter [[Elvis Costello]] has identified ''His Band and the Street Choir'' as one of his 500 essential albums and named "Street Choir" as one of his favorite songs.<ref>{{harvnb|Costello|2000-11-01}}</ref>
Biographer Brian Hinton commented that ''His Band and the Street Choir'' is "vaguely reminiscent of Bob Dylan's ''[[Nashville Skyline]]''".<ref name="Hinton"/> Singer-songwriter [[Elvis Costello]] identified ''His Band and the Street Choir'' as one of his 500 essential albums and "Street Choir" as one of his favorite songs.<ref>{{harvnb|Costello|2000-11-01}}</ref>


===Morrison and the musician's responses===
===Morrison and the musician's responses===
In 1973 Morrison told biographer [[Ritchie Yorke]] that "I'd rather not think about that album because it doesn't mean much in terms of where I was at ... A couple of songs on it were hit singles but the album didn't sell very well and I'm glad."<ref name="Yorke">{{harvnb|Yorke|1975|p=89}}</ref> Morrison first lost control of the album before its release, when it was retitled from ''Virgo's Fool'' to ''His Band and the Street Choir'':
Van Morrison regarded ''His Band'' poorly later in his career, telling biographer [[Ritchie Yorke]] in 1973, "I'd rather not think about that album because it doesn't mean much in terms of where I was at ... A couple of songs on it were hit singles but the album didn't sell very well and I'm glad."<ref name="Yorke">{{harvnb|Yorke|1975|p=89}}</ref> Morrison first lost control of the album before its release, when it was retitled from ''Virgo's Fool'' to ''His Band and the Street Choir'':
{{Quote|"Somebody else got control of it and got the cover and all that shit while I was on the West Coast. I knew what was happening to it, but it was like I couldn't stop it. I'd given my business thing over to someone else and although I had final approval on things, they just went ahead and did the wrong thing. They told the record company it was one thing and it wasn't. So the whole thing went wrong."<ref name="Yorke"/>}}
{{Quote|"Somebody else got control of it and got the cover and all that shit while I was on the West Coast. I knew what was happening to it, but it was like I couldn't stop it. I'd given my business thing over to someone else and although I had final approval on things, they just went ahead and did the wrong thing. They told the record company it was one thing and it wasn't. So the whole thing went wrong."<ref name="Yorke"/>}}
However at the time of its release Morrison's assistant producer and drummer Dahaud Shaar had said "He was feeling pretty good at that time, it was really kind of a positive vibe around the whole record. There wasn't really any dissent." Morrison had also made himself producer and had picked the songs and musicians for the album. This led biographer Clinton Heylin to believe "it is hard to see where any blame for the tepid nature of the collection can alight, save on Morrison's brow."<ref>{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=243}}</ref>
Assistant producer and drummer Dahaud Shaar recalled positive feelings towards the album at the time of its release: "[Morrison] was feeling pretty good at that time, it was really kind of a positive vibe around the whole record. There wasn't really any dissent." Morrison produced the album and picked its songs and musicians, leading biographer Clinton Heylin to claim, "it is hard to see where any blame for the tepid nature of the collection can alight, save on Morrison's brow."<ref>{{harvnb|Heylin|2003|p=243}}</ref>


==Track listing==
==Track listing==

Revision as of 03:13, 7 June 2010

Untitled

His Band and the Street Choir is the fourth solo album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released 15 November 1970 by Warner Bros. Records. Originally titled Virgo's Fool, His Band was renamed by Warner Bros. without Morrison's consent. Recording began April 1970 with a demo session in a small church in Woodstock, New York. Morrison entered the A&R Studios on 46th Street in New York City the following June to produce His Band and the Street Choir, but plans for rush-release forced him to finish the album using demo-session tracks.

Reviewers praised the work of both sessions for their free, relaxed sound, though they contained simpler lyrics than his previous work. Morrison had intended to record the album a cappella (with only vocal backing) using a group of friends, the Street Choir. Morrison was dissatisfied with the addition of female vocalists, and the album's songs featuring the Street Choir were given instrumental backing. These changes and others have led Morrison to regard His Band and the Street Choir poorly in later years, even though it charted well and elicited good reviews.

