Born in Syracuse, New York, in 1932, Murphy was raised in a musical family, his parents having met as members of the local Methodist Church choir. He grew up in the nearby small town of Fulton, New York, where his grandmother and then his aunt were the church organists. Opera was also a presence in the Murphy home. He started piano lessons at the age of seven.
Murphy joined his brother's jazz dance band as the singer when a teenager, citing influences from Nat "King" Cole, June Christy, Anita O'Day, and Ella Fitzgerald. The Jazz pianist Art Tatum was also an influence.
Murphy graduated from Syracuse University in 1953, majoring in Music and Drama. University life included performing on campus and also in a club – playing piano and singing.
In 1954, Murphy moved to New York City, working part-time as an actor and singer. He appeared in productions for the Gilbert and Sullivan Light Opera Company and a musical version for television of Casey at the Bat. Also, he twice took second place at the Apollo Theatre amateur contests.
Murphy was eventually introduced to record producer Milt Gabler, who was an artist and repertoire director (A & R) for Decca. His resulting debut recording was Meet Mark Murphy (1956), followed closely by Let Yourself Go (1957).
In 1958 Murphy moved to Los Angeles and recorded for Capitol, but returned to New York in the early '60s and recorded the album Rah! (1961) on Riverside Records, performing "Angel Eyes", a version of Horace Silver's "Doodlin'", and "Green Dolphin Street", featuring Bill Evans, Clark Terry, Urbie Green, Blue Mitchell and Wynton Kelly as accompanists. His favorite recording to date, That's How I Love the Blues, soon followed. In 1963, Murphy hit the charts across the country with his single of "Fly Me to the Moon" and was voted New Star of the Year in Down Beat Magazine's Reader's Poll.[citation needed]
In the late 1960s Murphy moved to London, England, where he worked primarily as an actor. He continued however, to cultivate his jazz audiences in Europe. He returned to the States in 1972 and began recording an average of an album a year for more than fourteen years on the Muse label. These projects - including the albums Nat King Cole Songbook Vol. I and II, Bop for Kerouac, Kerouac Then And Now, Living Room, Satisfaction Guaranteed, Beauty And the Beast and, Stolen Moments - gained numerous Grammy nominations.[citation needed] This last album contains Oliver Nelson's "Stolen Moments" with lyrics by Murphy.
In 1984 together with Viva Brasil he recorded the album Brazil Song (Cancões do Brasil), which featured original material written by Brazilian songwriters including work by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Milton Nascimento.
In 1987, Murphy recorded Night Mood, an album of songs by Brazilian composer Ivan Lins, followed by the Grammy-nominated September Ballads on Milestone Records. Murphy has also appeared on U.F.O.'s last two releases (for Polydor Records), in which he wrote and rapped lyrics on songs composed with the group. This collaboration opened up further new audiences in the acid-jazz and hip-hop genres, demonstrating jazz's timelessness while transcending generations and styles.
In August 1997, BMG/RCA Victor released Song For The Geese, for which he has received his sixth Grammy nomination. Also in August 1997, the 32 Records label Joel Dorn and Michael Bourne released a double CD anthology Stolen and Other Moments, which features some of his recordings for the now defunct Muse label. The CD features material from the two "Kerouac" albums and a selection of "the best of Mark Murphy".
Murphy’s release Once to Every Heart (2005), on the Verve label, features sensuous ballads, where the listener can capture him singing in top form, with superb musicians and sounding better than ever. In 2007 Love is What Stays was released on Verve. Both albums were produced by German trumpeter Till Brönner.
Murphy has also collaborated with Five Corners Quintet, a modern Finnish jazz band. He appears on their albums Chasin' the Jazz Gone By (2005) and Hot Corner (2008).
In 2010 he released the independently produced CD, Never Let Me Go, on which he is supported by pianist Misha Piatigorsky, bassist Danton Boller and drummer Chris Wabich. A limited edition EP/MP3, "Beautiful Friendship: Remembering Shirley Horn" on Gearbox Records was released in 2013.
Murphy continued to tour internationally into his 80s, appearing at festivals, concerts, in jazz clubs and on television programs, throughout the U.S., Europe, Australia and Japan, as well as other places. John Bush at AllMusic.com described Murphy as "a major name in vocal jazz." A longtime resident of the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey, he died there on October 22, 2015.
