Jon and Tracy Morter
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Jonathan Morter (born 4 October 1974) is an English radio DJ, social media pioneer and campaigner. He helped launch various
internet campaign Internet activism is the use of electronic communication technologies such as social media, e-mail, and podcasts for various forms of activism to enable faster and more effective communication by citizen movements, the delivery of particular infor ...
s. He launched the Condescending Corporate Brand Page, a page that harshly ridicules corporate social media techniques.


Campaigns

In 2002, an early internet fan campaign to get John Otway another chart hit in time for his 50th birthday, saw Otway's single "Bunsen Burner" reach number 9 in 2002 without being stocked by Entertainment UK-associated retailers like
Woolworths Woolworth, Woolworth's, or Woolworths may refer to: Businesses * F. W. Woolworth Company, the original US-based chain of "five and dime" (5¢ and 10¢) stores * Woolworths Group (United Kingdom), former operator of the Woolworths chain of shops ...
. In the 2013 documentary '' Rock and Roll's Greatest Failure: Otway the Movie'', Morter said that the Otway campaign had influenced him to create his own, with the added benefit that by 2008 people did not have to go to the shops to physically buy the records.


Rick Astley vs Alexandra Burke (2008)

In 2008, Morter launched a campaign to make Rick Astley's " Never Gonna Give You Up" reach the top of the British Christmas chart. Also known as the "Ultimate Rickroll" (in reference to Rickrolling), the campaign was started on Facebook on 1 December 2008, in an attempt to make the song the 2008 Christmas number one in the UK. The campaign's purpose was to stop the winner of '' The X Factor'' from gaining the Christmas number one spot, thereby ending the show's chain of success. The year's ''X Factor'' winner at the time was
Alexandra Burke Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke (born 25 August 1988) is a British singer, songwriter and actress. She won the fifth series of the British television series ''The X Factor'' in 2008, and has been signed to Epic Records, RCA Records and Syc ...
with her winning song being a cover of Leonard Cohen's "
Hallelujah ''Hallelujah'' ( ; he, ''haləlū-Yāh'', meaning "praise Yah") is an interjection used as an expression of gratitude to God. The term is used 24 times in the Hebrew Bible (in the book of Psalms), twice in deuterocanonical books, and four tim ...
". The group attracted nearly 30,000 people in its first week. Campaigners were encouraged to get as many people as possible to download the song from
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
between 15 and 20 December 2008. The song peaked at number 73 however this was later found to be a deliberate lowering of the song's place (having reached number three a week before it came to its finish) due to the company's onybelief that "the songs icranking was ridiculous and rigging a contest was unfair on other artists".


Rage Against the Machine vs Joe McElderry (2009)

In 2009, The Morters tried on a bigger scale, launching a campaign to prevent that year's ''X Factor'' winner Joe McElderry from becoming the Christmas number one with his cover of the song " The Climb". They proposed instead the Rage Against the Machine song " Killing in the Name" by establishing a Facebook account named " Rage Against the Machine for Christmas No 1". Jon Morter told London ''Metro'' that he had learned how the system worked through Rick Astley's bid. He said: "What I learned from that was how the charts work a little bit really, and what you can get away with. So when this year came around I just thought 'let's have another go'. If anything, last year was fun, it was just a good bit of fun I think. This year it has gone stratospheric". The grassroots movement was successful in preventing McElderry attaining the top spot on Christmas week as Rage Against the Machine outsold McElderry, and became the UK Christmas number one.


BBC 6 Music campaign (2010)

In January 2010, Morter, after hearing about news that the demise of the music station
BBC 6 Music BBC Radio 6 Music is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC, specialising primarily in alternative music. BBC 6 Music was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years. It is available onl ...
was near, and that the station was being scrapped by BBC management, successfully campaigned against its imminent closure by kickstarting the 'Save 6 Music' Facebook group networking with over 180,000 members subscribing.


The Rolling Stones album (2010)

In May 2010, he contributed to the success of the re-issue of the Rolling Stones' 1972 album ''
Exile on Main St. ''Exile on Main St.'' is the 10th British and 12th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 12 May 1972 by Rolling Stones Records. Recording began in 1969 in England during sessions for ''Sticky Fingers'' a ...
'', collecting more than a million members. On 23 May 2010, ''Exile'' went straight to the top of the UK Albums Chart.


