| Ian Morris | |
| Alias: | Tex Pistol |
| Background: | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth Name: | Ian Gordon Morris |
| Birth Date: | 1957 1, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | England |
| Death Place: | Napier, New Zealand |
| Genre: | Pop, rock |
| Occupation: | musician, record producer, recording engineer, songwriter |
| Instrument: | Guitar |
| Associated Acts: | Th' Dudes, DD Smash, Tex Pistol, Dave Dobbyn, Peter Urlich, Rikki Morris |
Ian Gordon Morris (22 January 1957 – 7 October 2010), also known by the stage name Tex Pistol, was a New Zealand musician, record producer, recording engineer and songwriter.
Ian Morris and his brother Richard (who would also go on to become a successful singer, songwriter and sound engineer in New Zealand under the name Rikki Morris) were born in England but emigrated with their family to New Zealand in 1966. They attended Sacred Heart College, Auckland.[1] [2]
Ian was a founding member of iconic New Zealand band Th' Dudes, formed at Sacred Heart in 1975. He had chart hits as a solo artist under the name Tex Pistol (a name he took on because "Ian Morris [didn't] sound poppy enough"[3]), and in collaboration with his brother Rikki as Tex Pistol and Rikki Morris. As recording engineer and record producer, his production credits include a number of successful Kiwi artists: Hello Sailor, DD Smash, The Screaming Meemees, Naked Spots Dance, The Warratahs, When the Cat's Away, Greg Johnson, Dave Dobbyn, and Southside of Bombay to name a few. Morris also wrote numerous jingles, arrangements, and orchestrations.
Morris was married to singer Kim Willoughby of New Zealand's most successful all-female group When the Cat's Away, with whom he had two daughters, Julia and Maude, and a stepson, James.[4] He was separated from his wife at the time of his death.
Morris had been suffering from depression and died by suicide at Te Pania Hotel in Napier on 7 October 2010.[5] Police noted that there were no suspicious circumstances to his death.[6]
Morris was posthumously inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.[7]
| Year | Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ[8] | ||||
| 1988 | Nobody Else |
| 28 | |
| 2020 | a and b the c of d |
| - |
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | ||||
| 1983 | "Boot Up (x=y)" as Jag Moritz | — | ||
| 1986 | "The Ballad of Buckskin Bob" as Tex Pistol | — | Nobody Else | |
| 1987 | "Game of Love" as Tex Pistol | 1 | ||
| 1988 | "Nobody Else" as Tex Pistol and Rikki Morris | 1 | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||
See main article: Th' Dudes.
| Band | Album/Single | Producer | Engineer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Right First Time | ||||
| Hello Sailor | Hello Sailor | |||
| Hello Sailor | Pacifica Amour | |||
| Th' Dudes | Where Are The Boys? | |||
| DD Smash | Cool Bananas | |||
| If This Is Paradise I'll Take The Bag | ||||
| The Gurlz | The Gurlz mini-album | |||
| Naked Spots Dance | New mini-album | |||
| The Hulamen | Start A Fashion mini-album | |||
| Jag Moritz | Boot Up | |||
| Circus Block 4 | In Stone In Steel | |||
| Shadow Fax | Life Underground | |||
| Tex Pistol | "Game of Love" | |||
| Tex Pistol & Rikki Morris | "Nobody Else" | |||
| Rikki Morris | "Heartbroke Again" | |||
| Big Sky | ||||
| The Warratahs | Wild Card | |||
| "What's The Time Mr Wolf?" | ||||
| Barry Saunders | Long Shadows | |||
| Sea Breeze Motel | ||||
| Hopetown | ||||
| Asian Paradise | ||||
| Papa-Pa | My Black Jersey |
| Year | Award[10] | Details | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Engineer of the Year | ||
| 1979 | Single of the Year | 'Be Mine Tonight', Th' Dudes | |
| Top Group | Th' Dudes | ||
| 1982 | Producer of the Year | Cool Bananas (DD Smash) | |
| 1986 | Most Promising Male Vocalist | "The Ballad of Buckskin Bob" as Tex Pistol | |
| Best Engineer | Ballad of Buskin Bob, Tex Pistol | ||
| 1987 | Engineer of the Year | "Game of Love", Tex Pistol | |
| Best Producer | "Game of Love", Tex Pistol | ||
| 1988 | Single of the Year | "Nobody Else", Tex Pistol / Rikki Morris | |
| Best Producer | "Nobody Else", Tex Pistol / Rikki Morris | ||
| 1990 | Producer of the Year | "Heartbroke", Rikki Morris | |
| Best Engineer | Heartbroke, Rikki Morris | ||
| 2019 | himself (as part of Th' Dudes) | [11] | |
In 2001, members of APRA were invited to vote on their favourite New Zealand songs of all time. Of the final 100, 2 Morris-related songs appeared on the list.