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Peter Murphy (musician)
Encyclopedia
Peter John Murphy is an English
rock vocalist. He was the vocalist of the rock group Bauhaus
, and later went on to release a number of solo
album
s, such as Deep
and Love Hysteria
. Thin, with prominent cheekbones, a baritone
voice, and a penchant for gloomy poetics, Murphy is often called the "Godfather of Goth."
, England
, and raised in Wellingborough
, England. Bauhaus were one of the establishing acts of the goth
movement. Their use of spacey recording effects and theatrical aesthetics was evocative of both early horror films and glam rock; they became an influential group in the early days of gothic rock
.
In 1983, Bauhaus appeared during the opening sequences of the horror film The Hunger, performing one of their most popular songs, "Bela Lugosi's Dead
". The camera focused almost exclusively on Murphy during most of the scene, panning only briefly to the stars David Bowie
and Catherine Deneuve
.
Bauhaus reformed in 1998 for a tour, and once again in 2006 for a tour with Nine Inch Nails
. The latter group's frontman, Trent Reznor
, and Murphy were guests on several radio shows together, often performing three to four duets per radio show. Reznor cites Bauhaus as one of his primary musical influences, and had toured with Murphy earlier in both their careers.
, David J
, or Daniel Ash
. After some brief dabbling with acting and dance - including a slightly odd televised performance to Bauhaus's "Hollow Hills" - he formed Dali's Car
with Mick Karn
, the bass player from Japan
. The group recorded only one album.
Murphy's solo career over time became more varied than Bauhaus, ranging from pseudo-pop to haunting ballads that showcased his deep and complex vocals, with lyrical themes that are often metaphysical
or religious. His knack for such lyricism and the occasional pop-reinvention did, however, cause some initial trepidation by the record-buying public. After the commercial non-start of Dali's Car, Murphy's first solo album was similarly overlooked. Should the World Fail to Fall Apart did spawn several singles, including a cover of Pere Ubu
's "Final Solution" that made a minor splash on the club scene.
The followup, Love Hysteria, sank without trace in his native UK along with his career there. However, in the USA it performed better than his previous solo releases. The albums also marked the beginning of a long-term collaboration with songwriter Paul Statham, who co-wrote songs with Murphy until 1995. The resulting singles "All Night Long" and "Indigo Eyes" helped garner a wider following, and the black-and-white video for "All Night Long" entered rotation on MTV
.
The pinnacle of Murphy's solo popularity in the US came with the release of Deep. For this album Murphy sported hair dyed platinum blonde and returned to the more aggressive alt-rock sound that was a trademark of early Bauhaus. The single "Cuts You Up
" from Deep held on to the top spot on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
chart for longer than any other previously released single, displacing "So Alive" by his former Bauhaus-bandmates Love and Rockets
. The record was unbroken until the release of R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion
."
family, Murphy converted to Islam
in the 1990s. He eventually moved to Turkey
with his wife, and a subsequent Middle East
ern influence can be heard in his later albums. In particular, Murphy has been inspired by the mysticism of Sufism
. 1992's Holy Smoke mixed some traditional Turkish influences into the music while continuing the sound pioneered on Deep. The album was unable to recapture the momentum of Deep, and in the post-grunge
alternative landscape, the more pop-flavored album seemed anachronistic.
In 1995, Murphy embraced a lower-key, ambient pop sound for Cascade, featuring producer Pascal Gabriel
, guest work from "infinite guitarist" Michael Brook
, and overall a much stronger incorporation of electronics. This album was also to be his last major collaboration with Paul Statham, who departed to form Peach with Pascal Gabriel and eventually write songs for Dido
and Kylie Minogue
. Cascade was also Murphy's last original release for Beggar's Banquet records, which had been his label since Bauhaus. Shortly after this departure, Murphy recorded the Recall EP for the newly-formed Red Ant records, featuring a few new songs and some new, heavily electronic versions of older material, reworked in conjunction with Sascha Konietzko
, Bill Rieflin and Tim Skold
of the band KMFDM
. Once again, he became label-mates with former Bauhaus alums Love and Rockets, who had also signed to Red Ant. This generated a significant number of rumours regarding a possible reformation of Bauhaus. While Red Ant quickly folded, Bauhaus did reform in 1998 for the Resurrection tour, one performance of which (at the Hammerstein Ballroom
, New York City) was recorded and released on DVD by Metropolis Records
as Gotham. The tour was a success, although Murphy refused to perform certain songs, because of his adherence to Islam, such as "Stigmata Martyr" and "St. Vitus' Dance." He cited their religious overtones as objectionable. The lyrics of the former include the Trinitarian formula
in Latin and English, thus affirming the Christian doctrine of the Trinity
.
