Cotton Keays & Morris
Encyclopedia
Cotton Keays & Morris is an Australia
n rock band formed in 2000 consisting of singer-songwriters Darryl Cotton
, Jim Keays
and Russell Morris
. Each has written and recorded numerous hit songs since the 1960s. The band tours Australia regularly, their stage show featuring the hits of each member and their previous groups.
as Burns, Cotton, & Morris. When Burns decided to leave the group, The Masters Apprentices
frontman Jim Keays was invited to join the group, bringing with him a sizeable catalogue of hits to add to the on-stage repertoire.
) was a founding member of rock band Zoot
along with Beeb Birtles
(Mississippi
and Little River Band
). Following the breakup of Zoot, Cotton worked overseas for several years before returning to Australia to pursue a solo career. He also enjoyed success as the lead in the Australian production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
, appeared in television programs including The Young Doctors
and hosted The Early Bird Show
.
Cotton's contributions to the setlist include Zoot hits "1x2x3x4" and a hard rock version of "Eleanor Rigby
", Mississippi
single "Will I?" (co-written with Birtles), and his solo songs "Don't Let It Get to You" and the award-winning "Same Old Girl".
, Scotland
) was the lead singer for Australian rock band The Masters Apprentices
from 1965 to 1971. The band has re-formed occasionally for nostalgia and benefit concerts. Keays went on to forge a successful solo career. Keays, together with The Masters Apprentices, was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
in 1998. In 2007 Keays was diagnosed with myeloma, which caused his kidneys to fail, but the cancer is in remission.
Keays contributions include The Masters Apprentices hits "Living in a Child's Dream", "Elevator Driver", "5:10 Man", "Think About Tomorrow Today", "Because I Love You" and "Turn Up Your Radio" (the song featured on a 1998 Australian postage stamp). His solo hit "The Boy from the Stars" is also featured.
". Between 1969 and 1972 Morris released seven charting singles, with five reaching the Top 10. "The Real Thing" is the Number 3 Australian Song of All Time and was featured on a 1998 Australian postage stamp. Morris was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
in 2008.
Morris rounds out the band's repertoire with his hits: "Hush", "Rachel", " Mr America", "The Wings of an Eagle", "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
", "Sweet Sweet Love" and "The Real Thing".
Live at The Basement (CD) (2004)
Live Acoustic (CD) (2003)
Maximum Hits (CD)
Maximum Hits Volume 2 (CD)
The Spirit of Christmas
(CD) (2001)
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n rock band formed in 2000 consisting of singer-songwriters Darryl Cotton
Darryl Cotton
Darryl Cotton is an Australian pop singer, television presenter and actor. Cotton is best known as a founding member of Australian rock group Zoot in 1968, along with Beeb Birtles, Rick Brewer and, later, Rick Springfield....
, Jim Keays
Jim Keays
James "Jim" Keays is an Australian musician who fronted rock band The Masters Apprentices as singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonica-player during 1965–1972, and subsequently had a solo career including leading Jim Keays' Southern Cross...
and Russell Morris
Russell Morris
Russell Norman Morris is an Australian singer-songwriter who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
. Each has written and recorded numerous hit songs since the 1960s. The band tours Australia regularly, their stage show featuring the hits of each member and their previous groups.
History
Cotton Keays & Morris was formed in 2000. During the previous decade, Cotton and Morris had toured with another 1960s pop star Ronnie BurnsRonnie Burns (Australian)
Ronald "Ronnie" Leslie Burns is an Australian rock singer and guitarist. He fronted the Melbourne band The Flies in the early 1960s, followed by a solo career into the 1970s and was a member of Burns Cotton & Morris in the 1990s. He retired from performing in 2000...
as Burns, Cotton, & Morris. When Burns decided to leave the group, The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices were an Australian rock band fronted by mainstay Jim Keays on lead vocals, which formed in 1965 in Adelaide, South Australia, relocated to Melbourne in February 1967 and attempted to break into the United Kingdom market from 1970, before disbanding in 1972...
frontman Jim Keays was invited to join the group, bringing with him a sizeable catalogue of hits to add to the on-stage repertoire.
