Artist: VAN MORRISON
Album: AUTHORIZED BANG COLLECTION (3CD DIGI)

Release date: 2017
EAN/UPS: 0889854246723
Media type: CD

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.”

Disc One – The Original Masters:

    Brown Eyed Girl [original stereo mix]
    He Ain’t Give You None [original stereo mix]
    T.B. Sheets [original stereo mix]
    Spanish Rose [original stereo mix]
    Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye) [original stereo mix]
    Ro Ro Rosey [original stereo mix]
    Who Drove The Red Sports Car [original stereo mix]
    Midnight Special [original stereo mix]
    It’s All Right [original stereo mix]
    Send Your Mind [original stereo mix]
    The Smile You Smile [original stereo mix]
    The Back Room [original stereo mix] (5:26)
    Joe Harper Saturday Morning [original stereo mix] (2:55)
    Beside You [original mono mix]
    Madame George [original mono mix]
    Chick-A-Boom [original mono mix]
    The Smile You Smile [demo]

Disc Two – Bang Sessions & Rarities:

    Brown Eyed Girl [original edited mono single mix]
    Ro Ro Rosey [original mono single mix with backing vocals]
    T.B. Sheets [Take 2] *
    Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye) [Takes 10 & 11] *
    Send Your Mind [Take 3] *
    Midnight Special [Take 7]
    He Ain’t Give You None (Take 4)
    Ro Ro Rosey [Take 2] *
    Who Drove The Red Sports Car (Take 6)
    Beside You [Take 2] *
    Joe Harper Saturday Morning [Take 2] *
    Beside You [Take 5] *
    Spanish Rose [Take 14] (4:23) *
    Brown Eyed Girl [Takes 1-6] *
    Brown Eyed Girl [Takes 7-11] *
*Previously Unissued

Disc Three – Contractual Obligation Session:

    Twist And Shake
    Shake And Roll
    Stomp And Scream
    Scream And Holler
    Jump And Thump
    Drivin’ Wheel
    Just Ball
    Shake It Mable
    Hold On George
    The Big Royalty Check
    Ring Worm
    Savoy Hollywood
    Freaky If You Got This Far
    Up Your Mind
    Thirty Two
    All The Bits
    You Say France And I Whistle
    Blowin’ Your Nose
    Nose In Your Blow
    La Mambo
    Go For Yourself
    Want A Danish
    Here Comes Dumb George
    Chickee Coo
    Do It
    Hang On Groovy
    Goodbye George
    Dum Dum George
    Walk And Talk
    The Wobble
    Wobble And Ball