Malcolm Morley (musician)
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Morley is a British
rock singer, guitarist and keyboard player who came to fame in the 1970s. Best known as a founder of Help Yourself
and as a member of Man
, he continues to perform to this day.
.
Morley's earliest recorded release was on the eponymous debut album by the rock/blues band Sam Apple Pie
in 1969, and he played the first Glastonbury Festival
with them in 1970.
He was then signed as a solo act by Famepushers, and gathered musicians around him to record his first album. Rather than just being backing musicians, they all formed the band Help Yourself
. Their first album, Help Yourself, was recorded in late 1970 and early 1971. Morley, (guitars/keyboards/vocals) wrote all the songs on the album, which was recorded before the band had played a gig.
Morley and the other members of Help Yourself toured on the Downhome Rhythm Kings package with Brinsley Schwarz
& Ernie Graham
(ex Eire Apparent
), who shared the same management.
Morley then helped Ernie Graham
record his eponymous solo album in 1971, before Graham and his guitarist Jonathan “Jojo” Glemser, joined Help Yourself who then played the 1971 Glastonbury Festival. Help Yourself's second album Strange Affair was recorded at Headley Grange
and released in early 1972, by which time both Graham and Glemser had left.
The new line up appeared on their first Peel Session in April 1972 and recorded the next album Beware of the Shadow almost immediately. Just as the band was due to start a tour to promote Beware of The Shadow, Morley suffered one of his bouts of depression, ("The Shadow" referred to in the album title). Rather than cancel the tour, Deke Leonard
, who had just been fired by Man, stood in, and stayed with the band after Morley had recovered, whilst Help Yourself also backed Leonard on his first solo album Iceberg
In December 1972, Help Yourself with Leonard and BJ Cole, played at Man's Christmas Party; Christmas at the Patti
. In 1973, Help Yourself toured in a vaudeville show called “Happy Days”, which was accompanied by the fourth Help Yourself album The Return of Ken Whaley and Happy Days an album from the show. They also recorded their second Peel Session later that year. Although United Artists asked them to record another album, they only had “half formed ideas” and gave up recording and finally disbanded in August 1973.
After the break-up of Help Yourself, Morley briefly joined pub-rock band Bees Make Honey
and also played with Leonard in his band Iceberg
When Leonard rejoined Man
in 1975 Morley also joined, but only stayed for one studio album Rhinos, Winos, and Lunatics although he also appears (uncredited) on a retrospective live album The 1999 Party, and in a live bonus disc issued with the 2007 re-issue of Rhinos .... Finding touring difficult, especially Man's long US tours, Morley left the band the day before they were due to record their next album Slow Motion
.
He moved into the attic of pub-rock venue the Hope and Anchor, Islington
where he met Plummet Airlines
, and in 1976 he recorded an album with Ian Gomm
and Plummet Airlines as backing musicians. The album was not released at the time, and the tapes were believed lost.
He became "musical advisor" to Wreckless Eric
and recorded 2 albums with him, but did not join his touring band. He also worked as a studio musician on albums by Kirsty MacColl
, Deke Leonard
and Ian Gomm
, but left the music scene in the early '80s.
In 2001, he released a solo album Aliens, which contained only original compositions. This prompted the search for the tapes of his unreleased 1976 album, which were rediscovered and issued as the album Lost and Found in 2002. The release of Aliens also revived interest in Help Yourself's fifth album, and the album was finally completed in 2002/2003 by Morley, Treece and Whaley, with Kevin Spacey on drums, as Charles had other commitments. The album was eventually released in 2004.
Morley still plays occasional live gigs, usually in the Walthamstow/Essex area, as support to The Green Ray, who include his former Help Yourself bandmates Richard Treece and Ken Whaley.
Sam Apple Pie (1969)
With Ernie Graham
Ernie Graham (1971)
With Help Yourself
Help Yourself (1971)
Beware of the Shadow (1972)
Strange Affair (1972)
Christmas at the Patti
(1973)
The Return of Ken Whaley (1973)
5 (2004)
With Man
Rhinos, Winos, and Lunatics (1975) (The 2007 re-issue includes a live bonus CD featuring Morley)
The 1999 Party 1974 (1998) (Morley is credited in the booklet, but not on the back cover)
With Wreckless Eric
The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric
(1978)
Big Smash!
