Hi and welcome to episode 263 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T and Yeastie Boys  and thanks to you readers and listeners.

Now – as you probably know, as well as the usual platforms (this site, soundcloud, iTunes/Apple) you can get to Sweetman Podcast on Spotify – follow it there and have it saved in your Spotify library. It’s on most of the podcast platforms besides the ones mentioned here.

This week I had a chat with Rikki Morris. And this one was over the phone rather than in person. Rikki and I had met just once, briefly. Really just an introduction. But we’re connected online and have corresponded – so I felt comfortable settling in for a big chat with him over the blower. And we really did talk.

We talked through it all – the highs and lows of 45 years in the New Zealand music industry. From carrying the bags and setting up the gear for his favourite band, Th’ Dudes, to joining them for the recent reunion. To being a roadie for The Crocodiles, and again joining the band. To his solo start turn with the hit Nobody Else – in collaboration with his brother Ian (under his Tex Pistol) moniker. And to becoming a TV host (remember 3:45 Live!)

When we recorded this conversation last week the news had just hit about the passing of Fane Flaws. So we talked briefly about Fane – remembering his genius. In fact there are a few stops along the way acknowledging Kiwi music legends – we talk a lot about Neil Finn and Eddie Rayner, we talk about Rikki’s ex-wife Debbie Harwood (she’s been a previous guest of this podcast – so click there for her versions of some of the same stories) and we talked about Dave Dobbyn, Ian, Peter Urlich and Th’ Dudes.

From living next door to Neil Finn in Melbourne and using his studio to make demos for the solo album Everest, to running his own studio in Devonport and recording the first ever demos by Lorde – assisting the likes of Finn Andrews and The Checks as well, to still hitting the road to provide live sound mixing for Kiwi legends The Mockers (and many others) it really is a hell of a story.

And – Rikki is about to release his first a new single! His first new music in a quarter of a century. You can hit that link to pre-order from Bandcamp. The song is out tomorrow – with a video. No album at this stage, but more music will be on the way. And if you listen to the very end of this chat you will hear an early teaser of the new song. Classic Morris songwriting on display.

I loved this deep chat. And I hope you do too. This is episode 263 of the podcast. My conversation with Rikki Morris.

Want more? Check out my Substack

You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron