George “Shadow” Morton did more than write and produce songs. He created cinematic rock ‘n’ roll operettas that played out before our very ears. It was always about the big picture with his productions. Using sound effects and urging the performers to pull from their emotions, Morton pulled performances out of his subjects that resonated with the masses.
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He would say, “There’s a difference between writing songs and producing songs. I’ve never written a song. I write productions. I’m a storyteller. I do soap operas. I’m more a director than a producer.” Let’s look at five songs written or co-written by George “Shadow” Morton.
1. “Hot Rod” by The Markeys, written by George Morton and Joseph Monaco
Teenaged George Morton started running with a gang called the Red Devils, led by a character named “Bumpy.” He also started singing with a doo-wop group made up of Marty Monaco, Tony Giannatasio, Sal DiTroia, and Victor Eusepi. Monaco’s mother had a recording studio. The boys spent all of their free time experimenting, and in the summer of 1958, they were offered the opportunity by a local producer to record two songs in the RCA Records Studio in New York City. They released “Hot Rod” and “Yakkity Yak.” When you listen to “Hot Rod,” it’s not as realized as his later successes, but you can hear the direction he’s headed in. Sound effects are created vocally, and he’s painting a picture with words.
2. “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” by The Shangri-Las, written by George “Shadow” Morton
While playing with The Markeys, Morton met a young accordion player named Ellie Gaye. The Markeys found little success as time passed, and Morton took off hitchhiking across the country. He would often disappear for days at a time, leading to his nickname of “Shadow.” When he returned to New York, he discovered that Ellie Gaye was now going by the name Ellie Greenwich and was writing songs in the famous Brill Building. Morton visited his old friend and was boasting of his own songwriting prowess. Greenwich’s writing (and romantic) partner, Jeff Barry, was not impressed with the brash Morton and challenged him to bring him a hit song.
Morton responded, “fast or slow?” Slow was the request from Barry. At this point, Morton had to come up with a song. He reached out to his buddy Tony Giannatasio from the Markeys, who had changed his name to Tony Michaels, about finding some girl singers for this new project. Studio time was booked, and musicians were put together. The girl singers were a group called The Shangri-Las who had been performing around Queens. As Morton approached the studio, he realized he had everything in place except one thing…the song. He sat in his parked car and came up with the concept of a woman in despair walking the lonely footsteps she had walked with her man before.
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Morton entered the studio and started coaching the participants. The 14-year-old pianist was named William Joel. (You may have heard of him.) Those pounded notes that begin the song foreshadow what is to come. The pain in the voice of Mary Weiss and the dreamy accompaniment of Betty Weiss, Marge Ganser, and Mary Ann Ganser, coupled with the beach sound effects, put on a show for the mind.
3. “Leader of the Pack” by The Shangri-Las, written by George “Shadow” Morton, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich
When Morton returned to the Brill Building with the tape, Barry couldn’t believe what he heard. He played it for Jerry Leiber, who was one half of the famous Leiber and Stoller and who had written hits for Elvis Presley, Ben E. King, and The Coasters. Leiber was so impressed he hired Morton on the spot to produce and write for his company.
Leiber and Stoller used a similar approach with their hits for The Coasters. They usually used elements of comedy, but it was painting a picture with sound, and Leiber recognized it in the production of “Remember (Walking in the Sand). The song was a breakout hit for the group, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. As the song started to slide back down the charts, Lieber pushed Morton to come up with a follow-up. Remember that gang Morton was in a few years earlier? With the leader named “Bumpy?”
Barry and Greenwich were involved this time, but it was a similar approach. Morton coached The Shangri-Las, and a motorcycle was said to have been brought into the studio to record the revving engine. Mary Weiss contradicted that story in later years, saying it was achieved by a sound effects record.
Either way, “Leader of the Pack” was a big success as, again, the girls tapped into a raw emotional place that resonated with the world. You can see Jimmy ride off into the rainy night as he loses control.
4. “I Can Never Go Home Anymore” by The Shangri-Las, written by George “Shadow” Morton
The hits continued for The Shangri-Las. Amy Winehouse called “I Can Never Go Home Anymore” “the most depressing song ever.” The eerie tale of the woeful teenage runaway whose mother dies of grief reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
5. “Great Big Kiss” by Johnny Thunders, written by George “Shadow” Morton
After The Shangri-Las fell from the charts, Morton produced Janis Ian, the first three Vanilla Fudge albums, Iron Butterfly, and the New York Dolls. It was the Dolls’ bass player, Johnny Thunders, who did his own version of another Shangri-Las number, “Give Him a Great Big Kiss.” If it was tongue-in-cheek when The Shangri-Las did it, this version was just plain cheeky.
Morton had battles with the bottle but entered rehab in 1987. He retired to Laguna Beach, California, and died in 2013.
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