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{{Infobox song | |||
{{Infobox Song <!-- See Misplaced Pages:WikiProject_Songs --> | |||
| |
| name = T.B. Sheets | ||
| |
| artist = ] | ||
| |
| album = ] | ||
| released = {{Start date|1967}} | |||
| Type = | |||
| format = | |||
| Artist = ] | |||
| recorded = 29 March 1967, | |||
| alt Artist = | |||
| |
| studio = ], New York City | ||
| genre = ]<ref name= "Moon 2008">{{cite book|first=Tom|last=Moon|title=1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die|chapter= Van Morrison - ''Astral Weeks''|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zk0Z0bD2DGcC|date=28 August 2008|publisher=]|isbn=9-780761-139638|pages=523–524}}</ref> | |||
| Published = | |||
| |
| length = 9:44 | ||
| |
| label = | ||
*] | |||
| Recorded = 1967, ] | |||
*] | |||
| Genre = ] | |||
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| writer = ] | ||
| |
| producer = ] | ||
| Composer = | |||
| Label = ]<br> ] | |||
| Producer = ] | |||
| Chart position = | |||
| Tracks = | |||
#"]" | |||
#"He Ain't Give You None" | |||
#"]" | |||
#"Spanish Rose" | |||
#"Goodbye Baby (Baby Goodbye)" (Farrell / Russell) | |||
#"Ro Ro Rosey" | |||
#"Who Drove the Red Sports Car?" | |||
#"]" (traditional) | |||
| prev = | |||
| prev_no = | |||
| next = | |||
| next_no = | |||
| Misc = | |||
}} | }} | ||
"'''T.B. Sheets'''" is a blues-influenced song written and recorded by ] |
"'''T.B. Sheets'''" is a blues-influenced song written and recorded by ] singer-songwriter ]. ] issued the song on his first solo album, '']'' (1967). It later appeared on the Bang compilation '']''. | ||
==Recording== | |||
⚫ | "T.B. Sheets" |
||
"T.B. Sheets" was recorded on 29 March 1967 at A & R Recording Studios In New York City with ] as the producer. Morrison had intended to record it in one take, but there were two takes recorded that day.<ref>Heylin, 2006. p. 153-154</ref> | |||
There is a long-standing, but perhaps ]l, story of Morrison's emotional state during the song's recording. ], in the ] for the 1973 album '']'', wrote that "after 'T.B. Sheets' was recorded, the rest of the session had to be cancelled because Van broke down in tears."<ref>Ochs, Michael, liner notes, '']'', 1973</ref> Likewise, according to John Collis, <blockquote>Morrison could later joke about this song. "I’m writing 'T.B. Sheets Part II' now," he said in 1972. "Keeping the same riff, the same groove." However, it’s on record – though the story could be exaggerated – that after laying down this track he broke down in tears, unable to continue the session.<ref>Collis. 1996. p85</ref></blockquote> | |||
==Critical interpretations== | |||
⚫ | The ] review |
||
==Composition== | |||
John Collis describes the song's theme thusly: | |||
{{further|Tuberculosis in human culture}} | |||
⚫ | |||
The story as told in the song takes place in a room where a woman lies dying of ] and is visited by the story-teller, her lover. The overwhelming pain and guilt he feels leads to a desperate feeling of wanting to escape from the enclosed room smelling of ] and ]. | |||
Brian Hinton described the song's music as follows: | |||
⚫ | |||
== |
==Critical reactions== | ||
⚫ | The ] review includes, "The listener is placed in the room. Although somewhat disturbing, it certainly describes the term realism with one bold masterful stroke".<ref>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=song|id=t2356570|pure_url=yes}} |title=T.B. Sheets review | publisher= allmusic.com | accessdate=2008-08-03}}</ref> | ||
] | |||
⚫ | John Collis described the song's meaning as: "First of all, the singer chides the terminally ill invalid for crying. 'It ain't natural,' he says. The woman cries all night and the observer, trapped in the death room, is embarrassed and helpless. Later in the song, the sun bouncing off a crack in the window pane 'numbs my brain'{{nbsp}}... And then there's the crushing ] of the sickroom {{snd}}'Let me breathe,' he demands of the woman whose breath is failing, bubbling in cheesy lungs. There is a street below, a street she'll never walk in again, and he is getting desperate to be down there, to rejoin the living, because 'the cool room is a fool's room'.<ref>Collis. 1996. p84</ref> | ||
