Maybe Dolls

Maybe Dolls
Origin Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres Pop
Years active 1991 (1991)–1993 (1993)
Labels
Associated acts The Numbers
Past members
  • Annalisse Morrow
  • Chris Morrow
  • Paul Wheeler
  • Tim Powles

Maybe Dolls were an Australian pop music band consisting of siblings Annalisse Morrow (bass guitar, lead vocals) and Chris Morrow (lead guitar, lead vocals).[1] The pair were former members of a power pop group, the Numbers.[1][2] They had issued a single, "A Five Letter Word", in mid-1980, which reached No. 40 on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart.[1][3]

Formation

The Morrows formed Maybe Dolls in 1991 in Sydney as a pop music trio with Paul Wheeler on drums (ex-Icehouse).[1] Tim Powles (ex-Venetians) later took over on drums.[4] In July 1992 Chris Morrow reflected on the differences between the two groups, "With our former band, The Numbers, I used to write most of the material. I tended to focus on lyrics and guitar riffs but being a singer Annalisse broadens the songs melodically. Now the voice is serving the lyrics and vice versa — the songs have got both form and content."[5] The Canberra Times' reviewer felt that "Annalisse's unique vocal style — equal parts pixie and banshee — has been enriched by stints singing jazz and blues in small clubs and even some techno-funk dabblings."[6]

Their debut single, "Nervous Kid", was released in August 1991, and reached No. 32 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[7] It was featured in the Australian TV soap opera, E Street. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1992 "Nervous Kid" was nominated for Breakthrough Artist – Single.[8]

A second single, "Cool Jesus", reached No. 31 in February 1992,[7] followed by their only album, Propaganda (2 March 1992), which reached the top 30.[7] To record the album the Morrows were joined in the studio by Paul Gray on keyboards (ex-Wa Wa Nee), Peter Kekel on keyboards (ex-Jimmy Barnes Band), Justin Stanley on keyboards (ex-Noiseworks), and John Watson on drums.[5] Annalise explained that "the songs were written over a three year period so they cover lots of ground. I guess lyrically they're all about applying personal politics to the world outside. A lot of them work on a number of different levels so they sort of keep people guessing what they may be about."[5]

Break-up

After disbanding Annalisse left the music industry and Chris became a design teacher in northern New South Wales.[9] In January 2008 Annalisse told The Sydney Morning Herald's correspondent that "'The one thing I miss is singing,' she says, adding with a laugh, 'And I still can't get used to getting up in the morning... It got to the point where I couldn't listen to anybody singing for quite some time'."[9]

Discography

Albums

Singles

Year Title Peak chart
position		 Album
AUS
[7]
1991 "Nervous Kid" 32 Propaganda
1992 "Cool Jesus" 31
"Never Look Back" 114
"Only Love" 207
1993 "Goodbye" — non-album single
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'The Numbers'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 28 June 2004.
  2. ↑ "Discogs > The Numbers". discogs.com. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  3. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 220. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  4. ↑ Thomas, Brett (22 December 1991), "Decade of change for dolls", Sun Herald
  5. 1 2 3 "Maybe Dolls magic at Crown". Times. 87 (4, 041). Victor Harbor. 10 July 1992. p. 11. Retrieved 27 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "The mystery of the Maybe Dolls". The Canberra Times. 67 (21, 018). 29 October 1992. p. 19. Retrieved 27 March 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Australian (ARIA) chart peaks:
    • Top 50 peaks: "australian-charts.com > Maybe Dolls in Australian Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
    • Top 100 peaks: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
    • "Never Look Back": "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 14 November 2016". Imgur.com. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
    • "Only Love": "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 2 May 2017". Imgur.com. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
    • "Goodbye": "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 19 September 2017". Imgur.com. Retrieved 23 September 2017. N.B. NCH stands for no chart history.
  8. ↑ "Winners by Year 1992". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  9. 1 2 "More than the sum of their past – Music – Entertainment". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 5 January 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
  10. ↑ "Albums", Sun Herald, 15 March 1992
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