Jenny Morris
Encyclopedia
Jennifer "Jenny" Patricia Morris (born 29 September 1956 in Tokoroa
) OAM
is a New Zealand
-born Australia
n pop
, rock
singer-songwriter. Her first success came with New Zealand band The Crocodiles
, who had a top 20 hit single with "Tears". Re-locating to Sydney
, Australia in February 1981, she was a backing vocalist for various groups and formed a trio, QED
, in 1983.
Morris provided backing vocals for INXS
on their 1983 album, The Swing
, she then recorded a duet with lead singer, Michael Hutchence
, on a cover of Nancy Sinatra
and Lee Hazlewood
's hit "Jackson
", it was included as a bonus track on the April 1984 (cassette
only) INXS EP
, Dekadance
, which reached number two on the Australian Kent Music Report
Albums Chart. Morris worked on their 1985–1986 Listen Like Thieves World Tour.
Her solo career includes top five Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) Albums
with Shiver
in 1989 and Honeychild
in 1991, and her top five ARIA Singles are "She Has to Be Loved" and "Break in the Weather". These albums and singles also peaked in the top ten on the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ) charts.
Morris has won two ARIA Music Awards
for 'Best Female Artist' in 1987
and 1988
and was nominated for the same award in 1992
. In 2003, on Australia Day
(26 January), Morris became an Australian citizen and in 2010 she received the Order of Australia
.
, New Zealand
and grew up in Hamilton
with three brothers (Alistair, Rhys and Tam) and four sisters (Maxine, Bronte, Joanne and Shanley).[A] Morris wrote a poem on the Vietnam War
when she was 12 and used her sister's guitar to put it to music. Morris has stated that her influences include Aretha Franklin
and Dusty Springfield
. Her first professional performance was at age fifteen, at Andersons Theatre Restaurant, in Hamilton. In 1976 she became a singer with How's Your Father, who were finalists in the 'National Battle of the Bands'. She began working as a Home Economics
teacher for two years at a high school near Wellington. Late in 1978 Morris joined an all-girl group, Wide Mouthed Frogs in Wellington, performing lead vocals. Fellow members were Kate Brockie on lead vocals, Andrea Gilkison on guitar
, Tina Matthews
on bass guitar
, Bronwyn Murray on keyboards
and Sally Zwartz on drums
. In 1979 they released the track, "Some Day" for the compilation album
, Home Grown Volume One; "Some Day" was cowritten with Tony Backhouse
, guitarist of fellow Wellington band, The Spats
, which also had a track, "Young Ladies in Hot Cars", on the compilation.
Wide Mouthed Frogs worked with The Spats' members: drummer Bruno Lawrence
sometimes played saxophone
for them and keyboardist Peter Dasent
became their musical director. By 1980, The Spats had evolved into The Crocodiles
, under the mentorship of US producer Kim Fowley
, and featured Backhouse, Dasent, Fane Flaws
(guitar, vocals), Mark Hornibrook (bass guitar), Lawrence, and songwriter Arthur Baysting
. Morris was asked to join and soon after, Hornibrook departed and was replaced by Matthews. The Crocodiles were managed by Mike Chunn
(ex-Split Enz
bassist) and regularly performed in Auckland. In January 1980 they played the high profile Sweetwaters Music Festival
and in April that year, they released their debut album, Tears, produced by Glyn Tucker Jr., and its lead single, "Tears", both reached number 17 on the respective New Zealand albums
and singles charts.
Lawrence left and was replaced on drums by Ian Gilroy
(ex-Whizz Kids), then Flaws left, although he continued to write material for the second album. Released in November 1980, Looking at Ourselves, was produced by Ian Morris. That year
they won 'Best Group' and 'Most Promising Group' at the New Zealand Music Awards
. The line-up went through further changes, Gilroy left to join The Swingers
, then Matthews and Dasent left. In February 1981, following a repeat performance at the Sweetwaters Festival, The Crocodiles moved to Sydney
, at the behest of their manager, Chunn, with new band members, Barton Price (drums), Rick 'Rikki' Morris (guitar) and Jonathan Zwartz (bass) only to disband in July. Price went on to join Models
. Morris explained why The Crocodiles left:
; it was the title track from the 1981 film Puberty Blues
, which was a local box-office success. The song was written by Tim Finn
and performed by Sharon O'Neill
in the film. The B-side
was "Adolescent Angst", which Morris recorded with The Morris Majors. "Puberty Blues" reached the Australian Kent Music Report
Singles Chart top 100. The follow-up single, "Little By Little"—a cover
of The Springfields
1960's song—was released in 1982 but failed to chart.
During 1982–1984, Morris continued as a session backing vocalist, contributing to releases by ex-manager Chunn's brother Geoff
(also ex-Split Enz
); ex-band mate Flaws' project and album, I Am Joe’s Music; the 1983 Models
' album The Pleasure of Your Company
; and New Zealand outfit D.D. Smash
’s 1984 album The Optimist, she went on to tour with D.D. Smash front man Dave Dobbyn
, and the New Zealand version of The Party Boys. Morris was credited for Dropbears
' 1984 mini-LP, Untitled, before contributing backing vocals to INXS
' first number 1 album The Swing
.
In late 1983, Morris formed QED
in Sydney with guitarist Rex Goh (ex-Air Supply
) and bassist Ian Belton (ex-Dave Dobbyn, Renée Geyer
). The trio signed with EMI Australia
and their recordings were produced by Mark Moffatt (The Saints
, Mondo Rock
, Tim Finn) and Ricky Fataar
(Geyer, Finn, Kids in the Kitchen
). Morris was now managed by Chris Murphy, who also handled INXS. QED recorded their versions of The Crocodiles' material including, "Everywhere I Go", "Animal Magic" and "You're So Hip"; Morris also co-wrote new songs with Goh. QED's debut single, "Everywhere I Go", was released in December, and performed on national television pop music show, Countdown, on 1 April 1984; it peaked at number 19 on the national chart. The follow-up single "Solo and More" was issued in March, but failed to chart. The third single, "This One", appeared in August and reached top 50. Additional musicians for QED’s first album, Animal Magic, included keyboardist Amanda Vincent (Eurogliders
, later joined the Jenny Morris band), drummer Steve Fearnly, saxophonist Tony Buchanan, and Fataar on drums. EMI released it in November, but sales remained low and the album did not chart. QED only released one album and disbanded by 1985, Morris continued session and touring work with other artists, Belton went on to Mondo Rock
, and Goh to Eurogliders.
Morris recorded a duet with INXS lead singer, Michael Hutchence
, on a cover of Nancy Sinatra
and Lee Hazlewood
's hit "Jackson
", it was included as a bonus track on the April 1984 (cassette
only) INXS EP
, Dekadance
, which reached number two on the charts. Morris and INXS performed "Jackson" live at the 1984 Countdown Music and Video Awards held on 19 May 1985. At Murphy's suggestion she teamed with INXS as a backing singer on their 1985 Australian tour—originally just for a few weeks—and stayed on for eighteen months on their 1985–1986 Listen Like Thieves World Tour. Morris recorded and, in November 1985, released her first single for Warner Entertainment Australia
(WEA), "Get Some Humour", with a contribution from Dave Dobbyn, which reached the top 100.
. Recorded with backing from INXS' Andrew and Jon Farriss
and Garry Gary Beers, together with guitarist Ian Moss (ex-Cold Chisel
), it was released in September and peaked at number 24. The next single "Body and Soul"—composed by Morris—reached the top 100 in mid-1987.
In 1986 she performed on The Rock Party's Everything to Live For, a charity project, initiated by The National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NCADA), which included many Australasian musicians such as Big Pig
's Sherine Abeyratne; Crowded House
's Neil Finn
, Tim Finn, Paul Hester
, Eddie Rayner and Nick Seymour
; Dynamic Hepnotics
' Robert Susz; GANGgajang
's Mark Callaghan, Robbie James and Geoff Stapleton; Paul Kelly & the Coloured Girls
' Michael Barclay and Paul Kelly; Mental As Anything
's Reg Mombassa
and Martin Plaza
; Models' Sean Kelly; The Promise's Greg Herbert; Rockmelons
' Mary Azzopardi Peter Blakeley
and Danny De Costa; The Venetians
' Rick Swinn; The Vitabeats' Andrew Barnum and Lissa Barnum; and Deborah Conway
, Spencer P Jones, and John Kennedy
.
