Gone To Glastonbury.

 My home for the next 9 days.

My Glastonbury Festival Memories: Chapter 1, 1979

Chapter 1. 1979, Year of The Child. 

As Glastonbury is coming up again soon I thought I'd dust off my old Glastonbury stories.

My first Glastonbury was 1979. I was 27 years old. I had been going to festivals since I was twenty. My first festival was The Great Western Festival near Lincoln in 1972, but when I went to Glastonbury for the first time I knew that it was the best and I have been going to Worthy Farm ever since. In total, I think I must have spent about six months of my life at Glastonbury festival. I think we were in the Canal Tavern in Bradford On Avon and somebody said that there was a festival to be held down at Pilton. We needed cheering up because a month before on May 5^th there had been an election and Margaret Thatcher had come to power and a pestilence had descended on the land. It started at Thatcher and spread outwards. The Conservatives held on to power for another 18 years, but Glastonbury Festival was to be a beacon of hope in all the misery that was to come. On the sunny evening of Friday June 21^st, 1979, I got on the back of my friend Fred’s motorbike and we set off for Pilton. We didn’t even take a tent. In those days, we called a sleeping bag a Doss-bag. You just rolled up your doss-bag and tied it up with string and slung it over your shoulder. That was all I took to my first Glastonbury. I think when it got time to sleep I just curled up around a campfire and if it rained there was a crash tent up near the market area. When we arrived, the entrance was right up at the top of the site near the farmhouse. Standing at a table collecting the £5.00 admission was this girl who was topless. All she had on was a pair of shorts and a big smile.

 “Crikey”, I thought to myself, “I’m going to enjoy this”, as I handed her my fiver and tried not to stare.

In those days the small market area of craft stalls and food outlets was at the top of the site as well and we wandered down there towards the main stage. The whole of the valley could then be seen leading away to Glastonbury Tor in the distance. It looked beautiful and the whole scene seemed peaceful compared to other outdoor music events that I had been to. I could immediately feel that there was something special about this place, something spiritual, ancient, healing and mysterious especially with the view of the Tor in the distance, enveloped in the myths and legends that surround Glastonbury.

That festival was one of the few occasions I can remember when they didn’t have the famous Pyramid Stage. The other time was in 94 when it burned down shortly before the festival and wasn’t replaced till 2000. In 79 the stage was a square sort of thing with what looked like an inflatable roof. I think there were about 12,000 people there in 1979 and it was so small and friendly that you got to know quite a few of them by Monday morning. These days at Glastonbury everybody has a phone and are twittering and Face-booking non-stop but in 1979 amazingly there wasn’t one single phone on the site. To make a phone call you had to walk into the village of Pilton and use the public phone box. That’s what I loved about this festival, being cut off from the outside world in this little cosmic bubble of Glastonbury. The information point got covered in little hand-written notes of people looking for their friends but there was no real need even for that. If you walked around for half an hour you would meet everyone you knew.

It was still called Glastonbury Fayre in 79 and was in aid of the International Year of The Child and the Children’s World Charity. That charity was founded by Arabella Churchill and is still going to this very day. Arabella was the grand-daughter of Sir Winston Churchill and was a real driving force at Glastonbury. As well as organising the theatre and cabaret in 79 she introduced the Children’s area to the site which evolved into the Kidz-field of today. A lot of festivals don’t cater for children but that is another thing that makes Glasto so great in that it isn’t ageist. You get all ages from little kids to pensioners and everyone gets on fine. Arabella is remembered today on the site because Bella’s Bridge is named after her. Arabella was quite a character. My partner Kim and I met her one magical night in 1999 but I’ll tell you about that when I get to it. Another thing I ought to mention is that there was a tiny medical centre there which was run by the local doctor whose name is Chris Howes. As Glastonbury has grown it has developed into Festival Medical Services and is the biggest field hospital in Britain and also provides medical services for other festivals and events as well.

A major difference to today’s festivals is that these days there are bars all over the site but in 79 I can’t remember there being any. The only booze available was from a wagon which sold rough farmhouse cider in gallon plastic containers. It was smelly and tasted horrible but people including me still forced it down. Another difference to today’s festival as well is that there were no teams of people picking up the rubbish. I think everyone just took responsibility for their own area. There was probably some tidying up to do afterwards but compared to the scenes of devastation these days it was nothing. Also, in the early days at Glastonbury there was a huge supply of firewood provided, so there were campfires all over the site. By Sunday night I think most people had put all their rubbish apart from plastic on the campfire which cut down on the amount of waste. The campfires were great for bringing people together, there is something magical about a campfire, primitive communities have gathered around fires since the dawn of civilisation. It is that sense of togetherness that is missing in modern society. How times have changed. In 2017 I saw a market stall selling little bags of firewood for £8.00, nobody would pay that, would they? People wouldn’t dream of abandoning their tents back then either. Tents were expensive, they were too valuable compared to today’s cheap throwaway society. One final difference is that these days there are cash machines everywhere for instant access to money. At Glasto 79 most people were completely broke by Sunday night and there was a lot of scrounging of cigarettes, tobacco & food going on. Nobody seemed to care, everyone shared what they had.