American audiences praised His Band and the Street Choir as well as Morrison's previous album Moondance; His Band peaked at number 32 on the Billboard charts. The album also reached number 18 on the UK Album Chart. The work's success was largely owed to "Domino", a sampler single which reached the US Top Ten and surpassed his hit "Brown Eyed Girl". As of 2010, It remains Morrison's most successful single of his solo career. Warner Bros. released two other singles, "Blue Money" and "Call Me Up in Dreamland"; though less successful, they still managed to reach the Billboard Hot 100.

Production

Recording

His Band and the Street Choir was Morrison's third record produced for Warner Bros. Records.[1] The album's first recording session began in April 1970. Originally intended to be a demo session with no official releases, it took place in a church in Woodstock with limited recording equipment. Morrison worked on leftover material from his previous two albums (Astral Weeks and Moondance), wrote two new songs ("Crazy Face" and "Give Me a Kiss"), and recorded three instrumentals.[2]

Seven long-haired young men in casual clothes sit close together, look forward, and smile. One of the men in the middle of the shot leans on another man's head while holding a cup in his other hand.
Van Morrison's band in 1970 (from left to right): Alan Hand, John Platania, Keith Johnson, Dahaud Shaar, Van Morrison, John Klingberg, Jack Schroer.

Morrison brought back three musicians from the Moondance sessions: saxophonist Jack Schroer, guitarist John Platania, and bassist John Klingberg. The backing vocal trio of Emily Houston, Judy Clay and Jackie Verdell also returned, having sung on "If I Ever Needed Someone" from Morrison's previous album. Multi-instrumentalist Dahaud Shaar joined as assistant producer for His Band and the Street Choir; he was a veteran of the Moondance tour but did not play on the actual album.[3] Keyboardist Alan Hand joined Morrison's band in late April 1970, replacing Jeff Labes who had left the band to move to Israel.[2] Trumpeter Keith Johnson played Hammond organ on the recording of "I've Been Working" before Hand joined.[3]

Morrison entered the A&R recording studios on 46th Street in New York City around June to begin work on the new album.[4] He assembled a vocal group called the Street Choir and intended to make a full a cappella album. Morrison recruited his friends Dahaud Shaar, Larry Goldsmith and Andrew Robinson, who lived near Woodstock. He then allowed three females to join: Morrison's then wife, Janet "Planet" Rigsbee, and the wives of two members of Morrison's band, Martha Velez (Keith Johnson) and Ellen Schroer (Jack Schroer).[3] Morrison wanted to feature only male vocalists, later commenting, "I had a group of people in mind for the Street Choir ... I asked them if they wanted to sing ... then the old ladies [wives and girlfriends] got involved and it ruined the whole thing."[5]

Morrison abandoned the concept when he decided to use the band from the demo tracks on the songs that featured the Street Choir. He was unhappy with the songs recorded with the choir, as he wanted to use the group for a different effect: "Street Choir was going to be an a cappella group. I wanted these certain guys to form an a cappella group so that I could cut a lot of songs with just maybe one guitar. But it didn't turn out."[6] The demos from the first session, excluding the instrumentals and an early version of "Virgo Clowns", were all used to complete the album.[4] Morrison felt unsatisfied with some of the final recordings, and notably reworked the song "Street Choir" shortly before studio work concluded.[7] Five of the six songs recorded during the second session and released on the album featured the Street Choir.[4]

Composition

Some songs featured on His Band and the Street Choir were first recorded for the albums Astral Weeks and Moondance. Morrison rewrote and rearranged them for release on His Band, as the original recordings featured different personnel and instrumentation than his choices for the new album.[8] The songs on the album borrow from various music genres and have a free, relaxed sound;[9] the simple lyrics lack the level of poetry popularly expected from Morrison's work.[10]

The first song recording that would feature on His Band and the Street Choir was "I've Been Working", an outtake from the Astral Weeks sessions in 1968 and Moondance sessions in 1969.[8] The final version produced on His Band and the Street Choir is an upbeat funk number influenced by soul music, particularly that of James Brown. Morrison and the horn section come together on the chorus, where Morrison scats the words "Woman, woman, woman, you make me feel alright".[9]

"Domino" had been recorded many times before its release, first in Autumn 1968 after the Astral Weeks sessions.[8] Morrison rearranged "Domino" many times, recording rap and harmony versions.[11] The version released on His Band and the Street Choir contains a moderate tempo, reoccurring bass line riff, and rhythm guitar;[12] Morrison later added horn overdubs.[13] He also wrote a flute part, but it was abandoned after being deemed too complex.[14] The song was considered a tribute to Fats Domino,[15][14] but the lyrics in a previous recording are inconsistent with this view: "He let us in and we drank the wine that went to our heads / And we used to lay on a feather bed and laugh at the man called Domino".[16] Like "Domino", Morrison first recorded "If I Ever Needed Someone" in Autumn 1968;[8] it is one of many blues-influenced tracks on the album.[17]