(1980)
With The Tyla Gang
Just Popped Out (1980)
With Ian Gomm
What a Blow (1980)
"Come On" (1997)
With Deke Leonard
Iceberg (1973)
Kamikaze (1974)
Before Your Very Eyes (1981)
With Kirsty MacColl
Desperate Character
(1981)
With Donovan's Brain
Tiny Crustacean Light Show (2000)
Great Leap Forward (2003)
Solo
Aliens (2002)
Lost and Found (2002) (With Plummet Airlines
)
With The Flying Aces
Seashell (2002)
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock singer, guitarist and keyboard player who came to fame in the 1970s. Best known as a founder of Help Yourself
Help Yourself (band)
Help Yourself, known to their fans as "The Helps", were an English rock band of the early 1970s whose style developed from “American-flavoured country-rock… …to acid-drenched psych.”.-History:...
and as a member of Man
Man (band)
Man are a rock band from South Wales whose style is a mixture of West Coast psychedelia, progressive rock, blues and country-rock. Formed in 1968 as a reincarnation of Welsh rock harmony group ‘’The Bystanders’’, Man are renowned for the extended jams in their live performances, and having had...
, he continues to perform to this day.
Early career
Morley's first played with the Hoodoo Blues Band in 1965, having been invited to join by his childhood friend, drummer Dave CharlesDave Charles
Dave Charles, also known as David Charles is a British drummer, recording engineer & record producer. He often appears under both names on the same album, e.g. Help Yourself's The Return of Ken Whaley, where Dave Charles is credited with drums and vocals and David Charles as producer.Charles'...
.
Morley's earliest recorded release was on the eponymous debut album by the rock/blues band Sam Apple Pie
Sam Apple Pie
Sam Apple Pie were a British blues-rock band, of the late 1960s and 1970s, noted for having played at the first Glastonbury Festival in 1970, and for playing a role in the early careers of several musicians including Gary Fletcher, Dave Charles and Malcolm Morley.-Biography:Formed in Walthamstow,...
in 1969, and he played the first Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
with them in 1970.
He was then signed as a solo act by Famepushers, and gathered musicians around him to record his first album. Rather than just being backing musicians, they all formed the band Help Yourself
Help Yourself (band)
Help Yourself, known to their fans as "The Helps", were an English rock band of the early 1970s whose style developed from “American-flavoured country-rock… …to acid-drenched psych.”.-History:...
. Their first album, Help Yourself, was recorded in late 1970 and early 1971. Morley, (guitars/keyboards/vocals) wrote all the songs on the album, which was recorded before the band had played a gig.
Morley and the other members of Help Yourself toured on the Downhome Rhythm Kings package with Brinsley Schwarz
Brinsley Schwarz
Brinsley Schwarz were a 1970s English pub rock band, named after their guitarist Brinsley Schwarz. With Nick Lowe on bass and vocals, keyboardist Bob Andrews and drummer Billy Rankin, the band evolved from the 1960s pop band Kippington Lodge.-Formation:...
& Ernie Graham
Ernie Graham
Ernie Graham was a singer, guitarist and songwriter, active from the mid 1960s to the early 1980s-Early life:...
(ex Eire Apparent
Eire Apparent
Eire Apparent was a band from Northern Ireland, noted for launching the careers of Henry McCullough and Ernie Graham, and for having Jimi Hendrix play on, and produce, their only album.-The People:...
), who shared the same management.
Morley then helped Ernie Graham
Ernie Graham
Ernie Graham was a singer, guitarist and songwriter, active from the mid 1960s to the early 1980s-Early life:...
record his eponymous solo album in 1971, before Graham and his guitarist Jonathan “Jojo” Glemser, joined Help Yourself who then played the 1971 Glastonbury Festival. Help Yourself's second album Strange Affair was recorded at Headley Grange
Headley Grange
Headley Grange is a former poorhouse in Headley, East Hampshire, England, UK. It is best known as a recording and rehearsal venue in the 1960s and 1970s for bands such as Led Zeppelin, Bad Company, Fleetwood Mac, Genesis, Peter Frampton, the Pretty Things, Ian Dury and Clover.-Early history:Built...
and released in early 1972, by which time both Graham and Glemser had left.
The new line up appeared on their first Peel Session in April 1972 and recorded the next album Beware of the Shadow almost immediately. Just as the band was due to start a tour to promote Beware of The Shadow, Morley suffered one of his bouts of depression, ("The Shadow" referred to in the album title). Rather than cancel the tour, Deke Leonard
Deke Leonard
Roger "Deke" Leonard is a rock musician, "serving a life sentence in the music business." Best known as a member of the progressive rock band Man, which he joined and left several times, and for fronting his own rock and roll band Iceberg, which he formed and disbanded several times, he is also...
