Them

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 <a href="spotify:artist:44NX2ffIYHr6D4n7RaZF7A">Van Morrison</a>, whose recordings with Them rank among the very best performances of the British Invasion. <a href="spotify:artist:44NX2ffIYHr6D4n7RaZF7A">Morrison</a> 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 <a href="spotify:artist:22WZ7M8sxp5THdruNY3gXt">the Doors</a>, whom Them played with during a residency in Los Angeles just before <a href="spotify:artist:44NX2ffIYHr6D4n7RaZF7A">Van Morrison</a> quit the band in 1966. Their most influential song of all, the classic three-chord stormer "Gloria," was actually a B-side, although <a href="spotify:artist:0NRN3tnDVDspHMCfyu2ZwT">the Shadows of Knight</a> had a hit in the U.S. with a faithful, tamer cover version.

<a href="spotify:artist:44NX2ffIYHr6D4n7RaZF7A">Morrison</a> 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 <a href="spotify:artist:55bGuHb50r5c0PeqqMeNBV">Jimmy Page</a>) often played on recordings. In addition to hits, Them released a couple of fine albums and several flop singles that mixed <a href="spotify:artist:44NX2ffIYHr6D4n7RaZF7A">Morrison</a> compositions with R&B and soul covers, as well as a few songs written for them by producers like <a href="spotify:artist:6OlM1c9K0fDPA0CfZ122eF">Bert Berns</a> (who penned "Here Comes the Night"). After <a href="spotify:artist:44NX2ffIYHr6D4n7RaZF7A">Morrison</a> left the group, Them splintered into <a href="spotify:artist:7ISEgPbN8s0h159gWOGuDi">the Belfast Gypsies</a>, who released an album that (except for the vocals) approximated Them's early records, and a psychedelic outfit that kept the name Them, releasing four LPs with little resemblance to the tough sounds of their mid-'60s heyday. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi