Morgan King

Musical career

Born in Spitalfields, London, Morgan's musical career began in 1979 as drummer for Manchester band Illustration, who were subsequently signed by the indie label, "Some Bizzare" featuring on the Some Bizzare Album. After several years immersed in the UK indie scene, Morgan's musical direction changed considerably with the advent of house music in the late 1980s. In 1988, Morgan moved to Chicago and started writing with Kym Mazelle and Marshall Jefferson on Kym's first album, "Crazy", which was released the following year. In 1989, Morgan joined his third band, the Manic MCs who had a UK top thirty hit with their first release, "Mental".

In 1990, Morgan started collaborating with BTech record's Jan Ekholm after being introduced by DJ/Production duo Quartz, working in Sweden on a series of Dance releases under various pseudonyms, including Technoir, Backbeat, Groovement, Bassrace and others. "Clubland" originally formed by Dave Rawlings and Ronnie Herel of Quartz with Jan Ekholm. During the first album Quartz left and the two remaining members were joined by Zemya Hamilton on vocals. Clubland recorded three albums, winning a Swedish Grammy for their second album "Adventures Beyond Clubland", plus received three gold discs. Together they also topped the US Billboard Dance chart three times with "Lets Get Busy", "Hold On (Tighter to Love)" and "Hypnotized" respectively. It was also during this period he recorded his solo record, the Balearic Anthem "I Am Free".

In 1991, Morgan partnered with Nick Hook to form Om records in London and the band "Soundsource", who subsequently achieved success with the House / Rap track "Take Me Up", later recycled by "Lock 'N Load" for their 2000 top ten UK hit "Blow Ya Mind". This single was followed up by the 1992 club hit "One High". Again, Morgan started writing and recording under a variety of pseudonyms at Om including, Al Hambra, VFN Experience, Om and Obiman. Obiman went on to feature on the seminal Cafe Del Mar compilation series. On the same album he also co-wrote and produced Jose Padilla's first solo recording "Agua".

Around 1994/1995, Morgan took a break from the music scene, eventually resurfacing in 2003 to co-write Trybe's "Sarah Said" with Fragma. In 2007 he opened his Accidental Music label so he could make his archive available in the digital realm for the first time and to collaborate on new dance projects. Also around the same time he became a professional photographer after he was invited to do a one off project in Iran. To date he is still working as a solo artist recording and playing live, plus in 2012 he joined Lene Lovich as part of her band.

Morgan King

Albums

Grains & Grams – 2016 Accidental Music

Singles

I'm Free – 1991 BTech records

I Am Free – 1993 Om Records

I'm Free – 1998 Excession Records

I'm Free (Anniversary Edition) – 2011 Accidental Music

I'm Free (Anniversary Edition2) – 2012 Accidental Music

Boy Called George – 2012 Morgan King Media

Breathing in Air – 2014 Accidental Music

Grains & Grams – 2016 Accidental Music

Alien – 2016 Accidental Music

Ep

Zero – 2012 Morgan King Media

Morgan King / La Serrena

(Morgan King) Singles

I'm Free – 1992 Sony

With Clubland

(King / Ekholm / Hamilton)

Albums

Themes From Outer Clubland – 1991

Adventures Beyond Clubland – 1992

Secrets of Inner Clubland (Clubland featuring Zemya Hamilton) – 1995

Selected Singles

Let's Get Busy (Pump It Up) – 1990 US Hot Dance No. 1 UK No. 86

Hold On (Tighter To Love) – 1991 US Billboard "Hot Dance" No. 1, US No. 79

(I'm Under) Love Strain – 1992

Come Rain Come Shine – US Hot Dance No. 39 1992

Hypnotized – 1992 US Hot Dance No. 1

Set Me Free – 1992 US Hot Dance No. 1, US No. 90

Peace of Luv – 1995

Gimme Love, Gimme All – 1995

With Manic MC's

(King / Cottle / Hudd)

Singles

Mental – 1989 RCA UK No. 30

The Beat – 1990 UK No. 96 MCA

With Soundsource

(King / Hook)

Singles

Take Me Up – 1991 FFRR UK No. 62

One High – 1992 Om records

Obiman

Single: Rising – Om records 1993

Compilation: On the Rocks – Included on Cafe Del Mar Vol 1 album React Records 1994

Single: On the Rocks – Accidental Music 2016

Single: The Dunes – Accidental Music 2016

With VFN Experience

(Nasty / King)

Single: Vol 1 – Om whites 1994

Morgan King & Max Julien

Singles

Lifetime of Understanding – 2009 Deepsound Records

Building A Dream – 2011 Accidental Music

Morgan King Vs Charma

Singles

Justify – 2010 Accidental Music

Justify (Dirty Rhythm Syndicate Remixes) – 2011 Accidental Music

Morgan King Vs Lyla D'Souza

Singles

I Want Now – 2010 Accidental Music

Remixes

Backbeat – Love and Happiness (Gasmatron mix) 1991

Clubland – Ride the Groove (With Billy Nasty) 1992

Clubland – Hypnotized (The Soundsource Seduction) 1992

Alhambra – Sonar Remix (with Nick Hook) 1992

MDA – Take an E (Roofon remix) (with Nasty / Hodgson) 1992

Hypernature – Flow "The Morgan King mixes" (King Full Force Effect, Kingdub and Kingdeep mixes)1992

Elimar – Prosody II (Morgan King Reprise) 2007

Sami Dee – Da Fly (Morgan King Remix) 2008

Max Julien feat Yohan Knight – We're the Angels Alive! (Morgan King Remix) 2008

Marco Zappala feat Claudio Pinhero – Wherever You Go (Morgan King Remix) 2009

Clubland – Let's Get Busy (Morgan King Remix) 2009

On Compilations

Trance 3 – 1993 (Morgan King – I Am Free – Soma Mix) Rumour Records

Cafe Del Mar – Cafe Del Mar Vol 1 – 1994 (Obiman – "On the Rocks", Co-Written and produced Jose Padilla's "Agua") – React Records

Sound of the Absolute – 1994 (I Am Free – Soma Mix, Soundsource – One High – Bump Mix, Alhambra – Alhambra – Otama Mix, I Am Free – Leftfield Escape From Da Da Mix, Obiman – Rising – Rosi Ryder Mix, Om – Older Brother From the Rock)

Northern Exposure – Sasha and Digweed – 1996 (I'm Free – The Full Length La Serrena Mix and Playdo's Minimalist Mix) Ministry of Sound / Ultra Records

Renaissance Worldwide – Singapore 1997 I'm Free (William Orbit Mix) – Renaissance

Sasha – Global Underground #009: San Francisco" – 1998 (I'm Free – William Orbit Mix) Boxed

GU Mixed – 2007 Sound Source "One High" – Global Underground

Snapshot (The Singles) – 2008 – Accidental Music

Cafe Mambo – 2008 "I'm Free" compiled by Andy Cato, – Defected Records

90's House – 2010 – Accidental Music