Saint Dominic's Preview
Seven songs recorded in San Francisco, two of them running past ten minutes.
Van Morrison, 1972
- Released
- July 1972
- Recorded
- 1971 to 1972
- Studio
- Pacific High, Columbia and Wally Heider studios, San Francisco
- Label
- Warner Bros. Records
- Producer
- Ted Templeman, Van Morrison
- Length
- 41:12
Recorded between 1971 and 1972 in San Francisco and produced by Morrison with Ted Templeman, it was assembled over several sessions with a band that kept changing. Listen to the Lion was left over from the Tupelo Honey sessions of summer 1971. Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile) and Gypsy were recorded on 29 January 1972, and the title track, I Will Be There and Redwood Tree came at a final session in April 1972, with arrangements by pianist Tom Salisbury. The title song was composed after Morrison saw an advert for a peace vigil at St. Dominic's Church in San Francisco.
The album reached number 15 on the Billboard 200 and remained his highest-charting album there until Keep It Simple reached number 10 in 2008. Jackie Wilson Said and Redwood Tree reached the Hot 100. In Rolling Stone, Stephen Holden called it the best-produced, most ambitious Van Morrison record yet released. Listen to the Lion and Almost Independence Day each run past ten minutes.
Track listing
- Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)2:57
- Gypsy4:36
- I Will Be There3:01
- Listen to the Lion11:07
- Saint Dominic's Preview6:23
- Redwood Tree3:03
- Almost Independence Day10:05
Personnel
- Van Morrison lead vocals, acoustic, rhythm and twelve-string guitars
- Jack Schroer alto and baritone saxophones
- Bill Church bass
- Mark Naftalin piano, Moog synthesizer
- Tom Salisbury piano, organ
- Doug Messenger guitars
- Gary Mallaber drums, percussion, vibraphone
- Ronnie Montrose acoustic guitar, backing vocals on Listen to the Lion
- Connie Kay drums on Listen to the Lion
- Leroy Vinnegar double bass on Almost Independence Day
- Bernie Krause Moog synthesizer on Almost Independence Day
- Ted Templeman producer
More from Van Morrison
Blowin' Your Mind! (1967), Astral Weeks (1968), Moondance (1970), It's Too Late to Stop Now (1974), Veedon Fleece (1974)
Sources
- Saint Dominic's Preview, Wikipedia