Dweller on the Threshold (song)
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“Dweller on the Threshold” | |||||
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Single by Van Morrison from the album Beautiful Vision |
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A-side | "Dweller on the Threshold" | ||||
B-side | "Northern Muse (Solid Ground)" | ||||
Released | April 1984 | ||||
Genre | Celtic, Jazz | ||||
Length | 4:46 | ||||
Label | Mercury | ||||
Writer(s) | Van Morrison, Hugh Murphy | ||||
Producer | Van Morrison | ||||
Van Morrison singles chronology | |||||
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Beautiful Vision track listing | |||||
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"Dweller on the Threshold" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and first released on his 1982 album, Beautiful Vision. It was released as a single on the B-Side in 1982 with the instrumental "Scandinavia" as the "A" tune. Another release in 1984 had "Dweller on the Threshold" as the A-Side.
The album sleeve states that the lyrics on this song and part of "Aryan Mist" were inspired by the 1950 publication, Glamour —A World Problem by Alice Bailey and the Tibetan master, Djwal Khul, as described in Van Morrision's liner notes for the album.[1][2] According to the teachings of Bailey, there are a series of what she calls "glamours" which are mental illusions creating a fog that veils the spiritual wanderer from seeing the world as it truly is. He becomes illuminated as a "dweller on the threshold" when the "Angel of Presence" purifies the soul with light. This song was co-written with Morrison's engineer Hugh Murphy.[3]
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[edit] Appearance on other albums
- A live version of this song was performed on the Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast album recorded when Morrison appeared in concert on March 11 and March 12 in 1982.
- "Dweller on the Threshold" was one of the hit songs that were featured on Morrison's first ever "Best of" albums, The Best of Van Morrison that was released by Polydor in 1990.
- It is one of the songs re-mastered and included on Morrison's third compilation album for 2007, Still on Top - The Greatest Hits. It is featured on both the 2 disc set released in the U.K. on October 22, 2007 and also is one of the 21 hits on the single disc released on November 6, 2007 in the U.S. and Canada.
[edit] Personnel on original recording
- Van Morrison - vocals
- Tom Donlinger - drums
- Pee Wee Ellis - tenor saxophone
- Chris Hayes - guitar
- David Hayes - bass guitar
- Mark Isham - trumpet
- Pauline Lozano - backing vocals
- Chris Michie - guitar
- Annie Stocking - backing vocals
- Bianca Thornton - backing vocals
[edit] Notes
- ^ Drury, Nevill (1985). Music for Inner Space. Prism Press, 60. ISBN 0958975906.
- ^ JOHN MILWARD (Mar 4, 1982). "Van Morrision Beautiful Vision, 1988" RS 364. Rolling Stone Magazine.
- ^ Rogan, No Surrender, pp. 336-337
[edit] References
- Rogan, Johnny (2006). Van Morrison:No Surrender, London:Vintage Books ISBN 9780099431831
[edit] External links
- Lyrics and Audio sample 1980s, Beautiful Vision