The Russell Morris ‘Sharkmouth’ album has clocked up three years on the ARIA chart this week. That is 156 weeks in total.
‘Sharkmouth’ has been a consistent seller since its release in 2012 and was the first release in what became Morris’ trilogy of Blues albums with ‘Van Diemen’s Land’ and the recent ‘Red Dirt Red Heart’ following.
‘Sharkmouth’ resurrected the career of Russell Morris who was 64-years old when he released the album. In 1969 Russell had become one of Australia’s biggest rock stars with number one hits ‘The Real Thing’ and ‘Part Three Into Paper Walls’.
The hits continued to flow with ‘Rachel’, ‘Mr America’, ‘Sweet Sweet Love’, ‘Live With Friends’ and ‘Wings of an Eagle’ giving Russell continuous and consecutive Top 40 presence from 1969 through to 1972.
In the 80s the Russell Morris sound took a harder edge and Russell Morris & The Rubes had a second stab at a hit song with his cover of the Joe South classic ‘Hush’, also a hit in 1967 in Australia for his then band Somebody’s Image.
1990 also brought the Russell Morris name back into the chart when a remix of ‘The Real Thing’ resurfaced.
In the 00s, Russell teamed with Zoot’s Daryl Cotton and The Masters Apprentices’ Jim Keays for what became one of the Australia’s most popular live acts Cotton, Keays and Morris.
‘Sharkmouth’ became the surprise hit of 2013. No-one expected a Blues album of songs based on notorious Australians by a guy in his mid 60s to be the hit that it was, but ‘Sharkmouth’ took off and became the biggest selling Australian album on original songs that year. It went on to earn Russell an ARIA Award for Best Blues and Roots album.
Russell followed up ‘Sharkmouth’ with more songs about historic Australian’s with ‘Van Diemen’s Land’.
He recently released ‘Red Dirt Red Heart’ and generated a no 21 ARIA chart position. The ‘Red Dirt Red Heart’ album was been the number one album on the ARIA Blues and Jazz Chart since its release.
Russell Morris live dates
December 12, Canberra, Southern Cross Club Woden
December 18, Melbourne, Shoppingtown Hotel Doncaster
December 19, Barwon Heads, Barwon Heads
January 10, Torquay, Torquay Hotel
January 15, Sydney, Club Sapphire
January 16 and 17, Thredbo Blues Festival
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