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.
You Go To My Head
Mark Murphy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I find you spinning 'round in my brain
Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne
You go to my head like a sip of sparkling Burgundy brew
And I find the very mention of you
Like the kicker in a julep or two
The thrill of the thought that you might give a thought to my plea
Still I say to myself get a hold of yourself
Can't you see that it never can be
You go to my head with a smile that makes my temperature rise
Like a summer with a thousand Julys
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes
Though I'm certain that this heart of mine
Hasn't a ghost of a chance in this crazy romance
You go to my head
You go to my head
In Mark Murphy's song "You Go To My Head," the singer expresses their obsession with someone who they can't seem to get out of their mind. The opening lines, "You go to my head, and you linger like a haunting refrain," show how this person has become ingrained in the singer's thoughts and memories. They continue by comparing their presence to the bubbles in a glass of champagne, highlighting the excitement and anticipation that being around this person brings.
The singer then goes on to talk about how this person affects them physically, mentioning how they make their temperature rise and how their eyes intoxicate their soul. However, despite their infatuation, the singer is aware that their feelings are unlikely to be reciprocated, as they say, "Though I'm certain that this heart of mine, hasn't a ghost of a chance in this crazy romance." The song closes with the singer acknowledging the unlikelihood of their situation and the inevitability of their obsession, repeating the line, "You go to my head."
Overall, the lyrics of "You Go To My Head" capture the consuming nature of infatuation and the way it can take over one's thoughts and emotions, even in the face of reality.
Line by Line Meaning
You go to my head and you linger like a haunting refrain
You are always on my mind, and I can't stop thinking about you.
And I find you spinning 'round in my brain
I can't shake the thought of you, you exist constantly in my mind.
Like the bubbles in a glass of champagne
You fill me up with excitement and joy, just like champagne bubbles fizzing over.
You go to my head like a sip of sparkling Burgundy brew
Just like a delicious glass of sparkling wine, you bring me happiness and warmth when I think of you.
And I find the very mention of you
Just hearing your name is enough to bring me joy and happiness.
Like the kicker in a julep or two
You are the added kick that makes everything better, like the perfect ingredient in a great drink.
The thrill of the thought that you might give a thought to my plea
The idea that you might consider my feelings is an exciting and thrilling prospect for me.
Cast a spell over me
You have enchanted me with your presence in my life.
Still I say to myself get a hold of yourself
I try to remind myself to maintain control of my emotions, despite being overwhelmed by my feelings for you.
Can't you see that it never can be
Despite my desires, I know that it is unlikely that we will ever be together.
You go to my head with a smile that makes my temperature rise
Your smile is contagious, and has an infectious quality that warms my heart and makes me happy.
Like a summer with a thousand Julys
Your presence in my life is like a warm summer day that never seems to end, and fills me with joy.
You intoxicate my soul with your eyes
Your eyes are mesmerizing, and they have the power to captivate me, and fill me with joy.
Though I'm certain that this heart of mine
Despite my certainty, I know that this relationship is unlikely to work out.
Hasn't a ghost of a chance in this crazy romance
Our love is unlikely to lead anywhere, and the odds of us being together are slim to none.
You go to my head
You dominate my thoughts and emotions, and I can't get you out of my mind.
You go to my head
You are always on my mind, and I can never forget you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: J.F. Coots, Haven Gillespie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@saraaraujodafonsecagarciaf4653
What a great version of this theme, my favourite one!!!!!! Mark Murphy was really an amazing jazz singer....So sorry that he is no more among us!... ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️👍👍👍👍👍
@jeanlouischleider
It's also my favorite jazz singer !!!!!
@maximjamir9008
I guess Im pretty off topic but do anybody know of a good website to watch newly released movies online ?
@alfredephraim6773
@Maxim Jamir I would suggest Flixzone. Just google for it =)
@suzannegriffin-otis9661
Mark Murphy..What an amazing jazz vocalist. Anybody know who the piano player is?
@saraaraujodafonsecagarciaf4653
@@suzannegriffin-otis9661 i guess who plays the piano is Marc Seales.This theme belongs to the album Song for the Geese.
@jennifermanges-mcintosh7802
My favorite male singer EVER. And this whole album has the best string arrangements, so lush! It doesn't get better than this
@yggdrasil9039
This man was a complete and utter genius
@peterhaslund
Love how freely he expressed himself. Like singing in front of the bathroom mirror, in love with the sound of my own voice
@harrietandrade9284
Mark Murphy creates the music. He finds the essence. He puts the music inside of our soul. He left us with exquisite beauty in every sound and syllable.