Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile) – A Song About Elation, Pure Abandonment and Joy. #VanMorrison #JackieWilson #DexysMidnightRunners

Jackie Wilson said it was Reet Petite
Kind of Love You got
Knock me off my feet.

Van Morrison

The tribute is right there in the opening line of the song. Van Morrison’s tribute to rhythm and blues singer Jackie Wilson was called ‘Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile)’. The song he references was called ‘Reet Petite’ which was a catchy R&B song released in 1957 by Wilson, representing his first solo song after leaving his group; Billy Ward and the Dominoes. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artist, Morrison had always cited Jackie Wilson as one of his mentors and the inspiration comes through in this remarkable piece of music. Van Morrison began working on ‘Jackie Wilson Said’ early in 1972 and it passed through a few stages of instrumental composition before it was recorded in San Francisco in late January. Do me a favour…Listen to it again. (I’ll wait) Okay…Done? Get this….It was recorded in one take. Did I say it was remarkable? Guitarist Doug Messenger recalls the moment they completed the recording.

At the end we all stood in silence: had we got it in one go? Van called for another take but stopped a few bars in because he felt it wasn’t working. I think we’ve got it.”

Doug Messenger

The only thing that was added later were some saxophone overdubs. Speaking of Doug Messenger, it was his idea for Morrison to do the scat intro over the handclaps, which led to the sax and then the entire band. The timing throughout ‘Jackie Wilson Said’ is impeccable. Later on during the chorus there is a pause in the music while Morrison sings “I’m in Heaven”. Messenger taps out muted beats on his guitar and then everything resumes in the classic soulful way that would indeed have made Jackie Wilson smile. Writer Eric Hodge described ‘Jackie Wilson Said’ as “about elation…and a sense of pure abandonment and joy.”

Strangely ‘Jackie Wilson Said’ was not a successful song from a commercial standpoint. It is difficult to understand. The song is a thing of brilliance, musically and technically. It led off the album ‘Saint Dominic’s Preview’ so it was positioned to leave an impression. It also came during a run of successful songs and releases by the prolific artist so you would think there was a sense of anticipation where just about anything he released would hit the top of the charts…but no…it settled at #61. Where the song gained traction was in its long term success. After a period of only playing it twice live in the ‘70s it went on to become one of his most popular live pieces, in addition to being a prominent part of three greatest hits style packages.

There is one more reason for ‘Jackie Wilson Said’ gaining popularity. On this day in 1975 Jackie Wilson had a heart attack while performing in New Jersey. He collapsed and hit his head, suffering severe brain damage. He lapsed into a coma and lived in a semi – comatose state for nine years. A sad ending for a unique artist who had a lasting legacy.

Here is Jackie Wilson doing ‘Reet Petite’ just for fun. Listen to this and you can even sense an Elvis connection, who was a contemporary. Really interesting.

Nearly ten years after Van Morrison released ‘Jackie Wilson Said’ British pop band Dexy’s Midnight Runners released a cover version on their ‘Too Rye Ay’ album. Singer Kevin Rowland claimed to have a ‘soft spot’ for the song but in addition to that he had a fondness for the ‘50s era soul singers. If you recall I featured Dexy’s Midnight Runners a while back in a feature about the original heartthrob, Johnny Ray, who was alluded to in ‘Come on Eileen’, also on the ‘Too Rye Ay’ album. They do a great job on the cover. Enjoy!