In July 1987, Morris released her first solo album, Body and Soul
, produced by Moffatt and Fataar and mixed by Tim Kramer. It sold over 70,000 copies in Australia (platinum status) reaching number 13 on the album charts in Australia and number 21 in New Zealand. The album spawned two further hits in "You I Know"—written by Neil Finn
—which reached number 13 in Australia and number 30 in New Zealand, and "Light-hearted" peaked in the top 100 in both countries. Morris also hit the road with her backing band, including Vincent, Jehan Lindsay (ex-Richard Clapton
Band), Paul Burton (ex-Mark Williams
Band), and Roger Mason
(ex-Models). Morris won back-to-back ARIA Awards
for 'Best Female Artist' in 1987
and 1988
. In 1988, Morris and photographer, Paul Clarke, were married.
Her next single "Saved Me" was released in July 1989—reached top 40 in Australia and New Zealand—it featured a distinctly Latin-Spanish feel permeated by funk undertones, with the promo video shot in Nicaragua
by Richard Lowenstein
. Morris' second solo album Shiver
, followed in August and was produced by Farriss, with Morris writing ten of the eleven tracks. In between recording the album, she gave birth to her son, Hugh. The second single was "She Has to Be Loved", a song which melded funk rhythms with a pop hook. In addition, it featured a strong feminist theme, and quickly became a favourite among Morris' female fans. "She Has to Be Loved" became Morris' first Australasian top ten hit reaching number five in Australia and number three in New Zealand during October 1989. Shiver continued to chart over the Southern Hemisphere
summer of 1989–1990, peaking at number five on the Australian album charts and number six in New Zealand, it established Morris as one of the best selling female artists in Australia. The track "Aotearoa"—Māori term
for 'Land of the Long White Cloud
' or New Zealand—received a special single release in New Zealand and reached top 40. The album eventually sold over 250,000 copies, achieving double platinum status in Australia. It spawned two more singles; "(Beggar on the) Street of Love" written by legendary Australian song smith Paul Kelly
, which reached top 100 in both countries; and the reggae inspired "Self Deceiver", penned by Morris and Kelly, which reached top 100 in Australia.
As one of Australia's leading female singer-songwriters, Morris toured extensively locally and internationally, first by backing Tears for Fears
on the European leg of their 1989 Sowing the Seeds of Love Tour, then on Prince
's 1990 Nude Tour
in Denmark, Germany and France,—with Dweezil Zappa
as her lead guitarist—and again with INXS on their X-Factor tour.
In 1990 she released a cover of "Piece of my Heart
"—popularised by Janis Joplin
—which peaked in the Australian top 40 in early 1991. She recorded her third album, Honeychild
, with producers Nick Launay
(Midnight Oil
, Killing Joke
) and Mark Forrester. The first single from the album, "Break in the Weather", was co-written by Morris and her youngest brother Tam, appeared in September 1991, it reached number two in Australia and number five in New Zealand. Honeychild was released in October and became her second consecutive top ten album, peaking at number five in Australia and New Zealand. Her session musicians, included Wendy Matthews
and Midnight Oil’s Jim Moginie
. Honeychild spawned three more minor hits; "I’ve Had You", another Morris and Kelly collaboration, which reached top 50 in Australia and New Zealand; the funk laden "Zero", featuring the rhythm section of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare, which peaked top 100 in Australia and top 40 in New Zealand; and "Crackerjack Man", which reached top 100 on the Australian charts.
On 28 March 1992 Morris performed at the Concert for Life at Centennial Park
in Sydney—a fund raiser for the Victor Chang
Cardiac Research Centre—with Crowded House, Def FX
, Diesel
, INXS, Ratcat
and Yothu Yindi
. Due to inclement weather an expected attendance of 100,000 never eventuated and, with the event only raising $500,000, scandal was expressed in the media over funding distribution.
In November, The Story So Far, a best-of compilation was released, it included "Jackson" which was performed as a duet with Michael Hutchence and INXS on a 1985 Countdown episode, and a re-recorded version of an old The Crocodiles' hit "Tears". The album sold steadily and peaked at number four in New Zealand and number 12 on the Australian charts during May 1993, after Morris had supported Paul McCartney
on the Australian leg of his The New World Tour
. 1994 saw the birth of her daughter, Bella. Morris' next single, "Price I Pay", was a Billy Bragg
cover, it was her last appearance on the Australian charts where it reached the top 100.
", and "What Do I Do Now", were released over eighteen months, from mid-1994 to early 1996. Salvation Jane
was released in August 1995, after a four-year gap from her last album, with some of her strongest vocal work, including the languid "Rhythm and Flow," with its Aboriginal influences. Issued on the rooArt
label, it was produced by Andrew Farriss and Moffatt, together with Electric Hippies' duo Steve Balbi
and Justin Stanley
. The album featured songs from a song writing retreat held at Miles Copeland
's castle in Bordeaux
, France
. Here, Morris co-wrote a number of songs with other international songwriters. Also in 1995, Morris became a non-executive writer director on the Australasian Performing Right Association
(APRA) Board and as of 2009 is still on the Board. Morris made an appearance in the television drama, Water Rats
, in 1997 she continued her gigs, worked for environmental causes and maintained her family life.
In October 2000 she performed with Vika and Linda Bull
and Jodi Phillis
, at a sold-out Carole King
tribute show, Tapestry: the songs of Carole King, held at the Sydney Opera House
; it then toured the other Australian capital cities in August–September 2001. In August 2002, Morris' released her next album, Hit & Myth
, co-produced by Nick Wales (Coda), was released on 8 May 2002 by Yep! Records. The album features classical musicians (Renaissance Players, Winsome Evans
), pop musicians (Davey Lane
, Jodi Phillis
(ex Clouds
)) and jazz (PROP) musicians.
Morris wrote or co-wrote nine of the eleven songs on the album, the others, "Guiding Star", was written by Neil Finn
and "The Blacksmith
" is a traditional folk song—the first one she learnt on guitar. Neither the album nor the singles "Home", released 29 October 2001, and "Downtime", released 15 July 2002, managed to chart. The music video for "Downtime" featured a number of well-known Australian actors, including Hugo Weaving
, Bryan Brown
, Matt Newton
and Peter Fenton, miming the words to the song. Also in 2002, a portrait of Morris by artist Jan Williamson
was entered in the Archibald Prize. The portrait did not win the main prize, but won both the popular awards, the "Packing Room Prize" and "The People's Choice Award". In February,Morris appeared on the SBS TV documentary, Mum's the Word, where high profile women talked about being a working mother. She sang, "Little Little" an ode to her (then) unborn child written for her 1989 album, Shiver. In October Morris appeared in Finding Joy, a low budget independent Australian feature film, in a cameo role (Tracey). She sings part of a song called "Educated Kind of Thing". In November 2002 she performed at the Candlelight AIDS
Memorial, in Darlinghurst
, marking the beginning of AIDS awareness week.
In March 2003, Port Fairy
's 27th Annual Folk Festival
was staged with Archie Roach
, John Williamson
, Renée Geyer
, Morris and emerging Australian band The Waifs
were among the popular performers. In October she joined the board of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia, and is an active member of their Fundraising Committee.
In April 2004, Listen: The Very Best of Jenny Morris a repackaging of her 1992 compilation, The Story So Far, was issued with new artwork and a bonus track, "Little Little", an ode to her then unborn baby. In May 2005, the Alive DVD
was released, it was recorded in Sydney at The Basement and features Morris playing her hits with her band: Steve Balbi (Noiseworks); Paul Searles (Skunkhour
); James Hasselwood (The Dissociatives
); Jared Underwood (Coda) and actor Josh Quong Tart
, with special guest appearances from Ian Moss, Andrew Farriss and Midnight Oil
drummer Rob Hirst
. The DVD was released with a bonus CD.
Clear Blue in Stormy Skies
, her next album, was released by Liberation Music
in June 2006 and includes a dozen remodelled versions of her radio hits of the 1980s and 1990s, together with some new material, a cover of the INXS song, "This Time", in tribute to Michael Hutchence
, and a new song, "The Time".
