James Morrison (singer)
Encyclopedia
James Morrison is a BRIT Award
-winning English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Rugby
, Warwickshire. In 2006, his debut single "You Give Me Something
" became a hit in Europe, Australia, and Japan, peaking in the top five in the UK and New Zealand. His debut album, Undiscovered
, debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart
. He released his second album, Songs for You, Truths for Me
in 2008, which entered the top five in the UK as well as topping the Irish Albums Chart
. Songs for You, Truths for Me featured the top ten singles "You Make It Real
" and his critically acclaimed collaboration with Nelly Furtado
titled "Broken Strings
". He has performed with Jason Mraz
, Nelly Furtado
, and others in concerts and in songs. Morrison wrote a song for Italian singer Marco Carta
entitled "Quello che dai", which debuted at number one in the official chart.
, Warwickshire
, where he was surrounded by the influence of his parents' record collection; his mother was a fan of soul
while his father enjoyed listening to folk
and country
. He began playing guitar when his uncle Joe showed him how to play a blues riff. As a teenager he started busking when he lived in the village of Porth
, near Newquay
, Cornwall, in a local pub called the Phoenix which is in Watergate Bay
. He used to practice playing his guitar on the prom looking over Porth beach. He took GCSE music at Treviglas Community College. After some years of covering other musician's songs, he eventually started to write his own. He attributes his distinctive voice to a severe bout with whooping cough that nearly killed him when he was a baby.
Morrison has alluded to an unhappy childhood affected by poverty and illness; he said of his hometown "the best thing is I've got memories of being a kid there and the worst thing is I've got memories of being a kid there." When Morrison was only a few weeks old, he contracted whooping cough and was given a 30% chance of survival from doctors, who believed that if he survived, he would be severely brain damaged. He states that he "went blue and stopped breathing and [doctors] had to resuscitate me four times." After the experience, his parents divorced when he was four years old and he suffered from low self esteem at school, where he was ostracized for being involved in music rather than sports. He finally gained confidence when he moved to Cornwall
as a teenager, where people were more accepting of his musical inclinations.
According to Morrison, he was influenced by music from a very young age, listening to artists such as Stevie Wonder
, Otis Redding
, Van Morrison
and Al Green
. Morrison said that the first time he heard Stevie Wonder's voice he was close to tears, and has since been fascinated by the way he utilizes his voice.
Working in Derby
, Morrison found an Irish bar called "Ryan's" which runs an open mic night on Wednesdays and Sundays. Morrison met Kev Andrews, who later produced Morrison's demo tape.
", which reached #2 in Holland and the #5 spot in the UK. He released his debut album Undiscovered
on 31 July 2006. The album received generally positive reviews with The Sun, claiming "There isn't a bad track on it". An equally positive review by The Times
stated that "Undiscovered may prove to be the least apposite album title for years". It topped the UK Albums Chart
on its first week of its release. The album sold over 1 million copies around the world by the end of 2006., making Morrison the best selling male solo artist of 2006 in the UK.
The album's second single was "Wonderful World
", which broke into the top ten in the UK following its CD single release, peaking at #8. The song fared just as well in the Netherlands where it peaked at #8. This was his second top ten single following the success of You Give Me Something
. On 18 December 2006 Morrison's third single, "The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore
" was released. It peaked at #30 in the UK. The fourth single from Undiscovered
was the title song "Undiscovered
" which was released on 13 March 2007. "Undiscovered" peaked at #63. The song fared better in the Netherlands where it peaked at #30.
Morrison was scheduled to play at the 2006 V Festival
, in one of the smaller tents there. The audience however, was much larger than expected and couldn't fit into the tent allocated for him. As a result, he had a ten-minute set on the main stage before Hard-Fi
came on (Weston Park). At the 2007 V Festival he played his full set on the main stage. He also performed "You Give Me Something
" at the 2006 Royal Variety Performance
before Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall. He appeared on Live from Abbey Road
following his live recording session at Abbey Road Studios
on 5 January 2007.
