Cotton Keays & Morris

Cotton Keays & Morris
Also known as CKM
Genres Pop, rock music
Years active 2000–2012
Associated acts Burns Cotton & Morris, Somebody's Image, The Masters Apprentices, Zoot
Website mastersapprentices.com/ckmnews.htm
Past members Darryl Cotton
Jim Keays
Russell Morris

Cotton Keays & Morris (shortened to CKM by fans) was an Australian rock band formed in 2000 consisting of singer-songwriters Darryl Cotton, Jim Keays and Russell Morris. Each wrote and recorded numerous hit songs since the 1960s. The band toured Australia regularly, their stage show featuring the hits of each member and their previous groups.

History

Cotton Keays & Morris was formed in 2000. During the previous decade, Cotton and Morris had toured with another 1960s pop star Ronnie Burns as Burns, Cotton, & Morris. When Burns decided to leave the group, The Masters Apprentices frontman Jim Keays was invited to join Cotton and Morris in a similar band, bringing with him a sizeable catalogue of hits to add to the on-stage repertoire.

Darryl Cotton

Main articles: Zoot (band) and Darryl Cotton

Daryl Cotton (4 September 1949 – 27 July 2012) was a founding member of rock band Zoot along with Beeb Birtles (Mississippi and Little River Band). Following the break-up of Zoot, Cotton worked overseas for several years before returning to Australia to pursue a solo career. He also enjoyed success as the lead in the Australian production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, appeared in television programs including The Young Doctors and hosted The Early Bird Show.

Cotton's contributions to the setlist include Zoot hits "1x2x3x4" and a hard rock version of "Eleanor Rigby", Mississippi single "Will I?" (co-written with Birtles), and his solo songs "Don't Let It Get to You" and the award-winning "Same Old Girl".[1]

Cotton died from liver cancer on 27 July 2012.[2]

Jim Keays

Jim Keays (9 September 1946 – 13 June 2014) was the lead singer for Australian rock band The Masters Apprentices from 1965 to 1971. The band has re-formed occasionally for nostalgia and benefit concerts. Keays went on to forge a successful solo career. Keays, together with The Masters Apprentices, was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2007 Keays was diagnosed with myeloma, which caused his kidneys to fail, but the cancer is in remission.[3][4]

Keays contributions include The Masters Apprentices hits "Living in a Child's Dream", "Elevator Driver", "5:10 Man", "Think About Tomorrow Today", "Because I Love You" and "Turn Up Your Radio" (the song featured on a 1998 Australian postage stamp).[5] His solo hit "The Boy from the Stars" is also featured.

Keays died from pneumonia related to multiple myeloma on 13 June 2014.[6]

Russell Morris

Main articles: Somebody's Image and Russell Morris

Russell Morris (born 31 July 1948) first enjoyed success in 1966 when his band Somebody's Image achieved a hit with a cover of the song "Hush". Breaking out as a solo musician, Morris achieved instant stardom with his classic song "The Real Thing". Between 1969 and 1972 Morris released seven charting singles, with five reaching the Top 10.[7] "The Real Thing" was featured on a 1998 Australian postage stamp. Morris was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2008.

Morris rounds out the band's repertoire with his hits: "Hush", "Rachel", " Mr America", "The Wings of an Eagle", "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", "Sweet Sweet Love" and "The Real Thing".

