Van Morrison continues to be one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of the last 50 years, having released a whopping 40(!) studio albums throughout his career — most recently 2018’s The Prophet Speaks, a blues-infused ode to his beginnings as an instrumentalist.

Later this month, Morrison is reissuing a collection of recordings taken from the period around his 1997 record, The Healing Game. Today we get to hear an alternate version of one of the classics from this album: “Fire In The Belly.” The stripped back nature of this version puts Morrison’s vocals right at the center. The piano trills remain, and the song retains its jazziness despite the lack of Steve Winwood’s guest vocals.

The Healing Game (Deluxe Edition) debuts 24 previously unreleased performances. The three-disc collection includes the original 1997 album, bonus tracks, and a ton of rare and unreleased sessions from The Healing Game era. The third disc is a “Live at Montreux” session, which finds Morrison covering other icons of the genre such as Ray Charles, Anthony Newley, and Sly Stone. The reissue will be available on digital formats as well as a 12″ vinyl edition of the long out-of-print original album.

Listen to “Fire In The Belly (Alternate Version)” below.

TRACKLIST:

Disc 1 – The Original Album… Plus
01 Rough God Goes Riding
02 Fire in the Belly
03 This Weight
04 Waiting Game
05 Piper at the Gates of Dawn
06 Burning Ground
07 It Once Was My Life
08 Sometimes We Cry
09 If You Love Me
10 The Healing Game

Bonus Tracks
11 Look What the Good People Done
12 At the End of the Day
13 The Healing Game (single version)
14 Full Force Gale ’96 (single version)
15 St. Dominic’s Preview

Disc 2 – Sessions & Collaborations
01 The Healing Game (Alternate version) (Previously Unissued)
02 Fire in the Belly (Alternate Version) (Previously Unissued)
03 Didn’t He Ramble (Previously Unissued)
04 The Healing Game (jazz version) (previously unissued)
05 Sometimes We Cry (full length version) (previously unissued)
06 Mule Skinner Blues
07 A Kiss to Build a Dream On (previously unissued)
08 Don’t Look Back – John Lee Hooker
09 The Healing Game – John Lee Hooker
10 Boppin’ the Blues – Carl Perkins & Van Morrison (previously unissued)
11 Matchbox – Carl Perkins & Van Morrison (previously unissued)
12 Sittin’ on Top of the World – Carl Perkins & Van Morrison (arranged by Van Morrison)
13 My Angel – Carl Perkins & Van Morrison (previously unissued)
14 All By Myself – Carl Perkins & Van Morrison (previously unissued)
15 Mule Skinner Blues – Lonnie Donegan & Van Morrison

Disc 3 – Live at Montreux July 17, 1997 (all tracks previously unreleased)
01 Rough God Goes Riding
02 Foreign Window
03 Tore Down A La Rimbaud
04 Vanlose Stairway/Trans-Euro Train
05 Fool For You
06 Sometimes We Cry
07 It Once Was My Life
08 I’m Not Feeling It Anymore
09 This Weight
10 Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)
11 Fire in the Belly
12 Tupelo Honey/Why Must I Always Explain
13 The Healing Game
14 See Me Through/Soldier of Fortune/Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)/Burning Ground

The Healing Game (Deluxe Edition) is out 3/22 on Exile/Legacy Recordings. You can pre-order the collection here.