In September 2009, Morris toured Afghanistan
to Tarin Kowt
and Kandahar
and played for troops. In October, she appeared on the SBS TV quiz show
, RocKwiz
, which included a performance of the Crowded House classic, "It's Only Natural", with Don McGlashan
. She performed at the closing ceremony of the 2009 World Masters Games
in Sydney, together with Dragon
and The Choirboys
.
In January 2010 Morris received the Order of Australia
with a citation, "for service to the arts, particularly music, and to the community through charitable organisations". Morris was glad that her charity, Nordoff-Robbins was recognised. Morris appeared at the 2010 New Zealand International Arts Festival in Wellington on 13 March.
artist in 1998
. Their youngest brother, Tam Morris co-wrote, "Break in the Weather" with Jenny, he is also in the group Tracky Dax as a singer-songwriter. Her other siblings are brothers Tam (a storyboard artist and musician) and Rhys (a graphic designer and web developer), and sisters Maxine, Bronte, Joanne and Shanley. In 2003, on Australia Day
(26 January), Morris became an Australian citizen.
Tokoroa
Tokoroa is the third-largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato district. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua, close to the foot of the Mamaku Ranges, it is mid-way between Taupo and Hamilton on State Highway One...
) OAM
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
is a 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...
-born Australia
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 pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer-songwriter. Her first success came with New Zealand band The Crocodiles
The Crocodiles
The Crocodiles was a New Zealand pop band formed in 1979 with lead singer Jenny Morris, who went on to commercial success as a solo artist in Australia; and later included drummer Barton Price who subsequently joined Sardine v and then Models...
, who had a top 20 hit single with "Tears". Re-locating to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia in February 1981, she was a backing vocalist for various groups and formed a trio, QED
QED (band)
QED were an Australian New Wave trio, whose lead singer, Jenny Morris, went on to achieve commercial success as a solo artist. The band had a top twenty hit single, "Everywhere I Go", on the Australian Kent Music Report in 1983.-History:...
, in 1983.
Morris provided backing vocals for INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
on their 1983 album, The Swing
The Swing
The Swing is Australian rock band INXS's fourth studio album, released in 1984. The lead single "Original Sin" was recorded in New York City with Nile Rodgers and featured Daryl Hall on backing vocals...
, she then recorded a duet with lead singer, Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian musician and actor. He was the founding lead singer-songwriter of rock band :INXS from 1977 to his death in 1997, a period of twenty years. Hutchence was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released...
, on a cover of Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
and Lee Hazlewood
Lee Hazlewood
Lee Hazlewood , born Barton Lee Hazlewood was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s.Hazlewood had a distinctive baritone voice that added an ominous...
's hit "Jackson
Jackson (song)
"Jackson" is a song, written in 1963 by Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler, about a married couple who find that the "fire" has gone out of their relationship...
", it was included as a bonus track on the April 1984 (cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
only) INXS EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Dekadance
Dekadance
Dekadance is the title of two different collections of remixes by Australian rock group INXS: a 1983 12" EP released in the United States of songs from Shabooh Shoobah and a 1984 cassette released in Australia of songs from The Swing....
, which reached number two on the Australian Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Albums Chart. Morris worked on their 1985–1986 Listen Like Thieves World Tour.
Her solo career includes top five Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) Albums
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
with Shiver
Shiver (Jenny Morris album)
-Charts:-Year-End charts:-Release history:...
in 1989 and Honeychild
Honeychild
Honeychild is the third solo studio album by New Zealand singer Jenny Morris, released in October 1991 by East West Records. The album went for the same style as Morris's other two albums acoustic pop with a hint of dance music produced by Nick Launay, some songs co-produced by Mark Forrester...
in 1991, and her top five ARIA Singles are "She Has to Be Loved" and "Break in the Weather". These albums and singles also peaked in the top ten on the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
(RIANZ) charts.
Morris has won two ARIA Music Awards
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
for 'Best Female Artist' in 1987
ARIA Music Awards of 1987
The First Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 2 March 1987 at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel in Sydney with Elton John as the host. Presenters of the 20 awards included, Slim Dusty, Basia Bonkowski and Donnie Sutherland, the ceremony was not televised...
and 1988
ARIA Music Awards of 1988
The Second Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 29 March 1988 at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel in Sydney. Cliff Richard was the host, with Bryan Ferry, Feargal Sharkey and Ian "Molly" Meldrum included as presenters of the 21 awards...
and was nominated for the same award in 1992
ARIA Music Awards of 1992
The Sixth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 6 March 1992 at the World Congress Centre in Melbourne. Hosts were international guest, Julian Lennon and local Richard Wilkins, they were assisted by presenters, Spinal Tap, Rod Stewart and Mick Jones to distribute 24...
. In 2003, on Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
(26 January), Morris became an Australian citizen and in 2010 she received the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
.
Early years and The Crocodiles
Jenny Morris was born in TokoroaTokoroa
Tokoroa is the third-largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato district. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua, close to the foot of the Mamaku Ranges, it is mid-way between Taupo and Hamilton on State Highway One...
, 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...
and grew up in Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
with three brothers (Alistair, Rhys and Tam) and four sisters (Maxine, Bronte, Joanne and Shanley).[A] Morris wrote a poem on the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
when she was 12 and used her sister's guitar to put it to music. Morris has stated that her influences include Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
and Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
. Her first professional performance was at age fifteen, at Andersons Theatre Restaurant, in Hamilton. In 1976 she became a singer with How's Your Father, who were finalists in the 'National Battle of the Bands'. She began working as a Home Economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
teacher for two years at a high school near Wellington. Late in 1978 Morris joined an all-girl group, Wide Mouthed Frogs in Wellington, performing lead vocals. Fellow members were Kate Brockie on lead vocals, Andrea Gilkison on 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...
, Tina Matthews
Tina Matthews
Christina "Tina" Matthews is a New Zealand musician who played bass guitar in bands such as The Wide-Mouthed Frogs, and The Crocodiles. She is also an author and puppeteer.-Biography:...
on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Bronwyn Murray on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and Sally Zwartz on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
. In 1979 they released the track, "Some Day" for the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Home Grown Volume One; "Some Day" was cowritten with Tony Backhouse
Tony Backhouse
Tony Backhouse is a musician from New Zealand. He played in NZ bands such as The Crocodiles, and formed Australian a cappella groups, the Elevators, the Cafe of the Gate of Salvation, the Honeybees and the Heavenly Lights...
, guitarist of fellow Wellington band, The Spats
The Spats
Spats were a New Zealand band . Members included Fane Flaws, Peter Dasent, Bruno Lawrence and Tony Backhouse. Spats worked with the Limbs Dance Company, a contemporary dance company based in New Zealand...
, which also had a track, "Young Ladies in Hot Cars", on the compilation.
Wide Mouthed Frogs worked with The Spats' members: drummer Bruno Lawrence
Bruno Lawrence
Bruno Lawrence was a New Zealand musician and actor.Initially notable as founder of 1970s musical and theatrical "Blerta", he had well-regarded roles in several major films, and starred on the 1990s Australian satirical TV series Frontline.-Biography:Born David Charles Lawrence in Worthing, West...
sometimes played saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
for them and keyboardist Peter Dasent
Peter Dasent
Peter Dasent is a New Zealand musician and composer. He played keyboards in the bands Spats, and The Crocodiles. He leads the chamber-jazz group the Umbrellas, is writing a book on the music of Nino Rota and currently works in music composition for film and television, most notably in the...
became their musical director. By 1980, The Spats had evolved into The Crocodiles
The Crocodiles
The Crocodiles was a New Zealand pop band formed in 1979 with lead singer Jenny Morris, who went on to commercial success as a solo artist in Australia; and later included drummer Barton Price who subsequently joined Sardine v and then Models...
, under the mentorship of US producer Kim Fowley
Kim Fowley
Kim Vincent Fowley is an American record producer, impresario, songwriter, musician, film maker, and radio actor. He is best known for his role behind a string of novelty and cult rock pop singles in the 1960s, and for managing The Runaways in the 1970s...
, and featured Backhouse, Dasent, Fane Flaws
Fane Flaws
Fane Flaws is a New Zealand musician, songwriter, and artist. He was a member of bands including Blerta, Spats and The Crocodiles.He wrote many of the songs used in the film Meet the Feebles....
(guitar, vocals), Mark Hornibrook (bass guitar), Lawrence, and songwriter Arthur Baysting
Arthur Baysting
Arthur Baysting is a songwriter, screenwriter , and comedian from New Zealand. He was a songwriting member of The Crocodiles, co-writing their biggest hit Tears with Fane Flaws....
