The Them 1965 British blues boom original with Van the Man, possibly Britain's greatest male soul singer, Morrison on vocals or the godmother of punk, the divine Patti Smith ripping the song a new one in 1976.
This is the best one yet, can make a case for either and it would be a good one. Patti Smith for me for the pure energy, but that's taking nothing away from Van Morrison.
(Jimi Hendrix does a good live cover, but not up to this standard)
Both as shockingly bad as each other. PS someone I know has had business dealings with Van Morrison and he's allegedly not a very nice man.
Ms AA saw him in concert many years ago and said he was a miserable bugger who spent all set looking at his watch and buggered off stage as soon as he reasonably good.
It's a hard choice, the versions are very different in their interpretation. If I was after some easy listening, it would be Them, if I wanted to be shaken up it would be Patti.
Both as shockingly bad as each other. PS someone I know has had business dealings with Van Morrison and he's allegedly not a very nice man.
He used to drink & i think live in Bangor (up to a few years ago anyway, may still do) & if anyone approached him in the pub even to just say hello they'd receive a mouthful of abuse. Thoroughly obnoxious man so I've been told.
Patti Smith's version is as Patti Smith does. It it unique and she owns it. But it is a Van song and it is the original Them version it is for me probably as much because that is how it was performed, as part of the staple diet of covers, in the school bands I was in some 40 plus years ago now.
Both as shockingly bad as each other. PS someone I know has had business dealings with Van Morrison and he's allegedly not a very nice man.
He used to drink & i think live in Bangor (up to a few years ago anyway, may still do) & if anyone approached him in the pub even to just say hello they'd receive a mouthful of abuse. Thoroughly obnoxious man so I've been told.
Yes, I was being generous when I said not very nice. Thoroughly nasty & obnoxious is closer to what I heard.
Both as shockingly bad as each other. PS someone I know has had business dealings with Van Morrison and he's allegedly not a very nice man.
He used to drink & i think live in Bangor (up to a few years ago anyway, may still do) & if anyone approached him in the pub even to just say hello they'd receive a mouthful of abuse. Thoroughly obnoxious man so I've been told.
Yes, I was being generous when I said not very nice. Thoroughly nasty & obnoxious is closer to what I heard.
Be careful what you say chaps. Even the Irish Times is scared of him:
Those of us lucky enough never to have met our hero have still heard enough tales about Morrison's unpleasantness to make our newspapers' libel lawyers shudder with fear.
But then this is what he says about himself anyway:
"I'm not a nice person. I don't expect anyone to say I'm a nice guy. If somebody says I'm grumpy, I'm a c***, or whatever, that's okay because I don't profess to be an angel. I think I'm a loner."
Both as shockingly bad as each other. PS someone I know has had business dealings with Van Morrison and he's allegedly not a very nice man.
He used to drink & i think live in Bangor (up to a few years ago anyway, may still do) & if anyone approached him in the pub even to just say hello they'd receive a mouthful of abuse. Thoroughly obnoxious man so I've been told.
Yes, I was being generous when I said not very nice. Thoroughly nasty & obnoxious is closer to what I heard.
Even denied his long term partner had borne his child.
Great singer & song writer......but not a nice man.
Patti Smith version. But then I'm a massive PS fan. Saw her in 76 at Roundhouse and about 7-8 times since. Was due to see her at Bath festival next month (now cancelled) and have a ticket for Albert Hall concert in November (fingers crossed). Her stage presence and energy (even in her 70s) is amazing.
Comments
(Jimi Hendrix does a good live cover, but not up to this standard)
PS someone I know has had business dealings with Van Morrison and he's allegedly not a very nice man.
Thoroughly nasty & obnoxious is closer to what I heard.
Those of us lucky enough never to have met our hero have still heard enough tales about Morrison's unpleasantness to make our newspapers' libel lawyers shudder with fear.
"I'm not a nice person. I don't expect anyone to say I'm a nice guy. If somebody says I'm grumpy, I'm a c***, or whatever, that's okay because I don't profess to be an angel. I think I'm a loner."
Great singer & song writer......but not a nice man.
I think we are suppose to judge the 2 versions not Van Morrison the man.
Van Morrison for me
Lou Reed, another hero, was another grumpy sod.