Scandinavia (composition)

"Scandinavia" is an instrumental composition by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and is the closing track on his 1982 album Beautiful Vision.

"Scandinavia"
Single by Van Morrison
from the album Beautiful Vision
A-side"Scandinavia"
B-side"Dweller on the Threshold"
ReleasedJune 1982
RecordedMay 1981
Genreinstrumental rock
Length6:41
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)Van Morrison
Producer(s)Van Morrison
Van Morrison singles chronology
"Cleaning Windows"
(1982)		 "Scandinavia"
(1982)		 "Cry For Home"
(1983)

The track was the first instrumental Morrison released but which was followed by others during the 1980s. It has been performed in concert only a few times. Morrison played the composition on 3 April 1982 at the Grugahalle in Essen, Germany and was broadcast on Rockpalast in Germany and the BBC in the UK.[1]

It was recorded at the first recording session for the Beautiful Vision album and was the only track from this session that would be used on the album. The musicians featured differed from the other tracks on the finished album and had appeared with Morrison at the Great American Music Hall in March 1981.[2] Morrison played piano on this instrumental.

The composition was nominated in the Best Rock Instrumental Performance category for the 25th Annual Grammy Awards.[3]

It was used throughout the 1993 BBC documentary series 40 Minutes.[4]

Personnel

Notes
  1. Collis. Inarticulate Speech of the Heart, pp.236–237
  2. Heylin. Can You Feel the Silence?, p.369
  3. "Rock on the Net: 25th Annual Grammy Awards-1983". rockonthenet. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  4. Brooks. In Search of Van Morrison, p.95

References
  • Brooks, Ken (1999), In Search of Van Morrison, Andover, Hampshire: Agenda, ISBN 1-899882-95-2
  • Heylin, Clinton (2003). Can You Feel the Silence? Van Morrison: A New Biography, Chicago Review Press, ISBN 1-55652-542-7
  • Collis, John (1998), Inarticulate Speech of the Heart, London: Warner Books, ISBN 0-7515-2068-3
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