Sir George Ivan Morrison needs little introduction to the record buying public. He was born in Belfast in 1945 and his music career, spanning seven decades, has earned him countless awards, accolades and honours including an OBE, two Grammy’s, a further five Grammy nominations, a Brit, an Ivor Novello, BMI Icon, induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame and a Knight Bachelor in 2015.

Morrison is often cited as one of the greatest artists and writers of our time and his debut solo hit ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ – the focus of our collection ­– was considered the most popular song of the entire Sixties in a 2015 evaluation. The song was recorded during a controversial two-day session at A & R Studios in New York in March 1967. Eight songs were laid down and released on Bang Records by label owner Bert Berns, without consultation or approval from Morrison. Despite the fall-out the album, Blowin’ Your Mindprompted the release of ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ as a single and it reached #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It spent 16 weeks in the charts and is considered Morrison’s signature song. Here, we present the original Bang alternate takes showcasing Morrison’s raw talent at the birth of his solo career.

TRACK LIST LP

SIDE A

1. Brown Eyed Girl
   
2. He Ain't Give You None (with false start)
   
3. T.B. Sheets 
   

SIDE B

1. Spanish Rose
   
2. Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye)
   
3. Ro Ro Rosey
   
4. Who Drove the Red Sports Car? (with spoken intro)
   
5. Midnight Special