Following the release of Undiscovered, Morrison made his first appearance on national TV in the United States, at the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show, in addition to appearing on NBC
's Today Show, on 16 March 2007, performing "You Give Me Something" with just guitar and Wurlitzer piano. The album debuted at #24 in the US with 24,000 copies in its first week.
In 2007 Morrison was nominated for 3 BRIT Awards
and won the Best British Male Solo Artist category. (Other nominations were for the Best British Breakthrough Act, Best British Single Shortlist). On 4 April 2007, he was awarded the title of an AOL Breaker artist, a contest that was voted by the British public.
At the Concert for Diana
on 1 July 2007, he performed the songs "Wonderful World" and "You Give Me Something" in honour of Princess Diana. During the summer of 2007, Morrison headlined the Forestry Commission's Forest Tour. His fifth UK single, One Last Chance was released on 2 July 2007 as a download only. The video is being shown on The Hits
, The Box and Smash Hits
music channels. The video was shot in Canada in April 2007. On 29 November 2007, he performed in KL Convention Center for the Acoustic Live&Loud KL '07; a music festival in Malaysia. Morrison performed alongside Rick Price
and local singer Dayang Nurfaizah.
on the track "Details in the Fabric" on Mraz's new studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
, which was released on 13 May 2008.
On 29 September 2008, Morrison's second album entitled Songs for You, Truths for Me
was released. In the writing process for this album he worked with Ryan Tedder
, Martin Terefe, Martin Brammer, Chris Braide
and Steve Robson
. The album also features a duet
with Nelly Furtado
entitled "Broken Strings" co-written with Fraser T. Smith
and Nina Woodford. From October 2008 until the end of the year Morrison has toured throughout Europe. The album performed well, debuting in the top three of the UK Albums Chart
and spending 5 weeks in the top ten. When talking about the album, Morrison stated that the music had 'moved on' a lot from the first album but not to the point where fans of his previous album wouldn't be able to "get it".
"You Make It Real" was released a week before the release of the album as the lead single. As part of the promotion, Morrison performed the single on GMTV
, Radio 1's Live Lounge and a the BBC Children in Need charity appeal. The song debuted at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart
giving Morrison his third top ten hit. "You Make It Real" spent a total of eight weeks on the chart. The second single of the album was "Broken Strings
," the collaboration with Nelly Furtado. The single was released on the 15th of December 2008. It entered the singles charts at number 73 and slowly rose for four weeks before, following a performance of the song with Girls Aloud
on The Girls Aloud Party
, broke into the top ten at number 6, giving Morrison his fourth top ten hit. The following week the song rose to a new high, rising to number 4 on the 2008 Christmas chart. This makes Broken Strings
Morrison's most successful single by peak position to date in the UK as, on 11 January 2009 it climbed to number two, being held off the top spot by Just Dance, the debut single from Lady Gaga
. The song's highest entry was in Germany's Single Top 100 where it entered the chart at the top spot.
Following the success of Broken Strings, the album which had been gradually descending down the album chart, made a leap from number forty eight to twenty nine and then two weeks later, re-entered the top ten at number seven. It rose again the next week to number four and was charting at number five, twenty weeks after release. The same effect allowed Songs For You, Truths For Me to gain success in Ireland. After dropping off the Irish Albums Chart
completely, it re-entered the chart at number seventy three. It rose for several weeks until it was charting at number thirteen. The next week the album climbed to the top of the chart, entering the top ten at number one. This gave Songs For You, Truths For Me its first number one chart placement and gave Morrison his second number one album.
On 30 April 2009, it was announced on Take That
's official site that Morrison would be supporting the band at some venues and dates on their 2009 tour. Morrison performed along with singer Gary Go
, in the Sunderland Stadium of Light on 5 June, the Coventry Ricoh Arena on 9 June, the Cardiff Millennium Stadium on 16 June and 17, the Glasgow Hampden Park on 20 June, the Manchester Old Trafford Cricket Ground on 26 June and in the London Wembley Stadium on 1 July. That same year, Morrison wrote a song, "Watch and Wait", for the German
comedy film
Men in the City
.
