Russell Morris on ‘Great Australian Lives’

7 October 2023

One of Bang a Gong‘s core Australian artists from the ’60s and ’70s, Russell Morris, will be featured on Great Australian Lives this week.

The radio show hosted by Craig Willis is broadcast on Melbourne’s 3MP on Sunday night after which it is available as a podcast (details below).

Russell Morris was 18 when he recorded The Real Thing, his first solo single after leaving the group Somebody’s image. Produced by Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum and written by Johnny Young, the track reached Australia’s #1 spot in June 1969, despite being more than six minutes long.

Following the success of The Real Thing, Russell focused more on his own songwriting. His sound began to change and it evolved even further over the years, moving from psychedelic pop to acoustic pop/soft rock, country and, more recently, blues.

Russell went on to perform solo and with various bands, recording 15 studio albums and picking up various nominations and awards along the way, including induction into both the Australian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame (2005) and the ARIA Hall of Fame (2008).

Almost six decades on, Russell is still churning out top charting albums and picking up ARIA awards, and is currently touring the biggest show of his career, Russell Morris: The Real Thing, which features a 54-piece symphony and a 10-piece band performing his greatest hits including Sweet Sweet Love, Hush and Wings of an Eagle.

Great Australian Lives, with Craig Willis chatting to Russell Morris, can be heard this Sunday (8 Oct) at 6pm on Easy Music 3MP:
Melbourne & Mornington Peninsula: 1377 AM and DAB+
Anywhere: 3MP app and 3MP website streaming
After that the program can be enjoyed as a podcast via the 3MP app and website.

Great Australia Lives, sponsored by Tobin Brothers Funerals, can also be heard at 8pm Sunday on ACE Radio’s regional stations GOLD 1242, 3YB-FM, 2AY, 2QN, 3NE, 3SH, 3WM, 3HA and 3CS.

Click to comment – what are your favourite Russell Morris songs?