Russell Morris

This article is about the singer-songwriter. For the Australian footballer, see Russell Morris (footballer).

Russell Morris
Russell Morris on tour in September 2007
Background information
Birth name	Russell Norman Morris
Born	31 July 1948 (1948-07-31) Australia
Genres	rock
Occupations	musician, singer, songwriter, guitarist, bassist
Years active	1966–present
Labels	EMI Wizard Festival Records Mushroom Records
Associated acts	Somebody's Image Russell Morris Band Russell Morris & the Rubes
Website	http://www.russellmorris.com.au

Russell Norman Morris (born 31 July 1948) is an Australian singer-songwriter who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s. On 1 July 2008, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recognised Morris' iconic status when he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Career

Morris' career started at the age of 18, in September 1966, with the formation of the Melbourne group Somebody's Image, together with Kevin Thomas (rhythm guitar), Phillip Raphael (lead guitar), Eric Cairns (drums) and Les Allan (aka "Les Gough") (bass guitar). Somebody's Image rose to prominence with a local hit version of the Joe South song "Hush". (the song reaching #2 on the local Melbourne charts)

Success

The band came to the notice of The Groop and, in turn, The Groop's friend and local music identity Ian Meldrum. Meldrum convinced Morris to leave Somebody's Image for a solo career. Meldrum, as Morris's manager and producer, spent considerable hours and money to create a seven-minute production extravaganza around a song called "The Real Thing".

The Real Thing

Main article: The Real Thing (Russell Morris song)

The Real Thing, was written by Johnny Young, produced by Ian Meldrum and engineered by John L Sayers. The backing track was performed by members of Melbourne soul band The Groop, which included Brian Cadd, Richard Wright (drums), Don Mudie (bass), plus Zoot guitarist Roger Hicks, who developed the acoustic guitar riff and backing vocalists Ronnie Charles (The Groop), The Chiffons (including Maureen Elkner) and Marcie and The Cookies Sue Brady and Judy Condon.

Once the result was released to shocked radio programmers, who had never been asked to play such a long Australian single before, it was up to Morris' personality, singing and performing talents to make the record work. It reached Australia's Number 1 spot in June 1969. Without any promotional support from Morris, "The Real Thing" reached number one in Chicago, Houston and New York.

"The Real Thing" is now considered one of the very best psychedelic rock singles produced in the 1960s. At around six minutes and thirty seconds, it was also the longest pop single recorded in Australia at that time. Released in Australia on EMI's Columbia label, it was the biggest selling Australian single of 1969, and was released when Morris was twenty. The song was released in two halves on the small Diamond Records label in the United States of America and due to record company difficulties with distribution received limited international success as a result, although it did reach #1 in large cities such as Chicago. The song was issued in the UK on Decca Records as EMI turned it down.

More recently, "The Real Thing" has been used by the Seven Network in conjunction with coverage of the AFL, and featured in a tourist campaign promoting Western Australia. Morris's music has also appeared on the soundtrack to The Dish, and has appeared on the ABC show Long Way to the Top. He currently tours Australia with fellow 1960s rockers Darryl Cotton and Jim Keays in the trio Cotton Keays & Morris.

"The Real Thing" has been compiled on many great compilations of psychedelic rock, most notably Rubble 18, We Can Fly # 4, and The Best Of The Rubble Collection # 5, where it is paired with Part 3 / Into Paper Walls.

Russell Morris' 2002 retrospective album The Real Thing

The song was followed by "Part Three into Paper Walls", co-written by Young and Morris and arranged by John Farrar and the B-side "The Girl That I Love" arranged by Peter Jones. Both tracks received extensive airplay making it a double number one recording. Later hits such as "Live with Friends" and "Wings of an Eagle" were Morris compositions. The follow-up comprised two more Johnny Young songs; "Part Three Into Paper Walls" and "The Girl That I Love" (a pop ballad more indicative of what was to come) which became a double-sided number one hit, the first time an Australian artist had scored consecutive number ones with their first two singles. Just prior to its release Ian Meldrum relinquished Russell's management. Morris, in the meantime, travelled to the United Kingdom to help promote the release of "The Real Thing". While in England he recorded English songwriter Raymond Foggart's "Rachel", but re-recorded it on arriving back in Australia. "Rachel" became a big hit for Morris in New Zealand.

