One voice is all it takes. The right vocalist can make you fall in love at first listen, elicit tears, or bring you back to a different era altogether. A microphone and a stage remain the only necessities. That holds true for New York-based singer and songwriter Morgan James. On her full-length debut for Epic Records, Hunter, she casts an unbreakable spell with a powerhouse voice equally inspired by smoky soul, swaggering R&B, theatrical swing, and a virtuosic classical poise. The Idaho native discovered her passion for music early on and pursued it wholeheartedly at the prestigious Juilliard School. While in the midst of the institution’s rigorous academic program, she soon realized that her path would diverge from the classical world. “I didn’t want a career in opera, but Juilliard still shaped me,” she confesses. “The traditional training really made me a disciplined singer. I carry that with me to this day.”
Morgan James – Call My Name
After graduating, Morgan spent the next few years facing the proverbial struggles of being a young artist in New York. Low on money, she bounced back and forth between bartending and restaurant gigs while fighting to survive. Immersed in classic sixties and seventies soul records, she concurrently experienced a pivotal revelation. “Out of that frustration came this other voice,” she says. “It was my true voice, and I feel like I discovered it in the middle of so much hardship just trying to be heard. I embraced who I was at that very moment.” Soon, she would be heard in a big way. In 2008, Morgan booked her first Broadway show—appearing in The Addams Family alongside Nathan Lane, as well as in prominent and leading roles in Wonderland, Godspell (Turn Back, O Man), and Berry Gordy’s Motown The Musical as Teena Marie. The latter set the stage for her to properly launch her solo career. Gordy recognized the vocalist’s immense talent, and introduced her to Doug Morris and L.A. Reid, opening the door for a deal with Epic Records in 2012. Around the same time, Morgan booked a landmark show at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, where she paid tribute to Nina Simone with a set of songs that were closely associated with the legendary artist. The incendiary show was recorded and released as the critically acclaimed Morgan James Live on Epic Records. It also proved to be the perfect segue for her first studio album, released in June of 2014.
Maps – Vintage 1970s Soul Maroon 5 Cover ft. Morgan James
Morgan James – Call My Name Lyrics:
Call,call my name, Call,call my name
Heard your voice this morning
Calling out my name
It’s been so long since I heard it
And it didn’t really sound quite the same
But let me know a name
That never really been spoken before
Since the day you carried me
Across that bridal path
And ever since that day
I never wanted anyone but you
And anybody who really knows me
Knows the truth
And I just can’t stop writing songs about you
I love you so much,
I can’t wait to get my arms around you
And feel your touch
If I don’t see you real soon
I might go insane
I know it’s only been 3 hours
But I love it when you call my name
I heard a voice on the news saying
People want to stop the war
If they were as sweet as you
They’d forget what they’re fighting for
What’s the matter with the world today?
Home of the free,somebody lied
They have my phone
They come around my home
They only see you and me making love
I love you so much
I can’t wait to get my arms around you
And feel your touch
If I don’t see you real soon
I might go insane
I know it’s only been 3 hours
But I love it when you call my name
And I just can’t stop writing songs about you
I love you so much
I can’t wait to get my arms around you
And feel your touch
If I don’t see you real soon
I might go insane
I know it’s only been 3 hours
But I love it when you call my name
My name,call my name
Call my name
Call out, call my name
Call my name, my name
Call my name, Call my name, Call my name
