There's a damn good reason Russell Morris is still considered 'the real thing' half a century on from singing Australia's only true, psychedelic hit of the same name.
It because all these years later, he just makes the music he wants to make without regard for whose feathers get ruffled in the process. “My ambition from now on is to make albums that some people are absolutely going to hate,” he states, “because if you've got people who hate it, on the other hand you're going to find people who love it passionately.
“It's better off than being nice and trying to please everybody... sometimes you've got to take a really big risk and do something creatively that challenges yourself as well as challenging other people's perspective of music and of what they expect of you.”
It's why Russell's past three album releases were songs about Australia and its history, called the 'Blues Trilogy', and why he still tours with long-time friend and 'The Real Thing' collaborator Brian Cadd. “We have worked together for a long time,” Russell says of Brian.
“He was very instrumental in 'The Real Thing' because he played piano and organ on it, plus he does that crazy talking voice at the end. He then played all the keyboards on my album 'Bloodstone' [1971], so his fingerprint is all over everything I've done.”
Russell's last album was 'Red Dirt – Red Heart' in 2015, the third and final instalment in 'Blues Trilogy', and he says his next album is set to be vastly different to the previous three. “I thought I really needed to change, because you have to keep people engaged and you've got to take them on a journey and hopefully they follow you,” he says.
“So we always try and do something that's going to surprise people. You've also got to satisfy yourself, you've got to do something that you think is good and it's a compromise. I just can't believe as an artist that you can sit and keep rowing the same boat backwards and forwards because you never really progress. You have to explore new ground and I decided to do a very different sort of album.”
On his new album 'Black And Blue Heart', set for release in April, Russell had the pleasure of working with Bernard Fanning and producer Nick Didia to realise his creative vision for the record. “We're pretty happy about the new album, we're pretty excited,” he says.
“The brief was that I said I didn't want to make a 'safe' album. With these songs, if we finessed them and made them very neat and precise they could be pop songs but I didn't want that at all. They agreed with me… they were wonderful to work with, absolutely fantastic.”
2019 is a special year for Russell as it marks the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing and also the release of 'The Real Thing'. The song was featured in the film 'The Dish' about the radio telescope in Parkes, NSW, that was used to receive live imagery of the Moon Landing.
In recognition, Russell was this year inducted in to the Parkes Elvis Festival Wall Of Fame, a curious but welcome honour for him “Not a lot of people know but I have an incredibly intense interest in two subjects outside music: history and astrophysics,” Russell explains.
“When I went to 'the dish' they gave me a special guided tour, and I got to meet an astrophysicist and discuss a few things I'd been thinking about the universe. It was a wonderful day for me. Also, it was conducted during an Elvis convention and I thought it was so much fun to see everyone dressed as Elvis, it was very funny.”
'Black And Blue Heart' is available 5 April.
Russell Morris Tour 2019
Mon 11 Mar - Huon Festival (TAS)Thu 14 Mar - Garden Of Unearthly Delights (Adelaide Fringe)
Fri 12 Apr - Darwin Casino
Sat 13 Apr - Edgehill Hotel (Cairns)
Thu 18 Apr - Byron Bay Bluesfest
Wed 24 Apr - The Espy (Melbourne)
Fri 26 Apr - The Gov (Adelaide)
Fri 3 May - Freo Social (Fremantle)
Fri 10 May - Paddington RSL (Sydney)
Sat 11 May - The Triffid (Brisbane)
Sun 12 May - Toronto Hotel (Lake Macquarie)
APIA Good Times Tour 2019
Thu 16 May - Bunbury Entertainment CentreFri 17 May - Perth Concert Hall
Sat 18 May - Thebarton Theatre (Adelaide)
Fri 24 May - Geelong Performing Arts Centre
Sat 25 May - Palais Theatre (Melbourne)
Sun 26 May - Ulumbarra Theatre (Bendigo)
Thu 30 May - Empire Theatre (Toowoomba)
Fri 31 May - QPAC Concert Hall (Brisbane)
1-2 Jun - Twin Towns (Gold Coast)
Thu 13 Jun - Civic Theatre (Newcastle)
Fri 14 Jun - Enmore Theatre (Sydney)
Sat 15 Jun - Anita's Theatre (Wollongong)
Sun 16 Jun - Canberra Theatre Centre
Fri 7 Jun - Wrest Point Entertainment Centre (Hobart)
Sat 8 Jun - Princess Theatre (Launceston)
