The Morris Springfield Project are an Australian duo consisting of
Russell Morris
Russell Norman Morris (born 31 July 1948) is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s. On 1 July 2008, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recog ...
and
Rick Springfield
Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debu ...
. They released ''Jack Chrome and the Darkness Waltz'' in October 2021, which debuted at number 34 on the
ARIA Albums Chart
The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
.
History
Russell Morris and Rick Springfield have known each other for over 50 years with Springfield playing instruments on Morris' 1971 debut album, ''
Bloodstone
Bloodstone may refer to:
*Heliotrope (mineral) or bloodstone, a form of chalcedony
Film
* ''Bloodstone'' (1988 film), an Indian-American action/comedy film
*'' Bloodstone: Subspecies II'', a 1993 horror film
* Bloodstone: An Epic Dwarven Tale, ano ...
''.
The duo performed together as part of
Zoot and in 2014, Springfield played on Morris' album, ''
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sep ...
'' also.
In July 2021, Morris took to social media to announce that he and Springfield had been working together and announced the duo and the duo's album, ''Jack Chrome and the Darkness Waltz''.
The album focuses on Mexico's
Day of the Dead
The Day of the Dead ( es, Día de Muertos or ''Día de los Muertos'') is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. It is widely obser ...
(Día de los Muertos) festival. Morris said "We have always loved the Mexican 'Day of Dead' festival. It is a beautiful concept, whereby every year at the end of October, they invite their departed loved ones spirits, to come back and live amongst them for three weeks. It is three weeks of celebrations, and embracing the ones who have departed this world. We both love the album and we hope you will also."
The album was released on 15 October 2021 and debuted at number 34 on the ARIA Charts.
In an album review, Jeff Jenkins from ''Stack Magazine'' said called it "a killer combination" saying "Morris inhabits the character of Jack Chrome, bringing a menacing presence, while Springfield adds some Spanish to the saga, with a ragged vocal that reminds of
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Initially working in the country music g ...
's finest work... The record is an unforgettable tale of death and darkness, life and loss, sin and celebration."
Discography
Studio albums
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morris Springfield Project, The
2021 establishments in Australia
Australian musical duos
Male musical duos
Musical groups established in 2021
Musical groups from Melbourne