Morcheeba: THROWBACK!

True Story. I am in Slowe dormitory at Howard University in Washington, DC, in my freshman year. It’s late and my friend Morgan has let me come back to her room after a marathon smoke/drink/pontificate on politics & bullshit session. We are waiting for our friend Alexis to stop sucking face with some guy next door, so she puts on some music and breaks out a pack of clove cigarettes. I take a pull and the room starts to spin. I can’t see…my curly fro is in my face and I suddenly get really hot and I can’t hear a thing. I’m going to hurl and it’s not going to be pretty.

Morgan turns up the music (hella nosy RA), guides me to the bathroom and holds my hair back while I offer my digested dinner to the toilet. When I raise my head I feel 100x’s better and I find myself listening to one of the most beautiful singing voices I have ever heard. Her name was Skye and the album Morgan had put on was Morcheeba’s 1996 debut, Who Can You Trust?

Skye’s voice, along with the Godfrey brothers’ music was perfect, but sadly Skye parted ways with the group in 2005 after recording five great albums. She went on to record her own album, Mind How You Go, in 2006. They recruited other vocalist but I got salty and never listened to another album she wasn’t on.

On gloomy days I still pull out Morcheeba along with groups like Portishead, Tricky, Sneaker Pimps and Massive Attack and reminisce about those days when all I had to do was go to class, get decent grades and not get pregnant and indulge in a joint from time to time. Now, i’m a responsible adult. Boo. Damn, I miss college!

–JBaker