Angel Eyes
Mark Murphy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Still it's uncomfortably near
My own heart ain't gainin' no ground
Because my angel eyes ain't here
Angel eyes that old devil sent
They glow unbearably bright
Need I say that my love's mis-spent
So drink up, drink up all you people
And order anything you see
Have fun you happy people
The drink, and the laugh's, on me
Pardon me, but I gotta run
The fact's uncommonly clear
I gotta find who's now number one
And why my angel eyes ain't here.
I gotta find who's now the number one
And why my angel eyes ain't here.
'Scuse me while I disappear.
Mark Murphy’s song Angel Eyes is a melancholic tune that is about a person who has lost their love and is trying to come to terms with the emptiness in their life. The song describes the feeling of loneliness and the absence of the person they love (Angel Eyes). The first verse highlights the feeling of love being close yet distant, a feeling that is portrayed through the lyrics "Try to think that love's not around, still it's uncomfortably near.” The second line "My own heart ain't gainin' no ground because my angel eyes ain't here" shows how the person’s heart is still struggling to move on and find love because of the absence of their love.
The chorus talks about the impact of the ‘angel eyes’ on the person. The phrase 'angel eyes' could either represent the beauty or the devilish nature of the person they love. The lyrics "Angel eyes, that old devil sent, they glow unbearably bright. Need I say that my love's mis-spent, mis-spent with angel eyes tonight" tell us how the person is struggling to come to terms with their feelings towards their love. They feel that their love has been misdirected and they blame it on the beauty and allure of their partner's eyes. The last verse highlights the person’s decision to leave and move on with their life, to find who is now the number one, and why their ‘angel eyes’ are not here.
Overall, the song captures the feeling of loss, loneliness, and the struggle to move on after a heartbreak. It also portrays the confusion and uncertainty in the person’s mind about their feelings towards their love. The use of metaphors and symbolism in the lyrics adds depth to the meaning of the song.
**Interesting facts about Mark Murphy's Angel Eyes:**
* The song was written by Matt Dennis lyrics and Earl Brent
* The song was originally sung by the Greek-American singer and pianist, Hadda Brooks in 1946 before it was famously covered by Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Willie Nelson, and many others, including Mark Murphy
* The song was first released as a single in 1953 for the Decca label
* Mark Murphy’s version of Angel Eyes was released in 1958 and was included in his album ‘Rah!’
* Murphy’s version of the song is considered one of the best Jazz covers ever made
* He was born in New York City on March 14, 1932
* Murphy was a Grammy-nominated jazz singer who recorded over 40 albums
* Mark Murphy’s version of Angel Eyes has been featured in several movies including “The Bridges of Madison County” and “Pennies from Heaven”
* The song has been covered by many other artists including Chet Baker, Sting, and Jeff Buckley.
* Mark Murphy passed away in 2015 at the age of 83.
**Chords:**
Unfortunately, we do not have access to the chords for this song, as there are many different versions of the melody and chords used by various artists.
Line by Line Meaning
Try to think that love's not around
Trying to convince oneself that love does not exist
Still it's uncomfortably near
Despite trying to deny its existence, love's presence is felt and is disturbing
My own heart ain't gainin' no ground
One's heart is not making any progress or moving on
Because my angel eyes ain't here
Due to the absence of the person with captivating and seductive eyes
Angel eyes that old devil sent
Describing the eyes of the person who is not available as alluring, mesmerizing, and almost irresistible
They glow unbearably bright
The eyes are so captivating that they make it hard to resist the person
Need I say that my love's mis-spent
The love and affection being wasted on someone who is not available
Mis-spent with angel eyes tonight
The love and affection being wasted on the person with the captivating eyes
So drink up, drink up all you people
Encouraging others to drink and enjoy themselves
And order anything you see
Promoting a carefree attitude towards life and spending money
Have fun you happy people
Wishing happiness and enjoyment on others
The drink, and the laugh's, on me
Taking responsibility for providing the drinks and entertainment
Pardon me, but I gotta run
Excusing oneself as they have to leave immediately
The fact's uncommonly clear
The reality of the situation is very evident and obvious
I gotta find who's now number one
I need to find out who is the person now capturing the attention
And why my angel eyes ain't here.
And why the person with the captivating eyes is not present
'Scuse me while I disappear.
Excusing oneself to go look for the person with the captivating eyes.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Kanjian Music, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Earl Brent, Matt Dennis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@georgefirk5531
What a fantastic number.Jane Doe, you are right, it is wonderful. I’ve been listening to Mark Murphy since1958 I am so lucky.
@frannyzooey11
This is wonderful. Thank you for postin' it.