Duets: Re-working the Catalogue
Studio album by
Van Morrison
Released13 March 2015
VenueManchester Evening News Arena; Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle
StudioBritish Grove, Chiswick, London; Air Lyndhurst Hall, Hampstead, London;
Genrejazz, blues, pop, rock, R&B
Length76:13
LabelRCA
ProducerVan Morrison, Don Was, Bob Rock
Van Morrison chronology
Born to Sing: No Plan B
(2012) 		Duets: Re-working the Catalogue
(2015) 		The Essential Van Morrison
(2015)

Duets: Re-working the Catalogue is the 35th studio album by Northern Irish singer/songwriter Van Morrison, released on 13 March 2015 on RCA Records, a subsidiary of Sony Music.[1] Produced by Van Morrison along with Don Was and Bob Rock, it consists of previously recorded Morrison songs, reworked as duets. Collaborators include Bobby Womack, Steve Winwood, Mark Knopfler, Taj Mahal, Mavis Staples, Michael Bublé, Natalie Cole, George Benson, Gregory Porter, Clare Teal, P.J. Proby, Joss Stone, Georgie Fame, Mick Hucknall, Chris Farlowe, and Morrison's daughter Shana Morrison. Morrison's first album for Sony, it entered the Top 10 in six countries, including the UK.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic65/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]
Rolling Stone[4]

The album scored 65 / 100 on Metacritic, based on ten reviews, indicating a generally favourable response.[2] Mark Deming of AllMusic thought it an "honestly good album" in which the artist "has chosen duet partners with intelligence". He judged that Van Morrison's "vocals lack the power and emotional force he so easily conjured in the '70s, but his sense of phrasing is as soulful and idiosyncratic as it has ever been". While it is "a long way from a triumph, it's a solid, heartfelt work from a veteran artist who isn't about to give up the ghost." In a rave review, Rolling Stone said that the singer "unearths lost classics with all-star friends", and "digs up deep cuts from mostly overlooked albums."[4]

Duets debuted on Billboard 200 at No. 23,[5] and at No. 2 on the Top Rock Albums chart,[6] selling 21,000 copies in its first week.[7] The album had sold 77,000 copies in the US as of August 2016.[8]

In 2015, Morrison sold the rights to most of his catalogue to Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music.[9] Duets was his first album recorded following that deal.[10]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Some Peace of Mind" (with Bobby Womack)5.15
2."If I Ever Needed Someone" (with Mavis Staples)3.49
3."Higher than the World" (with George Benson)3.48
4."Wild Honey" (with Joss Stone)6.22
5."Whatever Happened to P.J. Proby" (with PJ Proby)3.42
6."Carrying a Torch" (with Clare Teal)4.52
7."The Eternal Kansas City" (with Gregory Porter)4.10
8."Streets of Arklow" (with Mick Hucknall)4.57
9."These are the Days" (with Natalie Cole)3.51
10."Get on with the Show" (with Georgie Fame)4.41
11."Rough God Goes Riding" (with Shana Morrison)4.23
12."Fire in the Belly" (with Steve Winwood)6.40
13."Born to Sing" (with Chris Farlowe)3.59
14."Irish Heartbeat" (with Mark Knopfler)5.14
15."Real Real Gone" (with Michael Bublé)4.00
16."How Can a Poor Boy?" (with Taj Mahal)6.34

Personnel

Invited guests

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Duets: Re-working the Catalogue
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[33] Silver 60,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Duets: Re-working the Catalogue". 29 July 2015. Archived from the original on 17 March 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Duets: Re-Working the Catalogue by Van Morrison". Metacritic.
  3. ^ "Duets: Re-working the Catalogue - Van Morrison". AllMusic. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Van Morrison Duets: Re-working the Catalogue Album Review". Rolling Stone. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Billboard 200: April 11, 2015". Billboard.
  6. ^ "Rock Albums: April 11, 2015". Billboard.
  7. ^ Gary Trust (2 April 2015). "Taylor Swift Tops Billboard Artist 100 for 20th Week, Rihanna Zooms Toward Top 10". Billboard.
  8. ^ "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016.
  9. ^ "Sony Music acquires Van Morrison catalogue: Press Release". The Music Network. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Van Morrison Duets: Re-working the Catalogue". Rolling Stone. 24 March 2015. Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  11. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue". Hung Medien.
  12. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue" (in German). Hung Medien.
  13. ^ "Ultratop.be – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  14. ^ "Ultratop.be – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue" (in French). Hung Medien.
  15. ^ "Van Morrison Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard.
  16. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue". Hung Medien.
  17. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  18. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  19. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 23, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA.
  20. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue". Hung Medien.
  21. ^ "Charts.nz – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue". Hung Medien.
  22. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue". Hung Medien.
  23. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue". Hung Medien.
  24. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue". Hung Medien.
  25. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue". Hung Medien.
  26. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Van Morrison – Duets: Re-working the Catalogue". Hung Medien.
  27. ^ "Van Morrison | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  28. ^ "Van Morrison Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  29. ^ "Van Morrison Chart History (Digital Albums)".[dead link] Billboard.
  30. ^ "Van Morrison Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard.
  31. ^ "Van Morrison Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard.
  32. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2015". Ultratop. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
  33. ^ "British album certifications – Van Morrison – Duets - Re-Working The Catalogue". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
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