Pete Morton
Encyclopedia
Pete Morton is a folk
singer-songwriter
who currently lives in London
, England
.
, England
on July 30, 1964, and was educated at Countesthorpe Community College
where he spent most of his time in the music block learning guitar
and playing new wave
and punk songs. He was lead singer, songwriter
and rhythm guitar
ist in his two school bands: The Mafia, and Tone Deaf. He left school at 16 in 1980. It was during this summer that he discovered folk music, when hearing a friend's father playing a Buffy Sainte-Marie
record. This had a profound effect which led him to buy an acoustic guitar
and learn songs from early 60s protest singers
. He started busking
and visiting folk clubs, travelling around the UK and Europe. He began learning traditional songs as well as writing his own songs mainly of social commentary
.
Morton signed to Harbourtown Records in 1987, a label started by Gordon Jones
and Bob Thomas of Scottish Folk Band, Silly Wizard
. His first album, Frivolous Love was met with high critical acclaim, of which The Guardian
called him "a revelation" and was voted the most promising newcomer by FRoots magazine the year after. His second album, One Big Joke (1988), was also positively received and he was referred to in a review by FRoots, as one of the best the British roots
scene has produced in living memory. The first album he released on CD was Mad World Blues (1991). Throughout the early nineties Pete toured extensively with Roger Wilson
(fiddle
, vocals and Guitar) and Simon Edwards (Button Accordion
and vocals) throughout Europe producing a powerful and unique rocky-folk sound and recorded a double CD of this collaboration on Harbourtown Records: Self Destructive Fools. Courage, love and Grace (1994) brought his songwriting back to public attention. He followed this with a collection of traditional songs on the CD, Trespass (1998). Since this time, he has constantly toured throughout North America
and Europe
, as well as producing a CD with friend Jo Freya, plus three more CDs of his own songs: Hunting the Heart (2000), Swarthmoor (2003), and Flying an Unknown Flag (2005). In 2007, he left Harbourtown Records to re-work his most requested songs with the album Napoleon Jukebox (2007), followed a year later with Casa Abierta (2008). This was a collection of songs in ten different languages, of which he had a teacher for each song, and the album was partly in aid of the Gambian schools trust. It was produced with Simon Squire in Crewkerne
, Somerset
, England
. He continues to perform as Pete Morton, but now divides his time, performing as the dancer and singer, Geoff Chaucer Junior – a comedy
character. He performs A Random History of Rock n Roll in Middle English
throughout the UK.
A new CD of his own original songs, produced by Dawson Smith, in his hometown of Leicester, is due for release in the spring of 2010.
According to fRoots, Morton "is amongst the best that the British roots music scene has produced in living memory."
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....
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
who currently lives in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Biography
Morton was born in LeicesterLeicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on July 30, 1964, and was educated at Countesthorpe Community College
Countesthorpe Community College
Countesthorpe Community College is a upper school situated on the western edge of Countesthorpe in Leicestershire near the A426-History:When the school first opened its doors in the 1970s, its informal learning environment caused controversy, with much interest from national press. Many features of...
where he spent most of his time in the music block learning guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and playing new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and punk songs. He was lead singer, 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...
and rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
ist in his two school bands: The Mafia, and Tone Deaf. He left school at 16 in 1980. It was during this summer that he discovered folk music, when hearing a friend's father playing a Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
record. This had a profound effect which led him to buy an acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
and learn songs from early 60s protest singers
Protest song
A protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre...
. He started busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
and visiting folk clubs, travelling around the UK and Europe. He began learning traditional songs as well as writing his own songs mainly of social commentary
Social commentary
Social commentary is the act of rebelling against an individual, or a group of people by rhetorical means, or commentary on social issues or society...
.
Morton signed to Harbourtown Records in 1987, a label started by Gordon Jones
Gordon Jones (folk musician)
Gordon Jones is a Scottish folk musician playing guitar, bohdran, bouzuki and autoharp as well as composing and producing music and albums for Silly Wizard. He was born November 21, 1947 in Merseyside, England. He has a son, Christopher, of optometrical fame. Christopher continues working to this...
and Bob Thomas of Scottish Folk Band, Silly Wizard
Silly Wizard
Silly Wizard was a Scottish folk band that began forming in Edinburgh in 1970. The founder members were two like-minded university students—Gordon Jones and Bob Thomas...
. His first album, Frivolous Love was met with high critical acclaim, of which The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
called him "a revelation" and was voted the most promising newcomer by FRoots magazine the year after. His second album, One Big Joke (1988), was also positively received and he was referred to in a review by FRoots, as one of the best the British roots
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
scene has produced in living memory. The first album he released on CD was Mad World Blues (1991). Throughout the early nineties Pete toured extensively with Roger Wilson
Roger Wilson (folk musician)
Roger Wilson is an English folk singer, fiddler, guitarist, and songwriter who, he says, abandoned a graphic design career to become a full-time musician in 1986. He was a member of The House Band and later joined Chris Wood and Martin Carthy in performances...
(fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
, vocals and Guitar) and Simon Edwards (Button Accordion
Button accordion
A button accordion is a type of accordion on which the melody-side keyboard consists of a series of buttons rather than piano-style keys. There exists a wide variation in keyboard systems, tuning, action and construction of these instruments...
and vocals) throughout Europe producing a powerful and unique rocky-folk sound and recorded a double CD of this collaboration on Harbourtown Records: Self Destructive Fools. Courage, love and Grace (1994) brought his songwriting back to public attention. He followed this with a collection of traditional songs on the CD, Trespass (1998). Since this time, he has constantly toured throughout North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, as well as producing a CD with friend Jo Freya, plus three more CDs of his own songs: Hunting the Heart (2000), Swarthmoor (2003), and Flying an Unknown Flag (2005). In 2007, he left Harbourtown Records to re-work his most requested songs with the album Napoleon Jukebox (2007), followed a year later with Casa Abierta (2008). This was a collection of songs in ten different languages, of which he had a teacher for each song, and the album was partly in aid of the Gambian schools trust. It was produced with Simon Squire in Crewkerne
Crewkerne
Crewkerne is a town in Somerset, England, situated south west of Yeovil and east of Chard in the South Somerset district close to the border with Dorset. The civil parish of West Crewkerne includes the hamlets of Woolminstone and Henley...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He continues to perform as Pete Morton, but now divides his time, performing as the dancer and singer, Geoff Chaucer Junior – a comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
character. He performs A Random History of Rock n Roll in Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
throughout the UK.
A new CD of his own original songs, produced by Dawson Smith, in his hometown of Leicester, is due for release in the spring of 2010.
According to fRoots, Morton "is amongst the best that the British roots music scene has produced in living memory."
Discography
- Frivolous Love (1987)
- One Big Joke (1988)
- Mad World Blues (1992)
- Courage, Love & Grace (1995)
- Trespass (1998)
- Hunting the Heart (2000)
- Swarthmoor (2003)
- Flying an Unknown Flag (2005)
- Napoleon Jukebox (2007)
- Casa Abierta (2008)
- Economy (2011)