And so, to the music. I could look through the archives and tell you who was on but that would be cheating. Because this is a personal memoir I will just tell you about who I can personally recall which isn’t all that much I’m afraid because it is so long ago in the mists of time and I can’t really remember who played on which day. One band I do remember were called The Only Ones. They had a minor hit around that time called Another Girl/Another Planet which was good. I remember Steve Hillage as well because I had one of his albums. The only song of his I can recall was his version of the Donovan song Hurdy Gurdy Man. Steve must have played last on either Friday or Saturday because the organiser Michael Eavis came on stage to ask them to stop playing as he had made an agreement with the villagers to end the electric music at midnight and it was now 12.30. Steve dutifully brought the set to an end after explaining it to the audience. Steve Hillage was to have quite an influence on the development of Glastonbury in subsequent years.

Although the weather was nice that weekend I think there was some rain because I have a vague memory of John Martyn playing and the rain dripping onto the stage through the leaky roof. I wasn’t all that familiar with his music at the time, but I have read somewhere Michael Eavis saying it was the most moving performance he had ever seen at Glastonbury and brought tears to his eyes. I did have a chance encounter with John Martyn many years later at Glastonbury, but I’ll tell you about that later as well. Sunday night was my best memory of all. There was a big jam session featuring amongst others, Pete Gabriel, Alex Harvey, Tom Robinson, Nona Hendryx and Steve Hillage. People told me later that it was Phil Collins on drums, but I didn’t recognise him at the time. Songs from that set I remember were Pete singing Solsbury Hill, him and Tom Robinson singing Bully For You and Alex Harvey singing a song called The Mafia Stole My Guitar. The festival ended with someone called Tim Blake playing synthesisers accompanied by a laser beam display.

Review: Remembering Now by Van Morrison.

I am very grateful that we still have a local record shop in our area because they are becoming a thing of the past. So, on Friday I rushed over to Raves From The Grave in Frome to pick up my copy of Remembering Now. My first thought on holding the CD in my hand was, “What a boring cover”, no expense had been entered into with the sleeve design. Whoever designed the cover must have thought, “Hmm, Van Morrison, Autumn leaves, that will do”. I wouldn’t be surprised if it had been designed by AI. Anyway, as they say you shouldn’t judge a book by the cover, and that applies to music albums as well, because I hope I’m not being carried away here with enthusiasm after four listens, but I think this is possibly the most satisfying Van Morrison album since Hymns To The Silence 35 years ago. In a song on that album On Hyndford Street Van said,” It’s always being now, it’s always now”, and in Take Me Back Van sang of being in the eternal now, In the eternal moment. In subsequent years although Van made some excellent albums, I think he gradually lost his spiritual muse as time went by, especially during lockdown, a period that is best forgotten. He is spiritually reborn on this new album and remembering that NOW is the only time that exists. This new album is the work of someone who appears finally to be at peace with himself.

Crawford Bell.

The opening track Down To Joy will be quite familiar to most Van fans by now as it featured in the 2021 Kenneth Branagh film Belfast. As on most tracks it features Van’s regular musicians Richard Dunn, Stuart McIlroy, Dave Keary, Pete Hurley and Colin Griffin. I especially like the backing vocals of the late Crawford Bell with Dana Masters, and Kelly Smiley. The album is dedicated to the memory of Crawford Bell who sings on all but one of the songs. I loved the Crawford Bell singers when they performed on stage with Van, especially on such songs as I Can’t Stop Loving You by Ray Charles who just happens to be the subject of the next song If It Wasn’t For Ray. I think it is one of the lesser songs here. We all know what a huge influence Ray was on Van, but I don’t like the chugga chugga rhythm and find the lyrics a bit simplistic and cliched. A medley of verses from Ray’s songs might have been a better tribute. 