Darryl Cotton
Daryl Cotton (born 4 September 1949 in AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
) was a founding member of rock band Zoot
Zoot (band)
Zoot are a pop/rock band formed in Adelaide, South Australia in 1965 as Down the Line. They changed their name to Zoot in 1967 and by 1968 had relocated to Melbourne...
along with Beeb Birtles
Beeb Birtles
Beeb Birtles , is a Dutch / Australian musician, one of the founding members of the Little River Band....
(Mississippi
Mississippi (band)
Mississippi was an Australian band , which featured some big names in Australian rock music, Graeham Goble, Beeb Birtles and Kerryn Tolhurst...
and Little River Band
Little River Band
Little River Band is an Australian rock band, formed in Melbourne in early 1975.The group chose the name after passing a road sign leading to the Victorian township of Little River, near Geelong, on the way to a performance. Little River Band enjoyed sustained commercial success in not only...
). Following the breakup of Zoot, Cotton worked overseas for several years before returning to Australia to pursue a solo career. He also enjoyed success as the lead in the Australian production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
, appeared in television programs including The Young Doctors
The Young Doctors
The Young Doctors is an Australian early evening soap opera. The series was set in the fictional Albert Memorial hospital and primarily concerned with romances between younger members of the hospital staff, screened on the Nine Network from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March...
and hosted The Early Bird Show
The Early Bird Show
The Early Bird Show was a television show aired on Network 10 in Australia from 1985 until 1989. Produced by Dixie Duncan and directed by Spencer Wilson, Ray McKenna and Bob Loxton, the show regularly featured Australian rock singer Darryl Cotton as host, along with Marie Van Maaren and Marty The...
.
Cotton's contributions to the setlist include Zoot hits "1x2x3x4" and a hard rock version of "Eleanor Rigby
Eleanor Rigby
"Eleanor Rigby" is a song by The Beatles, simultaneously released on the 1966 album Revolver and on a 45 rpm single. The song was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney...
", Mississippi
Mississippi (band)
Mississippi was an Australian band , which featured some big names in Australian rock music, Graeham Goble, Beeb Birtles and Kerryn Tolhurst...
single "Will I?" (co-written with Birtles), and his solo songs "Don't Let It Get to You" and the award-winning "Same Old Girl".
Jim Keays
Jim Keays (born 9 September 1946 in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) was the lead singer for Australian rock band The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices were an Australian rock band fronted by mainstay Jim Keays on lead vocals, which formed in 1965 in Adelaide, South Australia, relocated to Melbourne in February 1967 and attempted to break into the United Kingdom market from 1970, before disbanding in 1972...
from 1965 to 1971. The band has re-formed occasionally for nostalgia and benefit concerts. Keays went on to forge a successful solo career. Keays, together with The Masters Apprentices, was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame
Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...
in 1998. In 2007 Keays was diagnosed with myeloma, which caused his kidneys to fail, but the cancer is in remission.
Keays contributions include The Masters Apprentices hits "Living in a Child's Dream", "Elevator Driver", "5:10 Man", "Think About Tomorrow Today", "Because I Love You" and "Turn Up Your Radio" (the song featured on a 1998 Australian postage stamp). His solo hit "The Boy from the Stars" is also featured.
Russell Morris
Russell Morris (born 31 July 1948) first enjoyed success in 1966 when his band Somebody's Image achieved a hit with a cover of the song "Hush". Breaking out as a solo musician, Morris achieved instant stardom with his classic song "The Real ThingThe Real Thing (Russell Morris song)
"The Real Thing" is a song originally recorded by Australian singer Russell Morris in 1969. His version, which was produced by Ian "Molly" Meldrum and written by Johnny Young, was a huge hit in Australia and has become an Australian rock classic...
". Between 1969 and 1972 Morris released seven charting singles, with five reaching the Top 10. "The Real Thing" is the Number 3 Australian Song of All Time and was featured on a 1998 Australian postage stamp. Morris was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame
Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...
in 2008.
Morris rounds out the band's repertoire with his hits: "Hush", "Rachel", " Mr America", "The Wings of an Eagle", "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his Bringing It All Back Home album, released on March 22, 1965 by Columbia Records . The song was originally recorded on January 15, 1965 with Dylan's acoustic guitar and harmonica and William E. Lee's bass...