, who had just been fired by Man, stood in, and stayed with the band after Morley had recovered, whilst Help Yourself also backed Leonard on his first solo album Iceberg
In December 1972, Help Yourself with Leonard and BJ Cole, played at Man's Christmas Party; Christmas at the Patti
Christmas at the Patti
Christmas at the Patti is a live album, recorded at Man's Christmas party, held at the Patti Pavilion, Swansea, on 19 December 1972. 'The album features Man and Help Yourself with guests Deke Leonard, Dave Edmunds and B J Cole, together with appearances by Ducks Deluxe, The Jets, The Flying Aces...
. In 1973, Help Yourself toured in a vaudeville show called “Happy Days”, which was accompanied by the fourth Help Yourself album The Return of Ken Whaley and Happy Days an album from the show. They also recorded their second Peel Session later that year. Although United Artists asked them to record another album, they only had “half formed ideas” and gave up recording and finally disbanded in August 1973.
After the break-up of Help Yourself, Morley briefly joined pub-rock band Bees Make Honey
Bees Make Honey
Bees Make Honey were an influential band in the early pub rock movement in the UK.The band were formed in 1971 in north London by Barry Richardson, who had a residency in a jazz band at the "Tally Ho" public house, when Eggs over Easy started playing pub rock there...
and also played with Leonard in his band Iceberg
When Leonard rejoined Man
Man (band)
Man are a rock band from South Wales whose style is a mixture of West Coast psychedelia, progressive rock, blues and country-rock. Formed in 1968 as a reincarnation of Welsh rock harmony group ‘’The Bystanders’’, Man are renowned for the extended jams in their live performances, and having had...
in 1975 Morley also joined, but only stayed for one studio album Rhinos, Winos, and Lunatics although he also appears (uncredited) on a retrospective live album The 1999 Party, and in a live bonus disc issued with the 2007 re-issue of Rhinos .... Finding touring difficult, especially Man's long US tours, Morley left the band the day before they were due to record their next album Slow Motion
Slow Motion (Man album)
Slow Motion is the ninth album by the Welsh progressive rock band Man and was released on the United Artists Records label. It was the only album recorded by this line-up, Malcolm Morley having left the day before recording was due to start. He was not replaced, so the album was recorded by the...
.
He moved into the attic of pub-rock venue the Hope and Anchor, Islington
Hope and Anchor, Islington
The Hope and Anchor is a public house on Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. During the mid-1970s it was one of the first pubs to embrace the emergent, but brief, phenomenon of pub rock...
where he met Plummet Airlines
Plummet Airlines
Plummet Airlines, was a British pub rock band of the mid 1970s, which was originally formed in Nottingham. Band members later joined The Pogues and Darts.-History:...
, and in 1976 he recorded an album with Ian Gomm
Ian Gomm
Ian Robert Gomm is a British singer-songwriter, who was the rhythm guitarist for Brinsley Schwarz from 1970 to 1974. He was named "Best Rhythm Guitarist" by NME in 1971.[]...
and Plummet Airlines as backing musicians. The album was not released at the time, and the tapes were believed lost.
He became "musical advisor" to Wreckless Eric
Wreckless Eric
Wreckless Eric is an English rock and roll/new wave singer-songwriter, best known for his 1977 single " Whole Wide World" on Stiff Records. More than two decades after its release, the song was included in Mojo magazine’s list of the best punk rock singles of all time...
and recorded 2 albums with him, but did not join his touring band. He also worked as a studio musician on albums by Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty Anna MacColl was an English singer-songwriter.MacColl scored several pop hits from the early 1980s to the early 1990s...
, Deke Leonard
Deke Leonard
Roger "Deke" Leonard is a rock musician, "serving a life sentence in the music business." Best known as a member of the progressive rock band Man, which he joined and left several times, and for fronting his own rock and roll band Iceberg, which he formed and disbanded several times, he is also...
and Ian Gomm
Ian Gomm
Ian Robert Gomm is a British singer-songwriter, who was the rhythm guitarist for Brinsley Schwarz from 1970 to 1974. He was named "Best Rhythm Guitarist" by NME in 1971.[]...
, but left the music scene in the early '80s.
