Rough God Goes Riding
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| “Rough God Goes Riding” | |||||
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| Single by Van Morrison from the album The Healing Game |
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| A-side | "Rough God Goes Riding" | ||||
| B-side | "At the End of the Day"/ "The Healing Game" (alternative take) | ||||
| Released | 1997 | ||||
| Format | CD single | ||||
| Recorded | 1996 | ||||
| Genre | Folk Rock, Rock | ||||
| Length | 6:19 | ||||
| Label | Polydor for Exile Productions Ltd. | ||||
| Writer(s) | Van Morrison | ||||
| Producer | Van Morrison | ||||
| Van Morrison singles chronology | |||||
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| The Healing Game track listing | |||||
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"Rough God Goes Riding" is the opening song on the album, The Healing Game by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and has been performed in his concerts 104 known times since 19th September 1996. One of these performances featuring special guests Candy Dulfer and Fred Wesley was shown on German television in 1998. The song reached #168 on the UK charts. It has been included as one of 14 songs on the limited 3 disc edition of the 2007 compilation album, Still on Top - The Greatest Hits and the B-side of the single, the alternative version of "The Healing Game" appears on all 3 editions of Still on Top. The other B-side "At the End of the Day", is the same song released on the 2008 reissue of The Healing Game.
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[edit] Recording history
The song was recorded in Dublin, Ireland.
[edit] Song analysis
According to biographer Clinton Heylin this song: "signalled a return to the religious and spiritual preoccupations that had driven Morrison's work throughout the eighties, the image of the Rough God being derived from Robin Williamson's 'Mr. Thomas' — recorded by Morrison for Inarticulate — in which 'the rough God goes riding with his shears', a reference to the avenging Messiah who shall return to wreak final judgement on Man."[1]
[edit] Personnel on original release
- Van Morrison - vocal, harmonica
- Ronnie Johnson - electric guitar
- Leo Green - tenor saxophone
- Pee Wee Ellis - baritone saxophone
- Robin Aspland - piano
- Alec Dankworth - double bass
- Geoff Dunn - drums
- Brian Kennedy, Katie Kissoon - background vocals
[edit] Notes
- ^ Heylin, Can You Feel the Silence?, p.473
[edit] References
- Heylin, Clinton (2003). Can You Feel the Silence? Van Morrison: A New Biography, Chicago Review Press ISBN 1-55652-542-7
[edit] External links
- Lyrics and Audio sample 1990s, The Healing Game