Morris decided to concentrate on his own songwriting and with the cream of Australian musicians, spent almost a year painstakingly recording and re-recording what became the Bloodstone album. Recorded at Channel 9's TCS Studios and engineered by John L Sayers. It was one of the first Australian albums of its kind, the first from an Australian singer/songwriter, and a whole world away from the extravagant "The Real Thing". The hit single from Bloodstone was the resonant, romantic "Sweet Sweet Love". The following year, in 1972, Morris delivered the equally beautiful "Wings of an Eagle".

New York

In 1973, Morris moved to London to record an album only to discover there was no record contract waiting for him. He relocated to New York and set to work on an album there, including new versions of both "Sweet Sweet Love" and "Wings of an Eagle" and the single "Let's Do It". A second American album appeared in 1976. It was two more years before Morris was granted his green card, enabling him to tour America. But by then, any chance of an American career had bolted. Instead, Morris returned to a very different Australia than the one he had left behind five years earlier.

Solo

During his solo career, Morris had done limited live performances without a band of his own. He then formed the Russell Morris Band and threw himself into a busy round of live performances, writing songs designed to be played live rather than chasing radio airplay, but scoring a couple of minor hits on the way. Eventually, the band played and recorded as Russell Morris & the Rubes.

In 1991, Morris released another solo album, A Thousand Suns, and he spent the subsequent years as part of a highly successful performing trio with fellow '60s heroes Ronnie Burns and Darryl Cotton of the Zoot, with a repertoire made up of their individual hits from yesterday, as well as new songs. In Oct 2000, Jim Keays of the Masters Apprentices replaced Burns, the new group being known as Cotton Keays & Morris. Also in 2000, Morris' "The Real Thing" and "Wings of an Eagle" featured prominently in the Australian-made movie The Dish (centred around man's landing on the moon) and Midnight Oil released their version of "The Real Thing" as a one-off single, the first time this highly regarded band had chosen to record a cover.

On 1 July 2008, Morris was inducted by Rob Hirst into the ARIA Hall of Fame, Morris was joined on-stage by guest musicians Steve Kilbey, Tim Powles, Jak Housden, Clayton Doley and Lachlan Doley to perform "The Real Thing". According to Andrew Murfett of The Age, "Russell Morris, whose classic The Real Thing was performed with a supergroup comprising members of The Church, The Whitlams and Powderfinger, was inducted with a tribute from Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst. Morris proved to be a revelation on the night, stirring the crowd with a terrific performance."

In October 2010, his 1973 album, Wings of an Eagle, was listed in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums.

Morris is one of Australia's most enduring singers. A major pop star in the late '60s, he went on to become one of the country's most well-known singer/songwriters. Both ends of his career feature predominantly in the soundtrack to the movie, The Dish.

Discography

Singles

Australia

Date	Artist	Label	Cat. #	Tracks	Chart
9/1967	Somebody's Image	In Records	IN-S-8088	Heat Wave / When I Come Home
11/1967			IN-S-8116	Hush / Baby Blue (It's All Over Now)
4/1968		Columbia EMI	DO-8315 7MA 4463	Hide and Seek / Livin' in Style
3/1969	Russell Morris	Columbia	DO-8710	The Real Thing / It's Only A Matter Of Time	1
7/1969			DO-8828	Part Three into Paper Walls / The Girl That I Love	1
12/1969			DO-9020	Rachel / Little Lady
4/1970			DO-9102	Rachel / Slow Joey	25
12/1970			DO-9314	Mr. America / Stand Together	8
6/1971		His Master's Voice	EA-9539	Sweet, Sweet Love / Jail Jonah's Daughter	7
3/1972			EA-9824	Live With Friends / Alcohol Farm	13
11/1972			EA-10030	Wings Of An Eagle / Satisfy You	9
10/1975		Wizard	ZS-127	Let's Do It / Don't Rock the Boat	30
5/1976			ZS-140	Sail with Me / Hard Road
1976			ZS-160	Wolves in White / Two Wheeled Flyer
1979		Mushroom	K7399	Thunder Ground / Two Minute Warning	49
	The Russell Morris Band		K7539	Hot Love / Love Stealer
1980	Russell Morris & The Rubes		K-8090	Hush / In The Heat of the Night	35
2/1981			K-8229	The Roar of the Wild Torpedoes / Just Another Night
4/1981			K-8283	So Tough / Walk Don't Run
7/1982			K-8804	Get It Right / You Wanted Fame
1983			K-9131	I'll Stay with You / Turn to Stone
1990	Russell Morris	Festival	RPS 47	The Real Thing (Remix) / Rachel	1
1991			K-10327	Tartan Lines / Over Excited	61
1991			K-10386	A Thousand Suns / This Bird Has Flown	84
1992			K-11049	Stay with You / She Is Leaving