In 2010 Morrison wrote a song called "Quello Che Dai" for the Italian singer Marco Carta
from his upcoming album "Il Cuore Muove". On 25 June 2010, Morrison performed a cover of Michael Jackson
's Man In the Mirror
live near the River Thames
in London as part of CBS' The Early Show
special remembrance event entitled "The King Of Pop: One Year Later." The song was released as a single on iTunes on 24 June 2010, and in the November 2009 European double CD re-issue of Songs For You, Truths For Me.
Morrison has worked with Kara Dioguardi
and Toby Gad
for this album.
He announced one of the tracks on the album might be called "The Awakening" saying, "I want to write about this idea of an awakening of some kind. I’ve written a song with that title, which I’m really happy with. There’s some funky digeridoo going on".
In May he stated on his Facebook page that he had almost finished his album and would be releasing it very soon.
On July 11, he stated on his Twitter that the new album is called "The Awakening" and is due to release on September 26. The first single is I Won't Let You Go. The tracklisting includes a duet with Jessie J
on a track called "Up". Reagarding the album's lyrics, meanwhile, Morrison has admitted that its themes draw on recent events in his personal life - which include becoming a father, while losing his own father following the latter's long battle with alcoholism and depression.
To promote the album, he ran a competition in conjunction with NUS and MUZU TV to offer students across the UK the chance for him to play live in their living room.
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
-winning English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
, Warwickshire. In 2006, his debut single "You Give Me Something
You Give Me Something
"You Give Me Something" is the first single by English singer James Morrison, which was released on 16 July 2006. The song is featured on his debut album, Undiscovered, which was released on 31 July 2006. The song has been nominated for a BRIT Award in the category Best British Single Shortlist in...
" became a hit in Europe, Australia, and Japan, peaking in the top five in the UK and New Zealand. His debut album, Undiscovered
Undiscovered (James Morrison album)
-Charts and certifications:-References:...
, debuted at the top of the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. He released his second album, Songs for You, Truths for Me
Songs for You, Truths for Me
Songs for You, Truths for Me is the second album by English singer, songwriter and guitarist James Morrison, released on 26 September 2008. The album was a commercial success in the UK where it entered the album charts at number three and in Ireland where it topped the charts...
in 2008, which entered the top five in the UK as well as topping the Irish Albums Chart
Irish Albums Chart
The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically...
. Songs for You, Truths for Me featured the top ten singles "You Make It Real
You Make It Real
"You Make It Real" is the sixth single by James Morrison, and the first from his second album, Songs for You, Truths for Me. The single was released on 22 September 2008; a week before the release of the album. The song was covered by Akon on the Live Lounge on BBC Radio 1...
" and his critically acclaimed collaboration with Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
titled "Broken Strings
Broken Strings
"Broken Strings" is the third single by James Morrison from his second studio album Songs for You, Truths for Me. It was released in November 2008. The song is a duet with Canadian pop/R&B singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado...
". He has performed with Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
, Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
, and others in concerts and in songs. Morrison wrote a song for Italian singer Marco Carta
Marco Carta
Marco Carta is an Italian singer. In 2009, he had sold 350,000 albums and 150,000 singles.-Early life and victory to "Amici":In 2007, he participated as a singer in the Talent Show Amici di Maria De Filippi...
entitled "Quello che dai", which debuted at number one in the official chart.
Early life
Morrison was born in the town of RugbyRugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, where he was surrounded by the influence of his parents' record collection; his mother was a fan of soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
while his father enjoyed listening to folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
. He began playing guitar when his uncle Joe showed him how to play a blues riff. As a teenager he started busking when he lived in the village of Porth
Porth, Cornwall
Porth is a sea-side village near Newquay in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.Notable residents have included:* Sir Richard Tangye* Sir Basil Tangye, Bart. * Derek Tangye, author, grandson of Sir Richard...
, near Newquay
Newquay
Newquay is a town, civil parish, seaside resort and fishing port in Cornwall, England. It is situated on the North Atlantic coast of Cornwall approximately west of Bodmin and north of Truro....
, Cornwall, in a local pub called the Phoenix which is in Watergate Bay
Watergate Bay
Watergate Bay is a bay located two miles north of Newquay on the B3276 Newquay to Padstow road near the village of Tregurrian in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It faces the Atlantic Ocean....
