The Morells
Penthouse/Omni College Rock Concert # 1018 London Wavelength's Broadcast Week of February 5, 1984
Recorded at:
Tut's, Chicago
1983
01 Phil Harvey - College Concert 1018 Intro
02 The Morells - Happy Organ
03 The Morells - Folsom Prison Blues
04 The Morells - Lovers' Leap
05 The Morells - Laid Off
06 The Morells - Feel So Good
07 The Morells - Red's
08 The Morells - Don't Let Your Baby Buy A Car
09 The Morells - Eager Boy
10 The Morells - Beatnik
11 Phil Harvey - College Concert 1018 Break
12 Phil Harvey - College Concert 1018 Segment Intro
13 The Morells - I Want You To Be My Baby
14 The Morells - You're The One That Done It
15 The Morells - Growin' A Beard
16 The Morells - Frankie Hill Introduction
17 The Morells - Go Ahead
18 The Morells - Gettin' In Shape
19 The Morells - That Mellow Saxophone
20 The Morells - Must Be Love
21 The Morells - Waitin' For A Slow Dance
22 The Morells - Ugly And Slouchy
23 The Morells - Bumble Boogie
24 Phil Harvey - College Concert 1018 Outro
Runout grooves:
COLLEGE ROCK CONCERT #1018 - A
COLLEGE ROCK CONCERT #1018 - B
2025 update: now includes scan of both record labels, the cue sheet, and newspaper clippings.
The Morells played at Tut's in Chicago twice in 1983 on January 20th, and again on May 6. It's likely that this is from the May date as it's closer to the syndicated broadcast date, plus, who wants to go to Chicago to record a show in January? The weather report for that day says chance of snow, high of 32 degrees. But a logical theory isn't the same thing as a fact, so we don't know the precise date. I didn't find any further dates for the Morells at Tut's in 1983 or 1984.
My original liners notes from 2013 (and the 2020 update):
The Penthouse/Omni College Rock Concert series was produced by London Wavelength, and launched in September of 1983. London Wavelength also produced the BBC Rock Hour, and the BBC College Concert series. The numbering follows a pattern ascending sequentially from #1000 (1000, 1001, 1002....). The series does not seem to have lasted very long, with the highest number I've spotted on Ebay being #1019, from February 12th, 1984. The show was broadcast weekly, and the disc labels are the same yellow-with-a-bulldog logo design used for the Rock Hour and the College Concerts.
Penthouse is the well-known soft core pornographic magazine; Omni was a science & science fiction magazine published from 1978 to 1995.
The Morells are a Midwestern band from Springfield, Missouri, based around core members Lou Whitney (bass) and Donnie Thompson (guitar) who also have a band called the Skeletons. The obvious comparison for the Morells is to NRBQ; they have a similar sense of humor, and taste for obscure oldies. The Morells mix the oldies in with originals, most of which have a light comic tone.
If you want to get a feel for their music, go to YouTube and watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X87mfrXqcwA ,
their ode to Red's Giant Hamburg (Red didn't measure the width of the sign correctly and had to leave off the "-er.") which was formerly on Highway 66 in Springfield, MO.
The Morells put out the Shake and Push LP in 1982, managed a second album in 2001, and continue to record and play into the 21st century. You can find their albums on Amazon.com and CDBaby.com
This is digitized directly from the syndicated radio LP, and includes a scan of the cue sheet and disc label. I've declicked the tracks one click at a time in Audacity. Hey! Wake up! That takes HOURS of work, so what are you waiting for? Download this now, check 'em out, and go buy their album!