"Virgo Clowns" was first recorded during the early winter of 1969 as "(Sit Down) Funny Face". Morrison next recorded it during the first His Band and the Street Choir session, entitling it simply "Funny Face". He re-recorded it in the second session, retitling it "Virgo Clowns".[8][18] In its final form, Morrison and John Platania duet on acoustic guitars, and drummer Dahaud Shaar doubles up on bass clarinet.[14]

"Crazy Face" evolved with different lyrics from the Morrison song "Going Around with Jesse James",[13] first recorded on 15 October 1968 for Astral Weeks.[8] The lyrics of both mention American outlaw Jesse James.[13] Morrison arranged "Crazy Face" in the irregular time signature 8/4; the first, third and seventh beats of the bar are emphasised,[19] and the song begins with a gentle piano introduction.[13]

"Give Me a Kiss" and "Gypsy Queen" are the final songs recorded at the album's first session.[8] Morrison wrote "Give me a Kiss" about either Planet or his newly born baby girl Shana.[13] The song is a twelve bar blues in the style of boogie rock,[20] a genre of music prominent in the 1960s, and has been compared to the work The Beatles[14] and Elvis Presley.[13] Reviewers believed the song "Gypsy Queen" was inspired by "Gypsy Woman", first recorded by Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions.[9][17][21][22] Johnny Rogan feels the song is "a failed attempt to recapture the spirit of 'Caravan' ",[23] another Morrison composition inspired by "Gypsy Woman", released on the album Moondance.[24] Morrison sings the song in falsetto,[14] while keyboardist Alan Hand plays celeste, imitating a music box at the beginning and end of the song.[22]

The second recording session yielded the remaining material.[8] "Call Me Up in Dreamland" is a catchy gospel-style composition. The Street Choir featured conspicuously in the song; biographer Ken Brooks noted, "it is this track that reminds the listener that this album was originally intended to be recorded a-cappella".[25] The lyrics refer to life on the road,[14] as Morrison was touring when he recorded the album.[5] "I'll Be Your Lover, Too" was inspired by Morrison and Janet Planet's marriage.[25] This acoustic ballad has a moderate tempo and 4/4 time, with one 5/8 bar before the vocal comes in.[14][26] "Blue Money" is a pun-filled reference to Morrison's financial situation.[27] The song is about a model, perhaps Planet,[14] who worked in the industry before meeting Morrison.[28] "Sweet Jannie" is the second twelve-bar blues on the album; written about young love, the song is another that reviewers speculated was about Planet.[9][17] The lyrics, "I've been in love with you baby / Ever since you were in Sunday school" led biographer Clinton Heylin to believe it was written about memories from Morrison's childhood when he attended Sunday school in Belfast;[29] Planet is a California-raised Texan.[28] In the album closer "Street Choir" Morrison repeats the questions, "Why did you leave America / Why did you let me down / And now that things are better off / Why do you come around". Yhe song prominently features Keith Johnson's trumpet and Morrison's harmonica.[14] Writer Brian Hinton described these lyrics as "perversely bitter", and Rolling Stone reviewer Jon Landau felt "Street Choir" was one of the "two or three finest songs" of Morrison's career because of its "musical and poetic energy".[9]

Packaging

Warner Bros. scheduled His Band and the Street Choir for rush-release to sell over Christmas 1970, leaving little time for planning for the album's packaging. The company mistitled the album's promotional releases asHis Band and Street Choir and prepared an incorrectly-ordered track listing.[5] Janet Planet designed the album cover and wrote the sleeve notes. Brian Hinton commented that her sleeve notes sounded "a little desperate", as she wrote, "This is the album that you must sing with, dance to, you must find a place for these songs somewhere in your life."[3]

David Gahr took the gatefold photos of Morrison surrounded by his musicians with their wives and children at a party for Planet's son Peter, born from a previous relationship. Morrison dismissed these photos as "rubbish", and Johnny Rogan commented, "Far worse was the visionary style front cover which included a hilarious image of Morrison in a full-length kaftan."[5] Morrison complained about the stereotypical front cover as well: " ... people think you're a hippie because of the long hair and beard ... I had [them] because where I lived it was extremely cold ... I never had [the beard] in the summertime. I always had it in the winter because where I lived—upstate New York—there was snow for five months of the year ... I'd bought the kaftan in Woodstock, and that's what people were wearing."[5]

