Van Morrison’s ‘The Authorized Bang Collection’ Scheduled for Release
Between his debut as a member of the Irish band Them and his celebrated 1968 album Astral Weeks, Van Morrison recorded a series of songs for Bang Records. His output during his stint for the label pretty much amounted to his 1967 solo debut album, Blowin' Your Mind!, which contained the Top 10 single "Brown Eyed Girl."
The original album's eight tracks plus many others recorded during the sessions will be collected on a new three-disc set, The Authorized Bang Collection, which comes out on April 28.
Much of this material has been repackaged over the years, but this new set includes some previously unreleased alternate takes of songs that showed up on Blowin' Your Mind! Elsewhere, The Authorized Bang Collection also compiles the "Contractual Obligation Session," a recording date in which Morrison burned through 30 fragments of songs to fulfill his time with Bang. He left the company for Warner Bros. shortly after.
You can see the full track listing for The Authorized Bang Collection below.
Legacy Recordings says the upcoming album is "the first official comprehensive anthology ever assembled" on Morrison's Bang material. In addition to the first CD appearance of the original stereo mix of the album, the collection features rare mono mixes of songs recorded at the LP sessions, including an early take of "Madame George," which appeared on Astral Weeks a year later.
Included on the second disc of rarities is the original mono single mix of "Brown Eyed Girl," as well as alternate takes of "T.B. Sheets," "Midnight Special" and another song that ended up on Astral Weeks, "Beside You."
Van Morrison, 'The Authorized Bang Collection' Track Listing
Disc One – The Original Masters
1. Brown Eyed Girl [original stereo mix]
2. He Ain't Give You None [original stereo mix]
3. T.B. Sheets [original stereo mix]
4. Spanish Rose [original stereo mix]
5. Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye) [original stereo mix]
6. Ro Ro Rosey [original stereo mix]
7. Who Drove the Red Sports Car [original stereo mix]
8. Midnight Special [original stereo mix]
9. It's All Right [original stereo mix]
10. Send Your Mind [original stereo mix]
11. The Smile You Smile [original stereo mix]
12. The Back Room [original stereo mix] (5:26)
13. Joe Harper Saturday Morning [original stereo mix] (2:55)
14. Beside You [original mono mix]
15. Madame George [original mono mix]
16. Chick-A-Boom [original mono mix]
17. The Smile You Smile [demo]
Disc Two – Bang Sessions and Rarities
1. Brown Eyed Girl [original edited mono single mix]
2. Ro Ro Rosey [original mono single mix with backing vocals]
3. T.B. Sheets [Take 2]
4. Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye) [Takes 10 & 11]
5. Send Your Mind [Take 3]
6. Midnight Special [Take 7]
7. He Ain't Give You None (Take 4)
8. Ro Ro Rosey [Take 2]
9. Who Drove the Red Sports Car (Take 6)
10. Beside You [Take 2]
11. Joe Harper Saturday Morning [Take 2]
12. Beside You [Take 5]
13. Spanish Rose [Take 14] (4:23)
14. Brown Eyed Girl [Takes 1-6]
15. Brown Eyed Girl [Takes 7-11]
Disc Three – Contractual Obligation Session
1. Twist and Shake
2. Shake and Roll
3. Stomp and Scream
4. Scream and Holler
5. Jump and Thump
6. Drivin' Wheel
7. Just Ball
8. Shake It Mable
9. Hold On George
10. The Big Royalty Check
11. Ring Worm
12. Savoy Hollywood
13. Freaky If You Got This Far
14. Up Your Mind
15. Thirty Two
16. All the Bits
17. You Say France And I Whistle
18. Blowin’ Your Nose
19. Nose In Your Blow
20. La Mambo
21. Go For Yourself
22. Want a Danish
23. Here Comes Dumb George
24. Chickee Coo
25. Do It
26. Hang On Groovy
27. Goodbye George
28. Dum Dum George
29. Walk and Talk
30. The Wobble
31. Wobble and Ball
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