Morcheeba

Originally from the small village of Saltwood,Beaujon, Andrew (May 1998). "[https://books.google.com/books?id=RCoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA27 Morcheeba: Look Back in Languor]". CMJ New Music Monthly. Issue 57. p. 26-28; here: p. 27. just north of Hythe, Kent, the Godfrey brothers—DJ/producer/engineer/Lyricist Paul and multi-instrumentalist Ross—moved to London when they were gaining traction from A&R people.{{technical inline|date=March 2025}}[http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01jp32s "BBC Kent"] Ross Godfrey interviewed on BBC Radio Kent by Jacob Rickard, 12 October 2013 (UK only){{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Paul+Godfrey |title=Paul Godfrey Discography at Discogs |publisher=Discogs.com |access-date=11 April 2014}}{{cite web|author=Ross Godfrey |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ross-godfrey-mn0000351587/credits |title=Ross Godfrey | Credits |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=11 April 2014}} Sometime in the mid-1990s, at a party in Greenwich, the brothers met Skye Edwards, who was singing backup in a funk band, and also played guitar; before too long the three began recording songs together, and formed the trio Morcheeba.[http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/music/skye-high-as-morcheeba-return.22648266 "Skye Edwards interview"] Teddy Jamieson, 'Skye high as Morcheeba return' The Herald (Scotland), 15 November 2013. At first Paul produced tracks at their home studio in his bedroom, with engineer Pete Norris helping with the wiring.

They were eventually signed to China Records by Angus Blair (A&R) and the band released their debut Trigger Hippie EP in October 1995.{{Cite web |last=Bush |first=John |title=Morcheeba Biography |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/morcheeba-mn0000597736 |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=AllMusic |language=en}} At the same time, Paul Ablett came on board temporarily as the second manager.{{Cite web |last=Flint |first=Tom |date=October 2000 |title=Pete Norris: Recording Morcheeba's 'Rome Wasn't Built In A Day' |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/people/pete-norris-recording-morcheebas-rome-wasnt-built-day |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=www.soundonsound.com}} The band's debut album, Who Can You Trust?, was released in April 1996 and fitted snugly into the trip hop genre through a combination of Paul Godfrey's hip hop roots, Ross Godfrey's psychedelic rock influences and Edwards' soul-styled vocals. A second single, "Tape Loop", appeared in July 1996 and was a hit on BBC Radio 1 and TV. The band began to play live non-stop in Europe and North America,{{cite web|url=https://www.songkick.com/artists/496494-morcheeba/gigography?page=25 |title=Morcheeba Gigography, Tour History |publisher=Songkick |access-date=11 April 2014}} with a live band that included five additional members.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/morcheeba/3475|title=Live review - New York City Town Hall|last=Levy|first=Doug|date=16 November 2000|website=NME|language=en-US|access-date=25 November 2016}} At this point, the band had outgrown the bedroom recording set-up and the brothers were renting their own studio in Battersea as Paul was heavily influenced by the Beastie Boys and wanted a space with total creative freedom, having engineered many different styles in Kent before starting the project and being a record junkie, sample seeker, he felt he knew the most versatile ways to keep albums interesting.[https://web.archive.org/web/20050410105439/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/dec97/morcheeba.html "Sound On Sound Morcheeba studio 1997"] Sue Sillitoe, 'Morcheeba: From Clapham to The Orb' Sound on Sound, December 1997 (archived 25 November 2016) In 1997, after a mind-blowing phone call Paul had with a huge hero, they contributed to the David Byrne album Feelings, participating in the recording and production of the release when they weren't on the road.{{Cite web |last=Gourley |first=Bob |date=1998-11-07 |title=Interview with Ross Godfrey of Morcheeba |url=https://chaoscontrol.com/morcheeba/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=Chaos Control Digizine |language=en-US}}[https://web.archive.org/web/20131021112459/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/508675/david-byrne-collaborates-with-morcheeba.jhtml "Byrne collaboration"] Gil Kaufman 'David Byrne Collaborates With Morcheeba', MTV News (Addicted to Noise) 3 December 1996Beaujon, Andrew (May 1998). "[https://books.google.com/books?id=RCoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28 Morcheeba: Look Back in Languor]". CMJ New Music Monthly. Issue 57. p. 26-28; here: p. 28.

