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The Philosopher's Stone (album)

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Recorded
  
1969–1988

The Philosopher's Stone (1998)
  
Back on Top (1999)

Release date
  
16 June 1998

Label
  
Polydor Records

Length
  
153:07

Artist
  
Van Morrison

Producer
  
Van Morrison

Genres
  
Blues, Rhythm and blues

The Philosopher's Stone (album) httpsimagesnasslimagesamazoncomimagesI5

Released
  
16 June 1998 (1998-06-16)

Similar
  
Van Morrison albums, Other albums

The Philosopher's Stone is a compilation album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison released in 1998 (see 1998 in music).

Contents

The songs released on this 2-CD thirty-track album were previously unreleased outtakes from 1969 to 1988. The album features twenty-five songs that had never been released and alternative renditions of "The Street Only Knew Your Name" (Inarticulate Speech of the Heart), "Wonderful Remark" (The Best of Van Morrison), "Real Real Gone" (Enlightenment), "Joyous Sound" (A Period of Transition), "Flamingos Fly" (A Period of Transition) and "Bright Side of the Road" (Into the Music).

Three songs on the album were evidently intended for Morrison's unreleased 1975 album Mechanical Bliss. "Twilight Zone", "Foggy Mountain Top" and "Flamingos Fly" were all mixed in 1974 just before Mechanical Bliss was due to come out.

Original release

The Philosopher's Stone, Volume One was originally scheduled to be released in July 1996. When it was released, some of the tracks had been changed; "When I Deliver", "John Brown's Body" and "I'm Ready" were replaced by "The Street Only Knew Your Name", "Western Plains" and "Joyous Sound". "John Brown's Body" and "I'm Ready" were eventually released as B-sides on Morrison's 1999 single "Back on Top".

Commenting on the previously unreleased songs, Van Morrison remarked:

"It's hard to work out why you didn't put something out at the time. Usually it felt like it didn't fit...When I was with Warner Brothers they were very minimalist."

The Van Morrison song titled "Philosopher's Stone" does not appear on this album, but is from 1999's Back On Top, released one year after this album.

Track listing

All songs written by Van Morrison unless noted.

Personnel

  • Van Morrison – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, harmonica, saxophone
  • June Boyce – vocals
  • Ronnie Montrose – guitar, background vocals on "Wonderful Remark" and "Ordinary People"
  • John Blakey, John Platania, Mick Cox, Chris Michie – guitar
  • Herbie Armstrong – rhythm guitar
  • Toni Marcus – violin
  • Jules Broussard – flute, tenor saxophone
  • "Boots" Rolf Houston – flute
  • Jack Schroer – alto and baritone saxophones
  • Collin Tilton, Pee Wee Ellis – tenor saxophone
  • Bill Atwood – trumpet
  • Mark Isham – trumpet, flugelhorn, synthesizers
  • John Allair – piano, organ
  • Jeff Labes, Mark Naftalin, Mark Jordan, Pete Wingfield – piano
  • Smith Dobson – piano, electric piano
  • Bernie Krause – moog synthesizer
  • John Klingberg, Bill Church, David Hayes, Jerome Rimson, Clive Culbertson – bass
  • Gary Mallaber, Connie Kay, Lee Charlton, Dahaud Shaar, Rick Shlosser, Peter Van Hooke, Tony Dey, Tom Donlinger, Roy Jones, Dave Early – drums
  • Jackie DeShannon, Judy Clay, Bianca Thornton, Pauline Lazano, Annie Stocking – background vocals
  • Neil Drinkwater – keyboards
  • The Chieftains, Moving Hearts – bands

    • Charts

    Album - UK Album Chart

    Album - Billboard (North America)

    Songs

    1Really Don't Know3:37
    2Ordinary People5:20
    3Wonderful Remark8:01

    References

    The Philosopher's Stone (album) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA