Morcheeba is an English electronic band formed in the mid-1990s with foundi… Read Full Bio ↴Morcheeba is an English electronic band formed in the mid-1990s with founding members vocalist Skye Edwards and the brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey. They mix influences from trip hop, rock, folk rock and downtempo, and have produced nine regular studio albums since 1995, two of which reached the UK top ten.[1] Edwards left the band in 2003, after which the brothers used a number of singers before she rejoined in 2009. They recruit additional members for their live performances and have toured internationally. In 2014 Paul Godfrey resigned from the band. Edwards and Ross Godfrey later formed Skye | Ross and released a self-titled album in September 2016.[2] Their latest studio album as Morcheeba, Blaze Away, was released in June 2018.[3]
Beginnings
Originally from the small town of Saltwood,[4] just north of Hythe, Kent, the Godfrey brothers—DJ/producer Paul Godfrey and multi-instrumentalist Ross Godfrey—moved to London when they were in their late teens.[5][6][7][8] Sometime in the mid 1990s, at a party in Greenwich, the brothers met Skye Edwards, who was singing backup in a funk band, and also played guitar; before too long the three began recording songs together, and formed the trio Morcheeba.[4][9] At first they produced tracks at their home studio,[4] together with engineer Pete Norris.[8][10]
They were eventually signed to China Records[4] by Angus Blair (A&R) and the band released their debut Trigger Hippie EP,[11] in October 1995. At the same time, Paul Ablett came on board as manager.[10] The band's debut album, Who Can You Trust?, was released in April 1996 and fitted into the trip hop genre through a combination of Paul Godfrey's hip hop roots, Ross Godfrey's psychedelic rock influences and Edwards' soul-styled vocals. A second single, "Tape Loop", appeared in July 1996. The band began to play live around Europe and North America,[12] with a live band that included five additional members.[13] At this point, the band had outgrown the home recording set-up and the brothers purchased their own studio.[14] In 1997, they contributed to the David Byrne album Feelings, participating in the recording and production of the release.[8][15][16]
Mainstream success
With a more professional recording set-up, the brothers began developing their ideas for a second album. Much of the material had already been written, and, with Norris involved again, the band moved towards a more mainstream sound.[14] At the same time, Edwards appeared on the BBC charity single "Perfect Day". The follow-up, 1998's Big Calm, moved away from trip hop towards a more pop-oriented, song-based sound. This was exemplified by the band's reworking of "Moog Island" (from their debut) into the pop-song "The Music That We Hear".[17] One of the album's singles, "The Sea", became a radio favourite. The album proved to be a big seller and ensured Morcheeba's success as a breakthrough act.[18] In 1998, Morcheeba collaborated with Hubert Laws to record the classic song "Summer Time" for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody, a tribute to George Gershwin, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease.
In 2000, Morcheeba released their third album, Fragments of Freedom. This repeated the sales success of Big Calm but received a less positive critical response. The band's fourth album, Charango, was released in 2002 and saw a diminished role for Edwards. The singles "Otherwise" and "Way Beyond" followed. The lyrics for "Undress Me Now" were written with Lambchop's Kurt Wagner, while other collaborators on the album were with rappers Pace Won and Slick Rick. In January 2003, the band undertook their first significant tour of the US since 1998.[19] In 2001, the Godfrey brothers contributed three songs to the Jim White album No Such Place.[20]
Split
By the end of 2003, the Godfrey brothers split with Edwards, citing creative and personal differences.[21] Edwards received "a phone call from our manager saying that it was over. It was a relief to think we didn't have to continue".[22] She was under the impression that the band had ceased to operate. A greatest hits compilation, Parts of the Process, helped to retain interest in the band and featured two new tracks: "What's Your Name" (featuring a rhyming cameo from Big Daddy Kane) and "Can't Stand It". At around the same time, they released the live DVD Morcheeba: From Brixton to Beijing. A decade later, Ross Godfrey reflected on this period, saying: "We just felt like we couldn't breathe, I'd been in the band and on the road since I was 18, so to have any kind of break from that was just amazing".[23]
The two brothers reunited the year after, leaving Paul to explain that "Ross and I realised that Morcheeba was kind of our family company, and that we wanted very much to keep it going, hence the change".[24] In 2005, Morcheeba released their fifth studio (and first post-Edwards) album, The Antidote. Daisy Martey (formerly of the band Noonday Underground) was recruited to replace Edwards as the album vocalist. However, Martey's period with the band was brief and she was sacked in the middle of the promotional tour, to be replaced by Jody Sternberg. Martey subsequently sued the band for breach of contract and defamation.[25] Sternberg's own tenure with the band was similarly brief, and she only appeared to have been part of the band to fulfil tour dates. According to Ross, the entire episode "was difficult to say the least. It left us in near-ruin".[26]
After a break of several years, Morcheeba released their sixth studio album, Dive Deep, in February 2008. On this album, the Godfrey brothers fell back into their role as producers, selecting five vocalists to perform their songs. The folk-rock singer Judie Tzuke, Norwegian born Thomas Dybdahl and blues singer/guitarist Bradley Burgess appeared as lead vocalists together with the Korean-American rapper Cool Calm Pete and French singer Manda (Amanda Zamolo).[27] Both Manda and Burgess toured with Morcheeba as lead singers on their 2008 tour.
Reunion
As a solo artist, Edwards remained with the same management company as Morcheeba—Chris Morrison the CM of CMO Management represented both artists—which led to a chance meeting in their London offices sometime in 2009. Edwards and the Godfrey brothers met again to discuss her possible involvement in a new project. Initially the singer was hesitant and pointed out that she "really enjoyed doing my solo stuff and writing my own lyrics".[28] Eventually, Edwards rejoined the band and the trio began work on a new album,[21] with Edwards still on tour promoting her solo album, Ross Godfrey living in California and Paul Godfrey in France.[29] On 12 February 2010, NME revealed that Edwards was once again back with the band, which was confirmed by Paul Godfrey the day after on the band's Myspace blog. Edwards made her live return with the band at the Caprices Festival, Switzerland on 9 April 2010.[30] Edwards' role in the band changed, as she had "become more confident" in her "ability as a singer and a songwriter", and found that during the recording process they were "more honest with each other", and thus they produced "a more honest record".[22]
Morcheeba released their seventh album, Blood Like Lemonade, on PIAS in June 2010, preceded by the single "Even Though". It was produced by Paul Godfrey, who described the album as "a warm, fuzzy blanket of psychedelia", while Edwards described the lyrics as "having dark themes".[22] She also remarked on how the brothers had made her part of the creative process again.[28] An eighteen-month tour followed that saw the band play around the Americas and Europe.[31]
Their eighth album, Head Up High, was released on 14 October 2013, again on PIAS.[32] In 2014, the band toured Australia,[33] with a line-up consisting of Skye Edwards (vocals), Ross Godfrey (guitars), Steve Gordon (bass), Richard Milner (keyboards), Martin Carling (drums) and James Anthony (decks).
