Morphine
Origin	Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Genre(s)	Alternative rock, Indie rock, Jazz rock, Experimental rock
Years active	1989–1999
Label(s)	Rykodisc, Dreamworks Records
Former members
Mark Sandman (deceased) Dana Colley Billy Conway Jerome Deupree

Morphine was an alternative rock group formed by Mark Sandman and Dana Colley in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, in 1989. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Location in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Middlesex County Settled 1630 Incorporated 1636 Government  - Type Mayor-council city  - Mayor Kenneth Reeves (D) Area  - City  7. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... Jazz fusion (sometimes referred to simply as fusion) is a musical genre that loosely encompasses the merging of jazz with other styles, particularly rock, funk, R&B, and world music. ... Experimental rock or Avant rock is a type of art music based on rock and roll which experiments with the basic elements of the genre, and/or which pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Rykodisc Records is an American record label, and subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... When David Geffen sold his Geffen Records to MCA Records he joined Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg to form Dreamworks SKG, with subsidiary DreamWorks Records. ... Mark Sandman (September 24, 1952 – July 3, 1999) was an American singer, songwriter, musical instrument inventor and multi-instrumentalist. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... Mark Sandman (September 24, 1952 – July 3, 1999) was an American singer, songwriter, musical instrument inventor and multi-instrumentalist. ... Location in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country United States State Massachusetts County Middlesex County Settled 1630 Incorporated 1636 Government  - Type Mayor-council city  - Mayor Kenneth Reeves (D) Area  - City  7. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ...

Morphine combined blues and jazz elements with more traditional rock arrangements, giving the band a very unusual sound. Sandman's distinctive singing was described as a "deep, laid-back croon"[1], and his songwriting featured a prominent beatnik influence. When asked by reporters to describe their music, the band created the label "low rock". One critical appraisal suggests that "Morphine immediately established a minimalist, low-end sound that could have easily become a gimmick: a 'power trio' not built around the sound of an electric guitar. Instead, with sly intelligence, Morphine expanded its offbeat vocabulary on each album."[2] “Blues music” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... A notably sentimental expression; usually through song with prominent use of the voice. ... Beatnik is a media stereotype that borrowed the most superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s to present a distorted (and sometimes violent), cartoon-like misrepresentation of the real-life people and the spirituality found in Jack Kerouacs autobiographical fiction. ... The power trio is a rock and roll band format popularized in the 1960s. ... An electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into electrical current, which is then amplified. ...

Although Morphine was critically lauded throughout their career, it is difficult to measure their success commercially. In the United States the band was embraced and promoted by the indie rock community, including public and college radio stations and MTV's 120 Minutes (which the band once guest-hosted), but received little support from commercial rock radio and other music television programs. This limited their mainstream exposure and success in their home country, while internationally they enjoyed mainstream success and support, especially in France and Australia. Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... NPR redirects here. ... Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. ... This article is about the original U.S. music television channel. ... 120 Minutes logo 120 Minutes was a television show dedicated to alternative music on MTV and MTV2 from 1986-2003. ... Commercial broadcasting - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...

History

Morphine was formed in 1989 by bassist/vocalist Mark Sandman, who had previously played with the bluesy alternative rock band Treat Her Right, and saxophonist Dana Colley, a former member of the local Boston group Three Colors. Sandman and Colley asked drummer Jerome Deupree to join the group and complete the initial lineup. Treat Her Right was a blues rock group formed in Boston, Massachussets in 1984. ...

Morphine recorded their debut album, Good, for the Boston-based Accurate/Distortion label in 1991. The album received positive reviews and established a small but devoted audience. The band subsequently signed to Rykodisc, which re-released Good under its own imprint. Album by Morphine (band) mastered at 1992. ... See also: 1991 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1991 Record labels established in 1991 // 1991 was the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. ... Rykodisc Records is an American record label, and subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ...

Cure for Pain, released in 1993, increased the band's audience outside of New England, and singles like "Thursday" and "Buena" picked up some college radio play. During the recording of Cure for Pain, Deupree was replaced by Billy Conway, who had previously played with Sandman in Treat Her Right. However, Deupree still played most of the percussion work heard on the album. Conway would stay on as a permanent member of Morphine while Deupree would later return to perform with the band, both in the studio and on the road. Morphine's final album credits both men and includes a photo of both drummers playing with the group simultaneously. After they completed Cure for Pain, the band toured the United States, Europe, Japan and Australia. Cure For Pain was the second album released by Morphine. ... See also: 1993 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1993 Record labels established in 1993 // Date Unknown- Christian Rock label Tooth and Nail Records is formed. ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ... College radio (also known as university radio, campus radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college or university. ...