Haven’t Lost My Sense Of Wonder is much more uplifting. After being though the mill Van is now singing peace be still. The languid Hammond organ and piano playing of John McCullough are perfect on this pastoral song which would have fitted nicely on any 1980s Van album. For Love, Lover & Beloved Van put music to words he found in a book by Michael Beckwith founder of the Agape Church. I bet Rev Beckwith will be playing this every Sunday to his congregation. The string arrangements on this track and six others are by Fiachra Trench. Van has worked with Fiachra in the past on such great albums as Avalon Sunset and Poetic Champions Compose. 

Strings Maestro Fiachra Trench.

I think their welcome reunion adds a rich flavour to the album, and congratulations to the Fews Ensemble led by Joanne Quigley who play the strings. The radio friendly catchy Cutting Corners is one of three songs co-written with lyricist Don Black. I think that Van is a much greater lyricist than Don Black could ever hope to be, but I like this song with Van’s sax playing and Dave keary’s guitars. The violin playing of Seth Lakeman is also a welcome addition. A very cheerful sounding Van is Back To Writing Love Songs on the next track which is enlivened by Dave’s 60’s style guitar playing. The Only Love I Ever Need Is Yours is another Don Black collaboration. Fiachra’s strings and Van’s heartfelt vocals come into their own on this short but soulful ballad. I don’t like Once In A Lifetime Feelings all that much, mainly because of Don Black’s insipid lyrics which just don’t fit happily with Van in my opinion. Even Seth’s violin playing can’t improve this lesser track. Stomping Ground by contrast sounds just like the authentic, genuine, real, Van that we know and love. Van takes a walk down the mystic avenues of his old Belfast haunts accompanied by the lush strings, Hammond organ and piano. Van’s saxophone never sounded better. 

The Fews Ensemble.

The mystical mood is continued with Memories And Visions. Memories, Dreams & Reflections by Carl Jung came into my head while listening to this wonderful song. Van finds equilibrium while being in communion with the spirit of nature. Van’s voice combined with the organ, piano, acoustic guitar and sublime backing singers make this an outstanding song which you want to hear again and again (Listen to song below). When The Rains Came doesn’t quite reach the same heights for me but is still an excellent song. ‘I saw you standing’ is a phrase Van has used many times before, such as in When The Leaves Come Falling Down (which brings us back to the sleeve design), In The Garden, Ancient Of Days, and The Healing Has Begun. All songs from a golden era in Van’s career when he was in the presence of the Now, which he is remembering now. I can imagine that this song stretched out in live performance would be a spellbinding showstopper. 

Sadly, I feel that Colourblind breaks the spell cast by the previous three songs. It is ok, but misplaced here. Van is trying to inject some humour with clever word play. On a very optimistic album it is the only song with negative lyrics such as Van saying he is ‘browned off’. It is partially saved by some nice sax playing. If Colourblind hadn’t been placed here we would have had a clear run of five songs of Van at his soulful transcendental best because the title track Remembering Now is another song where Van finds he has gone full circle, back at square one and rediscovers the eternal now which is where he was at the start. To my ears the eerie Hammond organ playing is quite reminiscent of St James Infirmary. Stretching Out brings this sublime album to a magnificent close. This is a song that Van has been developing live in concert for many years when he has stretched out performances of In The Afternoon/Ancient Highway. It has always been a highlight of his shows and will continue to be, I am sure. 

When many critics have doubted him, just a few weeks short of his 80^th birthday Van is sitting pretty having pulled a magnificent spiritually uplifting life-enhancing album out of the hat. My opinion is that if three or four of the lesser songs had been left out, this work would be hailed as one of the best albums of Van’s whole distinguished career. Bravo!

Memories And Visions

Surf's Up

Love and Mercy - Brian Wilson

Van & The Science of Mind.

Today I thought I would tell you about a book which arrived here recently. It is called The Science Of Mind by Ernest Holmes. As is often the case with me it was Van Morrison who led me to discovering this book. Van mentioned it in his fascinating recent interview with Dylan Jones. Dylan asked Van how he came to write a song on his forthcoming album with Michael Beckwith founder of the Agape church. Van explained that in his library he came across a book The Science Of Mind which he was into many years ago and wanted to reconnect with. He looked to see if there were any Study Centres for Spiritual Living founded by Ernest Holmes near him and found that there wasn’t, the nearest one was in Bournemouth. However, whilst searching Van stumbled across the work of Michael Beckwith which he read about and something resonated. Sometime later Van discovered that his friend actress Roma Downey knew Michael Beckwith and introduced him to Van, and now Van has been attending services at Agape ever since, whenever he is on the US west coast. Van took words from a book by Beckwith and put music to them. 

