Van Morrison: “Gypsy” (1972)
Ah, to have the moonlight in a wooded glen, Van Morrison on the radio, a bottle of wine and thee.
Kronomyth 6.3: The gypsy queen when she was still a princess.
This is vintage Van Morrison, when the man didn’t seem capable of writing a bad song. Gypsy and Saint Dominic’s Preview (both from the album of the same name) are bittersweet treats that have more than a little in common with mid-career Bob Dylan. Van’s voice could still steer a line without bruising it, his inflection (like Dylan) could add weight to an otherwise ordinary word (check out the way he hangs up on “storey block” in St. Dominic’s). Based on this preview alone, I can see why Rolling Stone’s Dave Marsh found parts of Saint Dominic’s Preview “as soul-searching and soulful as any modern music.” Of interest, it appears this is an edited version of the original, although I haven’t had a chance to compare the two yet. The gypsy queen when she was still a princess.
Original 7-inch single version
A1. Gypsy (Van Morrison) (3:10)
B1. Saint Dominic’s Preview (Van Morrison) (6:23)
The Plastic
Released on 7-inch single in 1972 in Canada (Warner Bros., WB 7665) and Germany (Warner Bros., WB 16 239) with regional picture sleeve. Also released as promotional 7-inch single in 1972 in the US (Warner Bros., WB 7665).