Nirvana vs Little Mix vs Alex Day vs Military Wives vs Lou Monte (2011)

In 2011, Morter helped the campaign against ''X Factor'' winners
Little Mix Little Mix are a British girl group, composed of group members Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall, and Perrie Edwards. Jesy Nelson was originally part of the group before she left in 2020. After becoming the first group to win the British ver ...
and their cover of " Cannonball" from becoming Christmas number one by supporting Nirvana's song " Smells Like Teen Spirit". The Nirvana song made it to No. 11 on the 2011 UK Christmas Singles Chart. However, Little Mix themselves were beaten by another song, " Wherever You Are" by the
Military Wives The Military Wives Choirs is a registered charity and network of 75 choirs in British military bases across the UK and overseas, bringing women in the military community closer together through singing. With over 2,200 members, the MWC network ...
(which had the support of British broadcaster Chris Evans), although Little Mix's single was released a week earlier than usual and had already been number one the week before. Nirvana was also beaten by two rival campaigns; "
Dominick the Donkey "Dominick the Donkey" is a Christmas music, Christmas song written by Ray Allen, Sam Saltzberg and Wandra Merrell, and was recorded by Lou Monte in 1960, on Roulette Records. The song describes Dominick, a donkey who helps Santa Claus bring presen ...
", a 1960 novelty single by
Lou Monte Lou Monte (born Louis Scaglione; April 2, 1917 – June 12, 1989) was an Italian American singer best known for a number of best-selling, Italian-themed novelty records which he recorded for both RCA Victor and Reprise Records in the late 1950 ...
which was championed by BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles, and " Forever Yours" by unsigned YouTube artist Alex Day.


The Justice Collective (2012)

In October 2012, Morter was invited by Peter Hooton of the Farm to join the Justice Collective, a fund-raising record raising money for the various charities associated with the
Hillsborough disaster The Hillsborough disaster was a fatal human crush during a football match at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, on 15 April 1989. It occurred during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the ...
. The song took the Christmas number 1 position for 2012 in the UK, beating 2012 ''X Factor'' winner
James Arthur James Arthur (born 2 March 1988) is an English singer and songwriter. He rose to fame after winning the ninth series of ''The X Factor'' in 2012. His debut single, a cover of Shontelle's "Impossible", was released by Syco Music after the fin ...
, who was number one the previous week, and a host of novelty songs from acts including the £1 Fish Man, and the Eddie Stobart Truckers.


AC/DC – "Highway to Hell" (2013)

Morter initiated a campaign hoping to aid " Highway to Hell" by
AC/DC AC/DC (stylised as ACϟDC) are an Australian Rock music, rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm Young, Malcolm and Angus Young. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock, and Heavy metal ...
to reach number one on the 2013 UK Christmas Singles Chart, as a tribute to the band's 40th anniversary, as the band has never ever topped the British chart. The single made it to number 4 on the UK Christmas chart, the band's highest-ever UK singles chart placing, but could not prevent ''The X Factor''-related single "
Skyscraper A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
" by tenth season winner Sam Bailey from making it to number one. Alongside the campaign, funds were raised from donations to a
JustGiving JustGiving is a global online social platform for giving. The firm's headquarters are located in Bankside, London. History In 2000, Zarine Kharas and Anne-Marie Huby founded JustGiving, (initially clickforaction.com) a company to provide on ...
page which went to the charity Feel Yourself, to raise awareness about the importance of self-checking for breast and testicular cancer.


Rik Mayall - "Noble England" (2014)

Prior to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Jon's then-wife Tracy was asked to take promotional photos for the forthcoming football song "Noble England" by Rik Mayall. This was Tracy's first job as a professional photographer, and alongside Morter spent the day working with Mayall on location at Leeds Castle in Kent. On Mayall's death just prior to the
2014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
, Morter began a campaign to chart the song in time for the tournament. "Noble England" peaked at number 7 on the UK chart, making it the highest charting football song in the UK during the 2014 World Cup. Profits from the sales of the song were donated to charities dedicated to head injuries.


