Them were a formidable, popular group in their own right before singer Van Morrison went on to even greater fame. This Belfast five only produced two LPs and a potful of 7" singles during its ascendance in the molten heat of the British Invasion. But they did manage two Top 40 hits in America in 1965 (the enduring number 24 "Here Comes the Night," later covered glam-style by David Bowie on Pin Ups, and number 33 "Mystic Eyes") and two Top Ten hits that same year in their native Britain ("Here Comes the Night" and a cover of Joe Williams' "Baby Please Don't Go"). And is there a single bar band in America that doesn't play "Gloria," shouting "G-L-O-R-I-A" just like the 19-year-old Morrison in 1964? Moreover, the group's West Coast U.S. tour of arenas like the Fillmore in the spring of 1966 had the Ulster youths commanding bills that included such admiring support groups as the Doors, Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band, the Grass Roots, and the Association. At one of them, Frank Zappa even joined them on-stage.
Clearly, Them's tough, heavily American blues captivated, a direct result of the vicious voice of Morrison. It was even more a weapon on this tougher-sounding material than it's been since he became a solo star. Although the band chose songs to cover by John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed (twice), T-Bone Walker, Ray Charles, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, and Fats Domino, as seen here (as well as others by Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, and Bobby Troup), the real precedent for the white-hot, gnashing growl in Morrison's teenage voice was Howlin' Wolf. Here's a red-throated snarl not even other great '60s English white soul singers -- such as the Small Faces' Steve Marriott or the singer for the Action -- could match, one even more unsettling than the Animals' Eric Burdon.
Talk about making the hairs on your neck stand up! It's actually a pity, then, that Them relied so heavily on others' material (as did everyone else circa 1964), for the two dozen originals stand up well. In addition to "Gloria," Morrison was well on the road to his later genius when he penned "Could You, Would You" and "Hey Girl." True, his material could stand to rock & roll more, just as the Yardbirds held fast to Chicago blues but made their beat stomp. But still he comes on like some swamp-dwelling, moonshine-drinking, big man on the prowl. Them were raw and ready, and digitally brought back kicking and screaming from the original analogue master tapes, they are an eerie thing of bluesy beauty.
by Jack Rabid
Tracks
Disc 1
1. The Story Of Them Parts 1 & 2 - 7:18
2. Don't Start Crying Now (Moore, West) - 2:03
3. Gloria 2:35
4. Philosophy - 2:35
5. One Two Brown Eyes - 2:34
6. Baby Please Don't Go (Williams) - 2:40
7. Here Comes The Night (Berns) - 2:46
8. All For Myself - 2:47
9. One More Time - 2:48
10.Little Girl - 2:47
11.I Gave My Love A Diamond (Berns) - 3:02
12.Go On Home Baby (Berns) - 2:32
13.My Little Baby (Berns, Farrell) - 2:00
14.Mystic Eyes - 2:41
15.Don't Look Back (Hooker) - 3:20
16.If You And I Could Be As Two - 2:51
17.I Like It Like That - 3:16
18.I'm Gonna Dress In Black (Gillon) - 3:29
19.(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 (Troup) - 2:22
20.Just A Little Bit (Gordon) - 2:21
21.You Just Can't Win - 2:21
22.Bright Lights, Big City (Reed) - 2:30
23.Baby What You Want Me To Do (Reed) - 3:26
24.I'm Gonna Dress In Black (Gillon) - 3:34
25.One More Time - 2:45
26.Little Girl - 2:47
1. How Long Baby (Gillon) - 3:37
2. (It Won't Hurt) Half As Much (Berns) - 3:01
3. Something You Got (Kenner) - 2:31
4. Call My Name (Scott) - 2:20
5. Turn On Your Love Light (Malone, Scott) - 2:19
6. I Put A Spell On You (Hawkins) - 2:36
7. I Got A Woman (Charles) - 3:12
8. Out Of Sight (Wright, Brown) - 2:21
9. It's All Over Now Baby Blue (Dylan) - 3:47
10.Bad Or Good - 2:06
11.Hello Josephine (Domino, Bartholomew) - 2:04
12.Don't You Know (Scott) - 2:22
13.Hey Girl - 3:00
14.Bring 'Em On In 3:13
15.Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough (Witherspoon) - 2:12
16.Stormy Monday (Walker) - 2:40
17.Friday's Child - 3:27
18.Richard Cory (Simon) - 2:43
19.My Lonely Sad Eyes - 2:28
20.I Can Only Give You Everything - 2:39
21.Could You, Would You - 3:08
22.Bring 'Em On In - 3:41
23.Richard Cory (Simon) - 3:47
24.Call My Name (Scott) - 2:18
All songs written by Van Morrison except where stated
Them
*Van Morrison - Lead Vocals
*Ronnie Milling - Drums (63 - 65)
*John McAuley - Drums (65 - 66)
*Billy Harrison - Guitar
*Jackie McAuley - Keyboards (63 - 65)
*Peter Bardens - Keyboards (66)
*Alan Henderson - Bass Guitar
1967 Them - Now And Them
1967 Belfast Gypsies
1968-69 Them - Time Out Time In
1969-70 Truth - Of Them And Other Tales
1971 Them
1971 Them In Reality
Van Morrison
1967 Blowin' Your Mind! (extra tracks edition)
1971 Tupelo Honey (Japan SHM remaster)
1974 Veedon Fleece (Japan SHM remaster)
1970 The Answer (2010 esoteric remaster with extra tracks)
1971 Write My Name In The Dust (Japan remaster)
1979 Heart To Heart (Japan remaster)
1973 Camel - Camel
1965-66 The Wheels - Road Block
1970-71 Rod Demick And Herbie Armstrong - Little Willie Ramble
1971 Jackie McAuley - Jackie McAuley...Plus (2009 Esoteric extra tracks issue)
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