*** Welcome to piglix ***

Tupelo Honey (Van Morrison song)

"Tupelo Honey"
Tupelo Honey single cover.jpg
Single by Van Morrison
from the album Tupelo Honey
B-side "Starting a New Life"
Released 1972
Format 7", 45rpm
Genre Folk rock, blue-eyed soul, soft rock
Length 6:54
Label Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s) Van Morrison
Producer(s) Van Morrison, Ted Templeman
Van Morrison singles chronology
"Wild Night"
(1971)
"Tupelo Honey"
(1972)
"(Straight to Your Heart) Like a Cannonball"
(1972)
"Wild Night"
(1971)
"Tupelo Honey"
(1972)
"(Straight to Your Heart) Like a Cannonball"
(1972)
Tupelo Honey track listing
"You're My Woman"
(5)
"Tupelo Honey"
(6)
"I Wanna Roo You (Scottish Derivative)"
(7)

"Tupelo Honey" is a popular song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and the title song from his 1971 album, Tupelo Honey. The title derives from an expensive, mild-tasting tupelo honey produced in the southeastern United States. Released as a single in 1972, it reached number 47 on the U.S. pop chart.

The melody, which has a catchy, soulful feel to it, was borrowed from Morrison's song "Crazy Love", released the previous year. This same melody was later used by Van Morrison on the song, "Why Must I Always Explain?", on his 1991 double album, Hymns to the Silence. Morrison has played "Tupelo Honey" in a medley with both "Crazy Love" and "Why Must I Always Explain?" in concert.

In an Uncut review for the album, David Cavanagh remarks: "Building upwards from a gentle flute refrain, and then pushed forwards by mighty fills from jazz drummer Connie Kay who played on Astral Weeks, 'Tupelo Honey' is sung by a man who has grabbed us by the lapels and won't let go until we understand precisely what he's experiencing. On an album where the vocals are exultant to say the least, this song sees Morrison use larynx, diaphragm, teeth and tongue to find new ways of enunciating the lines 'she's as sweet as Tupelo honey' and 'she's all right with me', seemingly in ever-increasing adoration."

Bob Dylan (who performed the song with Morrison during a concert tour in the 1990s) once remarked that "'Tupelo Honey' has always existed and that Morrison was merely the vessel and the earthly vehicle for it". The Allmusic reviewer commented (echoing Bob Dylan): "Morrison's lyrics, singing, and phrasing are so free and natural on the country-soul song that it is indeed hard to imagine that the song, and the original recording of 'Tupelo Honey', has not always been there."


...
Wikipedia

...