With a slightly more high end analogue recording set-up and the fact the brothers had written most of the "Big Calm" songs in an altered Xmas-evening in 1995https://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/classic-album-morcheeba-on-big-calm-601271 before the release of their debut, they began developing their ideas for the second album, with Norris involved again as technician, the band moved towards a more varied sound, with Ross' skills and collaborators brought in by Paul. At the same time, Edwards started a trend and appeared on the BBC charity single "Perfect Day".{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1998|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0252-6|page=227/8}} The follow-up, 1998's Big Calm, drifted slightly away from trip hop, incorporating a more Californian, folk song-based sound. One of the album's singles, "The Sea", became a radio favourite. The album proved to be a big seller and ensured Morcheeba as an influential act of the zeitgeist.{{cite book

| first= Martin C.

| last= Strong

| year= 2000

| title= The Great Rock Discography

| edition= 5th

| publisher= Mojo Books

| location= Edinburgh

| page= 660

| isbn= 1-84195-017-3}} In 1998, Morcheeba collaborated with Hubert Laws to record the classic song "Summertime" for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody, a tribute to George Gershwin, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease.

In 2000, Morcheeba released their third album, Fragments of Freedom. This repeated the sales of Big Calm but being too far ahead of the nu-disco trend it received a less positive critical response. Despite achieving success in Europe including their home country of the U.K., the band didn't find as much success in the United States.{{cite web | url=https://variety.com/2002/music/reviews/morcheeba-4-1200547115/ | title=Morcheeba | date=28 July 2002 }} Although Fragments of Freedom was high charting in several European countries, it disappointed some fans. But the band's fourth album, Charango, released in 2002, saw a return to their roots. The singles "Otherwise" and "Way Beyond" followed. The lyrics for "Undress Me Now" and appearance on "What New York Couples Fight About" were written with Lambchop's Kurt Wagner. Other collaborators on the album were rappers Pace Won and old-school legend Slick Rick. In January 2003, the band undertook their first significant tour of the world since 1998.{{cite web |last=Klinge |first=Steve |url=http://articles.philly.com/2003-01-17/entertainment/25469146_1_morcheeba-skye-edwards-paul-godfrey |title=Singer can't label Morcheeba - Philly.com |publisher=Articles.philly.com |date=17 January 2003 |access-date=11 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104065113/http://articles.philly.com/2003-01-17/entertainment/25469146_1_morcheeba-skye-edwards-paul-godfrey |archive-date=4 November 2013 }} In 2001, the Godfrey brothers contributed three songs to the Jim White album No Such Place.{{cite web|url=http://www.discogs.com/Jim-White-No-Such-Place/release/2386553 |title=Jim White - No Such Place (CD, Album) at Discogs |date=26 April 2004 |publisher=Discogs.com |access-date=11 April 2014}}

By the end of 2003, the Godfrey brothers split with Edwards, citing creative and personal differences.[http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2011/02/morcheeba_the_r.php "Gimme Noise"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530023932/http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2011/02/morcheeba_the_r.php |date=30 May 2013 }} Jen Edwards, 'Morcheeba: The revealing extended interview', Gimme Noise, 13 February 2011 Edwards received "a phone call from our manager saying that it was over. It was a relief to think we didn't have to continue". She was under the impression that the band had ceased to operate. A greatest hits compilation, Parts of the Process, helped to retain interest in the band and featured two new tracks: "What's Your Name" (featuring a rhyming cameo from Big Daddy Kane) and "Can't Stand It". At around the same time, they released the live DVD Morcheeba: From Brixton to Beijing. A decade later, Ross Godfrey reflected on this period, saying: "We just felt like we couldn't breathe, I'd been in the band and on the road since I was 18, so to have any kind of break from that was just amazing".{{cite web|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/13531-morcheeba-ross-godfrey-interview |title=Features | A Quietus Interview | Specs, Drugs & Rock & Roll: True Stories Of Morcheeba |date=18 October 2013 |publisher=The Quietus |access-date=11 April 2014}}