. He used to practice playing his guitar on the prom looking over Porth beach. He took GCSE music at Treviglas Community College. After some years of covering other musician's songs, he eventually started to write his own. He attributes his distinctive voice to a severe bout with whooping cough that nearly killed him when he was a baby.
Morrison has alluded to an unhappy childhood affected by poverty and illness; he said of his hometown "the best thing is I've got memories of being a kid there and the worst thing is I've got memories of being a kid there." When Morrison was only a few weeks old, he contracted whooping cough and was given a 30% chance of survival from doctors, who believed that if he survived, he would be severely brain damaged. He states that he "went blue and stopped breathing and [doctors] had to resuscitate me four times." After the experience, his parents divorced when he was four years old and he suffered from low self esteem at school, where he was ostracized for being involved in music rather than sports. He finally gained confidence when he moved to Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
as a teenager, where people were more accepting of his musical inclinations.
According to Morrison, he was influenced by music from a very young age, listening to artists such as Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Otis Redding
Otis Redding
Otis Ray Redding, Jr. was an American soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul and R&B...
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
and Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
. Morrison said that the first time he heard Stevie Wonder's voice he was close to tears, and has since been fascinated by the way he utilizes his voice.
Working in Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, Morrison found an Irish bar called "Ryan's" which runs an open mic night on Wednesdays and Sundays. Morrison met Kev Andrews, who later produced Morrison's demo tape.
Breakthrough and Undiscovered
He achieved worldwide success with debut single "You Give Me SomethingYou Give Me Something
"You Give Me Something" is the first single by English singer James Morrison, which was released on 16 July 2006. The song is featured on his debut album, Undiscovered, which was released on 31 July 2006. The song has been nominated for a BRIT Award in the category Best British Single Shortlist in...
", which reached #2 in Holland and the #5 spot in the UK. He released his debut album Undiscovered
Undiscovered (James Morrison album)
-Charts and certifications:-References:...
on 31 July 2006. The album received generally positive reviews with The Sun, claiming "There isn't a bad track on it". An equally positive review by The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
stated that "Undiscovered may prove to be the least apposite album title for years". It topped the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
on its first week of its release. The album sold over 1 million copies around the world by the end of 2006., making Morrison the best selling male solo artist of 2006 in the UK.
The album's second single was "Wonderful World
Wonderful World (James Morrison song)
"Wonderful World" is the second single by British singer James Morrison. The song is the second to be released from his debut album, Undiscovered, which was released on July 31, 2006. The song peaked at #8 on the UK singles chart in October, following the CD single release...
", which broke into the top ten in the UK following its CD single release, peaking at #8. The song fared just as well in the Netherlands where it peaked at #8. This was his second top ten single following the success of You Give Me Something
You Give Me Something
"You Give Me Something" is the first single by English singer James Morrison, which was released on 16 July 2006. The song is featured on his debut album, Undiscovered, which was released on 31 July 2006. The song has been nominated for a BRIT Award in the category Best British Single Shortlist in...
. On 18 December 2006 Morrison's third single, "The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore
The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore
"The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore" is a song by British singer James Morrison, from his debut album Undiscovered. It was released on 18 December 2006 as his third single....
" was released. It peaked at #30 in the UK. The fourth single from Undiscovered
Undiscovered
Undiscovered is a 2005 film directed by Meiert Avis. The plot is about a group of aspiring entertainers who intend to establish their careers in Los Angeles. Released on August 26, 2005, the film received a largely negative reception - as of January 8, 2008 the film had a 7% rating at Rotten...
was the title song "Undiscovered
Undiscovered (song)
"Undiscovered" is a song written by British singer James Morrison, Martin Brammer, Steve Robson and performed by Morrison. The song appears on Morrison's debut album Undiscovered and was released as his fourth single on 12 March 2007. "Undiscovered" was featured in the soundtrack for She's Out of...
" which was released on 13 March 2007. "Undiscovered" peaked at #63. The song fared better in the Netherlands where it peaked at #30.
