THEM – LIVE BROADCASTS 1965-67 EP

Description

The title of debut LP The Angry Young Them seems an apt summary of their stance. Originally from Belfast the band had to fight hard to make it in London, which they did after a startling performance of Baby Please Don’t Go on Ready Steady Go.

The Paris performances show Them to be a gritty R&B band driven by Jackie McAuley’s organ. Mystic Eyes begins with a raucous instrumental passage which highlights the bands instrumental prowess before the entry of Morrison’s vocal. Garage band anthem G-L-O-R-I-A gets a brief but effective workout with effective call-and-response vocals. A later show in Holland saw Van Morrison backed by Dutch blues band Cuby + Blizzards and showcases slower, more soulful tunes. One More Time features guitar rather than organ whilst the spoken passages in If You And I Could Be As Two are totally convincing.