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G-L-O-R-I-OUS: Legacy Announces New Set Featuring Van Morrison's Complete Recordings with Them

November 5, 2015 By Randy Fairman 6 Comments

Complete ThemIt has been a pretty big year for Van Morrison, both with new recordings and reissues.  At the beginning of 2015, he released his latest studio effort, Duets- Re-Working the Catalogue.  In August, it was announced that Sony/Legacy Recordings had acquired the rights to the majority of his catalogue.  The label quickly released an Essential volume and put 33 albums up on digital services with the promise of more projects to come.  Then, just last week, Rhino released expanded editions of two of Morrison's albums, Astral Weeks and His Band and Street Choir. (Rhino still controls the rights to those two albums, together with Moondance.  They gave Moondance the box-set treatment in 2013).  Now, Legacy has announced that they will release the first of its promised archival projects on December 4:  The Complete Them 1964-1967.

Them, formed in 1964, was not the first band that Van Morrison had joined.  But they were the first to gain an international following outside of Ireland.  Morrison recorded two albums and numerous singles (including the classic "Gloria") with the group between 1964 and 1967, released on Decca in the UK and Parrot in the US.  Legal issues arose within the band and Morrison departed for Bang Records, releasing his first solo single, "Brown-Eyed Girl" in June, 1967.  The rest, as they say, is history.

The new 69-track, 3-CD set from Legacy contains all of the group's released recordings together with a disc of rarities and unreleased material.  Much of this material has been anthologized in the past, including on Deram's 1997 compilation The Story of Them Featuring Van Morrison (although that release had some mono tracks rechanneled into stereo and did not have the complete recordings.) We've got Legacy's press release below together with the full tracklisting and discographical information.  If you'd like to explore some of Van Morrison's earliest work, you may pre-order the set due on December 4 at the Amazon links below.

NEW YORK - Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release THE COMPLETE THEM 1964-1967, a comprehensive 3-CD anthology bringing together the historic first recordings of Van Morrison, on December 4, 2015.

The most thorough collection of Morrison's early studio and live performances ever assembled, THE COMPLETE THEM 1964-1967 includes all material recorded for the first two THEM albums--THE ANGRY YOUNG THEM (1965) and THEM AGAIN (1966)--in addition to singles, demos, live sessions, alternate takes and rarities (from 1964-1967), many of them long unavailable or previously unreleased.

All tracks on THE COMPLETE THEM 1964-1967 have been newly remastered for this collection, ensuring the best possible listening experience for both new and seasoned fans of Van Morrison.

An essential showcase chronicling the historic beginnings of Van Morrison's 50+ year career as one of modern rock music's most significant and influential singers, songwriters and performers, THE COMPLETE THEM 1964-1967 is being released as part of the exclusive licensing agreement struck between SME/Legacy and Morrison's own Exile Productions Ltd earlier this year.

THE COMPLETE THEM 1964-1967 package includes an insightful new commentary on THEM provided by Van Morrison.

Formed in Belfast, Ireland in the early 1960s, THEM's original five man lineup consisted of Van Morrison (lead vocals, saxophone, harmonica), Alan Henderson (bass guitar), Ronnie Millings (drums), Billy Harrison (guitar, vocals) and Eric Wrixon (keyboards). Taking their name from a 1954 science-fiction horror film, THEM played for the first time in April 1964 at Belfast's Maritime Hotel, their set consisting of raw dynamic interpretations of R&B, blues and soul music fueled by 18-year-old Van Morrison's undeniable power, presence and charisma. Within a few weeks, THEM became the hottest band in Belfast, packing the Maritime with overflow crowds and spontaneous, dynamic shows.

Van Morrison and THEM's reputation led to a contract with Decca Records, who brought the group to the label's studio in West Hampstead, England for Van's first recording session on July 5, 1964. Van Morrison's classic "Gloria" and THEM's version of "Turn on Your Love Light" were recorded as well as THEM's first single--"Don't Start Crying Now" c/w "One Two Brown Eyes"--and "Groovin'," "Philosophy" and a smoking version of Bo Diddley's "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover." Session musicians were brought in to augment the THEM lineup, which would become increasingly fluid over the course of the band's brief career. It was apparent early on that Van Morrison was essentially THEM and that his trajectory as a solo artist, working with a variety of backup musicians, was inevitable.

The second THEM single--a version of Big Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go" c/w Van's original composition "Gloria"--featured Jimmy Page on rhythm guitar. In December 1964, THEM appeared for the first time on television, along with the Rolling Stones on "Ready Steady Go!"

