Saint Dominic's Preview has been described as one of his most allusive, containing wide-ranging references including The Troubles, Morrison's pre-fame career cleaning windows, Notre-Dame cathedral and the vicissitudes of the recording industry. The song also mentions Edith Piaf, Irish poet W. B. Yeats[citation needed], country singer Hank Williams and the California supermarket chain Safeway. Gary Mallaber and Jack Schroer (from the Moondance album) play drums and saxophone respectively and Morrison's then wife, Janet Planet, is one of the back-up vocalists.
It has been difficult for biographers and music reviewers to accurately identify some of the words used in "Saint Dominic's Preview"'s lyrics, as they were not published in the album sleeve at the time of its release. This led to some incorrect interpretations of the song before an official lyric sheet was published.[2] The words emote different settings, but do not form an obvious story, as they describe a variety of subjects, such as cleaning windows, Edith Piaf's soul, W. B. Yeats and Hank Williams.[3]
"Saint Dominic's Preview" begins with references to Morrison's youth, working as a window cleaner in Belfast. He uses the word chamois (the leather used to clean windows) as a pun to link the French word to two aspects of French culture: singer Edith Piaf, with her song "Non, je ne regrette rien", and Cathedral Notre-Dame in Paris.[4] The line "It's a long way to Buffalo/It's a long way to Belfast city too" is believed to refer to the homesickness that Morrison experienced living in the US at the time, because of the situation in Belfast.[4] Whilst touring on the West Coast, drummer Gary Mallaber recalled a conversation he had with Morrison about how he missed Buffalo, New York: "he wrote that [line] in 'Saint Dominic's Preview'. 'It's a long way to Buffalo/it's a long way to Belfast City too' – that was him crying out, saying, 'Well, you know what, I would like to return to my place too, 'cause I miss it.'"[5] Morrison revealed to journalists in 1972: "I don't think I want to go back to Belfast. I don't miss it with all that prejudice around. We're all the same and I think it's terrible what's happening. But I think I'd like to get a house in Ireland. I'd like to spend a few months there every year."[6]
Morrison revealed that the song came to him in a stream of consciousness, but only found out afterwards that a mass that was being held in a St. Dominic's church in San Francisco for peace in Belfast.[7] He told John Grissim:[3]
I'd been working on this song about the scene going down in Belfast. And I wasn't sure what I was writing but the central image seemed to be this church called St Dominic's where people were gathering to pray or hear a mass for peace in Northern Ireland. A few weeks later I was playing at a gig in Reno, Nevada. I picked up a newspaper, and there in front of me was an announcement about a mass for peace in Belfast to be said the next day at St Dominic's Church in San Francisco. Totally blew me out. Like I'd never even heard of a St Dominic's Church.
There are also references to "orange" boxes, "flags and emblems" and people determined "not to feel anyone else's pain", which are seen by some as allusions to the situation in Belfast.[3] Biographer Clinton Heylin thought that "It was [a] surprising subject matter simply because of Morrison's long-standing decision not to address this volatile issue."[8] Morrison later rejected the idea that the song had any political meaning, claiming that it was not written "with anything in mind ... [it] is just a stream of consciousness. It doesn't mean any particular thing. It's a sketch ... the words, the syllables, just came out of my mouth and I wrote them down."[9]
In the lines "You got ev'rything in the world you ever wanted/And right about now your face should wear a smile", Morrison's personal life and successful career are covered, with references to the dishonesty of the music business, and his own self-pity and longing for a home that did not exist any more.[10]
Peter Mills identifies that the chorus is the element that brings the song together: "Through it all, Saint Dominic's Preview remains. It is that which holds the song together, and unifies the apparently unconnected, resolving fracture through re-imagining what it means to belong: in this, the song is indeed a helpful observation of the situation in Northern Ireland in the early 1970s."[11]
Recording and composition
"Saint Dominic's Preview" was recorded during the final session for the album at the Wally Heider Studios, San Francisco in April 1972. The band members present were Doug Messenger (guitar), Bill Church (bass), Gary Mallaber (drums), Tom Salisbury (piano), Jack Schroer and Jules Broussard (saxophones), with Janet Planet, Ellen Schroer and Mark Springer providing backing vocals as part of the Street Choir (Morrison's vocal backing group at the time). Jim Gaines, employed at the Wally Heider Studios, was the engineer at the session.[12] Pianist Tom Salisbury made the arrangements for the song, along with "I Will Be There" and "Redwood Tree", which were also recorded at the final session. Salisbury had perfect pitch, which made it easy for him to write down the charts over the phone with instruction from Morrison.[13] Salisbury was happy with the first take, even though ten takes were eventually made during the session. Doug Messenger recalled: "When we recorded "St. Dominic's," every take was more powerful that the last. Quite an experience. Mallaber kept driving the band harder and harder."[14]