. Morris was asked to join and soon after, Hornibrook departed and was replaced by Matthews. The Crocodiles were managed by Mike Chunn
Mike Chunn
Mike Chunn is a former member of the New Zealand bands Split Enz and Citizen Band. He performed alongside his brother Geoff Chunn in both bands....
(ex-Split Enz
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
bassist) and regularly performed in Auckland. In January 1980 they played the high profile Sweetwaters Music Festival
Sweetwaters Music Festival
Sweetwaters 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...
and in April that year, they released their debut album, Tears, produced by Glyn Tucker Jr., and its lead single, "Tears", both reached number 17 on the respective New Zealand albums
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
and singles charts.
Lawrence left and was replaced on drums by Ian Gilroy
Ian Gilroy
Ian Gilroy is a New Zealand musician who played drums in bands such as The Plague, The Whizz Kids, The Crocodiles , The Swingers and Fetus Productions .-Films:...
(ex-Whizz Kids), then Flaws left, although he continued to write material for the second album. Released in November 1980, Looking at Ourselves, was produced by Ian Morris. That year
1980 in New Zealand
-Population:* Estimated Population as of 31 December: 3,176,400* Increase since 31 December 1979: 12,500 * Males per 100 Females: 99.2-Regal and Vice Regal:*Head of State - Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand...
they won 'Best Group' and 'Most Promising Group' at the New Zealand Music Awards
New Zealand Music Awards
The New Zealand Music Awards show, is a major annual New Zealand music event where musical acts and singers are awarded each year. It has occurred every year since 1965 to outstanding New Zealand musicians and groups....
. The line-up went through further changes, Gilroy left to join The Swingers
The Swingers
The Swingers were a New Zealand rock band. Formed out of the remnants of The Suburban Reptiles, the founding members were Phil Judd , Wayne Stevens , and Mark Hough . Formed in 1979, the band released the single "One Good Reason" which was a top 20 hit in New Zealand...
, then Matthews and Dasent left. In February 1981, following a repeat performance at the Sweetwaters Festival, The Crocodiles moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, at the behest of their manager, Chunn, with new band members, Barton Price (drums), Rick 'Rikki' Morris (guitar) and Jonathan Zwartz (bass) only to disband in July. Price went on to join Models
Models (band)
Models were an alternative rock group formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1978 and went into hiatus in 1988. They are often incorrectly referred to as The Models. They re-formed in 2000, 2006 and 2008 to perform reunion concerts. "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", their only No. 1 hit,...
. Morris explained why The Crocodiles left:
QED and "Jackson"
Morris began her solo career with the single, "Puberty Blues" in December 1981 on Mushroom RecordsMushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
; it was the title track from the 1981 film Puberty Blues
Puberty Blues
Puberty Blues is a 1981 Australian film directed by Bruce Beresford. The film is based on the 1979 novel Puberty Blues, by Gabrielle Carey and Kathy Lette, which is a proto-feminist teen novel about two 13 year-old girls from the Sutherland Shire in Sydney, Australia...
, which was a local box-office success. The song was written by Tim Finn
Tim Finn
Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
and performed by Sharon O'Neill
Sharon O'Neill
-Albums:*1979 - This Heart This Song*1980 - Sharon O'Neill*1980 - Words*1981 - Maybe*1983 - Foreign Affairs*1983 - Smash Palace *1984 - So Far - The Best 14...
in the film. The B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
was "Adolescent Angst", which Morris recorded with The Morris Majors. "Puberty Blues" reached the Australian Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Singles Chart top 100. The follow-up single, "Little By Little"—a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of The Springfields
The Springfields
The Springfields were a British pop-folk vocal trio who had success in the early 1960s in the UK, US and Ireland and included singer Dusty Springfield and her brother, record producer Tom Springfield, along with Tim Feild, later a noted Sufi writer, who was latterly replaced by Mike Hurst, who...
1960's song—was released in 1982 but failed to chart.
During 1982–1984, Morris continued as a session backing vocalist, contributing to releases by ex-manager Chunn's brother Geoff
Geoff Chunn
Geoff Chunn is a New Zealand musician, best known as an early member of Split Enz.Chunn was a teenage friend of Tim Finn. Together the two of them and Chunn's elder brother, Mike Chunn, founded the band Stillwater while at high school in the late 1960s...
(also ex-Split Enz
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
); ex-band mate Flaws' project and album, I Am Joe’s Music; the 1983 Models
Models (band)
Models were an alternative rock group formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1978 and went into hiatus in 1988. They are often incorrectly referred to as The Models. They re-formed in 2000, 2006 and 2008 to perform reunion concerts. "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", their only No. 1 hit,...
' album The Pleasure of Your Company
Pleasure of your Company (album)
The Pleasure of Your Company is the third studio album by Australian New Wave rock band Models, which peaked at #12 on the Australian albums chart. It was released in October 1983 on Mushroom Records with Nick Launay producing. The album provided three singles, "I Hear Motion" released in...
; and New Zealand outfit D.D. 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...
’s 1984 album The Optimist, she went on to tour with D.D. Smash front man 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 the New Zealand version of The Party Boys. Morris was credited for Dropbears
Dropbears
The Dropbears were a popular part of the Australian music scene in the early 1980s. They had a couple of national chart hits and received national airplay. They had a minor charting hit with Shall We Go in 1984....
' 1984 mini-LP, Untitled, before contributing backing vocals to INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
' first number 1 album The Swing
The Swing
The Swing is Australian rock band INXS's fourth studio album, released in 1984. The lead single "Original Sin" was recorded in New York City with Nile Rodgers and featured Daryl Hall on backing vocals...
.
In late 1983, Morris formed QED
QED (band)
QED were an Australian New Wave trio, whose lead singer, Jenny Morris, went on to achieve commercial success as a solo artist. The band had a top twenty hit single, "Everywhere I Go", on the Australian Kent Music Report in 1983.-History:...
in Sydney with guitarist Rex Goh (ex-Air Supply
Air Supply
Air Supply is an Australian soft rock duo, consisting of Graham Russell as guitarist and singer-songwriter and Russell Hitchcock as lead vocalist. They had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s...
) and bassist Ian Belton (ex-Dave Dobbyn, Renée Geyer
Renée Geyer
Renée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
). The trio signed with EMI Australia
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
and their recordings were produced by Mark Moffatt (The Saints
The Saints (band)
The Saints are an Australian rock band, which formed in Brisbane in 1974 as punk rockers. Founders were Chris Bailey , Ivor Hay , and Ed Kuepper . Alongside mainstay Bailey, the group has had numerous line-ups...
, Mondo Rock
Mondo Rock
Mondo Rock is a rock band from Melbourne, Australia, most prominent in the early 1980s. The band was formed in late 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Ross Wilson.-Early years: 1976–1979:...
, Tim Finn) and Ricky Fataar
Ricky Fataar
Ricky Fataar is a South African multi-instrumentalist of Malay descent, who has performed as both a drummer, and a guitarist. He gained fame as an actor in the comedic television movie, The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, a spoof on the actual history of The Beatles, and for his performance as a...
(Geyer, Finn, Kids in the Kitchen
Kids in the Kitchen
Kids in the Kitchen was a band from Melbourne, Australia that enjoyed considerable local success during the 1980s. The band stood squarely within the New Romantic movement that dominated mid-1980s pop, showing influences of "New-Rom" groups such as Ultravox in its use of synthesisers, its...
). Morris was now managed by Chris Murphy, who also handled INXS. QED recorded their versions of The Crocodiles' material including, "Everywhere I Go", "Animal Magic" and "You're So Hip"; Morris also co-wrote new songs with Goh. QED's debut single, "Everywhere I Go", was released in December, and performed on national television pop music show, Countdown, on 1 April 1984; it peaked at number 19 on the national chart. The follow-up single "Solo and More" was issued in March, but failed to chart. The third single, "This One", appeared in August and reached top 50. Additional musicians for QED’s first album, Animal Magic, included keyboardist Amanda Vincent (Eurogliders
Eurogliders
Eurogliders were an Indie pop band formed in 1981 in Perth, Western Australia, which included mainstays Grace Knight on vocals and Bernie Lynch on guitar and vocals. The band was originally formed by Bernie Lynch and Amanda Vincent under the name Living Single. After almost a year, Grace Knight...
