Howard Morrison Quartet

The Howard Morrison Quartet (originally named the Ohinemutu Quartet) was a New Zealand band during the 1950s and early 1960s. The band was formed by Sir Howard Morrison and included Gerry Merito, Wi Wharekura and Noel Kingi.^[1]

Howard Morrison Quartet
The Howard Morrison Quartet in 1959
Background information
Origin	Rotorua, New Zealand
Genres	Easy listening, Tangatawhenua
Years active	1956–1965, 1975, 1979, 1989, 1992-199?, 2006, 2008, 2009

In 1955, while working as a surveyor's chainman, Howard Morrison started putting together vocal groups to entertain at rugby club socials in Rotorua. In 1956 he toured Australia as a member of the Aotearoa Concert Party.

On his return, he heard guitarist Gerry Merito and put together a group with Gerry and two others, Wi Wharekura and Noel Kingi, and named the group Howard Morrison Quartet. In 1958, they became part of Benny Levin's touring 'Pop Jamboree.' A recording they made of "Hoki Mai/ Po Karekare Ana" sold well, and in 1959 their parody of "The Battle of New Orleans," recorded as "The Battle of the Waikato", became one of their biggest hits.

In 1960, they were so popular their managers released 13 singles, three EPs and two albums. Another parody of Lonnie Donegan's, "My Old Man's A Dustman" was rewritten by Gerry Merito as "My Old Man's An All Black." This was highly topical, because of the huge controversy over Maoris not being allowed to tour South Africa with that year's All Blacks.

Moving into 1962, two of their singles were more parodies, with Ray Stevens' "Ahab The Arab" becoming "Mori The Hori" and Pat Boone's "Speedy Gonzales" becoming "George The Wilder Colonial Boy", celebrating the exploits of escaped convict George Wilder.

Due to the constant touring and absence from families, the quartet disbanded in 1965, but have occasionally re-united in various incarnations over the subsequent years.