on November 30, 2000. During the tour, Murphy chose to perform with only two back-up musicians, Canadian electric violin
ist Hugh Marsh
and Peter DiStefano
from Porno for Pyros
on guitar, although former Bauhaus bassist David J
sometimes joined the trio for an encore. At this point he also contributed to works by noted film composer Harry Gregson-Williams
.
Also in 2000, Murphy gave a nod to the North American goth scene, where his solo works and his works with Bauhaus are still popular, by making a surprise guest appearance at the sixth annual Convergence
festival in Seattle
, to perform a low-key, acoustic solo set.
Shortly thereafter, Murphy collaborated with the Turkish artist Mercan Dede
on the album Dust. Heavily steeped in traditional Turkish instrumentation and songwriting, coupled with Dede's trademark atmospheric electronics, the album showed Murphy all but abandoning his previous pop and rock incarnations. Dust, released on goth/industrial stalwart label Metropolis Records, alienated many fans who had expected a more uptempo Murphy album (especially post-Recall), but it garnered some critical praise. Peter Murphy considers it his most unique work to date and is most proud of the song "Your Face" from the album.
In 2004, Murphy signed to yet another new label, Viastar, which was home to several other 1980s pop artists who had moved into more eclectic areas. Despite numerous problems with the label, the album Unshattered was released, showcasing Murphy returning to a more pop sound.
Murphy undertook extensive tours of the US and Europe to promote 'Unshattered' in 2005, with a live band featuring guitarist Mark Thwaite
of The Mission
and Tricky
on guitar, Jeff Schwartoff of Human Waste Project
and Professional Murder Music
on bass and Justin Bennett of Skinny Puppy
on drums. Murphy and the band reconvened in November 2007 for shows in Portugal and Spain, with Nick Lucero replacing Bennett on drums. In May 2008 Murphy recorded a cover of the song "Warm Leatherette
" with Trent Reznor
and Jeordie White
from Nine Inch Nails
. This was played live at an intimate studio performance, and the video recording was released on both the official Nine Inch Nails website and on YouTube
.
On a blog posted on MySpace
, Murphy announced he is at work on a new studio album to be released in 2009. The album may feature production from Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and feature Murphy's version of the track "Warm Leatherette," which they have been performing live together. Murphy has also expressed interest in taking his tour down to Australia once the new album is released.
In 2009 Murphy appeared at shows across the United States with Reznor, and the band members Reznor had for the 'Lights Over the Sky Over North America 2008' tour. He also appeared with Nine Inch Nails on in August 2009 at Terminal 5 as special guest musician. Additionally, he appeared with Nine Inch Nails on 28 and 29 August at the Aragon Ballroom.
Throughout 2009, Murphy released a series of cover songs exclusively through iTunes
. The released songs are "Instant Karma!
" (originally by John Lennon
), "Space Oddity" (originally by David Bowie
), "Transmission
" (originally by Joy Division
), and "Hurt" (originally by Nine Inch Nails
). In support of these releases, Murphy underwent an international tour entitled "The Secret Covers Tour". During this time, an additional cover song, Soul of the World, was released through his official website.
of Dead Can Dance
. Murphy cancelled due to unexplained health issues, which yielded negative reactions from Perry.
In 2010, Murphy made a cameo appearance in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse as "The Cold One". He also collaborated with Sarah Fimm
and Leigh Nash on a song called "Crumbs and Broken Shells". In the summer of 2010, Murphy began his "Dirty Dirt Tour" in promotion of his studio album Ninth.