Ernest Holmes

The connection to Ernest Holmes is that Michael Beckwith graduated from the Ernest Holmes College School of Ministry in 1985. Dylan said to Van that there is a very spiritual feel to the new album which there often is in his music and asked how his personal beliefs have changed over the years. Van retorted that it isn’t a belief, it’s an energy, a frequency. Van is quite a private introverted person, but he has always acknowledged an influence when he is checking it out and taking it further. I have learned so much by following up the pointers in his lyrics, not only discovering the music of other artists that influenced Van, but also important figures in such fields as literature, philosophy, psychology, and especially spirituality. 

Van at Agape.

Van’s whole career in many ways can be seen as a spiritual quest. I have always thought that Van’s best work is when he is channelling the creative energy of his spiritual muse. He seemed to lose it completely during the dark days of lockdown but happily seems to be back on the righteous path now. That is why I am looking forward to hearing this new album more than any new Van work for 20 years or more. When I ordered the book I expected to receive a slim paperback which I could read in a couple of days, so I was quite shocked when a massive weighty tome of 669 pages arrived. I have only read a few pages so far. It will take me a year to read it all. Happily for me it is advised to use it as a textbook and only read a few pages every day as a meditation. The book has a list of tables advising which pages to read on each day of the year. Therefore I can’t tell you much about the book yet, but I can tell you a little of what I know about Ernest Holmes so far in case you want to check it out for yourself.

Van, Roma Downey

Ernest Holmes was born in Lincoln Maine in 1887. At an early age he learned about Mary Baker Eddy and Christian Science. His later influences included Thomas Troward, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Christian Larson, Evelyn Underhill, and Emma Curtis Hopkins. Eventually he became the founder of a movement known as Religious Science. That name comes from his assertion that his views can be scientifically proven. His great work The Science of Mind was first published in 1926. (My well used copy is from 1998) Holmes founded a Center for Spiritual Living in Los Angeles and there are now over 400 affiliated churches in the USA alone. He also began publishing Science of Mind magazine which is still produced today after 80 years. 

In his statement of beliefs Holmes said such things as that the manifest universe we can see is the body of God and the universal spirit and mind of which we are all part. He also said that heaven is within us all and we experience it to the degree that we are conscious of it. It is revealed through our intuitive and spiritual nature. I think Holmes would have been quite at home with modern science such as quantum physics because science and religion do seem to be merging these days. He also believed in a "core concept" – what he saw as a "Golden thread of truth" that ran through all of the world's religions as well as in science and philosophy. He died in 1960 aged 73. I better not say any more about him until I have actually read the book or I might make big mistakes, but thank you very much Van Morrison for leading me to The Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes and I'm eagerly looking forward to June 13 and hearing the new album called Remembering Now.

Review: Will Varley, Machines Will Never Learn To Make Mistakes Like Me.

Wednesday was a good day for me because a signed copy of Will Varley’s brand-new album popped through my letterbox. It is the fourth album by Will I have purchased in recent years and is called Machines Will Never Learn To Make Mistakes like Me. It is a most welcome addition to Will’s oeuvre. I thought that Postcards From Ursa Minor was my favourite album by Will, but this new one could be a contender for that title because it contains so many great songs which are immediately accessible to the listener. Also, compared to earlier albums such Kingsdown Sundown this is a lavish production. A lot of time and trouble has obviously been spent on it. Recorded in Will’s coastal stamping ground in Kent Machines is co-produced by Will and his collaborator Tom Farrar who also plays on the recording and co-wrote two of the songs. James Hatton plays drums throughout the ten tracks.  

Long Way Back To Now opens the album displaying Will’s distinctive world-weary plaintive vocals and acoustic guitar. Different Man is more upbeat and given the full band treatment. I have enjoyed watching the youtube video of this tale of hard life on the road for several weeks now because it became the album’s first single release. I loved Home Before The World Ends from the very first time I saw Will perform it onboard the Thekla in Bristol a few weeks ago. It features the backing vocals of Dan Smith from the band Bastille, so hopefully might introduce a new audience to Will’s music. Never Get Tired Of Loving You is probably Will’s wife’s favourite song I would imagine. I bet BBC radio won’t play End Times which is one of the stand-out tracks here. It features the unmistakeable vocals of his friend Billy Bragg. The song shows how Will’s song writing has matured, reflecting how any parent with young children must feel when they look at the news and wonder what sort of world they are bringing their children into. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Gaza with lyrics of famine, stealing of the land, and are we on the wrong side?. Musically I loved the Neil Young style harmonica sound. (See video below)

Will & Billy Bragg.