In 1994, "Sheila" and "In Spite of Me" were prominently featured on the soundtrack of the film Spanking the Monkey. The band returned to the studio in 1995 and produced Yes. In 1996, Morphine signed with Dreamworks Records. See also: 1994 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1994 Record labels established in 1994 // January 29 - The Supremes Mary Wilson is injured when her jeep hits a freeway median and flips over just outside of Los Angeles, California. ... Spanking the Monkey is a 1994 US independent black comedy written and directed by David O. Russell. ... See also: 1995 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1995 Record labels established in 1995 // January 18 - Jerry Garcia wrecks his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California. ... Opening with the monstrous riffs of Honey White (the albums first single) the album takes Morphines trademark low rock sound to new places. ... See also: 1996 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1996 Record labels established in 1996 // January 8 - Madonnas stalker, Robert Hoskins is found guilty and convicted on five charges of assault, stalking, and threatening to kill the singer. ... When David Geffen sold his Geffen Records to MCA Records he joined Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg to form Dreamworks SKG, with subsidiary DreamWorks Records. ...

Dreamworks released their major label debut, Like Swimming, the following year. It was a critical success, but did not break the band into the domestic mainstream as had been hoped. Dreamworks released a music video for the single "Early to Bed". Directed by Jamie Caliri and released in March of 1997, the nightmarish yet humorous video became an instant favorite among fans and was later nominated for a Grammy award. Like Swimming is a 1997 album by the band Morphine. ... Grammy Award statuette The Grammy Awards, presented by the Recording Academy (an association of Americans professionally involved in the recorded music industry) for outstanding achievements in the recording industry, is one of four major music awards shows held annually in the United States (the Billboard Music Awards, the American Music...

The band's final studio album, The Night, was completed in early 1999. On July 3, 1999, Sandman collapsed on stage at the Giardini del Principe in Palestrina, Italy (near Rome). He was soon pronounced dead of a heart attack and Morphine immediately disbanded. However, The Night was released in 2000 Morphine / The Night Label: DreamWorks Year: 2000 Track Title 1. ... See also: 1999 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1999 Record labels established in 1999 // January 7 After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Palestrina (ancient Praeneste) was and is a very ancient city of Latium (modern Lazio) 23 miles (37 km) east of Rome, and was reached by the Via Praenestina (see below). ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... Acute myocardial infarction (AMI or MI), more commonly known as a heart attack, is a disease state that occurs when the blood supply to a part of the heart is interrupted. ... See also: 2000 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2000 Record labels established in 2000 // John Tavener is knighted in the New Years Honours List. ...

Since then, Bootleg Detroit, an "official live bootleg", and The Best of Morphine: 1992-1995 have also been released under the Morphine name. Also, The music video for "Buena" was featured in a 1999 episode ("Boca") of the hit HBO television series The Sopranos. "Buena" was also featured on an episode of Homicide: Life on The Streets (episode "Autofocus" airing November 1995) Bootleg Detroit is the only authorized release of a live recording of Morphine. ... A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ... The year 1999 in television involved some significant events. ... Boca is the 9th episode of the HBO original series, The Sopranos. ... For other uses, see HBO (disambiguation). ... This article is about the television series. ...

Orchestra Morphine, Hi-n-Dry, & Twinemen

Within a year of Sandman's death, Colley and Conway created Orchestra Morphine, a group of Sandman's friends and colleagues who toured to celebrate the music of the band and to raise funds for the Mark Sandman Music Education Fund. Orchestra Morphine mostly performed music from The Night, but also included some Hypnosonics material as well.

Later, singer and guitarist Laurie Sargent, a member of Orchestra Morphine, would join Colley and Conway in their first post-Morphine musical endeavour, Twinemen. Conway and Colley also officially formed the Hi-n-Dry independent record label and studio, converting Sandman's workspace into a commercial enterprise. The label's roster includes a number of their friends, colleagues and other Boston-area musicians. Orchestra Morphine still reunites on occasion but no longer tours. Twinemen is the Cambridge, MA band created out of the remains of the also Cambridge, MA band, Morphine. ... Hi-n-Dry is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based record label and recording studio. ... An independent record label is variously described as a record label operating without the funding (or outside the organizations) of the major record labels, and/or a label that subscribes to indie philosophies such as DIY and anti-corporate art. ...