, later joined the Jenny Morris band), drummer Steve Fearnly, saxophonist Tony Buchanan, and Fataar on drums. EMI released it in November, but sales remained low and the album did not chart. QED only released one album and disbanded by 1985, Morris continued session and touring work with other artists, Belton went on to Mondo Rock
Mondo Rock
Mondo Rock is a rock band from Melbourne, Australia, most prominent in the early 1980s. The band was formed in late 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Ross Wilson.-Early years: 1976–1979:...
, and Goh to Eurogliders.
Morris recorded a duet with INXS lead singer, Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian musician and actor. He was the founding lead singer-songwriter of rock band :INXS from 1977 to his death in 1997, a period of twenty years. Hutchence was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released...
, on a cover of Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
and Lee Hazlewood
Lee Hazlewood
Lee Hazlewood , born Barton Lee Hazlewood was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s.Hazlewood had a distinctive baritone voice that added an ominous...
's hit "Jackson
Jackson (song)
"Jackson" is a song, written in 1963 by Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler, about a married couple who find that the "fire" has gone out of their relationship...
", it was included as a bonus track on the April 1984 (cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
only) INXS EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Dekadance
Dekadance
Dekadance is the title of two different collections of remixes by Australian rock group INXS: a 1983 12" EP released in the United States of songs from Shabooh Shoobah and a 1984 cassette released in Australia of songs from The Swing....
, which reached number two on the charts. Morris and INXS performed "Jackson" live at the 1984 Countdown Music and Video Awards held on 19 May 1985. At Murphy's suggestion she teamed with INXS as a backing singer on their 1985 Australian tour—originally just for a few weeks—and stayed on for eighteen months on their 1985–1986 Listen Like Thieves World Tour. Morris recorded and, in November 1985, released her first single for Warner Entertainment Australia
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
(WEA), "Get Some Humour", with a contribution from Dave Dobbyn, which reached the top 100.
Solo success: 1986–1994
During the US leg of the Listen Like Thieves World Tour, in January 1986, Morris recorded "You’re Gonna Get Hurt", which was written and produced by INXS songwriter and keyboardist, Andrew FarrissAndrew Farriss
Andrew Charles Farriss is a rock musician , best known as the keyboardist and main composer for the Australian band INXS.-Career:...
. Recorded with backing from INXS' Andrew and Jon Farriss
Jon Farriss
Jon Farriss is the drummer for the Australian rock band INXS.-Biography:...
and Garry Gary Beers, together with guitarist Ian Moss (ex-Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
), it was released in September and peaked at number 24. The next single "Body and Soul"—composed by Morris—reached the top 100 in mid-1987.
In 1986 she performed on The Rock Party's Everything to Live For, a charity project, initiated by The National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NCADA), which included many Australasian musicians such as Big Pig
Big Pig
Big Pig were a seven-piece Australian pop/rock band that existed from 1985 to 1991.-Biography:In 1983 Australian drummer Oleh Witer, frustrated over playing in a string of unsuccessful groups, travelled from Australia to London....
's Sherine Abeyratne; Crowded House
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
's Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
, Tim Finn, Paul Hester
Paul Hester
Paul Newell Hester was an Australian musician and television personality; he was the drummer for the related bands Split Enz and Crowded House.-The early years:...
, Eddie Rayner and Nick Seymour
Nick Seymour
Nick Seymour is a musician, painter, and record producer. He is best known for being the bass guitarist in the Australasian rock group Crowded House and brother to Mark Seymour of another successful group; Hunters and Collectors.- Biography :Born in Benalla, Victoria, Australia, Seymour studied...
; Dynamic Hepnotics
Dynamic Hepnotics
The Dynamic Hepnotics were a successful Australian soul/blues/funk band during the 1980s. They had major success with their chart topping song Soul Kind Of Feeling in 1984 and 1985, followed up by Gotta Be Wrong later that year....
' Robert Susz; GANGgajang
GANGgajang
Gang Gajang are an Australian rock band who formed in 1984. The three principal figures in the original lineup were former Riptides frontman Mark "Cal" Callaghan and two former members of popular Australian hard rock band The Angels, bassist Chris Bailey and drummer Graham "Buzz"...
's Mark Callaghan, Robbie James and Geoff Stapleton; Paul Kelly & the Coloured Girls
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
' Michael Barclay and Paul Kelly; Mental As Anything
Mental As Anything
Mental As Anything are an Australian New Wave–rock music band formed at an art school in Sydney in 1976. Their most popular line-up was Martin Plaza on vocals and guitar; Reg Mombassa on lead guitar and vocals; his brother Peter "Yoga Dog" O'Doherty on bass guitar and vocals; Wayne "Bird"...
's Reg Mombassa
Reg Mombassa
Reg Mombassa is the pseudonym of Chris O'Doherty, a New Zealand born artist and musician. Resident in Australia, he is as well known there for his musical exploits — founder and former member of the popular Australian band Mental As Anything and member of Dog Trumpet - as he is for his art...
and Martin Plaza
Martin Plaza
Martin Plaza is the pseudonym of Martin Edward Murphy , who is a vocalist/guitarist/songwriter with Australian pop/R&B band Mental As Anything. Plaza also has a solo music career and in 1986 had a #2 hit in Australia with his cover of the 1960s Unit 4+2 song "Concrete and Clay"...
; Models' Sean Kelly; The Promise's Greg Herbert; Rockmelons
Rockmelons
Rockmelons, often referred to as the Rockies, are an Australian Pop/Dance/R&B group formed in 1983 in Sydney. They are based around Bryon Jones, his brother Jonathon Jones and Raymond Medhurst. They had two Top Five hit singles in the early 1990s with "Ain't No Sunshine" and "That Word ", both sung...
' Mary Azzopardi Peter Blakeley
Peter Blakeley
Peter Blakeley is an Australian White Soul/Adult Contemporary singer and songwriter.Blakeley was a lead singer for The Rockmelons in the mid-1980s. He launched a solo career in 1987 and had a massive hit single in Australia in 1990 with "Crying in the Chapel", which was not a remake of the 1950s...
and Danny De Costa; The Venetians
The Venetians (Australian band)
The Venetians were an Australian synthpop act that had several hit records in Australia during the middle 1980's.-Biography:The Venetians formed in late 1982, when Rik Swinn arrived in Australia with a 24-track master demo of a song he'd recorded in England. He read a newspaper advert placed by...
' Rick Swinn; The Vitabeats' Andrew Barnum and Lissa Barnum; and Deborah Conway
Deborah Conway
Deborah Ann Conway, is an Australian rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, and had a career as a model and actor. She was a founding member of the 1980s rock band Do-Ré-Mi with their surprise top 5 hit "Man Overboard"....
, Spencer P Jones, and John Kennedy
John Kennedy (Australian Musician)
John Kennedy is an Australian musician, a singer-songwriter with a penchant for strong melodies and "heart on your sleeve" pop songs often with country and western influences.-Early life:...
.
In July 1987, Morris released her first solo album, Body and Soul
Body and Soul (Jenny Morris album)
Body and Soul is the first solo studio album by New Zealand singer Jenny Morris, released in July 1987 by Warner Music Group.-Track listing:#"Body and Soul" – 3:17...
, produced by Moffatt and Fataar and mixed by Tim Kramer. It sold over 70,000 copies in Australia (platinum status) reaching number 13 on the album charts in Australia and number 21 in New Zealand. The album spawned two further hits in "You I Know"—written by Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
—which reached number 13 in Australia and number 30 in New Zealand, and "Light-hearted" peaked in the top 100 in both countries. Morris also hit the road with her backing band, including Vincent, Jehan Lindsay (ex-Richard Clapton
Richard Clapton
Richard Clapton is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist from Sydney, New South Wales. His solo top 20 hits on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart are "Girls on the Avenue" and "I Am an Island"...
Band), Paul Burton (ex-Mark Williams
Mark Williams (singer)
Mark Williams is a New Zealand-born pop/soul singer with Recording Industry Association of New Zealand number one hit singles, "Yesterday Was Just the Beginning of My Life" and a cover of Buddy Holly's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" before he relocated to Australia later that year. His single,...