Morrison was scheduled to play at the 2006 V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
, in one of the smaller tents there. The audience however, was much larger than expected and couldn't fit into the tent allocated for him. As a result, he had a ten-minute set on the main stage before Hard-Fi
HARD-Fi
Hard-Fi are an English indie rock band formed in Staines, Surrey in 2003. The band's members are Richard Archer , Ross Phillips , Kai Stephens and Steve Kemp .They achieved chart success with their third single, "Hard to Beat" and then followed by other successful singles such as...
came on (Weston Park). At the 2007 V Festival he played his full set on the main stage. He also performed "You Give Me Something
You Give Me Something
"You Give Me Something" is the first single by English singer James Morrison, which was released on 16 July 2006. The song is featured on his debut album, Undiscovered, which was released on 31 July 2006. The song has been nominated for a BRIT Award in the category Best British Single Shortlist in...
" at the 2006 Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
before Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall. He appeared on Live from Abbey Road
Live from Abbey Road
Live from Abbey Road is a 12-part, one-hour performance series/documentary that began filming its first season during 2006 at Abbey Road Studios in London. Season 2 was filmed between 2007 and 2008, season 3 was filmed in 2009 and Season 4 was filmed in 2011...
following his live recording session at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
on 5 January 2007.
Following the release of Undiscovered, Morrison made his first appearance on national TV in the United States, at the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show, in addition to appearing on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Today Show, on 16 March 2007, performing "You Give Me Something" with just guitar and Wurlitzer piano. The album debuted at #24 in the US with 24,000 copies in its first week.
In 2007 Morrison was nominated for 3 BRIT Awards
2007 BRIT Awards
The 2007 BRIT Awards was the 27th edition of the biggest annual pop music awards in the United Kingdom. They are run by the British Phonographic Industry and took place on 14 February 2007 at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London...
and won the Best British Male Solo Artist category. (Other nominations were for the Best British Breakthrough Act, Best British Single Shortlist). On 4 April 2007, he was awarded the title of an AOL Breaker artist, a contest that was voted by the British public.
At the Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana
Concert for Diana was a concert held at the then new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday; 31 August that year brought the 10th anniversary of her death...
on 1 July 2007, he performed the songs "Wonderful World" and "You Give Me Something" in honour of Princess Diana. During the summer of 2007, Morrison headlined the Forestry Commission's Forest Tour. His fifth UK single, One Last Chance was released on 2 July 2007 as a download only. The video is being shown on The Hits
The Hits
The Hits was a music video channel in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned by Box Television.-Overview and availability:The channel showcased a range of pop centering on chart hits and current favourites...
, The Box and Smash Hits
Smash Hits
Smash Hits was a pop music based magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time...
music channels. The video was shot in Canada in April 2007. On 29 November 2007, he performed in KL Convention Center for the Acoustic Live&Loud KL '07; a music festival in Malaysia. Morrison performed alongside Rick Price
Rick Price
Rick Price is an Australian singer and songwriter.-Early life:Price was born in Beaudesert, a small country town near Brisbane, Queensland. He began playing music at the age of nine appearing with his family band "Union Beau". "It was kinda weird I guess...
and local singer Dayang Nurfaizah.
Songs for You, Truths for Me
Morrison collaborated with Jason MrazJason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz , also known as Mr. AZ and Mr. Raz, is an American singer-songwriter. Mraz released his debut album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, which contained the hit single "The Remedy ", in 2002, but it was not until the release of his second album, "Mr. A-Z", in 2005, that Mraz achieved...
on the track "Details in the Fabric" on Mraz's new studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
The Latin American and Spanish re-release of the album includes a Spanish version of the song Lucky which was recorded by Mraz and Mexican singer Ximena Sariñana.-Critical reception:The album overall, gained positive to mixed reviews...
, which was released on 13 May 2008.
On 29 September 2008, Morrison's second album entitled Songs for You, Truths for Me
Songs for You, Truths for Me
Songs for You, Truths for Me is the second album by English singer, songwriter and guitarist James Morrison, released on 26 September 2008. The album was a commercial success in the UK where it entered the album charts at number three and in Ireland where it topped the charts...
was released. In the writing process for this album he worked with Ryan Tedder
Ryan Tedder
Ryan Benjamin Tedder is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the frontman of the pop rock band, OneRepublic, though he has an independent career as songwriter and producer for various artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Clarkson, Far East Movement, Jordin Sparks, Leona...
