Have I Told You Lately

Infobox Single
Name =Have I Told You Lately

---

Cover size =
Border =
Caption =
Artist =Van Morrison
Album =Avalon Sunset
A-side ="Have I Told You Lately"
B-side ="Contacting My Angel"
Released =1989
Format =CD single
Recorded =June 1989
Genre =Celtic, Folk-rock
Length =4:20
Label =Mercury
Writer =Van Morrison
Producer =Van Morrison
Audio sample? =
Certification =
Last single ="I'll Tell Me Ma"
(1988)
This single ="Have I Told You Lately"
(1989)
Next single ="Whenever God Shines His Light"
(1989)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = Avalon Sunset
Type = studio
prev_track = "I'd Love to Write Another Song"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "Have I Told You Lately"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Coney Island"
next_no = 5Infobox Single
Name = Have I Told You Lately


Caption =
Type =
Artist = The Chieftains, Van Morrison
alt Artist =
Album = The Long Black Veil
Published =
Released = 1995
track_no =
Recorded =
Genre = Folk
Length = 4:40
Writer = Van Morrison
Composer = Van Morrison
Label = RCA Records
Producer = Paddy Moloney (with Chris Kimsey and Ry Cooder)
Last single ="Gloria"
(1993)
This single ="Have I Told You Lately"
(1995)
Next single ="Days Like This"
(1995)
Misc = Extra tracklisting
Album = The Long Black Veil
Type = studio
prev_track = "The Foggy Dew"
prev_no = 3
this_track = "Have I Told You Lately"
track_no = 4
next_track = "Changing Your Demeanour"
next_no = 5Infobox Single
Name = Have I Told You Lately


Artist = Rod Stewart
from Album = Unplugged...and Seated
B-side = "Gasoline alley"
Released = June 1993
Format =
Recorded = 4:08
Genre = Pop
Label = Warner Bros. Records
Writer = Van Morrison
Producer = Michael Ostin
Certification =
Last single =
This single =
Next single =

"Have I Told You Lately" is a hit song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and included on his 1989 album "Avalon Sunset". It is a romantic ballad often played at weddings although it was originally written also as a prayer. In August 2006, Van Morrison's original recording was voted #6 on a list of the Top 10 First Dance Wedding Songs, based on a poll of 1,300 DJs in the UK. [ [http://www.uk-disco.co.uk/articles-public/29_08_2006Top-10-First-Dance-Wedding-Songs.asp Top 10 First Dance Wedding Songs] ]

It is preceded on "Avalon Sunset" by the song, "I'd Love to Write Another Song" proclaiming "In poetry I'd carve it well/ I'd even make it rhyme." Then, in the words of Brian Hinton what follows is:

one of the finest love songs of the century, which I remember devastated me when I first heard it, as it seemed both something never quite said before, and yet a song I felt I had known forever. Earthly love transmutes into that for God, just like in Dante, "there's a love that's divine and it's yours and it's mine". The morning sun has set by the end of the song, suggesting love shading into death, but subtly. [Hinton, p. 278]

Critical acclaim and influence

* In 1996 "Have I Told You Lately" by the The Chieftains and Van Morrison was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
* In October 2007, Van Morrison received a Million-Air certificate for over 4 million air plays of "Have I Told You Lately" from the prestigious BMI awards held in London, England.
* When released as a single in 1989, it charted at #12 on US Adult Comtemporary Charts and has been covered by numerous artists.
* In 1993 Rod Stewart's cover of the song was released that was his last Top Five solo hit to date, becoming a #5 hit in the US and the UK. This version also spent five weeks at #1 on the US adult contemporary chart.
* "Have I Told You Lately" by Van Morrison was listed as No. 261 on the All Time 885 Greatest Songs compiled in 2004 by WXPN from listener's votes. [ [http://www.xpn.org/music/885ATGS.php All-Time 885 Greatest Songs] ]
* Van Morrison's original version of this song was #98 on the New York Daily News, The 100 Greatest Love Songs, from the list published on February 12, 2007.

Appearance on other albums and videos

*It was included on the "The Best of Van Morrison" Morrison's first ever "Best Of" albums, that was released in 1990 .
*A live version was included on his 1994 album, "A Night in San Francisco".
*Van Morrison has included this song from the movie "One Fine Day" in his 2007 compilation album "Van Morrison at the Movies - Soundtrack Hits".
*"Still on Top - The Greatest Hits", another Van Morrison 2007 compilation album, contains a remastered version of this song.
*"Have I told You Lately" is also one of the songs performed in 1989, on Morrison's second video "Van Morrison The Concert", released in 1990.
*It was included on the "Live on Letterman" (music from the late show) (1997). That live version was Van Morrison in a duet with Sinéad O'Connor.

Covers

"Have I Told You Lately" has become a classic over the years and has been performed by many unknown as well as many famous artists. Some of the best known cover versions of the song are by Rod Stewart, Kenny Rogers, Barbara Mandrell, Michael Ball, Della Reese and Engelbert Humperdinck. Andy Williams performed a live version in 2007 at Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Country and Tejano musician Emilio also recorded the song on his 1995 album "Life Is Good", and charted at #62 on the country charts with it.

Notes

References

*cite book |last=Hinton |first=Brian |date=1997 |title=Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison |publisher=Sanctuary |location=London |isbn= 1-86074-169-X

External links

* [http://www.vanmorrison.co.uk/?m=Content&Content(record_id)=b2950180e54389f3cf9d93ad908ac00e# Lyrics and audio sample] 1980s Avalon Sunset