During his Dirty Dirt Tour, Murphy performed "Stigmata Martyr" which conflicts with previous information regarding his religious views.
In August 2010, on a video blog on his MySpace page Murphy announced that he was once again going to be working with Mick Karn
on a second Dali's Car album, adding this would be the first time they had seen each other since 1983. Several months prior to this announcement, Karn had been diagnosed with stage-4 cancer. The recording session that took place in September, 2010; however, because of Karn's increasingly severe illness, they only managed to record four songs during the session. Karn succumbed to his illness January 4, 2011. According to the biography on Karn's website, the four songs the duo recorded will be released as an EP later in 2011.
On February 11, 2011 the official Peter Murphy site announced that Murphy would tour a 29-date jaunt across North America to support his upcoming album Ninth, which had a new release date of June 6 and 7 for the UK and US respectively after Murphy signed on to Nettwerk
Music Group's label roster on March 2. In further support of the upcoming album, Murphy released the song "I Spit Roses" as a digital single through online retailers on March 22, as well as single "Seesaw Sway" on May 23. Murphy will also be embarking on an 8-date in-store performance and signing tour beginning in New York on June 7 and ending on June 29 in Los Angeles.
who has lived in Turkey
for the last 20 years. He has two children, Hurihan and Adem, with his wife, Beyhan Murphy.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
rock vocalist. He was the vocalist of the rock group Bauhaus
Bauhaus (band)
Bauhaus was an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
, and later went on to release a number of solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, such as Deep
Deep (album)
Deep is the third album by the British solo artist Peter Murphy. It was released in 1989 along with his biggest single, "Cuts You Up".-Track listing:All tracks composed by Peter Murphy and Paul Statham; except where indicated...
and Love Hysteria
Love Hysteria
Love Hysteria is the second album by the British solo artist Peter Murphy, formerly of the gothic rock band Bauhaus. It was released in 1988....
. Thin, with prominent cheekbones, a baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
voice, and a penchant for gloomy poetics, Murphy is often called the "Godfather of Goth."
Early life and Bauhaus
Murphy was born near NorthamptonNorthampton
Northampton is a large market town and local government district in the East Midlands region of England. Situated about north-west of London and around south-east of Birmingham, Northampton lies on the River Nene and is the county town of Northamptonshire. The demonym of Northampton is...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, and raised in Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
, England. Bauhaus were one of the establishing acts of the goth
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
movement. Their use of spacey recording effects and theatrical aesthetics was evocative of both early horror films and glam rock; they became an influential group in the early days of gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
.
In 1983, Bauhaus appeared during the opening sequences of the horror film The Hunger, performing one of their most popular songs, "Bela Lugosi's Dead
Bela Lugosi's Dead
"Bela Lugosi's Dead" is a gothic rock song written by the band Bauhaus. The song was the band's first single, released in August 1979, and is often considered to be the first gothic rock record released. It did not enter the UK charts. The b-side features the song "Boys" and some versions also...
". The camera focused almost exclusively on Murphy during most of the scene, panning only briefly to the stars David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve
Catherine Deneuve is a French actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of aloof and mysterious beauties in films such as Repulsion and Belle de jour . Deneuve was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1993 for her performance in Indochine; she also won César Awards for that...
.
Bauhaus reformed in 1998 for a tour, and once again in 2006 for a tour with Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
. The latter group's frontman, Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
, and Murphy were guests on several radio shows together, often performing three to four duets per radio show. Reznor cites Bauhaus as one of his primary musical influences, and had toured with Murphy earlier in both their careers.
1980s
By 1983, Bauhaus broke up and Murphy went on to new projects not involving Bauhaus members Kevin HaskinsKevin Haskins
Kevin Haskins also known as Kevin Michael Dompe is a drummer best known from the British rock group Bauhaus. He was also a member of Tones on Tail and Love and Rockets...
, David J
David J
David John Haskins , better known as David J, is a British alternative rock musician. He was the bassist for the gothic rock band Bauhaus and Love and Rockets....
, or Daniel Ash
Daniel Ash
Daniel Gaston Ash is the guitarist for Bauhaus, Tones on Tail, Love and Rockets, and solo projects.-Life and work:After going to concerts in his teenage years, Ash made a decision to be on a stage in some way...
