JOSS BAY (1978)

Single by Morgan as The Paper Bags
Cover design by Morgan Fisher

UK: Retread Records
B-side: Drat!

During the Mott US tours Morgan picked up, mainly in thrift stores, numerous 60’s instrumental albums, verging from the sublime - Santo and Johnny - to the ridiculous - Johnny and The Hurricanes (whose wimpy one-finger melodies were played on what sounded like Woolworth’s organ). Later Morgan had to have a go at doing some of this lobotomised garage dreck himself, and thus the Paper Bags were born. "Joss Bay" is reminiscent of a day at the beach (Morgan enjoyed holidays there as a lad in the 50’s and 60’s - it’s in Broadstairs, Kent) and features seagulls, funfair organ, and a cheap pink glitter guitar (another thrift shop purchase). The B-side, "Drat!" is a maniacally fast organ thrash which brings the genre into the era in which Morgan recorded it - the punk era - music to smash crockery by!