VAN MORRISON'S THE BEST OF VAN MORRISON, VOLUME 3 TO BE RELEASED JUNE 19 BY MANHATTAN/EMI

2-CD Collection Features 31 Tracks, Including Previously Unreleased Collaborations with Tom Jones and Bobby Bland


Hollywood, California – April 16, 2007 - Manhattan/EMI Music Catalog Marketing will release The Best Of Van Morrison, Volume 3 on June 19. The new 2-CD collection, compiled by Morrison himself, offers a comprehensive overview of his later material. The set's 31 tracks include previously unreleased collaborations with Tom Jones and Bobby Bland, as well as duets with John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, The Chieftains, Ray Charles, and others.

---

Van Morrison has never been a man to rest on his considerable laurels - live shows have always incorporated healthy amounts of new music, and the public has responded by buying tickets and albums in ever-increasing numbers. So this third volume of highlights from his four-decade-plus career, expansive though it may be, is already a piece of history. But the rich cast of supporting characters it features, including many of Van's earliest influences, will give fans who came to his work more recently (and helped the first ‘Best Of ‘ make the UK Top 5) a rare insight into Morrison's richly complex musical make-up.

What constitutes The Best Of Van Morrison will always be a subjective choice: the man himself ran through several listings and running orders before pronouncing himself satisfied. The sources of the key tracks from the last 15 years range from 1993's Number 4 album ‘Too Long In Exile' to 2005's ‘Magic Time', while a selection of choice cuts from hard-to-find releases will delight aficionados. It's impossible to define Morrison with reference to any one recording, but the sheer diversity of the material here, encompassing live tracks, studio takes and remixes, sets a standard others will be hard-pressed to equal.

Over three decades ago, Van Morrison was quoted as saying: ‘The only thing that matters is whether you've got it or not. The only thing that counts is if you're still around. And I'm still around.' That still holds true today – listen and learn.
- Michael Heatley

Van Morrison has announced several upcoming concert dates. For more information and updates, visit www.vanmorrison.co.uk.