Band), and Roger Mason
Roger Mason (musician)
Roger Ashley Mason is an Australian keyboardist who has been a member of New Wave groups Models, Absent Friends and Icehouse. He was a session and backing musician for United Kingdom's Gary Numan and for various Australian artists...
(ex-Models). Morris won back-to-back ARIA Awards
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
for 'Best Female Artist' in 1987
ARIA Music Awards of 1987
The First Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 2 March 1987 at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel in Sydney with Elton John as the host. Presenters of the 20 awards included, Slim Dusty, Basia Bonkowski and Donnie Sutherland, the ceremony was not televised...
and 1988
ARIA Music Awards of 1988
The Second Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 29 March 1988 at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel in Sydney. Cliff Richard was the host, with Bryan Ferry, Feargal Sharkey and Ian "Molly" Meldrum included as presenters of the 21 awards...
. In 1988, Morris and photographer, Paul Clarke, were married.
Her next single "Saved Me" was released in July 1989—reached top 40 in Australia and New Zealand—it featured a distinctly Latin-Spanish feel permeated by funk undertones, with the promo video shot in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
by Richard Lowenstein
Richard Lowenstein
Richard Lowenstein is an Australian film director. He has written, produced and directed the feature films He Died With A Felafel In His Hand, Dogs In Space, Say a Little Prayer, Strikebound and Ghost Story, as well as numerous ground-breaking and award-winning music videos for bands such as INXS...
. Morris' second solo album Shiver
Shiver (Jenny Morris album)
-Charts:-Year-End charts:-Release history:...
, followed in August and was produced by Farriss, with Morris writing ten of the eleven tracks. In between recording the album, she gave birth to her son, Hugh. The second single was "She Has to Be Loved", a song which melded funk rhythms with a pop hook. In addition, it featured a strong feminist theme, and quickly became a favourite among Morris' female fans. "She Has to Be Loved" became Morris' first Australasian top ten hit reaching number five in Australia and number three in New Zealand during October 1989. Shiver continued to chart over the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
summer of 1989–1990, peaking at number five on the Australian album charts and number six in New Zealand, it established Morris as one of the best selling female artists in Australia. The track "Aotearoa"—Māori term
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
for 'Land of the Long White Cloud
Aotearoa
Aotearoa is the most widely known and accepted Māori name for New Zealand. It is used by both Māori and non-Māori, and is becoming increasingly widespread in the bilingual names of national organisations, such as the National Library of New Zealand / Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa.-Translation:The...
' or New Zealand—received a special single release in New Zealand and reached top 40. The album eventually sold over 250,000 copies, achieving double platinum status in Australia. It spawned two more singles; "(Beggar on the) Street of Love" written by legendary Australian song smith Paul Kelly
Paul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
, which reached top 100 in both countries; and the reggae inspired "Self Deceiver", penned by Morris and Kelly, which reached top 100 in Australia.
As one of Australia's leading female singer-songwriters, Morris toured extensively locally and internationally, first by backing Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...
on the European leg of their 1989 Sowing the Seeds of Love Tour, then on Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
's 1990 Nude Tour
Nude Tour
The Nude Tour was a greatest hits concert tour by Prince. While the previous tour drew critical praise, the high cost of the concert tour production made it a financial disappointment, thus Prince eliminated much of the excessiveness of the previous tour to be more financially viable...
in Denmark, Germany and France,—with Dweezil Zappa
Dweezil Zappa
Dweezil Zappa is an American rock guitarist and occasional actor.-Early life:Zappa was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of musician Frank Zappa and Adelaide Gail Sloatman, who worked in business. He is the second of four siblings: his older sister, Moon, younger sister Diva and younger...
as her lead guitarist—and again with INXS on their X-Factor tour.
In 1990 she released a cover of "Piece of my Heart
Piece of My Heart
"Piece of My Heart" is a song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns and originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. The song came to greater mainstream attention when Big Brother and the Holding Company covered the song in 1968 and had a hit with it...
"—popularised by Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
—which peaked in the Australian top 40 in early 1991. She recorded her third album, Honeychild
Honeychild
Honeychild is the third solo studio album by New Zealand singer Jenny Morris, released in October 1991 by East West Records. The album went for the same style as Morris's other two albums acoustic pop with a hint of dance music produced by Nick Launay, some songs co-produced by Mark Forrester...
, with producers Nick Launay
Nick Launay
Nick Launay is an English record producer and recording engineer. He is currently one of the most sought after producers in the world due to his current success with recent albums by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Arcade Fire, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds...
(Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
, Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
) and Mark Forrester. The first single from the album, "Break in the Weather", was co-written by Morris and her youngest brother Tam, appeared in September 1991, it reached number two in Australia and number five in New Zealand. Honeychild was released in October and became her second consecutive top ten album, peaking at number five in Australia and New Zealand. Her session musicians, included Wendy Matthews
Wendy Matthews
Wendy Joan Matthews is an Australian adult alternative pop singer originally from Canada who has been a member of Models and Absent Friends and is a solo artist...
and Midnight Oil’s Jim Moginie
Jim Moginie
James "Jim" Moginie is an Australian musician. He is best known for his work with Midnight Oil, of which he was a founding member, guitarist, keyboardist and leading songwriter...
. Honeychild spawned three more minor hits; "I’ve Had You", another Morris and Kelly collaboration, which reached top 50 in Australia and New Zealand; the funk laden "Zero", featuring the rhythm section of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare, which peaked top 100 in Australia and top 40 in New Zealand; and "Crackerjack Man", which reached top 100 on the Australian charts.
On 28 March 1992 Morris performed at the Concert for Life at Centennial Park
Centennial Park, New South Wales
Centennial Park is a large public, urban park that occupies 220 hectares in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Centennial Park is located 4 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the City of Randwick...
in Sydney—a fund raiser for the Victor Chang
Victor Chang
Victor Peter Chang, AC , was a Chinese Australian cardiac surgeon and a pioneer of modern heart transplantation. Born in Shanghai to Australian-born Chinese parents, he grew up in Hong Kong before moving to Australia...
Cardiac Research Centre—with Crowded House, Def FX
Def FX
Def FX was an Australian industrial-dance-rock group, formed in Sydney. The core of the group was keyboardist and vocalist Sean Lowry and vocalist Fiona Horne ....
, Diesel
Johnny Diesel
Johnny Diesel is an Australian musician, who has released material as leader of Johnny Diesel & the Injectors, under his birth name, or by the epithet Diesel...
, INXS, Ratcat
Ratcat
Ratcat were an Australian indie rock band of the late 1980s and early 1990s fronted by vocalist Simon Day. Their combination of indie pop songwriting and energetic punk-style guitar won them fans from both the indie and skate-punk communities.-Waterfront:...
and Yothu Yindi
Yothu Yindi
Yothu Yindi are an Australian band with Aboriginal and balanda members formed in 1986. Aboriginal members come from Yolngu homelands near Yirrkala on the Gove Peninsula in Northern Territory's Arnhem Land...
. Due to inclement weather an expected attendance of 100,000 never eventuated and, with the event only raising $500,000, scandal was expressed in the media over funding distribution.
In November, The Story So Far, a best-of compilation was released, it included "Jackson" which was performed as a duet with Michael Hutchence and INXS on a 1985 Countdown episode, and a re-recorded version of an old The Crocodiles' hit "Tears". The album sold steadily and peaked at number four in New Zealand and number 12 on the Australian charts during May 1993, after Morris had supported Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
on the Australian leg of his The New World Tour
The New World Tour
In 1993, Paul McCartney and his band embarked upon The New World Tour, spanning almost the entire year and almost the entire globe. The tour was intended to promote McCartney's album Off the Ground...
. 1994 saw the birth of her daughter, Bella. Morris' next single, "Price I Pay", was a Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
cover, it was her last appearance on the Australian charts where it reached the top 100.
Later years: 1995–current
Morris' next four singles "Only We Can Hear", "Rhythm and Flow", "In Too DeepIn Too Deep (Jenny Morris song)
"In Too Deep" is a pop song written by Rick Nowels and produced by Andrew Farriss for Jenny Morris's fourth studio album Salvation Jane...
