Barry Morgan Interview!

By Angus | Friday, 9 September | One Comment

First of all, if you’ve never been introduced to Barry Morgan (of Barry Morgan’s World of Organs), watch this:

The wonderfully eccentric Barry Morgan, as seen at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, and the hit Australian TV show Spicks and Specks (ABC), was a highlight at the Darwin Festival this year. The “world’s greatest organ salesman”, easily recognised by his groovy safari suit, took stage at the Lighthouse on Tuesday 23 August 2011. He was is very excited to be playing in the Northern Territory for the first time. I managed to catch up with him over the phone, between his busy schedule of being a touring musician and managing his organ superstore in Adelaide, and this is what he had to say.

I understand that you’ve been doing some recording with ‘Perambulator records’ and are planning on releasing an album. How is that going?

It’s going really groovy. It’s in the mixing stage at the moment. We’re ‘twiddling with all the nobs and all this stuff. It’s very exciting.

I’m using the ‘lovely Hammond Arora Classic 1981’ organ, the ultimate spinet organ.

What do you love most about the Hammond organ? Why is the Hammond organ your instrument?

I think it’s got such warm tones, and a big bottom end, and crisp. And the drum machine is very groovy. The ‘auto vary 64’ is the drum machine. It’s lovely. The bossa nova’s groovy and the blues rock and the disco, and you know, I think it’s very fortunate timing, for Barry to try and get out of the world of organ’s. Um, yes, I’ve had to put a closed sign on the door of the shop, while I’m touring around. Since I’ve been on the television, there’s been a lot of requests for me to travel with my organ.

I imagine it would be very difficult trying to run your organ superstore and travel around Australia.

Yes well it definitely is. I’m looking for an organ assistant. Have you ever played a Hammond Organ youself?

No, but I’d love to one day!

It’s got such a warm tone. With the lovely Lesley rotating speaker, this sound has been used from church halls to rock stadiums to blues clubs to funky after hours jazz venues. It’s very easy to play too. Especially with my one finger method, which I’ll be demonstrating when I come to Darwin.

You’re most well known for your performance on the T.V. show ‘Spicks and specks’ but what personally is your most memorable moment?

Every time I head out, strap the organ to the roof of the Toyota crown saloon, there’s a memorable moment. Recently, in country victoria, I had people bringing along photographs of their organs which was pretty incredible. There was one gentleman who said he was going to go home and dust off the organ and that he hadn’t used it for years. We also had a great time at the City to Surf in Sydney. I’ve attempted to teach Amanda Vanstone the one finger method but she was a tough woman to crack with the one finger method. But it’s all a lot of fun. My favourite moment in any ‘demonstration’ (the media like to say show but I always think of it as a good old organ demo) is when everyone has a bit of a sing-along.

You’re a very energetic performer onstage, is there anything you do before a ‘Demonstration’ to put you in the right mood or ‘zone’.

No not really, maybe a little glass of Campari, maybe a little catering platter. Tinned pineapple is my favourite. Cheese and bikies etc. but there’s no big meditation or mantra to get me in the mood.

Well I guess that makes you quite versatile – you could perform anywhere!

Yes, well this year I’m even going to do an organ demo at the main stage at Falls Festival!

How did your career as a professional organist start off?

The television was what really kicked it off. But I was doing a little organ demo at the queenscliff music festival some time back. And there’s where one of the lady producers from the spicks and specks fell in love with Barry and his organ and his hair… and we’ve never looked back.

You’ve got a special talent for being able to perform a cover of a song and make it truly unique and groovy. What is your process for taking a song, and truly making it ‘your own’?

I’ve got to listen to the song, yes, and I really try and get into the groove, find out where this one is grooving, and then I spend some time with the ‘Auto vary 64’ seeing if I can find something that’s either going to be similar to it in groove or that juxtaposes it; you know, something that sits against it but still in the groovy pocket, and ah, I really enjoy that process. I recently had a little go at some American pop songs, I can’t name any at the moment, but let me tell you, you know, from a rock one I took it to a Western swing, and there was a disco one that I took to a Liverpool groove, you know it’s um, a quite enjoyable process, it takes a good half a bottle of Campari and the lights down low, but it definitely comes from the rhythm.