Producer Ted Templeman and his assistant Donn Landee were not present at the recording of "Saint Dominic's Preview", but oversaw the overdubs and retakes that were made to the song.[12] The overdubs include Salisbury's organ part, which is cued in by the line ‘Across the street from Cathedral Notre Dame’, and John McFee's pedal steel guitar, intended to give a country feel to the line 'Every Hank Williams railroad train ... '. The electric guitar had to be rerecorded because of unwanted sound leaking into the microphone. Doug Messenger was no longer part of Morrison's band when the overdubs were being recorded, so numerous guitarists, including Ronnie Montrose, were brought in to play it. None produced the sound wanted, so Messenger was recalled, and managed to complete the overdub to Morrison's satisfaction in one take.[15] Morrison also rerecorded his vocals, which, over the new backing, allowed him to react more to the music; "no regrets" was replaced with "ne regrette rien" and the vowel sound of "wine" was elongated to "wi-ee-ine".[16] In the final recording, "ne regrette rien" is replaced by the Latin motto "non regredior" ("I do not retreat").
Reception
Brian Hinton believes the lyrics in "Saint Dominic's Preview" are "the most Dylanesque Van ever gets",[3] while Peter Wrench claims that "Saint Dominic's Preview" "is, by some distance, the densest and most allusive songs on the record and one of the most striking in the Morrison canon."[17]
Rolling Stone reviewer Stephen Holden identified "Saint Dominic's Preview" as the song that unifies the album: "The six-and-a-half-minute title cut which opens side two nicely straddles the gap between the album’s two styles. Instrumentally it is very similar to 'Tupelo Honey'. The arrangement and vocals are joyously full-bodied ... However, the dense verbiage (more complex than on any other cut) is disjunctive and arcane, juxtaposing images of mythic travel, with those of social alienation."[18]
Janet Planet commented about the song: "I am rather partial to 'St Dominic's Preview' if I had to pick one from the album. And I'm proud of our contribution. I really loved singing with him and I loved Ellen [Schroer] and Mark [Springer] – they were wonderful."[13]
Other releases
"Saint Dominic's Preview" was one of the live performances included on Morrison's 1974 acclaimed live album, It's Too Late To Stop Now. It is also one of the songs performed on Morrison's first video Van Morrison in Ireland, recorded in February 1979 and released in 1981. It was Morrison's first concert in Belfast since 1967. The audience notably cheer when Morrison sings the lyric that mentions Belfast city.[19]
Morrison recorded a second studio version of the song for the Irish television program Sult at the Temple Bar, Dublin in April 1996.[20] It was later released in August 1997 on the album Sult: Spirit of the Music with contributions from various Irish performers and groups.[21] Clinton Heylin notes that when this recording was made was "a time when the people of Northern Ireland were again praying for lasting peace ... Sung with a passion rare, the 1996 'Saint Dominic's Preview' reminded everyone watching that the time had come to reinstate these sentiments."[22]Greil Marcus notes that Belfast and San Francisco were very different places in 1972 and 1996. This version begins with Dónal Lunny on bazouki playing in a minor mode, which Marcus believes "could be the beginning of anything." To Marcus, Morrison's voice, which is much lower than it was on the original recording, gives the song a new meaning with "a hint of violence" through his "harsh vowels" and "gruff tone". He believed that the abundance of different parts at the end of the 1972 version "was lost in a mass finale", whereas the fact that all the parts came together in this version, represents the people "marching as one, shouting for freedom, in the moment celebrating the truth that they already had it."[23] This version is included as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of his 1997 album The Healing Game.[24]
Tupelo Honey is the fifth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in October 1971 by Warner Bros. Records. Morrison had written all of the songs on the album in Woodstock, New York, before his move to Marin County, California, except for "You're My Woman", which he wrote during the recording sessions. Recording began at the beginning of the second quarter of 1971 at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco. Morrison moved to the Columbia Studios in May 1971 to complete the album.