The title track Machines Will Never Learn To Make Mistakes Like Me has Will musing about Artificial Intelligence and the future having already arrived. I agree with him because it is often the mistakes in art that make it more human and real and AI can’t replicate that. Only Louise is another splendid song about being on the road and feeling homesick. The choice of the name Louise immediately reminded me of Visions Of Johanna by Dylan, but that might have been deliberate. It’s not the first time I have thought of Dylan when listening to Will. Venus Returns is possibly my favourite track although that might change tomorrow. Some of the lyrics such as ‘All I want is peace’ echoes the same sentiments as End Times. The rhythmical faster paced Everything Has A Heartbeat features Elini Drake on vocals and Simon Bloor on slide guitar. I think audiences would love this song at the festivals this summer. It leads effortlessly into Whatever’s Left which brings this most enjoyable album to a close. I’m looking forward to seeing Will next month on the Greenpeace stage at Glastonbury, so I hope he features some of these great songs. Highly recommended.

End Times by Will Varley

Will Varley & The Southern Rust, The Thekla, Bristol, April 2025.

I first became aware of the music of Will Varley about three years ago through a mutual friend. After being impressed with his songs on youtube I bought his 2015 album Postcards From Ursa Minor. I enjoyed every track on that album, and thought to myself, “Why isn’t this guy more famous?, he is just as good as Ed Sheeran or George Ezra or any other of the modern crop of singer-songwriters”. I subsequently acquired two more excellent albums 2016s Kingsdown Sundown and the most recent 2021s The Hole Around My Head. I also saw a great solo live show at the Tree House in Frome, and Will’s performance on the Leftfield Stage with his band at last year’s Glastonbury. Will’s band is called The Southern Rust. When I saw they were hitting the road for a Spring tour and would be playing The Thekla in Bristol I knew I had to get myself a ticket. It was a beautiful sunny warm afternoon when I arrived at Temple Meads station. 

I had two hours to wile away before meeting my friend Pete, so took a leisurely stroll to the harbourside where I found the Thekla. It is a former German cargo ship which was launched in 1958. It ran aground on the Norfolk coast in the 1970s and then spent seven years rusting away in a dock in Sunderland before it was purchased by Vivian Stanshall of The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band who sailed it to Bristol and converted it into a Night Club and theatre. Last year it celebrated it’s 40^th anniversary as a famous venue. I think this is the first time I have ever been to a gig on a boat. 

After that interlude I sat outside a pub by the harbour called The Ostrich basking in the sunshine and watching the world go by. It was quite idyllic. Eventually it was time to meet Pete at another nearby pub called The Golden Guinea in Guinea Street. This street is very interesting historically. It is named after the African country of Guinea and has unfortunate associations with the slave trade. Pete pointed out to me 10 Guinea Street which was featured in the TV series A House Through Time. I met Pete around the campfire at Glastonbury about 12 years ago. He is a member of our annual Quiz team The Glastafarians. Anyway, we had a drink and a chat about Glasto and other important matters until it was time to make our way to The Thekla.

Stephen Kellogg

It is quite a small ship of only 52 metres, but quite roomy inside. Strangely for such a small vessel it is quite easy to get lost on board with all the various levels, decks, doors and corridors. It was packed with people in front of the stage, but Pete knew a gallery upstairs where you could look down on the stage, so that is where we watched the show from. When we arrived there was an American singer-songwriter called Stephen Kellogg on stage. I didn’t know anything about him but quite enjoyed what songs we heard. I think he and Will have toured together in the states.

Will Varley

Finally, it was time for Will Varley & Southern Rust to take the stage. I did intend to write a setlist, but soon gave up on that idea because I didn’t recognise all the songs. Will has a new album coming out in May called Machines Will Never Learn To Make Mistakes like Me and I think he featured some of the new songs. Songs I did know included Send My Love To The System from the Ursa Minor album, A Different Man because I have watched the video several times recently, the very political We Don’t Believe You, I was very impressed with a new song which I think is called I’ll Be Home Before The World Ends. I filmed a couple of minutes of that song (See video below), 

I especially enjoyed Only Louise which I think is a new song, Pushing Against Us from the last album, and Talking Cat Blues which a lady shouted out as a request when Will forgot the words to the song he was singing. Will was on great form and in good humour. It must be exhausting playing a tour like this, travelling to a different town every single night, but he seems to enjoy it, and the audience certainly do, singing along with songs they knew. We had to leave just before the end because I wanted to catch my train at 10.25. I was a bit disappointed not to hear Seize The Night. I’m sure he sang it as an encore, but I was already on my way to Temple Meads station. It had been a brilliant day in Bristol. Thank you very much Will Varley & Southern Rust.