The two brothers reunited the year after, leaving Paul to explain that "Ross and I realised that Morcheeba was kind of our family company, and that we wanted very much to keep it going, hence the change".[http://www.musicomh.com/features/interviews/interview-morcheeba "OMH Interview with Paul Godfrey"] Ben Hogwood 'Interview - Morcheeba' music OMH, 3 August 2005 In 2005, Morcheeba released their fifth studio (and first post-Edwards) album, The Antidote. Daisy Martey (formerly of the band Noonday Underground) was recruited to replace Edwards as the album vocalist. However, Martey's period with the band was brief and she was sacked in the middle of the promotional tour, to be replaced by Jody Sternberg. Martey subsequently sued the band for assault, breach of contract and defamation.[https://www.gigwise.com/news/12091/ "Gigwise newsitem"] Daniel Melia, 'Former Morcheeba singer sues Bandmate for assault' Gigwise, 5 January 2006 Sternberg's own tenure with the band was similarly brief, and she only appeared to have been part of the band to fulfil tour dates. According to Ross, the entire episode "was difficult to say the least. It left us in near-ruin".[http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Music-Review/morcheeba-discuss-the-journey-to-dive-deep "Dive Deep interview"] Jack Foley, 'Morcheeba discuss the journey to Dive Deep', IndieLondon, Accessed 21 March 2014.

After a break of several years, Morcheeba released their sixth studio album, Dive Deep, in February 2008. On this album, Paul Godfrey fell back into his role as producer collaborating with Dan Goldman on most tracks (as Ross had moved to L.A.) and selecting five vocalists to perform the songs. The folk-rock singer Judie Tzuke, Norwegian star Thomas Dybdahl and blues singer/guitarist Bradley Burgess appeared as lead vocalists together with the Korean-American rapper Cool Calm Pete and French singer Manda (Amanda Zamolo).[http://www.discogs.com/Morcheeba-Dive-Deep/release/4540737 "Discogs entry"] Discogs entry for the album with credits, accessed 21 March 2014. Both Manda and Burgess toured with Morcheeba as lead singers on their 2008 tour.

As a solo artist, Edwards remained with the same management company as Morcheeba—Chris Morrison the CM of CMO Management represented both artists—which led to a chance meeting in their London offices sometime in 2009. Edwards and the Godfrey brothers met again to discuss her possible involvement in a new project. Initially the singer was hesitant and pointed out that she "really enjoyed doing my solo stuff and writing my own lyrics".[http://guestlisted.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/skye-edwards-morcheeba-interview-2010.html "Guestlisted interview"] Leigh, Sky Edwards interview (2010), Digging A Hole, 21 August 2010 Eventually, Edwards rejoined the band and the trio began work on a new album, with Edwards still on tour promoting her solo album, Ross Godfrey living in California and Paul Godfrey in France.[http://www.indielondon.co.uk/Music-Review/morcheeba-the-indielondon-interview "IndieLondon interview with Paul Godfrey"] 'Morcheeba - The IndieLondon interview', IndieLondon, June 2010 On 12 February 2010, NME revealed that Edwards was once again back with the band, which was confirmed by Paul Godfrey the day after on the band's Myspace blog. Edwards made her live return with the band at the Caprices Festival, Switzerland on 9 April 2010.[https://www.nme.com/news/morcheeba/49729 "Morcheeba to be rejoined by former singer for first time since 2003"] (news story in NME, 12 February 2010) Edwards' role in the band changed, as she had "become more confident" in her "ability as a singer and a songwriter", and found that during the recording process they were "more honest with each other", and thus they produced "a more honest record".

Morcheeba released their seventh album, Blood Like Lemonade, on PIAS in June 2010, preceded by the single "Even Though". It was produced and mastered by Paul Godfrey, who described the album as "a warm, fuzzy blanket of psychedelia", while Edwards described the lyrics as "having dark themes".[http://www.culturecompass.co.uk/2010/06/14/exclusive-skye-edwards-morcheeba/ "Culture Compass: Skye interview 2010"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131108234957/http://www.culturecompass.co.uk/2010/06/14/exclusive-skye-edwards-morcheeba/ |date=8 November 2013 }} Leila Hawkins, 'Exclusive, Skye Edwards, Morcheeba', Culture Compass, 14 June 2010 She also remarked on how the brothers had made her part of the creative process again. An eighteen-month tour followed that saw the band play around the Americas and Europe.{{cite web|url=http://www.joespub.com/component/option,com_shows/task,view/Itemid,40/id,6530 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130124051930/http://www.joespub.com/component/option,com_shows/task,view/Itemid,40/id,6530 |archive-date=24 January 2013 |title=Joe's Pub at The Public - Public Theater |publisher=Joespub.com |access-date=11 April 2014 }}

