Stephen Morris (musician)
| Stephen Morris | |
|---|---|
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Stephen Morris performing with New Order at Mechanics Bay, Auckland, New Zealand on 27 February 2012 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Stephen Paul David Morris |
| Born |
28 October 1957 Macclesfield, Cheshire, England |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1977–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
Stephen Paul David Morris (born 28 October 1957) is an English musician who is best known for his work with the rock band New Order and, previously, Joy Division. He also drummed in The Other Two, a band made up of Morris and his wife, Gillian Gilbert. Morris has also performed with the New Order spin-off band Bad Lieutenant. He is known for his precise drumming that seamlessly wove with New Order's and Joy Division's drum machine sounds. Stylus Magazine ranked Morris No. 5 on their list of "50 Greatest Rock Drummers of All Time".[1]
Life and career
Morris was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. He attended The King's School, Macclesfield,[2] as did Ian Curtis who was also in Joy Division. After Joy Division went through three drummers, they eventually chose Morris, who responded to a wanted ad posted in a local music shop.[3]
In 1979, Morris was questioned about the Yorkshire Ripper case. Joy Division's touring schedule happened to be similar to Peter Sutcliffe's movements which led to the police's suspicion. Following gigs in Halifax, Huddersfield, Leeds and Manchester, both Morris and bassist Peter Hook were questioned.[4]
Early on, Morris was also a strong contender to become New Order's lead vocalist, and his vocals can be heard on some early tracks (especially live versions). He also contributed musically to as-yet-unreleased demos by Quando Quango. Although he is primarily a percussionist, Morris also plays keyboards.
He played drums on a couple of songs for Echo and the Bunnymen when they and New Order were both recording at Amazon Studios in Liverpool in 1986, a time when Echo and the Bunnymen didn't have a full-time drummer. New Order were recording 'Brotherhood' while Echo and the Bunnymen recorded their eponymous fifth album.
He and Gilbert live in Rainow, outside Macclesfield. Together they formed the side-project The Other Two. The latest Other Two CD is called Swing. They have together two daughters, Tilly and Grace.
In 2007, Morris and Gilbert remixed two tracks for the Nine Inch Nails remix album Year Zero Remixed. In June 2009, he, along with other members of New Order (except Peter Hook) formed a new band called Bad Lieutenant along with Blur bassist Alex James, though James did not stay in the band due to travel distance from other members. Tom Chapman replaced Alex James on bass in the final line-up. Bad Lieutenant released their début album "Never Cry Another Tear" in 2009 and toured from October 2009 to April 2010. They had begun working on a second album and performed several one-off shows. New Order reformed in the summer of 2011, and Morris returned to playing with New Order.
Morris is a fan of the science fiction TV series Doctor Who. He has a full-sized Dalek replica in his rehearsal room, which Sumner has called "the sixth member" of New Order.[5] Morris owns several military vehicles.[6]
Discography
- With Joy Division
- With New Order
- With The Other Two
- The Other Two & You (1993)
- Super Highways (1999)
References
- ↑ "Stylus Magazine's 50 Greatest Rock Drummers – Article". Stylus Magazine. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
- ↑ "Steve Morris at Speakers’ Club". King's latest news. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
- ↑ "DRUM!Magazine". www.drummagazine.com. Retrieved 2016-01-24.
- ↑ "Peter Hook discusses being questioned during Yorkshire Ripper hunt". CMU. 12 December 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-12.
- ↑ "Bernard Sumner Is Glad the Failed Marriage of New Order Is Over". Spinner. 7 April 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
- ↑ "Radio 4 – Saturday Live – Home Page". BBC. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
External links
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