 

Will Varley: I'll Be Home Before The World Ends. Thekla, Bristol, April 2025

The Influence Of Sam Cooke On Van Morrison.

A couple of years ago I wrote a piece on here about the influence of Hank Williams on Van Morrison. Tonight, I thought I’d write about another great American singer who has been very influential on Van and his music, and that is Sam Cooke. What has prompted me to do this now is because last week in Nottingham I was unable to remember the name of the Sam Cooke song Laughin’ and Clownin’ when Van sang it. That is inexcusable because not only is it included on Van’s The Prophet Speaks album, but he also performed it at the previous Van concert I attended. It must be my age, anyway I hope this makes amends. Laughin’ and Clownin’ is a song Sam wrote for his 1963 album Night Beat. Sam was especially important in inspiring Van to become a singer in the first place. As Van told journalist Dylan Jones in 2023, “I never had any ambition to be a singer at all. It worked out for me because I practiced. I worked at it, stretching my voice, influenced by the vocal gymnastics of Sam Cooke”.

The first time I heard Van sing a Sam Cooke song was right back in the early seventies when Bring It On Home To Me was included on It’s Too Late To Stop Now which I rate as possibly the greatest live album ever recorded, and that version of Sam’s song is one of the standout tracks. (Listen to video below) Van revisited it on the Roll With The Punches album in 2017 featuring Jeff Beck on guitar, but I much prefer the earlier version.  Another great live album is 1994’s A Night In San Francisco which features two Sam Cooke compositions You Send Me and That’s Where Its At, both as part of medleys. 

You Send Me which features the splendid vocals of Brian Kennedy is teamed up with In The Garden and Real Real Gone. The lyrics of Real Real Gone state, ‘Sam Cooke is on the radio and the night is filled with space, And your fingertips touch my face, You're a friend of mine, And I'm real, real gone’. Not only that, But Van also says, ‘I got hit by a bow and arrow’. I like to think that this is a reference to Sam’s fabulous song Cupid which says, ‘Cupid, draw back your bow, And let your arrow go, Straight to my lover's heart for me’. That’s Where It’s At is featured in a medley with So Quiet In Here. Some Van fans might be unaware of another nice version of That’s Where It’s At which Van recorded in 1994 with The Holmes Brothers at Pete Gabriel’s Real World Studio and released on an album called A Week Or Two In The Real World.  You Send Me can also be heard along with Real Real Gone on Van’s quite recent Live At Orangefield album. It also gets a mention in the title track of 2016s excellent Keep Me Singing album, ‘Little things that count in life, Just to know my people got soul, Sam Cooke singing 'That's Where It's At', And 'Let The Good Times Roll'. I was surprised recently to find out that Van has performed the Sam Cooke classic Twisting The Night Away in concert. You can hear him performing it at Groningen, Netherlands in 1992 on youtube if you want. 

I can’t think of any other Sam songs that Van has recorded on official albums, but I’m sure that his lyric writing has been influenced by Sam. For instance, Sam recorded a song in 1961 called Exactly Like You on an album called My Kind Of Blues. Sam didn’t write it, but I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if it inspired Van to write Someone Like You. On that very same album Sam sang a song called Out In The Cold Again. Van recorded a song with exactly the same title in 2016. Coincidence? Sam also had a hit in 1963 with his version of Little Richard’s Send Me Some Loving. I am sure it was an influence on Van when he was writing Vanlose Stairway. I better stop now before I start scraping the barrel for more Sam and Van connections, but I bet there are lots more Cookeisms hidden away in Van's songs. Let me know what I have missed. 

I think it was an absolute tragedy when Sam Cooke was needlessly shot dead in 1964 at the age of only 33. A great loss not only to music, but to all of society. As Van might say, the best was yet to come. With powerful songs like A Change Is Gonna Come and covering songs like Dylan’s Blowing In The Wind he could have become one of the leading lights of the Civil Rights movement and a force for good in the world. In 2016 the Northern Ireland radio broadcaster Ralph McLean asked Van, “What is the magic of Sam Cooke?”, and Van replied, “Well, he’s still inspiring and he’s still an influence and have you found anything better? I haven’t, do you know what I mean. I haven’t found anything better yet, or with that kind of edge”.

Van Morrison - Bring it on Home to Me

Van Morrison: Royal Concert Hall Nottingham 18/3/2025.

