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Ivory Tower (Van Morrison song)
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Wikipedia article
"'Ivory Tower'" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1986 album, 'No Guru, No Method, No Teacher'. The song was also released as a single with the B-side "A New Kind of Man", from his previous album 'A Sense of Wonder'. It charted at No. 21 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks in 1986.
Clinton Heylin writes this about the song "A chorus about how tough 'It really must be/ To be me, to see like me, to feel like me' threatens the spirituality self-effacing mood he had previously maintained."Heylin, Can You Feel the Silence?, p.395 Biographer John Collis takes the same viewpoint by saying "Ivory Tower, totally breaks the mold it's an r'n'b shaker just like those produced by the Van Morrison of old, though now he suffers from self pity: "Don't you know the price I have to pay/Just to do everything I have to do..."Collis, Inarticulate Speech of the Heart, p166
'Billboard' said it is an "upbeat r&b boogie." 'Cash Box' said it is an "outstanding and blustery return to form for the brilliant and visionary Morrison."
Personnel on original release
*Van Morrison vocal
*June Boyce backing vocals
*Richie Buckley tenor saxophone
*Martin Drover trumpet
*David Hayes bass
*Rosie Hunter backing vocals
*Jeff Labes piano
*Chris Michie guitar
*John Platania guitar
*Bianca Thornton backing vocals
*Jeanie Tracy backing vocals
*Baba Trunde drums
Notes
References
*Heylin, Clinton (2003). 'Can You Feel the Silence? Van Morrison: A New Biography', Chicago Review Press
*Collis, John (1996). 'Inarticulate Speech of the Heart', Little Brown and Company,
Category:1986 singles
Category:Van Morrison songs
Category:Songs written by Van Morrison
Category:Song recordings produced by Van Morrison
Category:1985 songs
Category:Mercury Records singles
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