The Peace Collective - "All Together Now" (2014)

In October 2014, many members of the Justice Collective (including Morter) reconvened as 'The Peace Collective', to record the Farm's 1990 hit " All Together Now" in aid of the British Red Cross and the Shorncliffe Trust. The new track featured a backing choir of schoolboy footballers from the Premier League and German Bundesliga plus a number of music acts including Clean Bandit, Engelbert Humperdinck, the Proclaimers, Gorgon City, Suzi Quatro, Jona Lewie,
Alexandra Burke Alexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke (born 25 August 1988) is a British singer, songwriter and actress. She won the fifth series of the British television series ''The X Factor'' in 2008, and has been signed to Epic Records, RCA Records and Syc ...
, Julian Lennon, Paul Potts,
Jane McDonald Jane Anne McDonald (born 4 April 1963) is an English singer, songwriter and television presenter. Born and raised in Wakefield, McDonald spent much of her early career performing in local clubs and pubs before landing work as a singer on cruis ...
, David Gray, Gabrielle, Mick Jones, Holly Johnson, and many more. The track was released 14 December 2014 and reached number 70 on the UK Singles Chart.


Eagles of Death Metal - "Save a Prayer" (2015)

Following the
November 2015 Paris attacks The November 2015 Paris attacks () were a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks that took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Beginning at 9:15p.m., three suicide bombers ...
, a campaign was created by Morter with the intention of getting the band's cover of the
Duran Duran Duran Duran () are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer and bassist Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. With the addition of drummer Roger ...
song " Save a Prayer" to number one on the UK Singles Chart. The campaign was endorsed by Duran Duran, who promised to donate their proceeds from the sale to charity. The song ultimately peaked at number 53 on the chart dated the week after the attack. It peaked at number 1 on the
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
Rock Chart in 11 countries including the UK and France.


Wham! - "Last Christmas" (2017)

Upon hearing of the death of
George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...
, Morter created a campaign on
Boxing Day Boxing Day is a holiday celebrated after Christmas Day, occurring on the second day of Christmastide (26 December). Though it originated as a holiday to give gifts to the poor, today Boxing Day is primarily known as a shopping holiday. It ...
2016 to chart the Wham! song " Last Christmas" aiming for the 2017 Christmas No. 1 single. The Facebook page amassed 34,000 fans, with the song peaking at No. 1 on the
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
, Amazon, 7Digital, and Google Play download charts, yet the song ultimately peaked at No. 2, beaten to the top position by multiple versions of Ed Sheeran's "
Perfect Perfect commonly refers to: * Perfection, completeness, excellence * Perfect (grammar), a grammatical category in some languages Perfect may also refer to: Film * Perfect (1985 film), ''Perfect'' (1985 film), a romantic drama * Perfect (2018 f ...
". The Facebook campaign page remained open and active with the song peaking at No. 3 in December 2018, No. 3 again in December 2019, then finally at No. 1 in January 2021 and December 2022.


The Kunts - "Boris Johnson Is a Fucking Cunt" (2020)

In December 2020, Morter was approached by his comedy act friend
Kunt Kunt is a Turkish surname. It means strong or durable in ancient Turkish. Notable people with the surname include: * Burakcan Kunt, Turkish soccer player * Josef Kunt, Czech Olympic fencer * Murat Kunt (born 1945), Swiss scientist See also * Kunt ...
on behalf of his newly formed punk band, the Kunts, to assist with their attempt for the
Christmas number one single In the United Kingdom, Christmas number ones are singles that top the UK Singles Chart in the week in which Christmas Day falls. The singles have often been novelty songs, charity songs or songs with a Christmas theme. Historically, the volume ...
with a short song about Prime Minister Boris Johnson called "Boris Johnson Is a Fucking Cunt". The band were backed in the race by Black Mirror's Charlie Brooker, the Wonder Stuff's
Miles Hunt Miles Stephen Hunt (born 29 July 1966) is an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He fronts the alternative rock band The Wonder Stuff. Early life His father was a union official for the TGWU. In the 1970s, his father was based at Derby, an ...
,
Ginger Wildheart Ginger Wildheart (born David Leslie Walls; 17 December 1964 in South Shields, England), sometimes known simply as Ginger, is an English rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career as a guitarist in The Quireboys, bu ...
, as well as Glen Matlock of the
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...
. The song about Boris Johnson was revealed on BBC Radio 1 by Vick Hope and
Katie Thistleton Katie Lorna Thistleton (born 13 May 1989) is an English television and radio presenter, National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) qualified journalist and author, best known for her work across the CBBC channel. She presents a show ...
on 20 December 2020. During the show, the presenters did not mention the song's title or play it on air because of the offensive language in it, stating: "Now at 19 we've got a track about Boris Johnson that has so many bad words in it we can't play it on daytime Radio 1." The record was a new entry at number 19, with LadBaby at number 1, climbing to number 8 the next day. On 23 December 2020, it was reported that a number of bookmakers had put odds on the record being the Christmas number one at 8/1, after it had become the second most downloaded song on iTunes and Amazon. The song ultimately reached number 5 on the Christmas chart, after accumulating 45,119 sales, and unlike many of the other Christmas campaign singles (such as rivals LadBaby) made the Official Audio Streaming Chart, and number 1 on the Spotify UK Viral Chart as well.