Their eighth album, Head Up High, was released on 14 October 2013, again on PIAS.{{cite web |url=http://www.contactmusic.com/press/morcheeba-announce-new-album-head-up-high-released-october-14th-2013 |title=Morcheeba Announce New Album 'Head Up High' Released October 14th 2013 |date=15 July 2013 |publisher=contactmusic.com |access-date=14 August 2013}} In 2014, the band toured Australia,{{Cite news|url=http://musicfeeds.com.au/features/morcheebas-skye-edwards-talks-bluesfest-collaborations-and-ignoring-the-critics/|title=Morcheeba's Skye Edwards Talks Bluesfest, Collaborations And Ignoring The Critics - Music Feeds|last=Flynn|first=Jacqueline|date=15 January 2014|newspaper=Music Feeds|language=en-US|access-date=25 November 2016}} with a line-up consisting of Skye Edwards (vocals), Ross Godfrey (guitars), Steve Gordon (bass), Richard Milner (keyboards), Martin Carling (drums) and James Anthony (decks).

In 2014, Paul Godfrey was "bored of reinventing the wheel and didn't enjoy touring either" so instead of leading, he "left".{{Cite web|url=http://www.pledgemusic.com/blog/skye-ross-interview-2016|title=Skye {{!}} Ross continues on post-Morcheeba|date=23 August 2016|website=PledgeMusic|access-date=25 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811223808/http://www.pledgemusic.com/blog/skye-ross-interview-2016|archive-date=11 August 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.pacificsandiego.com/things-to-do/pac-back-for-more-cheeba-story.html|title=Back for more (Cheeba) |last=McDonald|first=Scott|date=3 September 2016|website=Pacificsandiego.com|access-date=11 August 2019}} Ross Godfrey later explained that: "Paul and I had not been getting on musically, or personally and after the Head Up High album in 2013, Paul told us he was unhappy. Skye and I thought it best to just release the record we had made under our own names. There will be no more Morcheeba albums". Paul Godfrey eventually licensed the brand to the Ross, and he has since established a recording studio, Sacrosync, in a great old St Leonards Church near Hastings, after being critically ill in intensive care for a month with Pancreatitis and Sepsis. https://www.sfexaminer.com/culture/skye-and-ross-go-on-without-morcheeba/article_e0b29775-0c75-51e5-86f4-e0cca6a15a02.html he has since recorded a few tracks with guests, done various soundtracks, made boutique drum breaks to sample and a raw, post-coma dreams album on Bandcamp, Cool Your Soul, with Rachel Cuming, the project's original singer from Sussex who had attracted record companies and publishers on early demos under the new moniker The Measure/Morcheeba Productions.{{Cite news|url=http://www.prosoundweb.com/article/paul_godfrey_selects_penn_elcom_for_new_studio/recording|title=Paul Godfrey Selects Penn Elcom For New Studio - Pro Sound Web|access-date=25 November 2016}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.lsionline.co.uk/news/story/Penn-Elcom-gets-wired-for-new-studio/-WIJ8DH|title=Penn Elcom gets wired for new studio -|date=22 July 2016|newspaper=LSi Online|access-date=25 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126004156/http://www.lsionline.co.uk/news/story/Penn-Elcom-gets-wired-for-new-studio/-WIJ8DH|archive-date=26 November 2016}}

Ross Godfrey and Skye Edwards announced a new project in 2016 named Skye & Ross.{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/SkyeandRoss/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716042806/https://www.facebook.com/SkyeandRoss/|archive-date=16 July 2023|title=Skye and Ross {{!}} Facebook|website=Facebook.com|access-date=25 November 2016}} They have toured, and released an eponymous album on 2 September 2016.{{Citation|last=van Brugen|first=Sophie|title=Morcheeba's Skye Edwards and Ross Godfrey talk to BBC|work=BBC News |date=26 September 2016|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37476741|language=en-GB|access-date=25 November 2016}} The band started as an acoustic duo but soon included Edwards' son Jaega (drums), her husband Steve Gordon (bass) and Godfrey's wife Amanda Zamolo (backing vocals).{{Cite news|url=http://www.songwritingmagazine.co.uk/interviews/interview-skye-ross/33672|title=Interview: Skye Ross|last=Slater|first=Aaron|date=15 September 2016|newspaper=Songwriting Magazine|language=en-GB|access-date=25 November 2016}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.aaamusic.co.uk/2015/02/07/a-chat-with-ross-godfrey/|title=A Chat with Ross Godfrey|date=7 February 2015|website=AAA Music|access-date=25 November 2016}} Edwards took responsibility for the lyrics while Ross Godfrey noted that the recording process was "a very organic experience".{{Cite news|url=https://www.thefourohfive.com/music/article/the-405-meets-morcheeba-147|title=The 405 meets Skye And Ross|last=Grand-Pierre|first=Ken|date=23 September 2016 |newspaper=The 405|access-date=25 November 2016}}

