Don't Look Back (John Lee Hooker song)
Encyclopedia
"Don't Look Back " is a song written by Blues singer-songwriter
John Lee Hooker
and released as a single in 1964. As a duet Hooker performed with Northern Irish
singer-songwriter Van Morrison
, it was a Grammy Award
winner in Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
in 1998 from the album, Don't Look Back
.
's band Them
on their debut album, The Angry Young Them
in 1965. The album's sleeve had a comment on the song which read: "John Lee Hooker hailed as one of the greatest R&B singers in the world wrote 'Don't Look Back'....Perhaps it isn't so extraordinary that this soulful ballad sounds uncannily like a Morrison original as the two men have a lot in common." Them's version was also included in songs hand-picked by Morrison on his second greatest hit album, The Best of Van Morrison Volume Two
. A live performance in 1979 was also one of the songs featured on Van Morrison's video Van Morrison in Ireland
in 1981.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker
John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...
and released as a single in 1964. As a duet Hooker performed with Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
singer-songwriter Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, it was a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
winner in Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality pop songs on which singers collaborate...
in 1998 from the album, Don't Look Back
Don't Look Back (John Lee Hooker album)
Don't Look Back is an album released by Blues singer-songwriter John Lee Hooker in 1997 that was produced by Van Morrison, who also performed duets with Hooker on four of the tracks. The album was the Grammy winner in the Best Traditional Blues Album category in 1998...
.
Song history
This song had a long history with Hooker and Morrison over the years. It was covered by Van MorrisonVan Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
's band Them
Them (band)
Them were a Northern Irish band formed in Belfast in April 1964, most prominently known for the garage rock standard "Gloria" and launching singer Van Morrison's musical career...
on their debut album, The Angry Young Them
The Angry Young Them
The Angry Young Them is the first album from the Northern Irish rock and roll group Them. The album was released in the UK in June 1965. The band's lead singer and songwriter was Van Morrison...
in 1965. The album's sleeve had a comment on the song which read: "John Lee Hooker hailed as one of the greatest R&B singers in the world wrote 'Don't Look Back'....Perhaps it isn't so extraordinary that this soulful ballad sounds uncannily like a Morrison original as the two men have a lot in common." Them's version was also included in songs hand-picked by Morrison on his second greatest hit album, The Best of Van Morrison Volume Two
The Best of Van Morrison Volume Two
The Best of Van Morrison Volume Two is a compilation album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison released in 1993.Morrison chose the tracks for this album himself. It is mostly drawn from his work during 1984-1991. "Real Real Gone" from the 1990 album Enlightenment was the only song...
. A live performance in 1979 was also one of the songs featured on Van Morrison's video Van Morrison in Ireland
Van Morrison in Ireland
Van Morrison in Ireland is the first official video by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1981 of a concert Morrison recorded in Northern Ireland two years earlier. The video also shows footage of the band whilst touring in Ireland and images of Belfast, including Hyndford...
in 1981.