", "Sweet Sweet Love" and "The Real Thing".
Concert reviews
- February 2001, Capers
- "In an evening littered with rich memories and moments, it's difficult to pick out the finest contributions." (See complete review)
- September 2003, Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL
- "This was one of the most enjoyable concerts I have been to in a long while." (See complete review)
- September 2004, The Entrance Leagues Club
- "This night, on stage, surpasses them all." (See complete review)
- March 2005, Melbourne Town Hall
- "I can remember being 18 and thinking, if I make it to 25, I'll be happy and all these years later, here we are." (See complete review)
Discography
Live at The Basement (DVD) (2004)- Same Old Girl; Hush; Living In A Child's Dream; Rachael; Don't Let It Get To You; Elevator Driver; Will I; 5:10 Man; Mr America; Waiting For The Big One; The Wings of An Eagle; The Boy From The Stars; Here Comes Another Heartache; (It's All Over Now) Baby Blue; Sweet Sweet Love; Think About Tomorrow Today; 1x2x3x4; Because I Love You; The Real Thing; Eleanor Rigby; Turn Up Your Radio
-
- Review
- "Russell Morris, Jim Keays and Darryl Cotton were among the first Australian artists to look beyond the amiable impotence of a local pop music scene which considered itself inferior to the imports that dominated us for so long. As members of Zoot, The Masters Apprentices and Somebody's Image they decided to think big - and in doing so changed the face of Australian music. As Cotton Keays & Morris, they can choose from several hundred self-penned songs, more than 40 of which were rock solid chart hits. Each of them can take credit for some of the handful of genuine masterpieces of Australian recording - many of which appear on this landmark DVD - songs such as The Real Thing, Because I Love You, Eleanor Rigby, Wings Of An Eagle, Turn Up Your Radio, and Will I. And then there are the moments of untouchable beauty like Sweet Sweet Love, Living In A Child's Dream, Rachel and Boy From The Stars. Here it is: an emphatic endorsement of the talents of three giants of Australian rock."
Live at The Basement (CD) (2004)
- Same Old Girl; Hush; Living In A Child's Dream; Rachel; Don't Let It Get To You; Elevator Driver; Will I; 5:10 Man; Mr America; Waiting For The Big One; The Wings Of An Eagle; Think About Tomorrow Today; (It's All Over Now) Baby Blue; Sweet Sweet Love; 1x2x3x4; Because I Love You; The Real Thing; Eleanor Rigby; Turn Up Your Radio
Live Acoustic (CD) (2003)
- Ohio; Living In a Child's Dream; Wings Of An Eagle; Will I; Waiting For The Big One; Don't Let It Get To You; Sweet Sweet Love; Same Old Girl; It's All Over Now Baby Blue; Because I Love You; Hush; 5:10 Man; Eleanor Rigby; My Back Pages
Maximum Hits (CD)
- The Freak; Little Red Book; Same Old Girl; I'm Only Sleeping; Here Comes Another Heartache; Eleanor Rigby; Living In A Child's Dream; 5:10 Man; It's Because Love You; Turn Up Your Radio; Boy From The Stars; Waiting For The Big One; Wings Of An Eagle; Rachel; Lets Do It; Hard Road; Roar Of The Wild Torpedoes; The Real Thing
Maximum Hits Volume 2 (CD)
- Sweet Sweet Love; Evil Child; Think About Tomorrow Today; Better Get Going Now; Baby Blue (Live Version); Wars Or Hands Of Time; Eleanor Rigby; Undecided; Part 3 Into Paper Walls; Because I Love You ('88); Bang Ooh Ya Got Me; Elevator Driver; Only a Matter Of Time; 1x2x3x4
The Spirit of Christmas
The Spirit of Christmas 2001
The Spirit of Christmas 2001 is part of the Spirit of Christmas album series. It was released in Australia on November, 2001.-Track listing:#Away in a Manger - Christine Anu#O Holy Night - Anthony Warlow#Silent Night - Tony Lee Scott...
(CD) (2001)
- We Three Kings of Orient Are