Later career
In 2000, encouraged by Ron Sanchez, Morley played on the Donovan's Brain album Tiny Crustacean Light Show along with former Help Yourself band-mates Richard Treece and Ken Whaley.In 2001, he released a solo album Aliens, which contained only original compositions. This prompted the search for the tapes of his unreleased 1976 album, which were rediscovered and issued as the album Lost and Found in 2002. The release of Aliens also revived interest in Help Yourself's fifth album, and the album was finally completed in 2002/2003 by Morley, Treece and Whaley, with Kevin Spacey on drums, as Charles had other commitments. The album was eventually released in 2004.
Morley still plays occasional live gigs, usually in the Walthamstow/Essex area, as support to The Green Ray, who include his former Help Yourself bandmates Richard Treece and Ken Whaley.
Discography
With Sam Apple PieSam Apple Pie
Sam Apple Pie were a British blues-rock band, of the late 1960s and 1970s, noted for having played at the first Glastonbury Festival in 1970, and for playing a role in the early careers of several musicians including Gary Fletcher, Dave Charles and Malcolm Morley.-Biography:Formed in Walthamstow,...
Sam Apple Pie (1969)
With Ernie Graham
Ernie Graham
Ernie Graham was a singer, guitarist and songwriter, active from the mid 1960s to the early 1980s-Early life:...
Ernie Graham (1971)
With Help Yourself
Help Yourself (band)
Help Yourself, known to their fans as "The Helps", were an English rock band of the early 1970s whose style developed from “American-flavoured country-rock… …to acid-drenched psych.”.-History:...
Help Yourself (1971)
Beware of the Shadow (1972)
Strange Affair (1972)
Christmas at the Patti
Christmas at the Patti
Christmas at the Patti is a live album, recorded at Man's Christmas party, held at the Patti Pavilion, Swansea, on 19 December 1972. 'The album features Man and Help Yourself with guests Deke Leonard, Dave Edmunds and B J Cole, together with appearances by Ducks Deluxe, The Jets, The Flying Aces...
(1973)
The Return of Ken Whaley (1973)
5 (2004)
With Man
Man (band)
Man are a rock band from South Wales whose style is a mixture of West Coast psychedelia, progressive rock, blues and country-rock. Formed in 1968 as a reincarnation of Welsh rock harmony group ‘’The Bystanders’’, Man are renowned for the extended jams in their live performances, and having had...
Rhinos, Winos, and Lunatics (1975) (The 2007 re-issue includes a live bonus CD featuring Morley)
The 1999 Party 1974 (1998) (Morley is credited in the booklet, but not on the back cover)
With Wreckless Eric
Wreckless Eric
Wreckless Eric is an English rock and roll/new wave singer-songwriter, best known for his 1977 single " Whole Wide World" on Stiff Records. More than two decades after its release, the song was included in Mojo magazine’s list of the best punk rock singles of all time...
The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric
The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric
The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric was Wreckless Eric's second album and was released October 13, 1978 as black vinyl LP , green vinyl LP and picture disc LP .-Track listing:Side 1#"Walking On The Surface Of The Moon"...
(1978)
Big Smash!
Big Smash!
Wreckless Eric's third album was released as a double LP and as cassette on February 29, 1980. While the first LP comprised new material, the extra LP in fact was the compilation album The Whole Wide World....
(1980)
With The Tyla Gang
Just Popped Out (1980)
With Ian Gomm
Ian Gomm
Ian Robert Gomm is a British singer-songwriter, who was the rhythm guitarist for Brinsley Schwarz from 1970 to 1974. He was named "Best Rhythm Guitarist" by NME in 1971.[]...
What a Blow (1980)
"Come On" (1997)
With Deke Leonard
Deke Leonard
Roger "Deke" Leonard is a rock musician, "serving a life sentence in the music business." Best known as a member of the progressive rock band Man, which he joined and left several times, and for fronting his own rock and roll band Iceberg, which he formed and disbanded several times, he is also...
Iceberg (1973)
Kamikaze (1974)
Before Your Very Eyes (1981)
With Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty Anna MacColl was an English singer-songwriter.MacColl scored several pop hits from the early 1980s to the early 1990s...
Desperate Character
Desperate Character
Desperate Character is the first solo album of British singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl, released in 1981. Re-released in March 1985 as Kirsty MacColl, with three tracks replaced with other songs...
(1981)
With Donovan's Brain
Tiny Crustacean Light Show (2000)
Great Leap Forward (2003)
Solo
Aliens (2002)
Lost and Found (2002) (With Plummet Airlines
Plummet Airlines
Plummet Airlines, was a British pub rock band of the mid 1970s, which was originally formed in Nottingham. Band members later joined The Pogues and Darts.-History:...
)
With The Flying Aces
Seashell (2002)