THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE 1960s THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD
1,252) Them — “Could You, Would You”
Before Van Morrison (see #188, 253) was Van the Man, he was Them. The opening track from Them their second album “combine[s] beautifully constructed lyrics with blues and soul in [an] enduring song[] that vibrate[s] and pulsate[s] with feverish R&B fervor.” (Hal Horowitz, https://americansongwriter.com/them/) It is “a moody and brutal beginning [to the LP]. Love that Van vocal growl and the band sounds inspired behind him.” (https://www.allmusicbooks.com/amb-blog/them-again)
Jack Rabid writes that:
Morrison was well on the road to his later genius when he penned “Could You, Would You” . . . . 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 . . . they are an eerie thing of bluesy beauty.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-story-of-them-featuring-van-morrison-mw0000031190#userReviews
Morrison recalls that “Would You” “had nothing to do with any Them lineup whatsoever. [It was] me with session musicians for what was supposed to be my solo record. In fact, I actually wrote [the song] when I was with the Manhattan Showband prior to Them existing.” (liner notes to the CD comp The Complete Them: 1964-1967)
As to Them, Richie Unterberger tells us:
Them forged their hard-nosed R&B sound in Belfast, Northern Ireland, moving to England in 1964 after landing a deal with Decca Records. The band’s simmering sound was dominated by boiling organ riffs, lean guitars, and the tough vocals of lead singer Van Morrison, whose recordings with Them rank among the very best performances of the British Invasion. Morrison also wrote top-notch original material for the outfit, whose lineup changed numerous times over the course of their brief existence. As a hit-making act, their résumé was brief — “Here Comes the Night” and “Baby Please Don’t Go” were Top Ten hits in England, “Mystic Eyes” and “Here Comes the Night” made the Top 40 in the U.S. — but their influence was considerable, reaching bands like the Doors, whom Them played with during a residency in Los Angeles just before Van Morrison quit the band in 1966. Their most influential song of all, the classic three-chord stormer “Gloria,” was actually a B-side, although the Shadows of Knight had a hit in the U.S. with a faithful, tamer cover version. Morrison recalled his days with Them with some bitterness, noting that the heart of the original group was torn out by image-conscious record company politics, and that sessionmen (including Jimmy Page) often played on recordings. In addition to hits, Them released a couple of fine albums and several flop singles that mixed Morrison compositions with R&B and soul covers, as well as a few songs written for them by producers like Bert Berns (who penned “Here Comes the Night”).
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