", and "What Do I Do Now", were released over eighteen months, from mid-1994 to early 1996. Salvation Jane
Salvation Jane (Jenny Morris album)
Salvation Jane is the fourth studio album by New Zealand singer Jenny Morris. It was released in August 1995 on the rooArt label, after a four year gap from her last album. The album was produced Andrew Farriss and Mark Moffatt, together with Electric Hippies' duo Steve Balbi and Justin Stanley...
was released in August 1995, after a four-year gap from her last album, with some of her strongest vocal work, including the languid "Rhythm and Flow," with its Aboriginal influences. Issued on the rooArt
RooArt
rooArt was an Australian independent record label, founded in 1988 by INXS's then-manager, Chris Murphy. The label's roster included several well-known Australian bands and artists such as Crow, Ratcat, Screaming Jets, You Am I, Wendy Matthews, The Hummingbirds, The Trilobites and Amanda Brown...
label, it was produced by Andrew Farriss and Moffatt, together with Electric Hippies' duo Steve Balbi
Steve Balbi
Steve Balbi played bass in the hit-making Australian band Noiseworks, and was also in Electric Hippies along with fellow Noiseworks member Justin Stanley. Prior to Noiseworks, he was in Rose Tattoo, and prior to Rose Tattoo was in a band with his cousins called The Apaches. They performed 'Fox on...
and Justin Stanley
Justin Stanley
Justin Stanley is an Australian born, initially Sydney based musician/producer who has worked with The Vines, Beck, Holidays On Ice, Daniel Merriweather and others. He is the lead guitarist of Wounded Cougar...
. The album featured songs from a song writing retreat held at Miles Copeland
Miles Copeland III
Miles Axe Copeland III is an American entertainment executive, best known for founding I.R.S. Records. His brother, Stewart Copeland, was part of the pop-rock trio The Police, which Miles managed...
's castle in Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Here, Morris co-wrote a number of songs with other international songwriters. Also in 1995, Morris became a non-executive writer director on the Australasian Performing Right Association
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
(APRA) Board and as of 2009 is still on the Board. Morris made an appearance in the television drama, Water Rats
Water Rats (TV series)
Water Rats is an Australian TV police procedural broadcast on the Nine Network from 1996 to 2001. The series was based around the men and women of the Sydney Water Police who fight crime across Sydney Harbour and surrounding locales. The show was set on and around Goat Island in Sydney...
, in 1997 she continued her gigs, worked for environmental causes and maintained her family life.
In October 2000 she performed with Vika and Linda Bull
Vika and Linda
Vika and Linda Bull are a sister vocal duo who came to prominence after being asked to sing backing vocals in Joe Camilleri's band The Black Sorrows.-Biography:...
and Jodi Phillis
Jodi Phillis
Jodi Christine Phillis is an Australian singer-songwriter-guitarist. She spent her childhood in California, United States, and moved back to Sydney, Australia to begin school. She quit school at 15, then spent 8 years working with surfwear company Mambo Graphics until she took up the role as...
, at a sold-out Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
tribute show, Tapestry: the songs of Carole King, held at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
; it then toured the other Australian capital cities in August–September 2001. In August 2002, Morris' released her next album, Hit & Myth
Hit & Myth
Hit & Myth is the fifth studio album by New Zealand singer Jenny Morris, released in August 2002, by Yep! Records, seven years since the release of her last album, Salvation Jane. Yep! was a new independent record label established by Warren Fahey, who founded Larrikin Records. The album was...
, co-produced by Nick Wales (Coda), was released on 8 May 2002 by Yep! Records. The album features classical musicians (Renaissance Players, Winsome Evans
Winsome Evans
Winsome Joan Evans OAM BEM is one of Australia's premier early music specialists.She received a Bachelor of Music degree in composition from the University of Sydney, where her lecturers included Peter Sculthorpe...
), pop musicians (Davey Lane
Davey Lane
David Lane, also known as Davey Lane , is an Australian musician, lead guitarist of You Am I , and frontman of The Pictures...
, Jodi Phillis
Jodi Phillis
Jodi Christine Phillis is an Australian singer-songwriter-guitarist. She spent her childhood in California, United States, and moved back to Sydney, Australia to begin school. She quit school at 15, then spent 8 years working with surfwear company Mambo Graphics until she took up the role as...
(ex Clouds
Clouds (Australian band)
The Clouds are an indie rock band from Sydney, Australia formed in December 1989. The core of the group consisted of frontwomen Jodi Phillis and Patricia "Trish" Young . The line-up of The Clouds has changed several times with different drummers and lead guitarists...
)) and jazz (PROP) musicians.
Morris wrote or co-wrote nine of the eleven songs on the album, the others, "Guiding Star", was written by Neil Finn
Neil Finn
Neil Mullane Finn, OBE is a New Zealand Pop recording artist. Along with his brother Tim Finn, he was the co-frontman for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
and "The Blacksmith
Blacksmith (song)
"Blacksmith" is a traditional English folk song, also known as "A Blacksmith Courted Me". The song was noted down by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1909 from a Mrs Powell. On that occasion it was sung to the tune "Monk's Gate", better known as the tune of "To be a pilgrim", the hymn by John Bunyan....
" is a traditional folk song—the first one she learnt on guitar. Neither the album nor the singles "Home", released 29 October 2001, and "Downtime", released 15 July 2002, managed to chart. The music video for "Downtime" featured a number of well-known Australian actors, including Hugo Weaving
Hugo Weaving
Hugo Wallace Weaving is a Nigerian born, English-Australian film actor and voice artist. He is best known for his roles as Agent Smith in the Matrix trilogy, Elrond in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, "V" in V for Vendetta, and performances in numerous Australian character dramas.-Early...
, Bryan Brown
Bryan Brown
Bryan Neathway Brown, AM is an Australian actor.-Early life:Brown was born in Sydney, the son of John Brown and Molly Brown, a house cleaner who worked as a pianist in the early days of the Langshaw School of Ballet. He grew up in the south-western Sydney suburb of Bankstown and began working at...
, Matt Newton
Matt Newton
Matthew Collins "Matt" Newton is an American actor.-Early life:Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Matt Newton was raised in Guilford, Connecticut. He is of English descent and began performing musicals and plays at local theaters while in high school...
and Peter Fenton, miming the words to the song. Also in 2002, a portrait of Morris by artist Jan Williamson
Jan Williamson
Jan Williamson is an Australian artist. She is a mother of nine children. She is known for winning the Archibald Prize Packing Room Prize twice in a row: in 2002 with a portrait of Jenny Morris —which also won the People's Choice Award— and again in 2003 with a portrait of actor Rachel...
was entered in the Archibald Prize. The portrait did not win the main prize, but won both the popular awards, the "Packing Room Prize" and "The People's Choice Award". In February,Morris appeared on the SBS TV documentary, Mum's the Word, where high profile women talked about being a working mother. She sang, "Little Little" an ode to her (then) unborn child written for her 1989 album, Shiver. In October Morris appeared in Finding Joy, a low budget independent Australian feature film, in a cameo role (Tracey). She sings part of a song called "Educated Kind of Thing". In November 2002 she performed at the Candlelight AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
Memorial, in Darlinghurst
Darlinghurst, New South Wales
Darlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, marking the beginning of AIDS awareness week.
In March 2003, Port Fairy
Port Fairy, Victoria
Port Fairy is a coastal town in south-western Victoria, Australia. It lies on the Princes Highway in the Shire of Moyne, west of Warrnambool and 290 km west of Melbourne, at the point where the Moyne River enters the Southern Ocean.-History:...
's 27th Annual Folk Festival
Port Fairy Folk Festival
The Port Fairy Folk Festival is a popular annual four-day music festival based in the historic fishing village of Port Fairy in Victoria, Australia....
was staged with Archie Roach
Archie Roach
Archie Roach is an Australian musician. A singer, songwriter and guitarist, he survived a turbulent upbringing to develop into a powerful voice for Indigenous Australians, a storyteller in the tradition of his ancestors, and a nationally popular and respected artist.- Biography :In his own words,...
, John Williamson
John Williamson (singer)
John Robert Williamson AM is an Australian country music singer-songwriter. Williamson has released over thirty-two albums, ten videos, five DVDs, and two lyric books...
, Renée Geyer
Renée Geyer
Renée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
, Morris and emerging Australian band The Waifs
The Waifs
The Waifs are an Australian folk rock band formed in 1992 by Josh Cunningham , and sisters Vikki Thorn and Donna Simpson...
were among the popular performers. In October she joined the board of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia, and is an active member of their Fundraising Committee.