New Zealand

Date	Artist	Label	Cat. #	Tracks	Chart
1969	Russell Morris	Columbia	DNZ.10647	The Girl That I Love / Part Three into Paper Walls
1970			DNZ.10684	Rachel / Slow Joey	1
			DNZ.10720	The Real Thing / It's Only a Matter of Time
1971			DNZ.10746	Sweet, Sweet Love / Jail Jonah's Daughter
1972			DNZ.10777	Live With Friends / Alcohol Farm
			DNZ.10814	Wings of an Eagle / Satisfy You

Great Britain

Date	Artist	Label	Cat. #	Tracks	Chart
19/9/1969	Russell Morris	Decca	F 22964	The Real Thing (Parts I And II)/ It's Only a Matter of Time	N/A
21/8/1970			F 23066	Rachel / Slow Joey	N/A

United States

Date	Artist	Label	Cat. #	Tracks	Chart
1969	Russell Morris	Diamond	D-263	The Real Thing (Part I) / The Real Thing (Part II)	N/A
1975		RCA	10352	Wings of an Eagle	N/A
			10698	Cloudy Day	N/A
1976			10751	Running Jumping Standing Still	N/A

Extended Plays

Date	Artist	Label	Cat. #	Title	Aus. Chart
1967	Somebody's Image	W&G	E-2766	Hush
1970	Russell Morris	Columbia	SEGO-70199 (Aus) ESG-1004 (N.Z.)	Mr. America
1990		EMI	RP 217	The Real Thing

Albums

Date	Artist	Label	Cat. #	Title	Aus. Chart
8/1971	Russell Morris	Columbia	OCSD-7679	Bloodstone	12
1975		Wizard (Aus) RCA (U.S.)	ZL-208 1073	Russell Morris
1976			ZL-217 1576	Turn It On Russell Morris 2
1979	The Russell Morris Band	Mushroom	L-37074	Foot in the Door	38
1980	Russell Morris & The Rubes		L-37488	Almost Frantic	28
9/1991	Russell Morris	Festival	D-30533	A Thousand Suns	71
2002				Off the Shelf	N/A
2003	Cotton, Keays and Morris	3R Promotions	CKM 001	Maximum Hits	N/A
2003			CKM 002	Maximum Hits Volume 2	N/A
			CKM 003	Live Acoustic	N/A
2004				Live at the Basement	N/A
2007	Brian Cadd and Russell Morris	Pid	748258	Live at the Con	N/A
5/2007	Russell Morris	Liberation Blue	Blue145.2	Fundamentalist	N/A
2007				Jump Start Diary	N/A

Compilation albums

Date	Artist	Label	Cat. #	Title	Aus. Chart
1973	Russell Morris	His Master's Voice	OCSD-7679	Wings of an Eagle	12
1978		EMI	OEMC-2672	Retrospective
9/2002		Rouseabout	RR34	The Real Thing
27/6/2008		EMI		Greatest Hits

References

General

• Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop by Ian McFarlane (Allen & Unwin, Sydney (1999)) (ISBN 1-86508-072-1)
• Australian Encyclopedia of Rock & Pop by Noel McGrath (Rigby Publishers (1978))
• The Who's Who of Australian Rock by- Chris Spencer (Moonlight Publishing (1993))

Specific

External links

• Russell Morris official website
• Milesago entry on Russell Morris
• Cotton, Keays & Morris webpage