Emerging as a enduring roots-rock collective, the Morells took shape in Springfield, Missouri during the early 1980s. The group coalesced from earlier outfits such as the Symptoms and the Skeletons, bringing together guitarist D. Clinton Thompson, bassist Lou Whitney, keyboardists Kelly Brown, Joe Terry, and Maralie Terry, along with drummer Ron Gremp and saxophonist Jim Martin. Their first full-length release, Shake and Push, arrived in 1982. Although more than two decades would pass before the band issued another album under the Morells name, the musicians stayed involved in side endeavors, among them Thompson and Whitney supporting Steve Forbert while performing as the Skeletons. A reconstituted lineup put out the self-titled second album in 2001. Their third effort, Think About It, surfaced on Hightone in 2005.