Departure of Paul Godfrey
In 2014, Paul Godfrey left the band.[34][35] Ross Godfrey later explained that: "Paul and I had not been getting on musically, or personally for a long time, and after the Head Up High album in 2013, Paul told us he was leaving the band, and he wanted Skye and I to buy him out of his share of the name. We disagreed on how much it was worth so no deal was struck. Skye and I thought it best to just release the record we had made under our own names. There will be no more Morcheeba albums".[2] Paul Godfrey has since established a recording studio, Sacrosync Sound, in Hastings and recorded a new album "Cool Your Soul" with Rachel Cuming under the moniker Morcheeba Productions.[36][37]
Ross Godfrey and Skye Edwards announced a new project in 2016 named Skye & Ross.[38] They have toured, and released an eponymous album on 2 September 2016.[39] The band started as an acoustic duo but soon included Edward's son Jaega (drums), her husband Steve Gordon (bass) and Godfrey’s wife Amanda Zamolo (backing vocals).[40][41] Edwards took responsibility for the lyrics while Ross Godfrey noted that the recording process was "a very organic experience".[42]
Beginnings
Originally from the small town of Saltwood,[4] just north of Hythe, Kent, the Godfrey brothers—DJ/producer Paul Godfrey and multi-instrumentalist Ross Godfrey—moved to London when they were in their late teens.[5][6][7][8] Sometime in the mid 1990s, at a party in Greenwich, the brothers met Skye Edwards, who was singing backup in a funk band, and also played guitar; before too long the three began recording songs together, and formed the trio Morcheeba.[4][9] At first they produced tracks at their home studio,[4] together with engineer Pete Norris.[8][10]
They were eventually signed to China Records[4] by Angus Blair (A&R) and the band released their debut Trigger Hippie EP,[11] in October 1995. At the same time, Paul Ablett came on board as manager.[10] The band's debut album, Who Can You Trust?, was released in April 1996 and fitted into the trip hop genre through a combination of Paul Godfrey's hip hop roots, Ross Godfrey's psychedelic rock influences and Edwards' soul-styled vocals. A second single, "Tape Loop", appeared in July 1996. The band began to play live around Europe and North America,[12] with a live band that included five additional members.[13] At this point, the band had outgrown the home recording set-up and the brothers purchased their own studio.[14] In 1997, they contributed to the David Byrne album Feelings, participating in the recording and production of the release.[8][15][16]
Mainstream success
With a more professional recording set-up, the brothers began developing their ideas for a second album. Much of the material had already been written, and, with Norris involved again, the band moved towards a more mainstream sound.[14] At the same time, Edwards appeared on the BBC charity single "Perfect Day". The follow-up, 1998's Big Calm, moved away from trip hop towards a more pop-oriented, song-based sound. This was exemplified by the band's reworking of "Moog Island" (from their debut) into the pop-song "The Music That We Hear".[17] One of the album's singles, "The Sea", became a radio favourite. The album proved to be a big seller and ensured Morcheeba's success as a breakthrough act.[18] In 1998, Morcheeba collaborated with Hubert Laws to record the classic song "Summer Time" for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Red Hot + Rhapsody, a tribute to George Gershwin, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease.
In 2000, Morcheeba released their third album, Fragments of Freedom. This repeated the sales success of Big Calm but received a less positive critical response. The band's fourth album, Charango, was released in 2002 and saw a diminished role for Edwards. The singles "Otherwise" and "Way Beyond" followed. The lyrics for "Undress Me Now" were written with Lambchop's Kurt Wagner, while other collaborators on the album were with rappers Pace Won and Slick Rick. In January 2003, the band undertook their first significant tour of the US since 1998.[19] In 2001, the Godfrey brothers contributed three songs to the Jim White album No Such Place.[20]
Split
By the end of 2003, the Godfrey brothers split with Edwards, citing creative and personal differences.[21] Edwards received "a phone call from our manager saying that it was over. It was a relief to think we didn't have to continue".[22] She was under the impression that the band had ceased to operate. A greatest hits compilation, Parts of the Process, helped to retain interest in the band and featured two new tracks: "What's Your Name" (featuring a rhyming cameo from Big Daddy Kane) and "Can't Stand It". At around the same time, they released the live DVD Morcheeba: From Brixton to Beijing. A decade later, Ross Godfrey reflected on this period, saying: "We just felt like we couldn't breathe, I'd been in the band and on the road since I was 18, so to have any kind of break from that was just amazing".[23]
The two brothers reunited the year after, leaving Paul to explain that "Ross and I realised that Morcheeba was kind of our family company, and that we wanted very much to keep it going, hence the change".[24] In 2005, Morcheeba released their fifth studio (and first post-Edwards) album, The Antidote. Daisy Martey (formerly of the band Noonday Underground) was recruited to replace Edwards as the album vocalist. However, Martey's period with the band was brief and she was sacked in the middle of the promotional tour, to be replaced by Jody Sternberg. Martey subsequently sued the band for breach of contract and defamation.[25] Sternberg's own tenure with the band was similarly brief, and she only appeared to have been part of the band to fulfil tour dates. According to Ross, the entire episode "was difficult to say the least. It left us in near-ruin".[26]
After a break of several years, Morcheeba released their sixth studio album, Dive Deep, in February 2008. On this album, the Godfrey brothers fell back into their role as producers, selecting five vocalists to perform their songs. The folk-rock singer Judie Tzuke, Norwegian born Thomas Dybdahl and blues singer/guitarist Bradley Burgess appeared as lead vocalists together with the Korean-American rapper Cool Calm Pete and French singer Manda (Amanda Zamolo).[27] Both Manda and Burgess toured with Morcheeba as lead singers on their 2008 tour.
Reunion
As a solo artist, Edwards remained with the same management company as Morcheeba—Chris Morrison the CM of CMO Management represented both artists—which led to a chance meeting in their London offices sometime in 2009. Edwards and the Godfrey brothers met again to discuss her possible involvement in a new project. Initially the singer was hesitant and pointed out that she "really enjoyed doing my solo stuff and writing my own lyrics".[28] Eventually, Edwards rejoined the band and the trio began work on a new album,[21] with Edwards still on tour promoting her solo album, Ross Godfrey living in California and Paul Godfrey in France.[29] On 12 February 2010, NME revealed that Edwards was once again back with the band, which was confirmed by Paul Godfrey the day after on the band's Myspace blog. Edwards made her live return with the band at the Caprices Festival, Switzerland on 9 April 2010.[30] Edwards' role in the band changed, as she had "become more confident" in her "ability as a singer and a songwriter", and found that during the recording process they were "more honest with each other", and thus they produced "a more honest record".[22]
Morcheeba released their seventh album, Blood Like Lemonade, on PIAS in June 2010, preceded by the single "Even Though". It was produced by Paul Godfrey, who described the album as "a warm, fuzzy blanket of psychedelia", while Edwards described the lyrics as "having dark themes".[22] She also remarked on how the brothers had made her part of the creative process again.[28] An eighteen-month tour followed that saw the band play around the Americas and Europe.[31]
Their eighth album, Head Up High, was released on 14 October 2013, again on PIAS.[32] In 2014, the band toured Australia,[33] with a line-up consisting of Skye Edwards (vocals), Ross Godfrey (guitars), Steve Gordon (bass), Richard Milner (keyboards), Martin Carling (drums) and James Anthony (decks).
Departure of Paul Godfrey
In 2014, Paul Godfrey left the band.[34][35] Ross Godfrey later explained that: "Paul and I had not been getting on musically, or personally for a long time, and after the Head Up High album in 2013, Paul told us he was leaving the band, and he wanted Skye and I to buy him out of his share of the name. We disagreed on how much it was worth so no deal was struck. Skye and I thought it best to just release the record we had made under our own names. There will be no more Morcheeba albums".[2] Paul Godfrey has since established a recording studio, Sacrosync Sound, in Hastings and recorded a new album "Cool Your Soul" with Rachel Cuming under the moniker Morcheeba Productions.[36][37]
Ross Godfrey and Skye Edwards announced a new project in 2016 named Skye & Ross.[38] They have toured, and released an eponymous album on 2 September 2016.[39] The band started as an acoustic duo but soon included Edward's son Jaega (drums), her husband Steve Gordon (bass) and Godfrey’s wife Amanda Zamolo (backing vocals).[40][41] Edwards took responsibility for the lyrics while Ross Godfrey noted that the recording process was "a very organic experience".[42]
Gained the World
Morcheeba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I heard I lost it on the grapevine
I must admit I had a great time
There are words for people like me
But I don't think there's very many
I've gained the world then lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world then lost their soul
There's no persuasion that I'm into
That made some sense of what we've been through
We should form a new foundation
If we could find the right location
Is it prey on display?
I'm feeling well
I've gained the world then lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world then lost their soul
I've gained the world then lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world then lost their soul
I must admit I had a great time
There are words for people like me
But I don't think there's very many
I've gained the world then lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
There's no persuasion that I'm into
That made some sense of what we've been through
We should form a new foundation
If we could find the right location
Is it prey on display?
