Ian Morris
Encyclopedia
Ian Gordon Morris was a musician
, record producer
, recording engineer and songwriter
from New Zealand
. He and his brother Richard Morris (who would also go on to become a successful singer, songwriter and sound engineer in New Zealand under the name Rikki Morris) were born in England but emigrated with their family to New Zealand in 1966.
Ian was a founding member of iconic New Zealand band Th' Dudes, who formed at Sacred Heart College in Auckland in 1975. He also had chart hits as a solo artist under the name Tex Pistol, and in collaboration with his brother Rikki as Tex Pistol and Rikki Morris. As recording engineer and record producer, his production credits include a number of successful Kiwi artists: Hello Sailor
, DD Smash
, The Screaming Meemees
, The Warratahs
, When the Cat's Away
, Greg Johnson
, Dave Dobbyn
, and Southside of Bombay
to name a few. Morris also wrote numerous jingle
s, arrangements, and orchestration
s. He was married to singer Kim Willoughby of New Zealand's most successful all-female group When the Cat's Away, with whom he had two daughters, Julia and Maude, and a stepson, James. Reports of his death in Napier
were made by New Zealand media on 8 October but Police declined to comment on cause of death, noting only that there were no suspicious circumstances. An inquest by the Hawkes Bay coroner found Morris's death to be deliberate and self-inflicted.
Solo:
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, recording engineer and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. He and his brother Richard Morris (who would also go on to become a successful singer, songwriter and sound engineer in New Zealand under the name Rikki Morris) were born in England but emigrated with their family to New Zealand in 1966.
Ian was a founding member of iconic New Zealand band Th' Dudes, who formed at Sacred Heart College in Auckland in 1975. He also had chart hits as a solo artist under the name Tex Pistol, and in collaboration with his brother Rikki as Tex Pistol and Rikki Morris. As recording engineer and record producer, his production credits include a number of successful Kiwi artists: Hello Sailor
Hello Sailor (band)
Hello Sailor was a New Zealand pop/rock band originally formed in 1975.- History :The band's history is long and complicated, with guitarist/vocalists Dave McArtney and Harry Lyon having first played together in the mid 1960s. After several lineup changes, the band released its first album, Hello...
, DD Smash
DD Smash
DD Smash was a New Zealand pop/rock band formed by Dave Dobbyn after the breakup of Th'Dudes.-Members:Members included Dave Dobbyn , Peter Warren , Rob Guy , both formerly of Lip Service , and Lisle Kinney , formerly of Hello Sailor.-Origin:Originally formed in New Zealand, the band was resident...
, The Screaming Meemees
The Screaming Meemees
The Screaming Meemees were one of the biggest post-punk new-wave pop bands in New Zealand in the early 1980s. The band formed in Auckland in 1979, composed of vocalist Tony Drumm, guitarist Michael O'Neill, keyboard and bass player Peter van der Fluit and drummer "Laurence "Yoh" Landwer-Johan...
, The Warratahs
The Warratahs
The Warratahs are a band from Wellington, New Zealand.-Early line-ups :* Barry Saunders * Wayne Mason * Nik Brown * John Donahue * Marty Jorgensen * Clint Brown * Rob Clarkson...
, When the Cat's Away
When the Cat's Away (band)
The New Zealand Female vocal group When the Cat's Away, are Annie Crummer, Debbie Harwood, Kim Willoughby and Margaret Urlich. Original member Diane Swann left the band in the 1990s....
, Greg Johnson
Greg Johnson (musician)
Greg Johnson is a singer/songwriter of melodic, lyric-based pop. He has seen success both as a solo artist and writing for others. Since 2002 he has been a resident of the United States, living in California.-Music career:...
, Dave Dobbyn
Dave Dobbyn
Dave Dobbyn, ONZM is an award-winning New Zealand musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. In his early career he was a member of the rock group Th' Dudes and was the main creative force in pop band DD Smash...
, and Southside of Bombay
Southside of Bombay
Southside of Bombay was a Māori band. They are best known for their single What's the time Mr Wolf? which was originally released in 1992 however was re-released in 1994 following its appearance in the film and on soundtrack of Once Were Warriors, after which it became second best selling New...
to name a few. Morris also wrote numerous jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
s, arrangements, and orchestration
Orchestration
Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra or of adapting for orchestra music composed for another medium...
s. He was married to singer Kim Willoughby of New Zealand's most successful all-female group When the Cat's Away, with whom he had two daughters, Julia and Maude, and a stepson, James. Reports of his death in Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
were made by New Zealand media on 8 October but Police declined to comment on cause of death, noting only that there were no suspicious circumstances. An inquest by the Hawkes Bay coroner found Morris's death to be deliberate and self-inflicted.