THEM's next single, "Here Comes the Night," written and produced by Bert Berns, shot up to #2 on the UK charts in March 1965 and would later become their first single in the US, where the group was marketed as part of pop music's "British Invasion." THEM charted in America in 1965 with both "Here Comes the Night" and "Mystic Eyes."

Decca released THE ANGRY YOUNG THEM in June 1965, with a US release (on Parrott Records) in July; THEM AGAIN came out in the UK in January 1966 with a subsequent US release in April 1966. THEM crossed the Atlantic for a US tour in May 1966, holding down an historic residency at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, with the Doors as their opening act. THEM headlined at the Fillmore in San Francisco with Van Morrison leaving the group later in 1966.

Van Morrison and THEM's immortal "Gloria," recorded in 1964, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and was ranked at #208 on Rolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."

Van Morrison has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1993) and the Songwriters Hall of Fame (2003) and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010.

Winner of a BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music (1994), Van Morrison holds six Grammy Awards (1996-2007) and an Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement (1995).

Morrison has been named one of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time (2004, #42), 100 Greatest Singers of All Time (2008, #24) and 100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time (2015, #22). Van the Man has two albums on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and four songs--including "Brown Eyed Girl" (#109) and "Gloria" (with Them) (#208)--on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time

An internationally successful artist with chart-topping hits on both sides of the Atlantic, Van Morrison has six gold and three platinum/multiplatinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America. In the UK alone, Van has charted with more than 20 Top 20 albums, including an astounding 13 titles placed in the Top 10.

On Friday, June 12, 2015, Van Morrison was awarded an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II during her annual Birthday Honours celebration. Newly-titled Sir George Ivan Morrison, the artist received the United Kingdom's highest individual honor for his "services to the music industry and to tourism in Northern Ireland."

"Throughout my career I have always preferred to let my music speak for me, and it is a huge honor to now have that body of work recognized in this way," said Van Morrison in a statement given in response to the news, reported the BBC.

On June 18, Morrison received the Johnny Mercer Award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala in New York City.

Van Morrison celebrated his 70th birthday on August 31, 2015 with "Van Morrison: Live on Cyprus Avenue," two concert performances serving as part of the closing event of the Belfast EastSide Arts Festival 2015.

Them, The Complete Them 1964-1967 (Sony/Legacy Recordings, 2015) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

CD 1 (1964-1965)

  1. Don't Start Crying Now
  2. One Two Brown Eyes
  3. Baby Please Don't Go
  4. Gloria
  5. Philosophy
  6. Here Comes The Night
  7. All For Myself
  8. One More Time
  9. How Long Baby
  10. Mystic Eyes
  11. If You And I Could Be As Two
  12. Little Girl (album version)
  13. Just A Little Bit
  14. I Gave My Love A Diamond
  15. You Just Can't Win
  16. Go On Home Baby
  17. Don't Look Back
  18. I Like It Like That
  19. I'm Gonna Dress In Black
  20. Bright Lights, Big City
  21. My Little Baby
  22. (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66
  23. (It Won't Hurt) Half As Much

CD 2 (1966-1967)

  1. Could You Would You
  2. Something You Got
  3. Call My Name (album version)
  4. Turn On Your Love Light
  5. I Put A Spell On You
  6. I Can Only Give You Everything
  7. My Lonely Sad Eyes
  8. I Got A Woman
  9. Out Of Sight
  10. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
  11. Bad Or Good
  12. Hello Josephine
  13. Don't You Know
  14. Hey Girl
  15. Bring 'Em On In (album version)
  16. Richard Cory
  17. Friday's Child
  18. The Story Of Them Part 1
  19. The Story Of Them Part 2
  20. Baby What You Want Me To Do
  21. Stormy Monday Blues
  22. Times Getting Tougher Than Tough

CD 3 (Demos, Sessions & Rarities 1964-1967)

  1. Don't Start Crying Now (demo)
  2. Gloria (demo)
  3. One Two Brown Eyes (demo)
  4. Stormy Monday Blues (demo)
  5. Turn On Your Love Light (alternate version)
  6. Baby Please Don't Go (Take 4)
  7. Here Comes The Night (Take 2)
  8. Gloria (Live on BBC's "Saturday Club")
  9. All For Myself (Live on BBC's "Saturday Club")
  10. Here Comes The Night (Live on BBC's "Saturday Club")
  11. Little Girl (version one)
  12. Go On Home Baby (Take 4)
  13. I Gave My Love A Diamond (Take 8)
  14. (It Won't Hurt) Half As Much (Take 2)
  15. My Little Baby (Take 1)
  16. How Long Baby (Take 1)
  17. One More Time (Take 14)
  18. Gloria (Live on BBC's "Saturday Club")
  19. Here Comes The Night (Live on BBC's "Saturday Club")
  20. One More Time (Live on BBC's "Saturday Club")
  21. Call My Name (single version)
  22. Bring 'Em On In (single version)
  23. Mighty Like A Rose
  24. Richard Cory (Alternate Version)