Concert reviews

"In an evening littered with rich memories and moments, it's difficult to pick out the finest contributions." (See complete review)
"This was one of the most enjoyable concerts I have been to in a long while." (See complete review)
"This night, on stage, surpasses them all." (See complete review)
"I can remember being 18 and thinking, if I make it to 25, I'll be happy and all these years later, here we are." (See complete review)

Discography

Live at The Basement (DVD) (2004)

Same Old Girl; Hush; Living in a Child's Dream; Rachael; Don't Let It Get To You; Elevator Driver; Will I; 5:10 Man; Mr America; Waiting for the Big One; The Wings of An Eagle; The Boy From The Stars; Here Comes Another Heartache; (It's All Over Now) Baby Blue; Sweet Sweet Love; Think About Tomorrow Today; 1x2x3x4; Because I Love You; The Real Thing; Eleanor Rigby; Turn Up Your Radio
Review
"Russell Morris, Jim Keays and Darryl Cotton were among the first Australian artists to look beyond the amiable impotence of a local pop music scene which considered itself inferior to the imports that dominated us for so long. As members of Zoot, The Masters Apprentices and Somebody's Image they decided to think big – and in doing so changed the face of Australian music. As Cotton Keays & Morris, they can choose from several hundred self-penned songs, more than 40 of which were rock solid chart hits. Each of them can take credit for some of the handful of genuine masterpieces of Australian recording – many of which appear on this landmark DVD – songs such as The Real Thing, Because I Love You, Eleanor Rigby, Wings of an Eagle, Turn Up Your Radio, and Will I. And then there are the moments of untouchable beauty like Sweet Sweet Love, Living in a Child's Dream, Rachel and Boy From The Stars. Here it is: an emphatic endorsement of the talents of three giants of Australian rock."[8]

Live at The Basement (CD) (2004)

Same Old Girl; Hush; Living in a Child's Dream; Rachel; Don't Let It Get To You; Elevator Driver; Will I; 5:10 Man; Mr America; Waiting for the Big One; The Wings of an Eagle; Think About Tomorrow Today; (It's All Over Now) Baby Blue; Sweet Sweet Love; 1x2x3x4; Because I Love You; The Real Thing; Eleanor Rigby; Turn Up Your Radio

Live Acoustic (CD) (2003)

Ohio; Living in a Child's Dream; Wings of an Eagle; Will I; Waiting for the Big One; Don't Let It Get To You; Sweet Sweet Love; Same Old Girl; It's All Over Now Baby Blue; Because I Love You; Hush; 5:10 Man; Eleanor Rigby; My Back Pages

Maximum Hits (CD)

The Freak; Little Red Book; Same Old Girl; I'm Only Sleeping; Here Comes Another Heartache; Eleanor Rigby; Living in a Child's Dream; 5:10 Man; It's Because Love You; Turn Up Your Radio; Boy From The Stars; Waiting for the Big One; Wings of an Eagle; Rachel; Lets Do It; Hard Road; Roar of the Wild Torpedoes; The Real Thing

Maximum Hits Volume 2 (CD)

Sweet Sweet Love; Evil Child; Think About Tomorrow Today; Better Get Going Now; Baby Blue (Live Version); Wars Or Hands of Time; Eleanor Rigby; Undecided; Part 3 into Paper Walls; Because I Love You ('88); Bang Ooh Ya Got Me; Elevator Driver; Only a Matter of Time; 1x2x3x4

The Spirit of Christmas (CD) (2001)

We Three Kings of Orient Are

References

  1. ↑ "Darryl Cotton". Countdown. countdown.com.au. Retrieved 6 July 2008.
  2. ↑ "Singer, actor Darryl Cotton dies". ninemsn.com.au. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  3. ↑ Howe, Alan (8 August 2007). "Keays hopes to master cancer". Herald Sun. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
  4. ↑ "Jim was told that he is in remission". mastersapprentices.com. February 2008. Retrieved 17 July 2008.
  5. ↑ Hoogschagen, Jan-Simon (2 August 1998). "Australian Rock'n'Roll Stamps #9". fortunecity.com. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
  6. ↑ Zuel, Bernard (13 June 2014). "Jim Keays of Masters Apprentices has died, aged 67". smh.com.au. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  7. ↑ "ARIA Hall of Fame: Russell Morris". ARIA Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2008.
  8. ↑ "Cotton, Keays and Morris – Live at the Basement". BigPond. 2004. Retrieved 5 July 2008.

External links