Full Force Gale
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“Full Force Gale” | |||||
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Single by Van Morrison from the album Into the Music |
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A-side | "Full Force Gale" | ||||
B-side | "You Make Me Feel so Free" | ||||
Released | 1979 | ||||
Recorded | Spring 1979 | ||||
Length | 3:14 | ||||
Label | Warner Bros. Records | ||||
Writer(s) | Van Morrison | ||||
Producer | Van Morrison | ||||
Van Morrison singles chronology | |||||
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Into the Music track listing | |||||
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"Full Force Gale" is a song written by singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1979 album Into the Music. As described by Brian Hinton, "'Full Force Gale' has the cheerful punch of the best gospel singing, and sees Van 'lifted up by the Lord'...as with Wordsworth, the divine is perceived not through religious teachings but through nature.."[1]When biographer Steve Turner asked the singer about the theme of rebirth that occurs quite often in his songs, Morrison answered, "I wrote a song called 'Full Force Gale' in which I said 'No matter where I roam/I will find my way back home/I will always return to the Lord'. That answers it for me. No matter what I might say at the present, that's my feeling about that."[2]
Allmusic's review calls it: "Essentially a brisk pop tune, Morrison sings it with great fervour and commitment, delivering simple couplets such as 'In the gentle evening breeze/In the whispering shady trees/I will find my santuary in the Lord' with immense skill. The arrangement is also magnificent, with the fiddle part a particular joy...."
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[edit] Appearance on other albums
- "Full Force Gale" is also featured as the opening tune on the 1990 compilation album The Best of Van Morrison.
- A live version appeared on the 1984 CD Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast.
- This song is one of the hits re-mastered in 2007 and included on the compilation album, Still on Top - The Greatest Hits.
[edit] Personnel on original release
- Van Morrison: vocal, guitar
- Herbie Armstrong: guitar
- Ry Cooder: slide guitar
- Pee Wee Ellis: tenor saxophone
- David Hayes: bass
- Mark Isham: trumpet
- Mark Jordan: piano
- Toni Marcus: violin
- Katie Kissoon: backing vocals
- Peter Van Hooke: drums
[edit] Covers
- Elvis Costello - his version appears on the 1994 tribute album, No Prima Donna: The Songs of Van Morrison and also on Costello's own 1995 album, Kojak Variety.
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Hinton, Brian (1997). Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison, Sanctuary, ISBN 1-86074169X
- Turner, Steve (1993). Too Late to Stop Now, Viking Penguin, ISBN 0-670-85147-7
- Allmusic review: Full Force Gale
[edit] External links
- Lyrics and audio samplesInto the Music 1970s