, Martin Terefe, Martin Brammer, Chris Braide
Chris Braide
Christopher Braide is an English singer, songwriter, record producer published by Sony/ATV worldwide based in Los Angeles.Producer, Songwriter and Ivor Novello ASCAP and Billboard award winner Christopher Braide has achieved considerable success as a songwriter in the UK and the US. His songs have...
and Steve Robson
Steve Robson
Steve Robson is an English songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist.-Career:He was nominated for a Grammy Award for the song, "What Hurts the Most" co-written with Jeffrey Steele and recorded by Rascal Flatts as well as winning a Brit award and Ivor Novello award for the song "Shine"...
. The album also features a duet
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
entitled "Broken Strings" co-written with Fraser T. Smith
Fraser T. Smith
Fraser T. Smith is an English record producer, songwriter, mix engineer and guitarist....
and Nina Woodford. From October 2008 until the end of the year Morrison has toured throughout Europe. The album performed well, debuting in the top three of the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
and spending 5 weeks in the top ten. When talking about the album, Morrison stated that the music had 'moved on' a lot from the first album but not to the point where fans of his previous album wouldn't be able to "get it".
"You Make It Real" was released a week before the release of the album as the lead single. As part of the promotion, Morrison performed the single on GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
, Radio 1's Live Lounge and a the BBC Children in Need charity appeal. The song debuted at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
giving Morrison his third top ten hit. "You Make It Real" spent a total of eight weeks on the chart. The second single of the album was "Broken Strings
Broken Strings
"Broken Strings" is the third single by James Morrison from his second studio album Songs for You, Truths for Me. It was released in November 2008. The song is a duet with Canadian pop/R&B singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado...
," the collaboration with Nelly Furtado. The single was released on the 15th of December 2008. It entered the singles charts at number 73 and slowly rose for four weeks before, following a performance of the song with Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud are a British and Irish pop girl group based in London. They were created through the ITV1 talent show Popstars The Rivals in 2002. The group consists of Cheryl Cole , Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts and Kimberley Walsh. They are signed to Fascination Records, a Polydor...
on The Girls Aloud Party
The Girls Aloud Party
The Girls Aloud Party was a one-off Christmas variety show starring British girl group Girls Aloud, produced for ITV. The show was aired on 13 December 2008, in between The X Factor series finale and its results show....
, broke into the top ten at number 6, giving Morrison his fourth top ten hit. The following week the song rose to a new high, rising to number 4 on the 2008 Christmas chart. This makes Broken Strings
Broken Strings
"Broken Strings" is the third single by James Morrison from his second studio album Songs for You, Truths for Me. It was released in November 2008. The song is a duet with Canadian pop/R&B singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado...
Morrison's most successful single by peak position to date in the UK as, on 11 January 2009 it climbed to number two, being held off the top spot by Just Dance, the debut single from Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
. The song's highest entry was in Germany's Single Top 100 where it entered the chart at the top spot.
Following the success of Broken Strings, the album which had been gradually descending down the album chart, made a leap from number forty eight to twenty nine and then two weeks later, re-entered the top ten at number seven. It rose again the next week to number four and was charting at number five, twenty weeks after release. The same effect allowed Songs For You, Truths For Me to gain success in Ireland. After dropping off the Irish Albums Chart
Irish Albums Chart
The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically...
completely, it re-entered the chart at number seventy three. It rose for several weeks until it was charting at number thirteen. The next week the album climbed to the top of the chart, entering the top ten at number one. This gave Songs For You, Truths For Me its first number one chart placement and gave Morrison his second number one album.
On 30 April 2009, it was announced on Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
's official site that Morrison would be supporting the band at some venues and dates on their 2009 tour. Morrison performed along with singer Gary Go
Gary Go
Gary Baker, also known by his stage name Gary Go is a British pop-rock singer, songwriter and producer. His debut single "Wonderful" was a Top 30 track in the UK, the debut album Gary Go was released May 2009 and reached number 22 in the UK Albums Chart...
