I Will Be There (Van Morrison song)
| "I Will Be There" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"I Will Be There" is a song featured on Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison's sixth album Saint Dominic's Preview (1972). The song is also the B-side to Morrison's single "Warm Love", released in 1973. It is one of few overtly jazz songs written by Morrison, and the first since the release of "Moondance" in 1970.[2]
The song is led in by Tom Salisbury's piano, who also arranged the song. Van wrote the song at a piano. It was triadic. Doug Messenger jazzed up the chord progression and Tom Salisbury wrote the brilliant horn parts. Featured in the song is a saxophone solo from long serving Jack Schroer.[3][4] John Collis says, "A hero (of Van), is evoked by the piano-led blues "I Will Be There" -the spirit of Ray Charles looms large in the song."[5] The Rolling Stone review of Saint Dominic's Preview remarks: "'I Will Be There' goes the furthest of any (of the songs in Saint Dominic's Preview) into R&B-jazz roots, as Van pays expert musical tribute to Count Basie and Joe Williams."[6]
Other releases
It was one of the live performances recorded and included on Morrison's 1996 live album, How Long Has This Been Going On. A live performance of "I Will Be There", recorded in 1989, is featured on the video album, Van Morrison The Concert, released in 1990.
Personnel
- Van Morrison: vocals
- Jules Broussard: tenor saxophone
- Bill Church: bass
- Gary Mallaber: drums
- Doug Messenger: guitar
- Tom Salisbury: piano
- Jack Schroer: alto saxophone
Covers
- Colin James on Colin James & The Little Big Band 3
- Pee Wee Ellis with Van Morrison
Notes
- ^ Mills, Hymns to the Silence, p.13
- ^ Mills, Hymns to the Silence, pp.13-14
- ^ Mills, Hymns to the Silence, p.14
- ^ Album notes for Saint Dominic's Preview
- ^ Collis, Inarticulate Speech of the Heart, p.132
- ^ Holden, Stephen (1997-06-03). "Saint Dominic's Preview Music Review". Rolling Stone Magazine. Retrieved 2010-10-19.
References
- Album notes for Saint Dominic's Preview by Van Morrison. Warner Bros. Records.
- Collis, John (1996). Inarticulate Speech of the Heart, Little Brown and Company, ISBN 0-306-80811-0
- Mills, Peter (2010), Hymns to the Silence: Inside the Words and Music of Van Morrison, London: Continuum, ISBN 978-0-8264-2976-6