. After some brief dabbling with acting and dance - including a slightly odd televised performance to Bauhaus's "Hollow Hills" - he formed Dali's Car
Dali's Car
Dalis Car was a musical group formed in 1984 by Peter Murphy , Mick Karn and Paul Vincent Lawford . The band was formed soon after Murphy and Karn left their former bands...
with Mick Karn
Mick Karn
Andonis Michaelides , better known as Mick Karn, was an English multi-instrumentalist musician and songwriter, who came to fame as the bassist for the art rock band Japan, from 1974 to 1982....
, the bass player from Japan
Japan (band)
Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
. The group recorded only one album.
Metaphysics
Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...
or religious. His knack for such lyricism and the occasional pop-reinvention did, however, cause some initial trepidation by the record-buying public. After the commercial non-start of Dali's Car, Murphy's first solo album was similarly overlooked. Should the World Fail to Fall Apart did spawn several singles, including a cover of Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu (band)
Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. Despite many long-term band members, singer David Thomas is the only constant...
's "Final Solution" that made a minor splash on the club scene.
The followup, Love Hysteria, sank without trace in his native UK along with his career there. However, in the USA it performed better than his previous solo releases. The albums also marked the beginning of a long-term collaboration with songwriter Paul Statham, who co-wrote songs with Murphy until 1995. The resulting singles "All Night Long" and "Indigo Eyes" helped garner a wider following, and the black-and-white video for "All Night Long" entered rotation on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
The pinnacle of Murphy's solo popularity in the US came with the release of Deep. For this album Murphy sported hair dyed platinum blonde and returned to the more aggressive alt-rock sound that was a trademark of early Bauhaus. The single "Cuts You Up
Cuts You Up
"Cuts You Up" is a U.S. Modern Rock number-one hit from Peter Murphy's third solo album Deep in 1990.-Chart performance:"Cuts You Up" was the second single from the record; the Bowie-esque track became the American modern rock hit of the year, spending seven weeks at the top of the U.S...
" from Deep held on to the top spot on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart for longer than any other previously released single, displacing "So Alive" by his former Bauhaus-bandmates Love and Rockets
Love and Rockets (band)
Love and Rockets were an English alternative rock band formed in 1985 by former Bauhaus members Daniel Ash , David J , and Kevin Haskins . Former Bauhaus vocalist Peter Murphy had embarked on a solo career after Bauhaus split in 1983...
. The record was unbroken until the release of R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion
Losing My Religion
"Losing My Religion" is a song by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. The song was released as the first single from the group's 1991 album Out of Time. Based around a mandolin riff, "Losing My Religion" was an unlikely hit for the group, garnering heavy airplay on radio as well as on MTV due...
."
1990s
Although he had grown up in an Irish CatholicIrish Catholic
Irish Catholic is a term used to describe people who are both Roman Catholic and Irish .Note: the term is not used to describe a variant of Catholicism. More particularly, it is not a separate creed or sect in the sense that "Anglo-Catholic", "Old Catholic", "Eastern Orthodox Catholic" might be...
family, Murphy converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in the 1990s. He eventually moved to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
with his wife, and a subsequent Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern influence can be heard in his later albums. In particular, Murphy has been inspired by the mysticism of Sufism
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
. 1992's Holy Smoke mixed some traditional Turkish influences into the music while continuing the sound pioneered on Deep. The album was unable to recapture the momentum of Deep, and in the post-grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
alternative landscape, the more pop-flavored album seemed anachronistic.
In 1995, Murphy embraced a lower-key, ambient pop sound for Cascade, featuring producer Pascal Gabriel
Pascal Gabriel
Pascal Richard Marcel Gabriel is a Belgian-born musician based in London. His musical career began in 1977 in the punk rock band The Razors...
, guest work from "infinite guitarist" Michael Brook
Michael Brook
Michael Brook is a Canadian guitarist, inventor, producer, and film music composer. He plays in many genres, including rock, electronica, world music, minimalism and film scores....