Reception

Chart performance

His Band and the Street Choir peaked at number 32 on the Billboard 200 and number 18 on the UK Album Chart.[30][31] The album found warm reception in North America as Moondance had done, largely owed to the success of "Domino",[32] a sampler single that peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.[33] It remains Morrison's biggest US hit as a solo artist (as of 2010), topping his 1967 hit "Brown Eyed Girl", from the album Blowin' Your Mind!.[32][34] "Domino" was also a hit in The Netherlands, reaching number 22 on the Dutch Top 40.[35] Jon Landau of Rolling Stone magazine attributed the success of "Domino" to the guitar figure at its beginning, which he considered "not only a great way to start a single, but a fine way to begin the album".[9] "Blue Money" debuted as the second single, faltering outside the Top 20 at number 23 in the US.[33] The final single, "Call Me Up in Dreamland", managed only two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 by reaching number 95;[33] biographer Ken Brooks believed it deserved better.[25] John Platania recalled that Morrison "had designs" on securing radio airplay for His Band, and the success of its singles reflected a growing audience and commercial appeal for his music.[7]

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[36]
Robert Christgau(A)[37]
Creem(not rated)[38]
Oocities(B+)[15]
Rolling Stone(favorable)[9]

Reviewers generally praised His Band. Jon Landau compared it to Morrison's previous work:

"His Band and the Street Choir is a free album. It was recorded with minimal over-dubbing and was obviously intended to show the other side of Moondance. And if it has a flaw it is that, like Moondance, it is too much what it set out to be. A few more numbers with a gravity of 'Street Choir' would have made this album as close to perfect as anyone could have stood."[9]

ZigZag magazine reviewer John Tobler felt, "even if it's inferior to Moondance, it is still better than eighty per cent of the records you've got in your collection."[39] Robert Christgau was more critical, calling it "a less compelling album than Moondance" containing "a few humdrum cuts and an occasional minor lapse of taste". He nonetheless awarded the album an "A-minus",[40] later upgraded to an "A".[41] Biographer Brian Hinton commented that His Band and the Street Choir is "vaguely reminiscent of Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline".[14] Singer-songwriter Elvis Costello identified His Band and the Street Choir as one of his 500 essential albums and "Street Choir" as one of his favorite songs.[42]

Morrison and the musician's responses

Van Morrison regarded His Band poorly later in his career, telling biographer Ritchie Yorke in 1973, "I'd rather not think about that album because it doesn't mean much in terms of where I was at ... A couple of songs on it were hit singles but the album didn't sell very well and I'm glad."[43] Morrison first lost control of the album before its release, when it was retitled from Virgo's Fool to His Band and the Street Choir:

"Somebody else got control of it and got the cover and all that shit while I was on the West Coast. I knew what was happening to it, but it was like I couldn't stop it. I'd given my business thing over to someone else and although I had final approval on things, they just went ahead and did the wrong thing. They told the record company it was one thing and it wasn't. So the whole thing went wrong."[43]

Assistant producer and drummer Dahaud Shaar recalled positive feelings towards the album at the time of its release: "[Morrison] was feeling pretty good at that time, it was really kind of a positive vibe around the whole record. There wasn't really any dissent." Morrison produced the album and picked its songs and musicians, leading biographer Clinton Heylin to claim, "it is hard to see where any blame for the tepid nature of the collection can alight, save on Morrison's brow."[44]

Track listing

All songs written by Van Morrison.[36]

Side one

  1. "Domino"  – 3:06
  2. "Crazy Face"  – 2:56
  3. "Give Me a Kiss (Just One Sweet Kiss)"  – 2:30
  4. "I've Been Working"  – 3:25
  5. "Call Me Up in Dreamland"  – 3:52
  6. "I'll Be Your Lover, Too"  – 3:57

Side two

  1. "Blue Money"  – 3:40
  2. "Virgo Clowns"  – 4:10
  3. "Gypsy Queen"  – 3:16
  4. "Sweet Jannie"  – 2:11
  5. "If I Ever Needed Someone"  – 3:45
  6. "Street Choir"  – 4:43