In April 2004, Listen: The Very Best of Jenny Morris a repackaging of her 1992 compilation, The Story So Far, was issued with new artwork and a bonus track, "Little Little", an ode to her then unborn baby. In May 2005, the Alive DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
was released, it was recorded in Sydney at The Basement and features Morris playing her hits with her band: Steve Balbi (Noiseworks); Paul Searles (Skunkhour
Skunkhour
Skunkhour were a Sydney-based Australian band that was active in the 1990s, before disbanding in 2001.Formed in 1991, the band is named after a poem by Robert Lowell entitled "Skunk Hour"...
); James Hasselwood (The Dissociatives
The Dissociatives
The Dissociatives are an Australian band consisting of Daniel Johns of Silverchair, Australian dance producer DJ Paul Mac, and touring members Julian Hamilton and Kim Moyes from Sydney electronic duo "The Presets"...
); Jared Underwood (Coda) and actor Josh Quong Tart
Josh Quong Tart
Josh Quong Tart is an Australian actor who has performed in several television, commercial and film roles.-Biography:...
, with special guest appearances from Ian Moss, Andrew Farriss and Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
drummer Rob Hirst
Rob Hirst
-External links:*******...
. The DVD was released with a bonus CD.
Clear Blue in Stormy Skies
Clear Blue in Stormy Skies
Clear Blue in Stormy Skies is the sixth studio album by New Zealand singer Jenny Morris. It was released 24 June 2006, by Liberation Blue Records...
, her next album, was released by Liberation Music
Liberation Music
Liberation Music is a boutique, independent Australasian record company, started in 1999 by Michael Gudinski and Warren Costello. Its stated aim is to find, nurture and then to develop new talent for a world market while remaining independent in the process...
in June 2006 and includes a dozen remodelled versions of her radio hits of the 1980s and 1990s, together with some new material, a cover of the INXS song, "This Time", in tribute to Michael Hutchence
Michael Hutchence
Michael Kelland John Hutchence was an Australian musician and actor. He was the founding lead singer-songwriter of rock band :INXS from 1977 to his death in 1997, a period of twenty years. Hutchence was a member of short-lived pop rock group Max Q and recorded solo material which was released...
, and a new song, "The Time".
In September 2009, Morris toured Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
to Tarin Kowt
Tarin Kowt
Tarinkot or Tarin Kowt is the capital of Orūzgān province in southern Afghanistan in Tarin Kowt District. It is a town of about 10,000 people, with some 200 small shops in the city's bazaar...
and Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
and played for troops. In October, she appeared on the SBS TV quiz show
Quiz Show
Quiz Show is a 1994 American historical drama film produced and directed by Robert Redford. Adapted by Paul Attanasio from Richard Goodwin's memoir Remembering America, the film is based upon the Twenty One quiz show scandal of the 1950s...
, RocKwiz
RocKwiz
RocKwiz is an Australian television quiz show series, focused on rock music, and broadcast on SBS One. It premiered in 2005.-Summary:The forty minute program airs on Saturday at 9:20 pm, and is hosted by Julia Zemiro. It is shot in The Gershwin Room at St Kilda's Esplanade Hotel, commonly...
, which included a performance of the Crowded House classic, "It's Only Natural", with Don McGlashan
Don McGlashan
Don McGlashan is a New Zealand musician and songwriter who has been a member of bands such as The Plague, From Scratch, The Whizz Kids, Blam Blam Blam, The Front Lawn, The Mutton Birds and, from 2009, The Bellbirds. He composed several pieces for the Limbs Dance Company...
. She performed at the closing ceremony of the 2009 World Masters Games
2009 World Masters Games
The Sydney 2009 World Masters Games, the seventh edition of what has developed into the world’s largest multi-sport event in terms of participation, is being held in the largest city in Australia and the capital city of New South Wales from 10 October to 18 October in 2009.Open to sportspeople of...
in Sydney, together with Dragon
Dragon (band)
Dragon is a popular New Zealand rock band, they were formed in Auckland, New Zealand in January 1972 and relocated to Sydney, Australia in May 1975. They were previously led by singer Marc Hunter and are currently led by his brother bass player Todd Hunter...
and The Choirboys
The Choirboys (band)
The Choirboys are an Australian hard rock band from Sydney formed in 1979 with mainstays Mark Gable on lead vocals and Ian Hulme on bass guitar and were later joined by drummer Paul Wheeler. Their hit "Run to Paradise" reached No. 3 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart in late 1987. The...
.
In January 2010 Morris received the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
with a citation, "for service to the arts, particularly music, and to the community through charitable organisations". Morris was glad that her charity, Nordoff-Robbins was recognised. Morris appeared at the 2010 New Zealand International Arts Festival in Wellington on 13 March.
Personal life
Morris married photographer, Paul Clarke, in 1986 and they have had two children, Hugh and Bella. Morris' younger sister, Shanley Del has also won an ARIA Award but as a country musicCountry 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...
artist in 1998
ARIA Music Awards of 1998
The 12th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 20 October 1998 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre...
. Their youngest brother, Tam Morris co-wrote, "Break in the Weather" with Jenny, he is also in the group Tracky Dax as a singer-songwriter. Her other siblings are brothers Tam (a storyboard artist and musician) and Rhys (a graphic designer and web developer), and sisters Maxine, Bronte, Joanne and Shanley. In 2003, on Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
(26 January), Morris became an Australian citizen.
Solo
Studio albums- Body and SoulBody and Soul (Jenny Morris album)Body and Soul is the first solo studio album by New Zealand singer Jenny Morris, released in July 1987 by Warner Music Group.-Track listing:#"Body and Soul" – 3:17...
- ShiverShiver (Jenny Morris album)-Charts:-Year-End charts:-Release history:...
- HoneychildHoneychildHoneychild is the third solo studio album by New Zealand singer Jenny Morris, released in October 1991 by East West Records. The album went for the same style as Morris's other two albums acoustic pop with a hint of dance music produced by Nick Launay, some songs co-produced by Mark Forrester...
- Salvation JaneSalvation Jane (Jenny Morris album)Salvation Jane is the fourth studio album by New Zealand singer Jenny Morris. It was released in August 1995 on the rooArt label, after a four year gap from her last album. The album was produced Andrew Farriss and Mark Moffatt, together with Electric Hippies' duo Steve Balbi and Justin Stanley...
- Hit & MythHit & MythHit & Myth is the fifth studio album by New Zealand singer Jenny Morris, released in August 2002, by Yep! Records, seven years since the release of her last album, Salvation Jane. Yep! was a new independent record label established by Warren Fahey, who founded Larrikin Records. The album was...
- Clear Blue in Stormy SkiesClear Blue in Stormy SkiesClear Blue in Stormy Skies is the sixth studio album by New Zealand singer Jenny Morris. It was released 24 June 2006, by Liberation Blue Records...
Awards and recognition
| Year | Award-giving Body | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 ARIA Music Awards of 1987 The First Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 2 March 1987 at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel in Sydney with Elton John as the host. Presenters of the 20 awards included, Slim Dusty, Basia Bonkowski and Donnie Sutherland, the ceremony was not televised... |
ARIA Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Best Female Artist | Won |
| 1988 ARIA Music Awards of 1988 The Second Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 29 March 1988 at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel in Sydney. Cliff Richard was the host, with Bryan Ferry, Feargal Sharkey and Ian "Molly" Meldrum included as presenters of the 21 awards... |
ARIA | Best Female Artist | Won |
| 1992 ARIA Music Awards of 1992 The Sixth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 6 March 1992 at the World Congress Centre in Melbourne. Hosts were international guest, Julian Lennon and local Richard Wilkins, they were assisted by presenters, Spinal Tap, Rod Stewart and Mick Jones to distribute 24... |
ARIA | Best Female Artist (Honeychild) | Nominated |
| 2010 | Commonwealth of Australia | Medal of the Order of Australia Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"... |
Awarded |
External links
- Jenny Morris - official website
- Jenny Morris Discography @ DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Jenny Morris Discography @ MusicBrainzMusicBrainzMusicBrainz is a project that aims to create an open content music database. Similar to the freedb project, it was founded in response to the restrictions placed on the CDDB...
- Jenny Morris interview for Sunday Brunch (25 August 2008) on ABC Radio Sydney with Simon Marnie.
- Jenny Morris interview with Jane Costessi from Amrap on Hit and Myth