, in the Sunderland Stadium of Light on 5 June, the Coventry Ricoh Arena on 9 June, the Cardiff Millennium Stadium on 16 June and 17, the Glasgow Hampden Park on 20 June, the Manchester Old Trafford Cricket Ground on 26 June and in the London Wembley Stadium on 1 July. That same year, Morrison wrote a song, "Watch and Wait", for the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
comedy film
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
Men in the City
Men in the City
Men in the City is a 2009 German comedy film directed by Simon Verhoeven with Christian Ulmen, Nadja Uhl and Wotan Wilke Möhring. The film was followed by Männerherzen... und die ganz ganz große Liebe in 2011.-Plot:...
.
In 2010 Morrison wrote a song called "Quello Che Dai" for the Italian singer Marco Carta
Marco Carta
Marco Carta is an Italian singer. In 2009, he had sold 350,000 albums and 150,000 singles.-Early life and victory to "Amici":In 2007, he participated as a singer in the Talent Show Amici di Maria De Filippi...
from his upcoming album "Il Cuore Muove". On 25 June 2010, Morrison performed a cover of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's Man In the Mirror
Man in the Mirror
"Man in the Mirror" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson and written and composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. It peaked at number one in the United States when released as a single in January 1988 off his seventh solo album, Bad. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and...
live near the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in London as part of CBS' The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
special remembrance event entitled "The King Of Pop: One Year Later." The song was released as a single on iTunes on 24 June 2010, and in the November 2009 European double CD re-issue of Songs For You, Truths For Me.
The Awakening
In 2010, Morrison announced that he had been working on his third studio album. In a June 2010 interview he stated "I've sung too many love ballads. I want to go a bit deeper than that and find more substance. I still don't feel confident enough to write by myself, but that is my aim. I just keep convincing myself that I'm not good enough. There are plenty of good singers out there – it's writing that's the key thing. When I'm working with other people I've heard them say 'Let's try to write a James Morrison chorus.' I want to pretend that I haven't made any albums at all and start afresh."Morrison has worked with Kara Dioguardi
Kara DioGuardi
Kara Elizabeth DioGuardi is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, music publisher, A&R executive, composer and TV personality. She writes music primarily in the light pop-rock, dance, and R&B genres. DioGuardi has worked with many popular artists; her songs have appeared on more than 159...
and Toby Gad
Toby Gad
Tobias "Toby" Gad is a Los Angeles-based hit producer and songwriter from Germany, perhaps best known for co-writing Fergie's Grammy nominated hit song "Big Girls Don't Cry" as well as co-writing and producing Beyoncé's worldwide #1 hit "If I Were a Boy", and The Veronicas multi-platinum #1...
for this album.
He announced one of the tracks on the album might be called "The Awakening" saying, "I want to write about this idea of an awakening of some kind. I’ve written a song with that title, which I’m really happy with. There’s some funky digeridoo going on".
In May he stated on his Facebook page that he had almost finished his album and would be releasing it very soon.
On July 11, he stated on his Twitter that the new album is called "The Awakening" and is due to release on September 26. The first single is I Won't Let You Go. The tracklisting includes a duet with Jessie J
Jessie J
Jessica Ellen Cornish , better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English recording artist currently signed to Island Records. She began her career as a songwriter for artists including Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus. Her debut single, "Do It Like a Dude", was released in November 2010 and peaked...
on a track called "Up". Reagarding the album's lyrics, meanwhile, Morrison has admitted that its themes draw on recent events in his personal life - which include becoming a father, while losing his own father following the latter's long battle with alcoholism and depression.
To promote the album, he ran a competition in conjunction with NUS and MUZU TV to offer students across the UK the chance for him to play live in their living room.
Personal life
Morrison is in a long-term relationship with girlfriend Gill. Gill gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter named Elsie in September 2008.Albums
- UndiscoveredUndiscovered (James Morrison album)-Charts and certifications:-References:...