] samples "T.B. Sheets" heavily on his song "Greedy Bitches". The opening riff and rhythm section are lifted seemingly note for note into the rap song. | |||
⚫ | ] described the song's music: "Here is a ]ian tale of death and decay in a big city. Organ and drums go free form, then a stately groove, fitting Van's voice like a garrote, led by nagging lead guitar. Van's harmonica hurts the ear, then he's like a terrier, lecturing his girlfriend, 'Julie,' about it not being natural her staying awake at night, dying."<ref>Hinton. 1997. p81</ref> | ||
A '']'' review by Steve Labate commented on the theme of the song: "'T.B. Sheets' is one of the most real songs about death you’ll ever hear. As life saps steadily from the singer’s beloved, tuberculosis-ridden Julie, there is no trite drama, no nostalgic sugar coating or grand deathbed epiphany, but rather an 'Is That All There Is?' fatalism—a mild, detached, slowly-suffocating bleakness. 'The sunlight shining through the crack in the window pane numbs my brain,' Morrison moans over a skittering Hammond organ."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2010/03/van-morrison-tb-sheets.html|title=Van Morrison: T.B. Sheets|date=2010-03-29|publisher=]|author=Labate, Steve|accessdate=2010-04-01}}</ref> | |||
==Legacy== | |||
⚫ | "T.B. Sheets" featured in the 1999 ] movie '']''. | ||
] samples the song on his 2006 song "Greedy Bitches".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kevinnottingham.com/2008/04/28/more-fish-original-samples/|title=More Fish: Original Samples|publisher=kevinnottingham.com|accessdate=2009-11-20}}</ref> | |||
] and ] included a cover on their 2014 album ''A Fistful of Desert Blues''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rustblade.com/2014/a-fistful-of-desert-blues-2/ |title=A Fistful of Desert Blues CD | Rustblade - Label and Distribution |publisher=Rustblade |accessdate=2014-04-16 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140417015014/http://www.rustblade.com/2014/a-fistful-of-desert-blues-2/ |archivedate=2014-04-17 }}</ref> | |||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
{{ |
{{Reflist}} | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
*Collis, John (1996). Inarticulate Speech of the Heart |
*Collis, John (1996). ''Inarticulate Speech of the Heart'' Little Brown and Company, {{ISBN|0-306-80811-0}} | ||
*Hinton, Brian (1997). Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison, Sanctuary, ISBN |
*] (1997). ''Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison'', Sanctuary, {{ISBN|1-86074-169-X}} | ||
*Heylin, Clinton (2003). Can You Feel the Silence? Van Morrison: A New Biography, Chicago Review Press, ISBN |
*Heylin, Clinton (2003). ''Can You Feel the Silence? Van Morrison: A New Biography'', Chicago Review Press, {{ISBN|1-55652-542-7}} | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
* | |||
* Discography/Bang-Blowin Your Mind! lyrics | |||
* | |||
{{Authority control}} | |||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
] |
Latest revision as of 17:08, 5 November 2024
1967 song by Van Morrison"T.B. Sheets" | |
---|---|
Song by Van Morrison | |
from the album Blowin' Your Mind! | |
Released | 1967 (1967) |
Recorded | 29 March 1967, |
Studio | A & R, New York City |
Genre | Blues |
Length | 9:44 |
Label | |
Songwriter(s) | Van Morrison |
Producer(s) | Bert Berns |
"T.B. Sheets" is a blues-influenced song written and recorded by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. Bang Records issued the song on his first solo album, Blowin' Your Mind! (1967). It later appeared on the Bang compilation T.B. Sheets.