Veedon Fleece is the eighth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in October 1974. Morrison recorded the album shortly after his divorce from wife Janet (Planet) Rigsbee. With his broken marriage in the past, Morrison visited Ireland on holiday for new inspiration, arriving on 20 October 1973. While there he wrote, in less than three weeks, the songs included on the album.
Saint Dominic's Preview is the sixth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released in July 1972 by Warner Bros. Records. Rolling Stone declared it "the best-produced, most ambitious Van Morrison record yet released."
Hard Nose the Highway is the seventh studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1973. It is his first solo album since his 1967 debut Blowin' Your Mind! to contain songs not written by Morrison. A cover version of the song "Bein' Green", usually associated with Kermit the Frog, is included, as is a take of the traditional song "Purple Heather". The album also contains the single "Warm Love," a fan favourite.
No Guru, No Method, No Teacher is the sixteenth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1986 on Mercury.
Irish Heartbeat is the eighteenth studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is a collaboration with the traditional Irish musical group the Chieftains, released in 1988. It was recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, Ireland, and reached number 18 in the UK album charts.
"Caravan" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1970 album, Moondance. It was a concert highlight for several years and was included as one of the songs on Morrison's 1974 acclaimed live album, It's Too Late to Stop Now.
"And It Stoned Me" is a song by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It is the opening track on his 1970 solo album, Moondance.
"Almost Independence Day" is the closing song on Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison's 1972 album Saint Dominic's Preview. The song is ten minutes long and features Morrison trading guitar licks with Ron Elliott.
"Listen to the Lion" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and featured on his sixth album, Saint Dominic's Preview (1972). Its poetic musings and "bass-led shuffle" lead back to Astral Weeks territory.
"Days Like This" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and the title song of his 1995 album of the same name. Morrison has often performed this song in concert appearances,and it has become one of his most popular songs from his later years. It peaked at number 65 in the UK upon release, and later reached number 12 on the US Billboard US Rock Digital Song Sales chart.
"Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)" is a song written and performed by Van Morrison and featured as the opening track on his sixth studio album, Saint Dominic's Preview. It was released by Warner Bros. in July 1972 as the first of three singles from the album and charted at number sixty-one on the US Billboard Hot 100. Both the music and lyrics are inspired by rhythm and blues singer Jackie Wilson and his song "Reet Petite", which is directly quoted in the song.
Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast is a live album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1984. It was recorded from four live shows in March 1983 at the Grand Opera House, Belfast, Northern Ireland. The album was composed of songs from Morrison's last four recordings. It is the second live album Morrison released, following 10 years after It's Too Late to Stop Now.
"Brand New Day" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and featured on his 1970 album Moondance.
"Come Running" is a song written by singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1970 album Moondance.
"You've Got the Power" is an outtake from Van Morrison's 1972 album, Saint Dominic's Preview. It was released as the B-side to "Jackie Wilson Said " in 1972.
"I Will Be There" is a song featured on Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison's sixth album Saint Dominic's Preview (1972). The song is also the B-side to Morrison's single "Warm Love", released in 1973.
"Redwood Tree" is the sixth song on Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison's 1972 album, Saint Dominic's Preview, released in July 1972 by Warner Bros. It was later released in October as the second of three singles from the album and charted at number 98 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Call Me Up in Dreamland" is a song that was written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter, Van Morrison and included on his 1970 album, His Band and the Street Choir. Brian Hinton describes the song as "life on the road, with 'radio' as a verb and laughing sax."
"Burning Ground" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1997 album, The Healing Game. For this song, Morrison got his inspiration from a common scene from his childhood when jute was shipped to Belfast from India in the 1950s.
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