The Caledonia Soul Orchestra
The Caledonia Soul Orchestra was the band created by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison in 1973. The band was named after an eighteen-minute instrumental outtake on the His Band and the Street Choir album.[1]
Tour in 1973
In 1973 Van Morrison and the Caledonia Soul Orchestra went on a three-month tour of the United States and Europe, the result of which was the live double album It's Too Late to Stop Now. The title is taken from the last line in the lyrics of one of Morrison's songs, "Into the Mystic" from the 1970 Moondance album. In live performances with the Caledonia Soul Orchestra, he would close the concert with a lengthened version of the Astral Weeks song "Cyprus Avenue" and then shout out "It's too late to stop now!" as he exited the stage.
The tour began with warm up shows at the Lions Share in
Morrison disbanded the group, saving only a few musicians for his follow up album, Veedon Fleece in 1974. A few of the original Caledonia Soul Orchestra musicians would remain in Morrison's band over the years.
Critical response
John Collis in his book, Inarticulate Speech on the Heart, comments that "with the magnificent Caledonia Soul Orchestra on song he [Morrison] came of age as a magnetic stage performer, culminating in the release of the double set It's Too Late to Stop Now one of the most impressive of all attempts to squeeze the stage excitement of a rock performer on to vinyl."[5]
The Caledonia Soul Orchestra lineup
- Van Morrison: vocals, acoustic guitar, alto saxophone
- John Platania: guitar, backing vocals
- Jeff Labes: organ, piano (8 May 1973 onwards)
- James Trumbo: piano (15 February 1973 to 19 April 1973)[6]
- David Hayes: bass, backing vocals
- Jack Schroer: alto, tenor, baritone and soprano saxophones, tambourine, backing vocals
- Dahaud Shaar: drums, backing vocals
- Bill Atwood: trumpet, flugelhorn, backing vocals
- Nathan Rubin: first violin
- Terry Adams: cello[7]
- Nancy Ellis: viola
- Tom Halpin: violin (replaced by Tim Kovatch, uncertain date)
- Tim Kovatch: violin
Notes
- ^ Heylin, Can You Feel the Silence?, p. 270
- ^ The Best Gigs Ever
- ^ Heylin, Can You Feel the Silence?, p. 268-270
- ^ Turner, Too Late to Stop Now, p.115
- ^ Collis, Inarticulate Speech of the Heart, p.136
- ^ "Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, 1973-04-18". ivan.vanomatic.de. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
- ^ Terry Adams website
References
- Collis, John (1996). Inarticulate Speech of the Heart, Little Brown and Company, ISBN 0-306-80811-0
- Heylin, Clinton (2003). Can You Feel the Silence? Van Morrison: A New Biography, Chicago Review Press ISBN 1-55652-542-7
- Turner, Steve (1993). Too Late to Stop Now, Viking Penguin, ISBN 0-670-85147-7