The band became very popular in Australia and released three singles – Hide and Seek, When I Come Home and Hush. He left the group 18 months later.
After visiting old friend Ronnie Burns, Russell decided to try and make it as a solo artist and in early 1969 he went into the studio to record his debut solo single, The Real Thing.
Written by John Young (later the host of Young Talent Time) and produced by future Countdown svengali Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum at a cost of $10,000 over several weeks in the studio, the epic six-minute psychedelic production horrified executives at EMI who refused to release the track.
Molly Meldrum, Russell Morris and Johnny Young. The “Real Thing” team.
After weeks of battling, the song was finally released. It topped the Australian charts and spent 17 weeks at #1, earning Russell a gold record. Today, it is recognised as a landmark in Australian recording history.
Almost overnight, Russell Morris was a pop star, and, with each new single and album, he went from success to success.
Russell later re-recorded Hush as a solo single, and once again, it became a national hit.
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