🔥 60 Years Ago Today: Van Morrison Ignites the Rock World with Them’s Explosive Debut, ‘The Angry Young Them’

🔥 60 Years Ago Today: Van Morrison Ignites the Rock World with Them’s Explosive Debut, ‘The Angry Young Them’

June 11, 1965. A storm broke out in the British music scene raw, rebellious, and unmistakably soulful. That storm was Them, a gritty Belfast band fronted by a then-19-year-old Van Morrison. Their debut album, The Angry Young Them, was released on this very day, exactly 60 years ago, sending shockwaves through the burgeoning rock and rhythm & blues scene of the 1960s.

A Voice That Shook the Walls

At a time when British rock was dominated by polished pop acts and Beatlemania, Them offered something darker and more visceral. With Morrison’s snarling, blues-drenched vocals and the band’s garage-infused energy, The Angry Young Them was a revelation. The album introduced a voice that would become one of the most distinct and enduring in rock history haunted, poetic, and fueled by an unmistakable fire.

Breakout Track: “Gloria” – The Garage Rock Anthem

While the album as a whole crackled with unrefined passion, it was “Gloria” that would become the standout track a three-chord, three-minute explosion of lust and teenage rebellion. Written by Morrison himself, “Gloria” became an anthem of garage rock and would later be covered by everyone from The Doors to Patti Smith. With its simple structure and provocative lyrics, it embodied the DIY spirit of a generation ready to break rules.

Blues, R&B, and Belfast Attitude

The Angry Young Them was more than just raw rock it was steeped in the blues and R&B influences Morrison had soaked up from American records. The album featured covers of blues legends like John Lee Hooker and Jimmy Reed, reimagined with a snarling Irish edge. Songs like “Mystic Eyes” and “Don’t Look Back” displayed a band balancing chaos and control, always teetering on the edge of explosion.

Van Morrison: A Star Is Born

Though Them was a collective, it was clear from the start that Van Morrison was its burning core. His voice gritty, emotional, and filled with longing set him apart from his contemporaries. In the years to come, Morrison would forge a solo career of legendary proportions, but The Angry Young Them was where the myth was born.

Legacy: The Birth of a Legend

Today, 60 years later, The Angry Young Them stands as one of the defining debut albums of the British Invasion era. It’s often overshadowed by the later works of Van Morrison such as Astral Weeks or Moondance but for purists, this album marks the genesis of his genius: young, angry, and utterly electric.

As we look back, we don’t just celebrate an album we celebrate the moment Van Morrison, one of rock’s true poets, stepped into the spotlight and changed the soundscape forever.

Did You Know?

The band Them took their name from a 1954 sci-fi horror movie.

Jimmy Page (later of Led Zeppelin) played uncredited session guitar on some of the album’s tracks.

Despite its success, Them had a turbulent existence, with frequent lineup changes and internal tensions many sparked by Morrison’s growing creative ambitions.

🎶 “Gloria, G-L-O-R-I-A…” – Sixty years later, that chorus still echoes with defiance and swagger.