It had been eight months since me and my niece Lee saw Van one sunny summer’s evening at Westonbirt Arboretum, and now the long dark Winter was finally over, the sun was shining and suddenly it was the Celtic Spring. Time to cut loose and blow a fuse around the regions again, so the day after St Patrick’s Day I got on the train, the train, the train for Nottingham to see the Belfast Cowboy once again. I had chosen Nottingham because it was a chance to catch up with Dave my old friend of over fifty years. I remember watching Van with Dave at Glastonbury 1987, one of his greatest ever performances. Another reason I was keen to see Van again was the glowing reports of his recent concerts in Belfast. The days of big pre-concert fan gatherings in England seem to be a thing of the past, but in Wetherspoons we met John who I last saw at Cheltenham Jazz Fest two years ago. (The food in Wetherspoons was disgusting by the way. I will never go there again). Outside the concert hall it was also nice to have a quick chat with another Vanatic James who I hadn’t seen since Liverpool Irish Fest in 2018.

We had great seats near the front in Row E. Promptly at 7.30 some of the band Dave, Sam, John, Neal, Chris & Matt shuffled on stage and started playing some instrumental numbers. I quite enjoyed it at first because they were funky and reminded me of Booker T & The MGs. I expected after a couple of tunes Van would come on and start the show, but they played for what seemed ages to me, and it became apparent that this was meant to be a support act. I got quite bored after a while, and then there was an interval. After what seemed an eternity, the band returned, and Dave Keary announced ‘Mr Van Morrison!’. “Thank god for that”, I thought to myself. 

The opening song was Only A Dream from the Down The Road album of 2002, with Van enjoying himself blowing saxophone in front of the eight-piece band who were Dave Keary (Guitar), Sam Burgess (Bass), John McCullough (Keyboards), Neal Wilkinson (Drums), Dana Masters (Vocals), Jolene O'Hara (Vocals), Christopher White (Sax & Reeds), and Matt Holland (Trumpet). 

Dana & Jolene.

Next up was Back On Top which has never been one of my favourite Van songs, but Matt made himself noticed on trumpet and Van blew his harp. The audience gave Days Like This a warm round of applause when they recognised it. I don’t like Broken Record very much and find it a bit irritating. All was forgiven though with Down To Joy which is the new single from Van’s forthcoming album Remembering Now coming out in June and eagerly anticipated by most Van fans because it is nearly all brand-new original songs. Down To Joy was featured in the Kenneth Branagh film Belfast and the band gelled together and performed it superbly in Nottingham. I much prefer it when the band all play together like this and not playing individual solos one after another. 

Chris & Matt.

I never tire of hearing Enlightenment which is one of my favourite spiritually uplifting Van songs. (See video below) When Van says in the lyrics ‘Enlightenment, don’t know what it is’ I don’t believe he means it like that because enlightenment is always being NOW and feeling the silence, which Van has sung about for decades. As Van says, ‘Wake Up!’. During Ain’t Gonna Moan No More Van just stood still, serene as the Buddha, surveying the audience as the band all took yet more solos. Cleaning Windows/ Be Bop A Lula is a fun song from the classic Beautiful Vision album. I have gone off the ‘read my Christmas Humphreys book on Zen’ lyric though, ever since finding out that Humphreys was the prosecutor in the Ruth Ellis murder trial and sent Ruth to the gallows. What sort of Buddhist is that?. Van then donned his electric guitar for the great hypnotic Green Rocky Road. Dave Keary also played some awesome guitar and Chris excelled himself on a reed instrument that I’m not sure what you call. 

I’m not that keen on Symphony Sid, but it gives Dana a chance to exercise her tonsils. I didn’t recognise the Sam Cooke song Laughin’ & Clownin’, but John told me what it was later. The upbeat Wild Night brought the audience to life and then it was Moondance which the audience enjoyed, but I have heard too often, and I’d heard enough solos for one night thank you very much. I’m not tired of hearing Wonderful Remark though which was one of the evenings highlights for me. Then it was Precious Time, a jaunty little song where Van reminds us that we are all going to die. Thank you, Van. However, Van tells us that the fire's still in him and the passion it burns, ‘til hell freezes over and the rivers run dry, so that’s good. I don’t know why, but when Van changed microphones and sat at the piano for the epic Vanlose Stairway his voice suddenly became stronger and clearer. I wished the crew had put the piano sideways on to the audience because with Van facing the audience from behind the piano you could hardly see him. That is a minor quibble though to another highlight of the show. 

For somebody fast approaching his 80^th birthday Van’s voice sounds incredible. The Nottingham audience instantly recognised Bright Side Of The Road and applauded loudly. I knew the show was coming towards a close when Van sang the Sonny Boy Williamson song Help Me which has been in the repertoire since the year dot. Van left the stage but soon returned to send the crowd home happy with the rousing Gloria. Van then departed for good. The band played on, but I was heading for the exit. I had heard enough solos for one evening. 