, and overall a much stronger incorporation of electronics. This album was also to be his last major collaboration with Paul Statham, who departed to form Peach with Pascal Gabriel and eventually write songs for Dido
Dido (singer)
Dido Florian Cloud de Bounevialle O'Malley Armstrong , known as Dido, is an English singer-songwriter.Dido shot to worldwide success with her debut album, No Angel...
and Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
. Cascade was also Murphy's last original release for Beggar's Banquet records, which had been his label since Bauhaus. Shortly after this departure, Murphy recorded the Recall EP for the newly-formed Red Ant records, featuring a few new songs and some new, heavily electronic versions of older material, reworked in conjunction with Sascha Konietzko
Sascha Konietzko
Sascha Konietzko , also known as Sascha K and Käpt'n K, is a German musician and producer. He is the founder, frontman, and "anchor" of industrial rock band KMFDM. Konietzko jokingly purports himself to be the father of industrial rock...
, Bill Rieflin and Tim Skold
Tim Skold
Tim Sköld is a multi-instrumentalist who, in addition to producing solo work, has also collaborated with multiple musical groups including Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM and Marilyn Manson.-Early life:...
of the band KMFDM
KMFDM
KMFDM is an industrial band led by German multi-instrumentalist Sascha Konietzko, who founded the group in 1984 as a performance art project...
. Once again, he became label-mates with former Bauhaus alums Love and Rockets, who had also signed to Red Ant. This generated a significant number of rumours regarding a possible reformation of Bauhaus. While Red Ant quickly folded, Bauhaus did reform in 1998 for the Resurrection tour, one performance of which (at the Hammerstein Ballroom
Hammerstein Ballroom
The Hammerstein Ballroom is a two-tiered, 12,000 square feet ballroom located within the Manhattan Center Studios on 311 West 34th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America. It is known for its elegant appearance and excellent acoustical design...
, New York City) was recorded and released on DVD by Metropolis Records
Metropolis Records
Metropolis Records is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based record label, distributor, and mail-order store specializing in the post-industrial field such as electro-industrial, synthpop, futurepop, darkwave, and gothic musical genres....
as Gotham. The tour was a success, although Murphy refused to perform certain songs, because of his adherence to Islam, such as "Stigmata Martyr" and "St. Vitus' Dance." He cited their religious overtones as objectionable. The lyrics of the former include the Trinitarian formula
Trinitarian formula
The trinitarian formula is the phrase "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" , or words to that form and effect referring to the three persons of the Christian Trinity.- Biblical origin :...
in Latin and English, thus affirming the Christian doctrine of the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
.
2000s
In 2000, Murphy performed his international Just for Love tour, which resulted in the album aLive Just for Love. It is a live recording of the fully uninterrupted set from the El Rey show in Los AngelesLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on November 30, 2000. During the tour, Murphy chose to perform with only two back-up musicians, Canadian electric violin
Electric violin
An electric violin is a violin equipped with an electronic output of its sound. The term most properly refers to an instrument purposely made to be electrified with built-in pickups, usually with a solid body...
ist Hugh Marsh
Hugh Marsh
Hugh Marsh is a violinist from Toronto, known for his electric violin sound. Marsh was nominated for a 2007 Juno Award in the best contemporary jazz album category.-Early days:...
and Peter DiStefano
Peter DiStefano
Peter DiStefano is best known as the guitarist for the alternative rock band Porno for Pyros...
from Porno for Pyros
Porno for Pyros
Porno for Pyros was an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1992, following the initial break-up of Jane's Addiction...
on guitar, although former Bauhaus bassist David J
David J
David John Haskins , better known as David J, is a British alternative rock musician. He was the bassist for the gothic rock band Bauhaus and Love and Rockets....
sometimes joined the trio for an encore. At this point he also contributed to works by noted film composer Harry Gregson-Williams
Harry Gregson-Williams
Harry Gregson-Williams is a prolific British composer, orchestrator, conductor, and music producer. He is best known for his film scores, of which he has composed over sixty using electronic music and orchestral pieces...
.
