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.
The Dream
Mark Murphy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come on and trade in your old dreams for new
Your new dreams for old
I know where they're bought
I know where they're sold
Midnight, you've got to get there at midnight
And you'll be met there by others like you
Brothers as blue
Love laughs at a king
Kings don't mean a thing
On the street of dreams
Dreams broken in two can be made like new
On the street of dreams
Gold, sliver and gold
All you can hold is in the moonbeams
Poor, no one is poor
Long as love is sure
On the street of dreams
Midnight, look at the steeple, it's midnight
Unhappy people, it's ringing with joy
It's ringing with cheer
'Cause yesterday's gone
Tomorrow is near
Midnight, the heart is lighter at midnight
Things will be brighter the moment you find
More of your kind
Smiling on the street of dreams
Love laughs at a king
Kings don't mean a thing
On the street of dreams
Dreams broken in two can be made like new
On the street of dreams
Gold, sliver and gold
All you can hold is in the moonbeams
Poor, no one is poor
Long as love is sure
On the street of dreams
The song "The Dream" by Mark Murphy is a powerful and uplifting ode to the resilience of the human spirit. It begins by addressing someone who is weighed down by heavy burdens at midnight, a time that is often associated with darkness and despair. Murphy encourages this person to let go of their old dreams and exchange them for new ones, assuring them that there is hope to be found. He knows where these dreams can be obtained and promises that others who understand what it feels like to struggle will be there as well.
As the song progresses, Murphy emphasizes the irrelevance of material wealth and status, as love is the only thing that truly matters. He sings that love "laughs at a king" and that "kings don't mean a thing on the street of dreams." This sentiment is echoed in the idea that no one is truly poor as long as they have love in their life. The song ends on a hopeful note, with Murphy encouraging the listener to look to the future with optimism and to seek out others who will support and uplift them.
Overall, "The Dream" is a song about the human capacity to overcome adversity and find joy and peace even in the darkest of times. It speaks to the power of community and human connection to bring us together and help us through difficult situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Midnight, you heavy laden, it's midnight
It's a dark time in your life, and you feel burdened by your struggles.
Come on and trade in your old dreams for new
Let go of your old aspirations and give yourself a chance to find new ones.
Your new dreams for old
Even if you've already found new dreams, don't forget where you came from.
I know where they're bought
There's a place where you can find new dreams.
I know where they're sold
And there's a market where you can sell your old ones.
Midnight, you've got to get there at midnight
This opportunity is only available at a specific time, so don't miss your chance.
And you'll be met there by others like you
You're not alone in your search for something better.
Brothers as blue
Others have gone through struggles similar to yours.
Smiling on the street of dreams
But they've found hope and happiness on this new path.
Love laughs at a king
Even the most powerful people in the world can't escape the power of love.
Kings don't mean a thing
Material wealth and status don't matter on this new path.
On the street of dreams
This is the new path, the street of dreams.
Dreams broken in two can be made like new
Even if your old dreams seemed destroyed, you can revive them.
Gold, silver and gold
There's plenty of treasure to be found here.
All you can hold is in the moonbeams
It's a metaphorical kind of treasure, but no less valuable.
Poor, no one is poor
No matter your financial situation, you can find happiness here.
Long as love is sure
As long as you have love, you can't be poor on this street.
Midnight, look at the steeple, it's midnight
Take a moment to reflect on where you are in life.
Unhappy people, it's ringing with joy
For others, the tolling of the midnight bell is a happy sound.
It's ringing with cheer
They know that new opportunities are just around the corner.
'Cause yesterday's gone
This is a new day, and you can leave your troubles behind.
Tomorrow is near
With new dreams in your heart, the future is full of possibilities.
Midnight, the heart is lighter at midnight
As the night wears on, you might find a sense of peace.
Things will be brighter the moment you find
And when you do, the future looks brighter.
More of your kind
Surround yourself with people who share your hope and optimism.
Smiling on the street of dreams
Together, you can find happiness on the street of dreams.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sam Lewis, Victor Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stuart Britton
This is how the Metropole Orchestra should really sound. The easy listening sound that is easy to listen to as background sound and is honestly arranged without trying to please a certain group of people. I hope I've put that clearly enough.
Louise DeLucchi
Underrated by certain groups maybe but not with true Jazz lovers... he was a magnificent artist... some of the great legendary singers couldn't have sung like him, It was said that when Liza Minnelli heard him she was stunned and said he has a party going on his head and I want to go there! A truly emotional vocalist...his ballads are heart wrenching and up tempos were crazily great! I met him heard him many times in SF and truly miss him now, I'm thankful we have his recordings there is no one like him...
Edward Mallon
A legend in his own time. An unsurpassed and sadly underrated jazz singer.
Darryl Hytower
AMEN!
improcat1
Kurt Elling???? Forget it, he doesn't even come close, this is the real deal. Superb album.
Luan P. Hasnay
Fabulous! RIP Mark Murphy
Barbara Morrison
I love this guy. Thanks so much for the access. I saw him at the Pumpkin in Amsterdam where he performed in early 2000's
MrTriple3
Very nice! When was this performance recorded? I'm unfamiliar with this album.
virino
1995, like it says above.
Sassyjass2012
The individual tracks were recorded at various times. “Hopeless” is from 1969, and the newest tracks are from the early 1990s.