Goldmine: "Shadow," your records have always been something different. Your style is very dramatic or, at least, reminiscent of old radio plays. Where does your sound come from?

"Shadow" Morton: I don't know. I really have no idea. Maybe it was the way I was educated in Brooklyn. Or maybe it was listening to the radio as a child? You see, I've never written a song. I only write stories. I write productions. I'm sometimes compa red to Phil Spector (in reference to the big sound) but there really is no comparison. We come from a different place and we end up somewhere else.

Goldmine: Indeed. There is something else --you have a knack for an odd hook. I'm referring to the little things that stay in your head long after the record ends, like the organ coda on "Society's Child" or the seagulls in "Remember (Walking In The Sa nd)"...

"Shadow" Morton: Artie Butler...Artie Butler was my connection to musicians. Artie was credited as "arranger." Artie Butler would write down on a piece of paper all the ideas I had for the music. He had that talent. I did not. He could write anything d own on staff paper. I would sing him a part and he would always have something to add. And it was always great. You know, you have to let the musicians know that you're open to suggestions --that they have something valuable--I would listen. I had great m usicians on the sessions, all due to Butler. He could translate me and get the best players to reproduce his arrangements. I didn't know how to deal with musicians...I can't play anything. In fact, if you remember, I'm the new kid on the block--I dunno no thin'! I got into this business as a joke!

Goldmine: I don't understand. How did that happen?

"Shadow" Morton: It was just a joke. I didn't know that things would happen the way they did. I had no plan...no road I was on. He (points upward) had a plan for me. His will is a lot stronger than mine! (laughs)...and I guess that being the case here, true believer that I am--it wasn't in my mind.

Goldmine: Well. what did you want to do? Where were you heading?

"Shadow" Morton: I have no idea. I don't know...like a lot of kids, I guess, I've never grown up. As children, we fantasize that everything is possible--everything. I don't know...I was gonna be everything. Everything from a priest to owning restaurant s. Before the music, I'd already been offered two movie roles...didn't know who the hell the people were who offered them to me. Another joke--just being in the room. Ha! I found out one of the offers came from Helen Hayes. It floored me. It took me about six months to find out who was Helen Hayes! (laughs) That happened at The American Academy. I'm sure she doesn't remember but it's a memory for me for a lifetime. So anyway, I didn't know where I was going. I'd done some things with a group out on Long I sland...Tony Michaels was included in it, he used to own (Long Island radio station) WBAB...

Goldmine: What kind of things?

"Shadow" Morton: We did rock 'n' roll stuff, all kinds of stuff. You know, we got on stage--five guys--and sang. Doo-wop, black, rock 'n' roll--big time...The name of the group was the Marquees. RCA was interested. They signed the group for a couple of records.

Goldmine: Where did you play?

"Shadow" Morton: We didn't. We sang in the basement, we sang at the high schools. That's how I met Ellie Greenwich.

Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry
She was an accordian player at Levittown High or maybe East Meadow...down Wantagh Avenue, just before Southern State Parkway. There was a lot of excitement and energy then. We thought every town was like that. The energy coming out of Hicksville, out of B ethpage was unbelievable. But we didn't know! It's like when I got out of Brooklyn and moved out to Hicksville, I would listen to kids talk about basketball games and I would look at them and go (makes a face)...this is funny to me because, like I had jus t spent twelve, thirteen years in Brooklyn and I thought every place you go, you got know how to fight! I thought the whole world was like that.