Premiere: Van Morrison – I Shall Sing
Never-before-released Van song from Moondance sessions unveiled here first. Hear it now.
A SONG VAN MORRISON recorded for 1970’s Moondance album but never subsequently released in any form is to star on this month’s deluxe reissue. Meanwhile, MOJO are delighted to unveil it exclusively for fans of his Vantasticness. I Shall Sing was recorded on November 11, 1969 and has been covered by Art Garfunkel, Toots & The Maytals, Miriam Makeba and James Last (what’s the difference between the James Last Orchestra and a cow? Answers on a postcard, please…)
With a somewhat incongruous Caribbean calypso feel, I Shall Sing rather challenges the received view of where Van’s head was at in 1969/70, and evokes the irresistible image of Celtic soul’s mystic mitherer clasping a mojito and wiggling under a limbo stick. You can see why it never made the Moondance cut but it’s a lot of fun, and there’s two words you rarely see together: “Van” and “fun”.
Moondance is out on October 21. Watch out for the five disc version (incl. Blu-Ray audio).
PHOTO: ©Estate of David Gahr