Personnel

Musicians

The Street Choir

  • Larry Goldsmith
  • Janet Planet
  • Andrew Robinson
  • Ellen Schroer
  • Dahaud Shaar (David Shaw)
  • Martha Velez
Production[45]
  • Van Morrison – producer
  • Dahaud Shaar – assistant producer
  • Elliot Scheiner – production coordinator, engineer
  • Dixon Van Winkle, Ed Anderson, Mark Harman, Richard Lubash – assisting engineers
  • David Gahr – photography
  • Janet Planet – album design

Charts

Album

Chart (1970) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[31] 18
US Billboard 200[30] 32
Dutch Albums Chart[35] 48


Singles

Year Single Peak positions
US
[33] 		NL
[35]
1970 "Domino" 9 22
1971 "Blue Money" 23 —
"Call Me Up in Dreamland" 95 —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Notes

  1. ^ Heylin 2003, p. 221
  2. ^ a b Heylin 2003, p. 238
  3. ^ a b c d Hinton 2000, p. 121
  4. ^ a b c Heylin 2003, p. 520
  5. ^ a b c d e Rogan 2006, p. 257
  6. ^ Collis 1996, p. 122
  7. ^ a b Heylin 2003, p. 242
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Heylin 2003, pp. 518–520
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h Landau & 1971-02-04
  10. ^ Heylin 2003, p. 235
  11. ^ Unterberger & The Genuine Philosopher's Stone review
  12. ^ Alfred Music Publishing, p. 4
  13. ^ a b c d e f Brooks 1999, p. 55
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hinton 2000, pp. 122–123
  15. ^ a b Floman & Oocities review
  16. ^ Heylin 2003, p. 213
  17. ^ a b c DeWitt 1983, p. 88
  18. ^ Heylin 2003, p. 240
  19. ^ Alfred Music Publishing, p. 18
  20. ^ Alfred Music Publishing, p. 10
  21. ^ Collis 1996, p. 123
  22. ^ a b Brooks 1999, p. 57
  23. ^ Rogan 2006, p. 258
  24. ^ Bangs, Marcus & 1970-03-19
  25. ^ a b c Brooks 1999, p. 56
  26. ^ Alfred Music Publishing, p. 22
  27. ^ Marcus 1979, p. 20
  28. ^ a b Heylin 2003, p. 127
  29. ^ Heylin 2003, p. 9
  30. ^ a b His Band and the Street Choir at allmusic
  31. ^ a b Chart Stats
  32. ^ a b Hinton 2000, p. 120
  33. ^ a b c d DeWitt 1983, p. 63
  34. ^ Marcus 2010, p. 5
  35. ^ a b c Dutch singles history:Van Morrison
  36. ^ a b Ankeny & allmusic review
  37. ^ Christgau & Robert Christgau review
  38. ^ Marsh & 1971-10
  39. ^ Yorke 1975, p. 88
  40. ^ Christgau & 1971-03-11
  41. ^ Christgau & Consumer Guide
  42. ^ Costello & 2000-11-01
  43. ^ a b Yorke 1975, p. 89
  44. ^ Heylin 2003, p. 243
  45. ^ Planet 1970, p. 4

References

  • Alfred Music Publishing, Van Morrison Anthology, ISBN 0-7692-8967-3
  • Ankeny, Jason, allmusic review, allmusic.com, retrieved 2010-01-07
  • Bangs, Lester; Marcus, Greil (1970-03-19), "Moondance review", Rolling Stone, no. 54, retrieved 2010-04-30
  • Brooks, Ken (1999), In Search of Van Morrison, Andover, Hampshire: Agenda, ISBN 1 89988295 2
  • Chart Stats, chartstats.com, retrieved 2010-01-05
  • Christgau, Robert, Robert Christgau review, robertchristgau.com, retrieved 2010-01-07
  • Christgau, Robert (1971-03-11), Consumer Guide, robertchristgau.com, retrieved 2009-03-30
  • Christgau, Robert, Consumer Guide, robertchristagau.com, retrieved 2009-03-30
  • Collis, John (1998), Inarticulate Speech of the Heart, London: Warner Books, ISBN 0-7515-2068-3
  • Costello, Elvis (2000-11-01), Costello's 500, elviscostello.info, retrieved 2008-12-07
  • DeWitt, Howard A. (1983), Van Morrison: The Mystic's Music, Fremont, California: Horizon Books, ISBN 0-938840-02-9
  • Dutch singles history:Van Morrison, retrieved 2010-01-21
  • Floman, Scott, Oocities review, oocities.com, retrieved 2010-01-07
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