I'm feeling well
I've gained the world then lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world then lost their soul
I've gained the world then lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world then lost their soul
The song "Gained the World" by Morcheeba speaks of a feeling where one attains everything and at the same time, feels like they've lost their soul. The first two lines in the song convey a sense of confusion where the singer finds out that they have lost something on the grapevine. However, they had a great time, and there are words for people like them, which makes them ponder. They don't think there are many words that can describe them. The following lyrics speak of how they've gained the world, yet they feel like they have lost their soul. It could very well be that the reason they feel this way is that they are getting old. The contrast between gaining the world and losing one's soul is a reflection of the struggle that comes with achievements and how it can impact someone's sense of self.
The line "All the people that I know have gained the world then lost their soul" emphasizes that this is not an individual experience. Many people have achieved great things, only to lose themselves in the process. The lyrics also convey a sense of hope for the future. They suggest that a new foundation could be formed if only the right location could be found. The singer looks towards the future with optimism despite their current struggles.
Overall, the song's message is about the cost of success and how it can leave people feeling empty and unfulfilled. The gain of material things doesn't always equate to happiness and can come at a high price.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard I lost it on the grapevine
I received information second-hand
I must admit I had a great time
I thoroughly enjoyed myself
There are words for people like me
Society labels people who act like me
But I don't think there's very many
I believe there are few who understand me
I've gained the world then lost my soul
I've achieved worldly success at the cost of my inner peace
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
I speculate that age may be a factor
All the people that I know
Those in my social circle
Have gained the world then lost their soul
Have sacrificed their inner peace for worldly success
There's no persuasion that I'm into
I don't subscribe to any particular philosophy or belief system
That made some sense of what we've been through
That provided meaning to our shared experiences
We should form a new foundation
We should start anew
If we could find the right location
If we could locate the proper place or situation
Is it prey on display?
Am I an object to be hunted or observed?
I'm feeling well
I am emotionally stable
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: PAUL DAVID GODFREY, ROSS GODFREY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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@erdemcicek4166
"Gained The World"
I heard I lost it on the grapevine
I must admit I had a great time
There are words for people like me
But I don't think there's very many
I've gained the world and lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world and lost their soul
There's no persuasion that I'm into
I've made some sense of what we've been through
We should form a new foundation
If we could find the right location
Is it prey
On display
I'm feeling weak
I've gained the world and lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world and lost their soul
I've gained the world and lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world and lost their soul
@agencia.ingenio
Lyrics
I heard I lost it on the grapevine
I must admit I had a great time
There are words for people like me
But I don't think there's very many
I've gained the world then lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world then lost their soul
There's no persuasion that I'm into
That made some sense of what we've been through
We should form a new foundation
If we could find the right location
Is it prey on display?
I'm feeling well
I've gained the world then lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world then lost their soul
I've gained the world then lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world then lost their soul
@ersenozer5520
Lyrics copied:
I heard I lost it on the grapevine
I must admit I had a great time
There are words for people like me
But I don't think there's very many
I've gained the world then lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world then lost their soul
There's no persuasion that I'm into
That made some sense of what we've been through
We should form a new foundation
If we could find the right location
Is it prey on display?
I'm feeling well
I've gained the world then lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world then lost their soul
I've gained the world then lost my soul
Maybe it's 'cause I'm getting old
All the people that I know
Have gained the world then lost their soul
@mariogomez56
I once put this on, in a room where everyone was insanely high. Everyone stopped talking and were in their own world. It was eerly beautiful.
@beastmaster763
everyone feel the song whey they are high, it is the same feeling when you wake up
@darcyroyce
that's because everyone is a lifelong Morcheeba fan. We get high on the truth. ;DD x
@gems30001
So what stance is yours?
@Jules-kp7rw
@@beastmaster763 When I wake up I feel like I'd rather have died from a heart attack during my sleep.
@nastasiaandreeva1522
Вчера сидела в баре в Москве и услышала эту песню. Распознала по Шазам. Теперь наслаждаюсь. Очень красивая песня ❤️
@ivankovwink1311
This is one of my favourite songs, thank you Morcheeba for making it!
@Baraa.K.Mohammad
Morcheeba had some really great songs! They knew how to tell a story...
@darcyroyce
yeah, masters of mixing perfectly ordinary words. :))
@ALESSA73
One of the best of Morcheeba and difficult to say this, because they have sooo many good songs ;D