(2006) - Songs for You, Truths for MeSongs for You, Truths for MeSongs for You, Truths for Me is the second album by English singer, songwriter and guitarist James Morrison, released on 26 September 2008. The album was a commercial success in the UK where it entered the album charts at number three and in Ireland where it topped the charts...
(2008) - The AwakeningThe Awakening (James Morrison album)Mike Diver wrote for BBC Music that "The Awakening is lacking the grandstanding moment it needs to elevate it above reserved recommendation." Diver also noted that "Morrison has a truly great album in him – he's the emotional baggage to craft it, should he let locked-away demons loose – but for the...
(2011)
Singles
- "You Give Me SomethingYou Give Me Something"You Give Me Something" is the first single by English singer James Morrison, which was released on 16 July 2006. The song is featured on his debut album, Undiscovered, which was released on 31 July 2006. The song has been nominated for a BRIT Award in the category Best British Single Shortlist in...
" (2006) - "Wonderful WorldWonderful World (James Morrison song)"Wonderful World" is the second single by British singer James Morrison. The song is the second to be released from his debut album, Undiscovered, which was released on July 31, 2006. The song peaked at #8 on the UK singles chart in October, following the CD single release...
" (2006) - "The Pieces Don't Fit AnymoreThe Pieces Don't Fit Anymore"The Pieces Don't Fit Anymore" is a song by British singer James Morrison, from his debut album Undiscovered. It was released on 18 December 2006 as his third single....
" (2006) - "Call the police" (2006) (promo only)
- "UndiscoveredUndiscovered (song)"Undiscovered" is a song written by British singer James Morrison, Martin Brammer, Steve Robson and performed by Morrison. The song appears on Morrison's debut album Undiscovered and was released as his fourth single on 12 March 2007. "Undiscovered" was featured in the soundtrack for She's Out of...
" (2007) - "One Last Chance" (2007)
- "You Make It RealYou Make It Real"You Make It Real" is the sixth single by James Morrison, and the first from his second album, Songs for You, Truths for Me. The single was released on 22 September 2008; a week before the release of the album. The song was covered by Akon on the Live Lounge on BBC Radio 1...
(2008) - "Nothing Ever Hurt Like YouNothing Ever Hurt Like YouNothing Ever Hurt Like You is a song written by Morrison himself, teaming up with Barry and Mark Taylor. The single, released in the U.S. only on September 23, 2008, is listed on his second major studio album "Songs for You, Truths for Me", which has been available for U.K. purchase since September...
" US only (2008) - "Broken StringsBroken Strings"Broken Strings" is the third single by James Morrison from his second studio album Songs for You, Truths for Me. It was released in November 2008. The song is a duet with Canadian pop/R&B singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado...
" (feat. Nelly FurtadoNelly FurtadoNelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
) (2008) - "Please Don't Stop the RainPlease Don't Stop The Rain"Please Don't Stop The Rain" is the eighth single by James Morrison, and the third from his second album, Songs for You, Truths for Me. James Morrison co-wrote this song with Ryan Tedder, from OneRepublic, who also sings in the background vocals...
" (2009) - "Nothing Ever Hurt Like YouNothing Ever Hurt Like YouNothing Ever Hurt Like You is a song written by Morrison himself, teaming up with Barry and Mark Taylor. The single, released in the U.S. only on September 23, 2008, is listed on his second major studio album "Songs for You, Truths for Me", which has been available for U.K. purchase since September...
" Europe (2009) - "Get to YouGet to You"Get To You" is a song by the british singer James Morrison. It was released in November 2009. The song is the first single of the deluxe edition of his second album, Songs for You, Truths for Me...
" (2009) - "I Won't Let You GoI Won't Let You Go (James Morrison song)"I Won't Let You Go" is a song by British singer James Morrison. The song is the first single from his third studio album, The Awakening. The song was released on 25 August 2011 as a Digital download in Belgium.-Background:...
" (2011) - "Slave To The Music" (2011)
- "UpUp (James Morrison song)- Music video :The music video was directed by Leanne Stott and was premiered on 15 October 2011.- Synopsis :The video follows James Morrison wandering his way UP through an abandoned-looking building, visiting Jessie J at her top-floor apartment and finally both British singers will end the song...
" (2011)