Later in the pub I think we all agreed that it was a very enjoyable show, but didn’t quite reach the stellar heights we know Van is capable of. I had been hoping for Summertime In England which he had performed in Belfast, but you have to remember Van’s age, and I thought he probably wanted to save some energy for the next night in Birmingham. So, thank you Van Morrison, and a big hand for the band. PS, thanks to John C for  the great photos.

A big hand for the band!

Van Morrison: Enlightenment, Royal Concert Hall Nottingham 18/3/2025.

Pauline Boty, The Only Blonde In The World

I am really pleased to see that there is a programme on  BBC4 tonight called Pauline Boty, I am the 60s. I am glad that she is finally getting the recognition she deserves. To celebrate the occasion I thought I would  dust off this piece I wrote about  Pauline back in 2019..............................................................................A couple of days ago when I was researching a piece about Adrian Mitchell I read that he and his wife had adopted a child who was the daughter of their friends the artist Pauline Boty and Clive Goodwin. This aroused my curiosity because I hadn’t heard of Pauline Boty before, so I looked for info about her. What I found was quite fascinating for me because I have always been interested in people who had a brief flirtation with fame and then disappeared into obscurity, or made an important contribution to the arts and have been unfairly overlooked. Pauline was one of the founders of the British Pop Art movement along with the likes of David Hockney and Peter Blake who both went on to be world famous, but Pauline has been largely forgotten. Another thing I have noticed about Pauline is that she was extremely beautiful. This might have been to her detriment because she might have only been noticed for her looks and not for her work.

Pauline was born in 1938 and after attending art school in Wimbledon where her classmates called her ‘The Wimbledon Bardot’. She studied stained glass design at the Royal College Of Art. She wanted to study painting but couldn’t because admissions for women to that course were limited due to the institutionalised sexism of the times. That didn’t stop her painting in her spare time though. She was a bit of a polymath. As well as painting, Pauline also published poetry, acted, and also was a leading light in a group called the Anti-Uglies who protested against the brutalism of post-war British architecture. Pauline was one of the artists featured in a TV programme directed by Ken Russell in 1962 called Pop Goes The Easel. She acted at the Royal Court Theatre, appeared in Armchair Theatre on television, danced on Ready Steady Go and was one of Michael Caine’s girlfriends in the film Alfie. When Bob Dylan first visited Britain in 1963 it was Pauline who showed him around London.

Colour Her Gone.

It should be for her art that Pauline is remembered. I have looked at her work on the internet and am most impressed. Her paintings are bright and exuberant and sensual. There are two pictures featuring Marilyn Monroe called The Only Blonde In The World and Colour Her Gone which particularly caught my eye. There is another one as well called ironically, It’s A Man’s World which celebrates her femininity. I also liked a picture called 5 4 3 2 1 which took its title from a song by Manfred Mann. If there was an exhibition of her work near me I would certainly go along and see it.

Pauline’s life ended tragically young. After a whirlwind romance she married Clive Goodwin. In 1965 she became pregnant. During a pre-natal test it was discovered that she had leukaemia. She refused chemotherapy because it would harm her child and she died at the age of only 28 just a few months after the birth of her daughter.  Her daughter also died tragically from a heroin overdose in 1995.

After she died Pauline’s paintings were stored away in a barn on her brother’s farm where they remained, gathering dust for over thirty years. Pauline’s place in British art was largely forgotten until recent years. In 2013 a retrospective exhibition of her work was finally held in Wolverhampton and later Chichester. It is due to the sexism in British art that she has been overlooked for so long. The same applies to literature. The leading figures in British writing in the 50’s were called The Angry Young Men, what about the angry young women?. Also, the other day I looked in a poetry anthology I have called Children Of Albion published in 1969 which features 65 poets of the era. There are only five female poets in it, what a disgrace.

In the 1960’s, because of her looks everyone was in love with Pauline Boty. I read this by Sabine Durrant who said in 1993, “Even now, grown men with grey hair in dark houses in Notting Hill cry at the sound of Pauline Boty’s name.”

Postscript: Five years after I wrote this piece I am very pleased that Pauline is finally getting some recognition. This week I was watching the first episode of a new series on BBC by historian Simon Schama called The Story Of Us which looked at what shaped Britain since 1945 and Pauline's work featured quite heavily in the episode. I hope this might lead to a major exhibition of her work.

The Only Blonde In The World.