Blaze Away, Morcheeba's ninth album, was released on 1 June 2018. The album featured the singles "Never Undo", "Blaze Away" and "It's Summertime". On 14 May 2021, Morcheeba released their tenth album, Blackest Blue. It features collaborations with Duke Garwood and Brad Barr and was preceded by singles "Sounds of Blue", "Oh Oh Yeah" and "The Moon". Blackest Blue did not enter the Official Albums UK Top 100 Chart, but peaked at number 14 on the Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100.{{cite web|url= https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-downloads-chart/20210521/7003|title=Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100 - 21 May 2021 - 27 May 2021 |website=Official Charts |access-date=21 May 2021}}

Skye Edwards revealed in a June 2023 interview that the band had begun working on their eleventh album with ten tracks in the demo phase.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/morcheeba-skye-edwards-interview-karlovy-vary-russell-crowe-1235525183/|title=Karlovy Vary: Morcheeba Singer Skye on Her First Film Festival and a Potential Collaboration With Russell Crowe|first=Alex|last=Ritman|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=30 June 2023 }}

From June to October 2024 the band licensed the name from Paul and toured European festivals, including the 2024 Meltdown at London's South Bank Centre curated by Chaka Khan.{{cite web|url=https://www.songkick.com/artists/496494-morcheeba/calendar|title=Morcheeba tour dates 2024|website=Songkick|access-date=23 June 2024}}

In January 2025, the band released the single "Call for Love", which is the lead single from their forthcoming studio album, Escape the Chaos, announced to be released on 23 May 2025.{{cite web |author=Liberty Dunworth |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/morcheeba-share-reflective-new-single-call-for-love-3830723|title=Morcheeba mark 30 years with reflective new single 'Call For Love': "The world is so confusing and complicated right now" |website=NME|date=21 January 2025|access-date=13 February 2025}} A second single, "We Live and Die", was released on 28 February 2025.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/news/morcheeba-announce-new-album-escape-the-chaos-48072/|title=Morcheeba announce new album Escape the Chaos|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Reilly|first=Nick|date=26 February 2025|access-date=28 February 2025}}{{cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/track/24NeOtNC2rhg4Un54f3uG3?si=YDfaSjASQIWLrGe2VFlJRw&context=spotify%3Aalbum%3A1B9KnYWk0LPcm7lyTccA6h|title=Morcheeba - We Live and Die|website=Spotify|date=28 February 2025|access-date=28 February 2025}} "Peace of Me", a collaboration with Oscar #Worldpeace, was released on 8 April 2025.{{cite web|url=https://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/247260/9|title=Morcheeba Post New Single Peace Of Me|website=Stereoboard|last=Stickler|first=Jon|date=8 April 2025|access-date=10 April 2025}}

The name "Morcheeba" comes from the initials "MOR" ("middle of the road") as a joke and needing more "cheeba", a slang term used by Paul's hero Schoolly D for cannabis.{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/dec97/morcheeba.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050410105439/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1997_articles/dec97/morcheeba.html |archive-date=10 April 2005 |title=MORCHEEBA VICAR? |publisher=Soundonsound.com |access-date=11 April 2014 }} (archive.org)

{{Infobox artist discography

| Artist = Morcheeba

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| Studio = 10

| Live =

| Compilation = 6

| EP =

| Singles = 31

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{{reflist}}

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{{Morcheeba}}

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Category:English musical trios

Category:English electronic music groups

Category:Trip hop groups

Category:China Records artists

Category:Sire Records artists

Category:Musical groups established in 1995

Category:Musical groups from Kent

Category:Discovery Records artists

Category:Female-fronted musical groups

Category:1995 establishments in England

Category:Sibling musical groups

Category:Downtempo musicians