Awards
- APRA Top 100 - #27, for "Be Mine Tonight" with Th' Dudes (1978)
- APRA Top 100 - #50, for "Bliss" with Th' Dudes (1979)
- RIANZ (Recording Industry Association of New Zealand) Engineer of the Year 1979
- RIANZ Producer of the Year 1982 (for DD Smash "Cool Bananas")
- RIANZ Most Promising Male Vocalist 1987 (for "The Ballad of Buckskin Bob" as Tex Pistol)
- RIANZ Producer of the Year 1988 (for Tex Pistol "Game of LoveGame of Love"Game of Love" is a song by Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders that reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1965.It was later covered in 1987 by New Zealand musician Ian Morris, under the stage name Tex Pistol....
") - RIANZ Producer of the Year 1991 (for Rikki Morris "Heartbroke")
Discography
With Th' Dudes:- Right First Time (1979) Album released on Key Records.
- "Be Mine Tonight" / "That Look In Your Eyes" (1979) Single released on Key Records.
- "Walking In Light" (1979) Single released on Key Records.
- "Right First Time" (1979) Single released on Key Records.
- Where Are The Boys (1980) Album released on Key Records.
- "Bliss" (1980) Single released on Key Records.
- "Bad Boy Billy" (1980) Single released on Key Records.
- So You Wanna Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star (1982) Key Records 6-track mini album featuring 5 singles plus "Hope", an un-released out-take from 1980.
- So You Wanna Be A Rock 'N' Roll Star / Last Chance To Dance (1991) Tracks 5 and 12 are "special mixes" by Ian Morris. The CD is a combination of the mini-albums released separately by Th' Dudes and label mates Hello Sailor in 1982.
- Where Are The Girls: Th' Definitive Collection (2001) Best of package released on FMR. Features songs from the first two albums plus early demo versions of "Walking In Light" and "Be Mine Tonight", which was then known as "Quite Frankly".
- Parks, Pubs, Theatres, Clubs, Church Halls, Gardens, Lounges and Band Rotundas (2006) 6-track CD available for sale only at shows on the 2006 Reunion Tour. Due to a dispute with Stebbing Recording Studios at the time the master tapes of the band's material were unavailable. This CD features alternative and demo versions of Th' Dudes best-known songs culled from the members' own collections. (The dispute has now been resolved.)
- Live: Th' 2006 Reunion Tour (2006)
Solo:
- "Boot Up (x=y)" (1983) (as Jag Moritz) 12-inch single.
- "The Ballad of Buckskin Bob" / "Winter" (1986) (as Tex Pistol) 7-inch single released on Pagan Records.
- "The Game of Love" (1987) (as Tex Pistol) 12-inch and 7-inch single released on Pagan Records. Reached Number 1 on RIANZ Music Charts.
- "Nobody Else" (1987) (as Tex Pistol & Rikki Morris) 7-inch single released on Pagan Records. Reached Number 1 on RIANZ Music Charts. Written and sung by Ian's brother Rikki.
- Nobody Else (1988) (as Tex Pistol) Album released on Pagan Records.
See also
- Waikino music festivalWaikino music festivalWaikino Music Festival was a 1977 music and alternatives event held on Bicknell’s farm in the picturesque Waitawheta Valley between Waikino and Waihi, New Zealand. The event was staged as a forerunner to the Nambassa festivals and was a community project run by Peter Terry...
- New Zealand music festivalsNew Zealand music festivalsMusic festivals have a long and chequered history in New Zealand. The first large outdoor rock music festival was The Great Ngaruawahia Music Festival in 1973...
- Sweetwaters Music FestivalSweetwaters Music FestivalSweetwaters Music Festival was a series of events held between 1980 and 1999, at venues such as a farm in Ngaruawahia, then further north on a farm near Pukekawa, and finally at South Auckland, New Zealand.- Events:*1980 - Ngaruawahia*1981 - Ngaruawahia...