George «Shadow» Morton ist gestorben

Der 1940 geborene US-amerikanische Songwriter und Musikproduzent George Francis «Shadow» Morton (Bild) ist am 14. Februar 2013 in Laguna Beach, Kalifornien, gestorben

Foto: http://www.theshangri-las.com/Shadow Morton interview.htm 

«’Is she really going out with him?‘ is the spoken introduction to ‚Leader of the Pack‘ by the Shangri-Las, one of the most evocative examples of the ‚girl group‘ genre of 1960s pop music. The producer and co-writer of that record and other Shangri-Las hits was George ‚Shadow‘ Morton, who has died aged 72 of cancer. Morton’s other productions included Janis Ian’s controversial hit ‚Society’s Child‘, as well as recordings by heavy rock bands Vanilla Fudge and Iron Butterfly, and punk pioneers the New York Dolls.»

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2013/feb/17/george-shadow-morton

«He wrote his first song, ‚Remember,‘ in a frantic attempt to talk his way into a job at the Brill Building, pulling together a girl group from Queens, seagull sound effects, and (rumor has it) a young Billy Joel. The song went on to reach Number Five on the Billboard singles chart in 1964 and the Shangri-Las became mainstays of the period’s teen-angst girl groups. Without ever learning to play an instrument or read music, Morton wrote several more hits for the Shangri-Las, including ‚Leader of the Pack‘ (written with Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry), ‚Give Him a Great Big Kiss‘ and ‚I Can Never Go Home Anymore.’»

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/producer-and-songwriter-shadow-morton-dead-at-71-20130216

«Wenn George Francis Morton Popsongs schrieb, dann waren das nicht einfach Liebesliedchen, sondern er blies die Beziehungskonflikte zu so grossen Dramen auf, wie sie sich in Teenagerherzen nun einmal anfühlen. Ob das brave Mädchen dem Anführer der Motorradgang verfällt (‚Leader of the Pack‘), oder ob es gar die Familie verlässt, worauf die Mutter an gebrochenem Herzen stirbt (‚I Can Never Go Home Anymore‘): Mit Mortons Songs wurden die Shangri-La’s Mitte der sechziger Jahre zu einer der beliebtesten Girlgroups.»

http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/musik/leader-of-the-pack-shangri-la-s-songwriter-george-shadow-morton-tot-a-883995.html

Mehr:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Morton

Audio / Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy8_38U3xLU&list=AL94UKMTqg-9AnP40qqnm6EfcIlJ4fWAA4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McvWodRXA7k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOdP_VvPKHU&list=AL94UKMTqg-9AnP40qqnm6EfcIlJ4fWAA4