Happy birthday, Van. The man turned 75 this week and if that doesn’t merit a video in our weekly column, nothing does. It was hard to choose from amongst his many classics, such as “Moondance,” “Into the Mystic,” and “Domino,” but its probably fair to say that “Brown Eyed Girl,” is the Northern Irish singer’s signature song.

Released in 1967 (and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007), the calypso-flavoured tune was initially called “Brown Skinned Girl,” which Morrison says he quickly realized was “a mistake” and renamed.

This video, featuring a fresh, jazzy treatment of the song and including a delightful sax solo by Morrison himself, comes from a concert for the BBC in 2018.

Born George Ivan Morrison in Belfast, the legendary performer was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and became a Member of the British Empire (OBE) in 1996.

To further celebrate Sir Van’s milestone birthday, Hotpress have launched a YouTube selection of songs that features tributes, well wishes and cover versions of some of Morrison’s most famous songs from the likes of Hozier, Imelda May and Andrea Corr. Go to YouTube and search “Hot Press Van Morrison.”