Geoff Morrow
{{short description|British songwriter and businessman (born 1942)}}
{{For|the actor|Jeff Morrow}}
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{{BLP sources|date=October 2015}}
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{{EngvarB|date=June 2017}}
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{{Infobox musical artist
| background = non_performing_personnel
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Geoff Morrow
| birth_name = Geoffrey Stanton Morrow
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1942|05|16}}
| birth_place = London, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| genre =
| years_active = 1964–present
| occupation = Songwriter, producer
| associated_acts = Arnold, Martin and Morrow, Butterscotch
}}
Geoffrey Stanton "Geoff" Morrow (born 16 May 1942, in London, England){{cite web|url=http://www.checkcompany.co.uk/director/1308568/GEOFFREY-STANTON-MORROW |title=Check Company : Geoffrey Stanton Morrow |publisher=Check Company |accessdate=20 October 2015}} is a British songwriter and businessman. His compositions have been recorded by Butterscotch (of which he was a member), Sandie Shaw,{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/i-must-be-lucky-mt0026764944 |title=I Must Be Lucky – Sandie Shaw | Song Info |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=20 October 2015}} the Carpenters,{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/cant-smile-without-you-mt0033023432 |title=Can't Smile Without You – Carpenters | Song Info |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=20 October 2015}} Elvis Presley,{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/little-bit-of-green-mt0011580899 |title=Little Bit of Green – Elvis Presley | Song Info |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=20 October 2015}} Johnny Mathis,{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/you-saved-my-life-mt0051499960 |title=You Saved My Life – Johnny Mathis | Song Info |publisher=AllMusic |date=27 January 2015 |accessdate=20 October 2015}} Jessie J,{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Jessie-J-Who-You-Are/release/2840248 |title=Jessie J – Who You Are (CD, Album) |publisher=discogs |date=24 July 2011 |accessdate=20 October 2015}} Barry Manilow and other musicians.
Biography
Many of his early compositions were co-written by David Martin and/or Chris Arnold, with whom he also recorded, both as the songwriting and production trio Arnold, Martin and Morrow and as the soft rock band Butterscotch.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/1414079-Butterscotch-2 |title=Butterscotch (2) Discography |publisher=discogs |accessdate=20 October 2015}} Fellow songwriter and producer Phil Wainman played the drums for Butterscotch.
Morrow and Arnold's first big songwriting success was "In Thoughts of You", which was taken to the top ten of the UK Singles Chart by Billy Fury in 1965.{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/in%20thoughts%20of%20you/ |title=Official Chart History|publisher=Officialcharts.com |accessdate=20 October 2015}} All three songwriters composed "Annabella", which was originally recorded in the UK by Dave Dee without chart success,{{cite web|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/6007021 |title=Dave Dee – Annabella / Kelly – Fontana – UK – 6007 021 |publisher=45cat |date=14 January 2014 |accessdate=20 October 2015}} but which reached the US charts via a cover version by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds in 1971.{{cite web|url=http://www.musicvf.com/song.php?title=Annabella+by+Hamilton%2C+Joe+Frank+%26+Reynolds&id=18664 |title=Annabella (song by Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds) • Music VF, US & UK hits charts |publisher=Musicvf.com |date=28 August 1971 |accessdate=20 October 2015}} The writers themselves (as Butterscotch) scored another top twenty UK hit with "Don't You Know (She Said Hello)" in 1970{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/don't%20you%20know/ |title=Official Chart History |publisher=Officialcharts.com |accessdate=20 October 2015}} which reached number 17 on the UK chart.
The Arnold, Martin and Morrow team wrote four songs for Elvis Presley between 1969 and 1973. One, "Let's Be Friends", made the title track of a 1970 budget compilation album.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Elvis-Presley-Lets-Be-Friends/release/1348355 |title=Elvis Presley – Let's Be Friends (Vinyl, LP, Album) |date=26 October 1970 |publisher=discogs |accessdate=20 October 2015}}
They went on to compose and produce a number of more or less successful songs throughout the early to mid-1970s, including "There's a Whole Lot of Loving" which provided Guys 'n' Dolls with a UK #2 hit in 1974; they also wrote and/or produced the group's follow-up hits. Although the Guys 'n' Dolls hits all appeared on Peter Shelley's Magnet label, in about 1975 the team started their own record label named "AMMO" - and several releases on that label achieved moderate success in the UK. The team also wrote "Can't Smile Without You", made famous by Barry Manilow.{{cite web|author=Steve Huey |url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/cant-smile-without-you-mt0043907172 |title=Can't Smile Without You – Barry Manilow | Song Info |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=20 October 2015}}
Morrow established Geoff Morrow Music.[https://opencorporates.com/companies/gb/04911848 Geoff Morrow Music, Open corporation] 15 December 2020 One record company was sold to RCA and the other to EMI. In 1990, he bought the Manchester Opera House and Palace Theatre, Manchester.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} His latest musical, A Legendary Romance,{{cite web |url=http://ronhstephenson.com/summer-stock/a-legendary-romance/ |title=A Legendary Romance (New Musical) |publisher=Ron H. Stephenson |accessdate=20 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304090421/http://ronhstephenson.com/summer-stock/a-legendary-romance/ |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead }} produced by Laurence Myers, successfully "tried out" in New Hampshire.{{cite web|url=http://www.nhmagazine.com/June-2014/Inside-the-New-London-Barn-Playhouse/ |title=An Inside Look at New Hampshire's New London Barn Playhouse |publisher=Nhmagazine.com |date=1 September 2015 |accessdate=20 October 2015}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/4111834.stm Profile], BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
- {{Discogs artist|Geoff Morrow}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Morrow, Geoff}}
Category:English male songwriters
Category:English record producers
Category:British soft rock musicians
Category:People from Islington (district)
Category:Businesspeople from London
Category:Musicians from London
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