Van Morrison / The Authorised Bang Collection / 3CD anthology

Sony’s Legacy Recordings will issue The Authorized Bang Collection, a comprehensive anthology chronicling Van Morrison‘s musical output in 1967 during his short association with US hit-making label Bang Records.

Bang was the New York label formed in 1965 by producer/composer Bert Berns (he wrote Under The Boardwalk and Twist And Shout, amongst others). Berns had been working in-house at Atlantic Records and named the new label after the first initials of himself and his Atlantic colleagues: Ahmet Ertegün, Nesuhi Ertegün and Gerald (Jerry) Wexler.

Bert Berns had persuaded Van Morrison to record for his new label, although Morrison was never happy with the terms and was apparently not consulted when Berns put out the one and only Bang album – 1967’s Blowin’ Your Mind!

Much of this music has been out before in some form or another, but as the title of this new set suggests, this is an authorised collection which brings everything together.

The first disc in this three-CD package, ‘The Original Masters‘, presents 17 tracks produced by Berns, including original stereo mixes of recordings appearing on CD for the first time as well as a trio of mono mixes (Beside You, Madame George and Chick-A-Boom).

‘Bang Sessions & Rarities’ is CD number two and includes the original edited mono single mix of Brown Eyed Girl and the original mono single mix with backing vocals for Ro Ro Rosey. This disc includes 13 alternate takes of early Morrison compositions including more variants of Brown Eyed Girl.

The final CD is this archival reissue is the much-bootlegged Contractual Obligation Session. Included (almost apologetically) “for the sake of completeness”, these thirty-one short songs became known as the ‘revenge’ songs – Morrison’s way out of his Bang obligations before he headed to Warner Bros. Records. Bert Berns had died (aged only 38) at this point and Morrison was in dispute with his widow.

Andrew Sandoval (who compiled this set) has penned in-depth notes and Morrison himself contributes some thoughts, noting, “Bert Berns was a genius. He was a brilliant songwriter and he had a lot of soul, which you don’t find nowadays.”

The Authorized Bang Collection is attractively priced and is released on 28 April 2017.

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Morrison, Van

The Authorized Bang Collection

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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 & 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] *

*Previously Unissued

Discs One & Two: All songs Produced & Directed by Bert Berns

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

Previously Unissued