Recording
"T.B. Sheets" was recorded on 29 March 1967 at A & R Recording Studios In New York City with Bert Berns as the producer. Morrison had intended to record it in one take, but there were two takes recorded that day.
There is a long-standing, but perhaps apocryphal, story of Morrison's emotional state during the song's recording. Michael Ochs, in the liner notes for the 1973 album T.B. Sheets, wrote that "after 'T.B. Sheets' was recorded, the rest of the session had to be cancelled because Van broke down in tears." Likewise, according to John Collis,
Morrison could later joke about this song. "I’m writing 'T.B. Sheets Part II' now," he said in 1972. "Keeping the same riff, the same groove." However, it’s on record – though the story could be exaggerated – that after laying down this track he broke down in tears, unable to continue the session.
Composition
Further information: Tuberculosis in human cultureThe story as told in the song takes place in a room where a woman lies dying of tuberculosis and is visited by the story-teller, her lover. The overwhelming pain and guilt he feels leads to a desperate feeling of wanting to escape from the enclosed room smelling of death and disease.
Critical reactions
The AllMusic review includes, "The listener is placed in the room. Although somewhat disturbing, it certainly describes the term realism with one bold masterful stroke".
John Collis described the song's meaning as: "First of all, the singer chides the terminally ill invalid for crying. 'It ain't natural,' he says. The woman cries all night and the observer, trapped in the death room, is embarrassed and helpless. Later in the song, the sun bouncing off a crack in the window pane 'numbs my brain' ... And then there's the crushing claustrophobia of the sickroom – 'Let me breathe,' he demands of the woman whose breath is failing, bubbling in cheesy lungs. There is a street below, a street she'll never walk in again, and he is getting desperate to be down there, to rejoin the living, because 'the cool room is a fool's room'.
Brian Hinton described the song's music: "Here is a Dickensian tale of death and decay in a big city. Organ and drums go free form, then a stately groove, fitting Van's voice like a garrote, led by nagging lead guitar. Van's harmonica hurts the ear, then he's like a terrier, lecturing his girlfriend, 'Julie,' about it not being natural her staying awake at night, dying."
A Paste review by Steve Labate commented on the theme of the song: "'T.B. Sheets' is one of the most real songs about death you’ll ever hear. As life saps steadily from the singer’s beloved, tuberculosis-ridden Julie, there is no trite drama, no nostalgic sugar coating or grand deathbed epiphany, but rather an 'Is That All There Is?' fatalism—a mild, detached, slowly-suffocating bleakness. 'The sunlight shining through the crack in the window pane numbs my brain,' Morrison moans over a skittering Hammond organ."
Legacy
"T.B. Sheets" featured in the 1999 Martin Scorsese movie Bringing Out the Dead.
Ghostface Killah samples the song on his 2006 song "Greedy Bitches".
Lydia Lunch and Cypress Grove included a cover on their 2014 album A Fistful of Desert Blues.
Notes
- Moon, Tom (28 August 2008). "Van Morrison - Astral Weeks". 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die. Workman Publishing Company. pp. 523–524. ISBN 9-780761-139638.
- Heylin, 2006. p. 153-154
- Ochs, Michael, liner notes, T.B. Sheets, 1973
- Collis. 1996. p85
- "T.B. Sheets review". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
- Collis. 1996. p84
- Hinton. 1997. p81
- Labate, Steve (2010-03-29). "Van Morrison: T.B. Sheets". Paste. Retrieved 2010-04-01.
- "More Fish: Original Samples". kevinnottingham.com. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
- "A Fistful of Desert Blues CD | Rustblade - Label and Distribution". Rustblade. Archived from the original on 2014-04-17. Retrieved 2014-04-16.
References
- Collis, John (1996). Inarticulate Speech of the Heart Little Brown and Company, ISBN 0-306-80811-0
- Hinton, Brian (1997). Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison, Sanctuary, ISBN 1-86074-169-X
- Heylin, Clinton (2003). Can You Feel the Silence? Van Morrison: A New Biography, Chicago Review Press, ISBN 1-55652-542-7