Disc 1, Tracks 1-2 from Decca UK Single F-11973, 1964
Disc 1, Tracks 3-4 from Decca UK Single F-12018, 1964
Disc 1, Track 5 from Decca UK EP DFE-8612, 1965
Disc 1, Tracks 6-7 from Decca UK Single F-12094, 1965
Disc 1, Tracks 8-9 from Decca UK Single F-12175, 1965
Disc 1, Tracks 10-22 from The "Angry" Young Them!, Decca UK LP LK4700, 1965
Disc 1, Track 23 from Decca UK Single F-12215, 1965
Disc 2, Tracks 1-15 from Them Again, Decca UK LP LK4751, 1966
Disc 2, Track 16 from Decca UK Single F-12403, 1966
Disc 2, Track 17 from Major Minor UK Single MM-509, 1967
Disc 2, Tracks 18-19 from Major Minor UK Single MM-513, 1967
Disc 2, Tracks 20-22 from Decca Netherlands EP BU70500, 1967
Disc 3, Tracks 1-10, 12-20, 24 Previously Unreleased
Disc 3, Track 11 possibly from England's Greatest Hitmakers (Also known as The Lord's Taverner's Charity Album), Decca UK LP 4695, 1965
Disc 3, Tracks 21-22 from Parrot Single 45-9819, 1966
Disc 3, Track 23 Originally unreleased, released on London LP Backtrackin', 1974

Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Classic Rock Tags: Them, Van Morrison

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Randy Fairman

Entertainment historian and writer Randy Fairman is a graduate of Northwestern University. Randy has written for publications including University Reporter Chicago and co-authored the graphic novel Love Bytes. A native of Indiana, he currently resides in New Jersey.

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Comments

  1. Ross says

    November 5, 2015 at 5:10 pm

    Oh yes oh yes oh yes. Christmas present for myself I think.

    Reply
  2. Victor Dang says

    November 5, 2015 at 11:38 pm

    PLEASE let Sony's in-house team (Anesini or Wilder) master this and not Jon Astley again.

    Now that I've got that out of the way, it's nice to see something replacing the atrocious sound of the Story of Them compilation, but I wonder how many of these tracks will be stereo and mono? It doesn't exactly say in the track listing.

    Reply
  3. Magnus Hägermyr says

    November 6, 2015 at 8:13 am

    Two Morrison's for the price of one at The Whisky's 1966 seems to be the place to be in. Too bad there was no recording equipment to perpetuate the renowned duet. This is a welcomed new edition if the remastering is up for it. But what are we gonna do with all the replaced editions?

    Reply
  4. Mark Bumgardner says

    November 6, 2015 at 9:19 am

    I think for now I'll stick with my 2CD "Essential Them" which I stumbled across in a thrift store for $1 a year or so ago. This is good news though, that there will be a good comprehensive anthology available here in the states.

    Reply
  5. Keith says

    November 6, 2015 at 7:07 pm

    Awesome! I have been waiting for these Van Morrison era Them's recordings to be reissued for some time. Hopefully the remastered sound will be great. Really looking forward to this. Definitely an early Christmas present for me to enjoy! "Gloria", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Mystic Eyes" and "Her Comes the Night" are some of the 60's best!

    Reply
    • dallas says

      July 11, 2016 at 3:22 pm

      The real THEM to seek out is the import 2 CD Gold 54 remastered to sound as close to the original master as I have yet heard.l own both albums on vinyl and the first album has a sharp clear production as which CD 1 has but CD 2 has a somewhat muddy production just like original THEM AGAIN vinyl.I grew up on the vinyl of these so the slightly marred production of disc 2 doesn't effect my listening experience. That being said disc 1 is the next best thing to owning Angry Young Them own vinyl in pristine condition. Also with the Gold package you get The Story of Them complete and not in 2 parts. As far as CDs go I have no reason to purchase any more Them.Oh! almost forgot the book that comes with Gold is the best I've seen also. Hard to find but well worth the time and coin.

      Reply

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