Van Morrison and Eric Clapton joined forces again for “The Rebels,” a duet of “Where Have All the Rebels Gone” from Morrison’s new album Latest Record Project: Vol. 1. An accompanying animated video shows drawings of musicians including Axl Rose, Robert Johnson, Kurt Cobain, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead on “Wanted: Rebel” posters.
The questioning call to action lyrically asks, “Where have all the rebels gone / They’re not saying very much at all,” and surmises that they’re “hiding behind their computer screens.”
In December 2020, the duo released “Stand Up and Deliver,” which followed controversial tunes from Morrison that protested lockdown measures in the United Kingdom throughout the pandemic.
The elder statement of blues-rock shared the song as Slowhand & Van, which sounds like a vaudeville act. But on the song, Clapton shares lead vocals with Morrison adding the harmonies for a song that could have come from a straight-up country artist.
Check out “The Rebels” below.
Proceeds for “The Rebels” will be donated to the Van Morrison Rhythm & Blues Foundation, which Morrison instituted during the pandemic “as an emergency fund for musicians who are facing financial hardship as a direct result of the government restrictions on live music introduced in March 2020.”
In other Morrison news, a series of gigs booked in Belfast’s Europa Hotel venue slated to begin last night were canceled. According to the BBC, the concerts were meant to be test events but were called off by Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill said the events could not go ahead.