In 2004, the Mark Sandman box set Sandbox was released by Hi-n-Dry. It contains two CDs and a DVD of previously unreleased material spanning Sandman's musical career. The DVD features clips from early Sandman shows, interviews from the Morphine tours, and various videos from other Sandman solo and group projects, such as Treat Her Right. However, the box set does not contain any Sandman material found in the Morphine catalogue, Morphine videos, or promotional material produced by Rykodisc or Dreamworks Records. Many believe this is the result of a less-than-cooperative relationship between the surviving members of the band and their former record labels, although both Colley and Conway contributed to the release of The Best of Morphine, released by Rykodisc in 2003. See also: 2004 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2004 Record labels established in 2004 2000s in music. ... Hi-n-Dry is a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based record label and recording studio. ... See also: 2003 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2003 Record labels established in 2003 // January - following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It...

Jerome Deupree continues to record with various jazz musicians and later became a member of the group Bourbon Princess. Bourbon Princess is a alternative rock/new wave band based in Boston. ...

Band members

• Mark Sandman - 2-string slide bass, vocals, organ, tritare, guitar, piano
• Dana Colley - baritone sax, tenor sax, double sax, triangle
• Billy Conway - various percussion (1993-1999)
• Jerome Deupree - various percussion (1989-1993; 1998-1999)

Mark Sandman (September 24, 1952 – July 3, 1999) was an American singer, songwriter, musical instrument inventor and multi-instrumentalist. ...

Instruments

Morphine's instrumentation was quite unusual: Sandman's primary instrument was a two-string bass guitar (with both strings usually tuned to the same note) played with a slide (though on the group's records he added touches of guitar, piano, electronic organ and other instruments). Colley played primarily baritone saxophone, along with soprano or tenor saxes, and the rare bass saxophone, and he sometimes played two saxes at once, a la Roland Kirk; he also played occasional percussion, and dobro on a B-side. A sunburst-colored Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass stringed instrument played with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... Example of a bottleneck, with fingerpicks and resonator guitar. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... A short grand piano, with the lid up. ... Classic Hammond B-3 organ. ... The baritone saxophone, often called bari sax (to avoid confusion with the baritone horn, which is often referred to simply as baritone), is one of the larger and lower pitched members of the saxophone family. ... The bass saxophone (or bass sax for short) is the second largest existing member of the saxophone family (or third largest, if the subcontrabass tubax is counted). ... Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935-1977) was a blind jazz saxophonist, perhaps best known for his ability to play more than one saxophone at once. ... Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ... A modern Gibson Dobro Dobro is a trade name now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar. ...

Discography

Studio albums

1. Good - 1992
2. Cure for Pain - 1993
3. Yes - 1995
4. Like Swimming - 1997
5. The Night - 2000

Album by Morphine (band) mastered at 1992. ... See also: 1992 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1992 Record labels established in 1992 // 1992 was a pivotal year in the development of music. ... Cure For Pain was the second album released by Morphine. ... See also: 1993 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1993 Record labels established in 1993 // Date Unknown- Christian Rock label Tooth and Nail Records is formed. ... Opening with the monstrous riffs of Honey White (the albums first single) the album takes Morphines trademark low rock sound to new places. ... See also: 1995 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1995 Record labels established in 1995 // January 18 - Jerry Garcia wrecks his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California. ... Like Swimming is a 1997 album by the band Morphine. ... See also: 1996 in music, other events of 1997, 1998 in music, 1990s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 9 - David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert (the day after his birthday) at Madison Square Garden, with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic... Morphine / The Night Label: DreamWorks Year: 2000 Track Title 1. ... See also: 2000 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2000 Record labels established in 2000 // John Tavener is knighted in the New Years Honours List. ...

Live Albums and Compilations

• B-Sides and Otherwise - 1997
• Sampilation - 1997
• Bootleg Detroit - 2000
• The Best of Morphine: 1992-1995 - 2003
• Sandbox: The Mark Sandman Box Set - 2004

B-Sides and Otherwise was a collection of B-Sides and previously unreleased songs by Morphine, put out in 1997 by the Rykodisc label. ... Bootleg Detroit is the only authorized release of a live recording of Morphine. ... See also: 2003 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2003 Record labels established in 2003 // January - following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It... See also: 2004 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2004 Record labels established in 2004 2000s in music. ...

External links

• The Other Side
• Morphine at Myspace
• Morphine data in Allmusic
• Twinemen