The Angry Young Them
Encyclopedia
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 the U.S., the album was released as Them with partly different tracks.
", was a spontaneous creation that came out of the band just "busking around" in Morrison's words and after seven minutes of instrumental playing he impulsively threw in the words of a song he had been working on. The lengthy versions of "Gloria" that the band performed at the Maritime and the ten minute recording of "Mystic Eyes" have never surfaced. All that is left of the "Mystic Eyes" performance is the little over 2 minutes on the album that remained after splicing out from the beginning and ending. "You Just Can't Win" was a Dylan
inspired song about a gold digger, set in specific places in London
such as Camden Town
. "Little Girl" was about a boy's obsession with a fourteen year old school girl. (An earlier take on a Lord's Taverners charity album
had been deleted when a four-letter was heard in the fade out at the end.) "If You And I Could Be As Two" starts with a spoken introduction by Morrison with an aggressive Irish accent. Three Bert Berns originals were included and a cover of John Lee Hooker
's "Don't Look Back
" was considered by Morrison to be his finest vocal to date.
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
group 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...
. The album was released in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in June 1965
1965 in music
-Events:*January 4 – Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is sold to CBS for $13 million.*January 12 – Hullabaloo premieres on NBC. The first show included performances by The New Christy Minstrels, comedian Woody Allen, actress Joey Heatherton and a segment from London in which Brian Epstein...
. The band's lead singer and songwriter was 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...
. In the U.S., the album was released as Them with partly different tracks.
Cover
As with most Decca releases of the period, the name of the group was conspicuously absent from the front cover and on the back of the LP they were introduced as The Angry Young Them with an essay on this theme declaring: "These five young rebels are outrageously true to themselves. Defiant! Angry! Sad! They are honest to the point of insult!"Songs
Six of the songs on the album were Morrison originals including the famous garage band anthem "Gloria". Another song on the album, "Mystic EyesMystic Eyes
"Mystic Eyes" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison when he was leader of the band Them. It was the opening tune for the band's first album, The Angry Young Them that was released in June 1965. It was released as a single in the US and UK on November 12, 1965 and ...
", was a spontaneous creation that came out of the band just "busking around" in Morrison's words and after seven minutes of instrumental playing he impulsively threw in the words of a song he had been working on. The lengthy versions of "Gloria" that the band performed at the Maritime and the ten minute recording of "Mystic Eyes" have never surfaced. All that is left of the "Mystic Eyes" performance is the little over 2 minutes on the album that remained after splicing out from the beginning and ending. "You Just Can't Win" was a Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
inspired song about a gold digger, set in specific places in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
such as Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
. "Little Girl" was about a boy's obsession with a fourteen year old school girl. (An earlier take on a Lord's Taverners charity album
The Lord's Taverners Charity Album
The Lord's Taverners Charity Album is the title usually given to an LP album produced by Decca Records in 1965, featuring fourteen artists under the Decca label . Decca itself advertised the album under the name of 14 Great Artists, while the name on the sleeve is 14 New Recordings...
had been deleted when a four-letter was heard in the fade out at the end.) "If You And I Could Be As Two" starts with a spoken introduction by Morrison with an aggressive Irish accent. Three Bert Berns originals were included and a cover of 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...
's "Don't Look Back
Don't Look Back (John Lee Hooker song)
"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...
" was considered by Morrison to be his finest vocal to date.
Side 1
- "Mystic EyesMystic Eyes"Mystic Eyes" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison when he was leader of the band Them. It was the opening tune for the band's first album, The Angry Young Them that was released in June 1965. It was released as a single in the US and UK on November 12, 1965 and ...
" (Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan 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...
) – 2:41 - "If You and I Could Be As Two" (Morrison) – 2:53
- "Little Girl" (Morrison) – 2:21
- "Just a Little BitJust a Little Bit (Rosco Gordon song)"Just a Little Bit" is an R&B-style blues song recorded by Rosco Gordon in 1959. It was a hit in both the R&B and pop charts. Called "one of the standards of contemporary blues", "Just a Little Bit" has been recorded by a variety of artists, including Little Milton and Roy Head who also had...
" (Ralph BassRalph BassRalph Bass , born in The Bronx, New York of an Italian-American-Catholic father, and a German-American-Jewish mother, was an influential rhythm and blues record producer and talent scout for several independent labels and was responsible for many hit records. He was a pioneer in bringing black...
, Buster BrownBuster Brown (musician)Buster Brown was an American blues and R&B singer best known for his hit, "Fannie Mae".Brown was born in Cordele, Georgia, and in the 1930s and 1940s he played harmonica at local clubs and made a few non-commercial recordings...
, John Thornton, Ferdinand "Fats" Washington) – 2:21 - "Don't Look BackDon't Look Back (John Lee Hooker song)"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...
" (John Lee HookerJohn Lee HookerJohn 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...
) – 3:23 - "I Gave My Love a Diamond" (Bert BernsBert BernsBertrand Russell Berns , most commonly known as Bert Berns as well as Bert Russell and Russell Byrd, was an American songwriter and record producer of the 1960s...
, Wes FarrellWes FarrellWes Farrell was an American musician, songwriter and record producer, who was most active in the 1960s and 1970s...
) – 2:48 - "Gloria" (Morrison) – 2:38
Side 2
- "You Just Can't Win" (Morrison) – 2:21
- "Go On Home Baby" (Berns, Farrell) – 2:39
- "I Like It Like That" (Morrison) – 3:35
- "I'm Gonna Dress in Black (Gillon, Howe) – 3:34
- "Bright Lights, Big CityBright Lights, Big City (1961 song)"Bright Lights, Big City" is a blues song written and recorded by Jimmy Reed in 1961. It became one of Reed's most popular songs, reaching number three in the R&B chart and number fifty-eight in the Hot 100. The song was included on the album Jimmy Reed at Carnegie Hall...
" – (Jimmy ReedJimmy ReedMathis James "Jimmy" Reed was an American blues musician and songwriter, notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. Reed was a major player in the field of electric blues, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries...
) – 2:30 - "My Little Baby" (Berns, Farrell) – 2:00
- "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" (Bobby TroupBobby TroupRobert William "Bobby" Troup Jr. was an American actor, jazz pianist and songwriter. He is best known for writing the popular standard " Route 66", and for his role as Dr...
) – 2:22
Side 1
- "Here Comes the Night" (Berns) – 2:45
- "Mystic Eyes" – 2:41
- "Don't Look Back" – 3:23
- "Little Girl" – 2:21
- "One Two Brown Eyes" (Morrison) – 2:39
- "Gloria" – 2:38
Side 2
- "One More Time" - 2:47
- "If You and I Could Be As Two" – 2:53
- "I Like It Like That" – 3:35
- "I'm Gonna Dress in Black" – 3:34
- "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" – 2:22
- "Go On Home Baby" – 2:39
Personnel
- Van MorrisonVan MorrisonVan 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...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, tenor sax - Peter BardensPeter BardensPeter Bardens was a keyboardist and a founding member of the British progressive rock group Camel. He played organ, piano, synthesizers and mellotron and wrote songs with Andrew Latimer...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Billy Harrison - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Alan Henderson – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Jimmy PageJimmy PageJames Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
- guitar - John McAuley - drums, piano, harmonica
- Peter BardensPeter BardensPeter Bardens was a keyboardist and a founding member of the British progressive rock group Camel. He played organ, piano, synthesizers and mellotron and wrote songs with Andrew Latimer...
- organist