The Skiffle Sessions – Live in Belfast 1998


The Skiffle Sessions – Live in Belfast is a live album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, with Lonnie Donegan and Chris Barber, released in 2000. Lonnie Donegan had played with the Chris Barber jazz band when he had his first hit with "Rock Island Line"/"John Henry" in 1955. He had been a childhood influence on Van Morrison, who had first performed in his own skiffle band with schoolmates when he was twelve years old in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This was Donegan's first album in twenty years, reviving his career until his death in 2002.

Recording history

Recorded on 20 and 21 November 1998 at Whitla Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland. In 1977, Morrison had discussed recording an album of skiffle music with Dr. John, "because I started off in a skiffle group and there must be millions of other musicians who also began their careers playing that kind of music..." In preparation for this recording, he went to see Donegan perform and invited him to dinner and after a second meeting they arranged to record the sessions live. Dr. John, who was playing in concert in the city's Ulster Hall the same evening, arrived toward the end of the recording to play piano on the final few tracks.

Track listing

All songs traditional except as indicated.
  1. "It Takes a Worried Man" – 3:40
  2. "Lost John" – 3:33
  3. "Goin' Home" – 3:08
  4. "Good Morning Blues" – 2:52
  5. "Outskirts of Town" – 4:20
  6. "Don't You Rock Me Daddy-O" – 1:51
  7. "Alabamy Bound" – 2:22
  8. "Midnight Special" – 2:53
  9. "Dead or Alive" – 2:33
  10. "Frankie and Johnny" – 4:31
  11. "Goodnight Irene" – 2:46
  12. "Railroad Bill" – 1:57
  13. "Muleskinner Blues" – 3:06
  14. "The Ballad of Jesse James" – 3:07
  15. "I Wanna Go Home" – 3:46

    Personnel

Album – UK Album Chart