Asian Dub Foundation featuring Stewart Lee - "Comin' Over Here" (2021)

In September 2020, Asian Dub Foundation (a political band from London who had a top 40 hit with "Buzzin'" in 1998) released a song called "Comin' Over Here", which was based on a sketch from Stewart Lee's ''Comedy Vehicle'' about the then UKIP party leader
Paul Nuttall Paul Andrew Nuttall (born 30 November 1976) is a British politician who served as Leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from 2016 to 2017. He was elected to the European Parliament in 2009 as a UK Independence Party (UKIP) candidate, and ...
. In December 2020, Morter teamed up with Lee and Asian Dub Foundation to campaign to chart the song in time for the chart published by the Official Charts Company on 31 December 2020, thereby making the record the 'Brexit Day Number One'. On 1 January 2021, Asian Dub Foundation and Stewart Lee charted on the Official Chart Company's Top 100 singles chart, when "Comin' Over Here" debuted at No. 65, the week's highest new entry and No. 1 on the Official Sales Chart. The accompanying video achieved over 1 million views.


The Kunts - "Boris Johnson Is STILL a Fucking Cunt" (2021)

In October 2021, Morter and friend Kunt met up at The Norton public house in
Cold Norton Cold Norton is a village on the Dengie Peninsula in Essex, England. It is located in rural countryside 10 miles to the east of Chelmsford, and lies just over a mile to the north of the River Crouch, which can be seen from the village's main hill ...
, Essex, to discuss the possibility of writing a book on their previous chart campaigns. This meeting ended up with an entirely different outcome, to release another Christmas single by following the rules of a 1989 book called ''
The Manual (How to Have a Number One the Easy Way) ''The Manual (How to Have a Number One the Easy Way)'' is a 1988 book by "The Timelords" ( Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond), better known as The KLF. It is a step-by-step guide to achieving a No.1 single with no money or musical skills, and a case ...
'' by the KLF. The song was inspired by the ' novelty' pop single " Doctorin' the Tardis" by the Timelords (a pseudonym of the KLF), with one of the accompanying videos being a pastiche of the said Timelords video. The Kunts released numerous videos for the project, one portraying a 1970s '' Top of the Pops'' performance where Morter appears as an extra. The song reached No. 5 on the Official Chart Company's Top 100 singles chart, and No. 1 on the Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart.


Awards and nominations

In 2009, Morter was picked by the BBC in their list of nominations for "Men of the Year" Awards from December 2009 for his Rage Against the Machine vs Joe McElderry campaign. In 2010, he won the 'Defender of the Faith Award' at the 2010 Metal Hammer Golden Gods. He also won the
3 Mobile 3 or Three is a global brand name owned by Hutchison 3G Enterprises S.A.R.L., under which several UMTS-based mobile phone networks and broadband internet providers operate in Hong Kong, Macau, Austria, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, Sweden, and ...
Award for 'Social Media High of the Year', and was nominated for the 2010 Revolution "Marketer of the Year" award. '' Wired'' magazine included Morter and his wife Tracy in their "Top 100 Influencers", placing at #85 on the ''Wired'' list.


Personal life

Morter married Tracy Hayden in 2004. The couple divorced in 2013.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Morter, Jon Living people 1974 births English radio DJs People from the City of Chelmsford