Van Morrison, The Chieftains – Irish Heartbeat (VG+/VG+) – LP, Australasia 1988

Irish Heartbeat is an LP by Van Morrison, The Chieftains from 1988 released on the Mercury label.

About this album

Irish Heartbeat is a graceful meeting of tradition and personality, pairing The Chieftains’ masterful Irish folk arrangements with Van Morrison’s most rooted singing. Issued in 1988, the album centres on classic material such as “Carrickfergus”, “Raglan Road” and “She Moved Through the Fair”, reworking familiar songs with a sense of reverence rather than nostalgia. The collaboration highlighted Morrison’s long-standing connection to Celtic music while giving The Chieftains a fresh, high-profile contemporary voice. Its appeal lies in the balance between scholarly folk authenticity and a performance style that feels immediate, heartfelt and unmistakably alive.