George Francis "Shadow" Morton (September 3, 1941 – February 14, 2013) was an American record producer and songwriter best known for his influential work in the 1960s. In particular, he was noted for writing and producing "Remember (Walking in the Sand)", "Leader of the Pack", and other hits for girl group the Shangri-Las.

Early life

He was born in Richmond, Virginia, United States, He became friendly with Ellie Greenwich, and did drop-in visits to her and her songwriting partner and husband Jeff Barry when they were working at the Brill Building.

Career

According to a Biography episode on various 1960s Brill Building pop songwriters, which included interviews with Greenwich, Barry and Morton among others, Barry said that at the time he was suspicious of Morton's overt attention to Greenwich. Skeptical that Morton was really the songwriter he claimed to be, Barry challenged Morton to prove his legitimacy and bring in samples of his recent work (expecting never to hear again from the unheard-of Morton). Morton stated in his interview that, with an empty song portfolio at the time, he felt sufficiently challenged by Barry, whereupon he left the Brill Building and drove to a Long Island beach. Full of inspiration and determination, Morton spent the evening writing most of his first song "Remember (Walking In The Sand)" while sitting in the dark in his parked car, and the rest of it in the shower back home before heading back to Barry. Morton then 'rolled the dice' and recorded a demo of his song at Long Island's Ultrasonic Recording Studios with an unknown local girl-group that he admired, The Shangri-Las (according to Morton, with the then-unknown Billy Joel on piano in the demo recording), and offered the demo recording to Jerry Leiber, who was then setting up Red Bird Records.

Morton signed on as a staff producer for Red Bird Records. He was nicknamed "Shadow" by record company executive George Goldner because his whereabouts could never be pinned down.

In 1967, his successes continued after the collapse of Red Bird when his production of Janis Ian's "Society's Child" became a hit record. Morton also worked with Iron Butterfly; the group gave an interview to Mix Magazine crediting him with producing the hit track "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida". Morton told film producer Larry Schweikart in 2009 that the band was too uptight to get the song down, so he faked an equipment malfunction on the soundboard and told them to practice. In fact, he was rolling tape, and he kept giving them the "keep it up" sign, resulting in the long solos and the famous drum solo.

In 1970, Morton produced the psychedelic heavy rock band Haystacks Balboa, a New York City based quintet who toured nationally as support for Rod Stewart, Ten Years After and Jethro Tull. In 1971, Morton produced the Polydor Records album Uncle Chapin, the sole release of the seven-piece jazz rock horn group formerly known as Stonehammer. He also produced all-girl group Isis, and worked with The New York Dolls, producing their second album Too Much Too Soon. In 2009, Morton appeared in the documentary Rockin' the Wall, about music's part in bringing down the Iron Curtain, along with former Vanilla Fudge members Mark Stein and Vinny Martell, as well as David Paich of Toto, Rudy Sarzo of Quiet Riot, Robby Krieger of the Doors, Billy Joel and Joan Jett. In 2013, a compilation album was released of songs written or produced by Morton, titled Sophisticated Boom Boom: The Shadow Morton Story.

Death

Shadow Morton died on February 14, 2013, in Laguna Beach, California, from cancer.

References

  • Comprehensive 1991 interview with Morton
  • Rockinthewall.com