Also in 2000, Murphy gave a nod to the North American goth scene, where his solo works and his works with Bauhaus are still popular, by making a surprise guest appearance at the sixth annual Convergence
Convergence (goth festival)
Convergence is the annual net.goth party run by and for members of the alt.gothic and alt.gothic.fashion newsgroup, and other related Usenet newsgroups. Started in 1995, it is a chance for net.goths and others who normally only meet on the Internet to come together in real life...
festival in Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, to perform a low-key, acoustic solo set.
Shortly thereafter, Murphy collaborated with the Turkish artist Mercan Dede
Mercan Dede
Mercan Dede , also known as DJ Arkin Allen, is a Turkish composer, ney and bendir player, DJ and producer. He divides his time between Turkey, Europe and North America...
on the album Dust. Heavily steeped in traditional Turkish instrumentation and songwriting, coupled with Dede's trademark atmospheric electronics, the album showed Murphy all but abandoning his previous pop and rock incarnations. Dust, released on goth/industrial stalwart label Metropolis Records, alienated many fans who had expected a more uptempo Murphy album (especially post-Recall), but it garnered some critical praise. Peter Murphy considers it his most unique work to date and is most proud of the song "Your Face" from the album.
In 2004, Murphy signed to yet another new label, Viastar, which was home to several other 1980s pop artists who had moved into more eclectic areas. Despite numerous problems with the label, the album Unshattered was released, showcasing Murphy returning to a more pop sound.
Murphy undertook extensive tours of the US and Europe to promote 'Unshattered' in 2005, with a live band featuring guitarist Mark Thwaite
Mark Thwaite
Mark Gemini Thwaite has been the guitarist for a number of British rock bands and artists over the last two decades, including The Mission, Tricky, Peter Murphy, New Disease, Spear of Destiny, Theatre of Hate, Mob Research , and Canadian band National Velvet plus various guest appearances...
of The Mission
The Mission (band)
The Mission are a gothic rock band formed in 1986 from the splinters of the freshly dissolved rock band The Sisters of Mercy.The band was started by frontman Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams , soon adding...
and Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
on guitar, Jeff Schwartoff of Human Waste Project
Human Waste Project
Human Waste Project was a band from Huntington Beach, California with Aimee Echo on vocals, Mike Tempesta on guitar, Jeff Schartoff on bass, and Scott Ellis on drums. They released their album E-lux in 1997 and broke up soon after.- History :...
and Professional Murder Music
Professional Murder Music
Professional Murder Music is an Alternative Rock band, from Los Angeles, California.They are currently signed and own indie label, Wormhole Records. Their music has been used for such film soundtracks as End of Days, Ginger Snaps, Valentine, and Jet Grind Radio, a video game for the Sega Dreamcast....
on bass and Justin Bennett of Skinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy
Skinny Puppy is a Canadian industrial musical group, formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 1982. The group is widely considered to be the founders of the electro-industrial genre....
on drums. Murphy and the band reconvened in November 2007 for shows in Portugal and Spain, with Nick Lucero replacing Bennett on drums. In May 2008 Murphy recorded a cover of the song "Warm Leatherette
Warm Leatherette
"Warm Leatherette" is a song by Daniel Miller.-Overview:"Warm Leatherette" was released as the B-side to "T.V.O.D.", the only single by Miller's musical project The Normal. It was the very first release on his Mute Records label, and an early example of the then-burgeoning industrial music genre....
" with Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
and Jeordie White
Jeordie White
Jeordie Osbourne White , better known by his pseudonym Twiggy Ramirez , is an American musician, who is best known for being the bassist and guitarist for Marilyn Manson. He was also the bassist for A Perfect Circle, and Nine Inch Nails...
from Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
. This was played live at an intimate studio performance, and the video recording was released on both the official Nine Inch Nails website and on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
On a blog posted on MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, Murphy announced he is at work on a new studio album to be released in 2009. The album may feature production from Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and feature Murphy's version of the track "Warm Leatherette," which they have been performing live together. Murphy has also expressed interest in taking his tour down to Australia once the new album is released.
In 2009 Murphy appeared at shows across the United States with Reznor, and the band members Reznor had for the 'Lights Over the Sky Over North America 2008' tour. He also appeared with Nine Inch Nails on in August 2009 at Terminal 5 as special guest musician. Additionally, he appeared with Nine Inch Nails on 28 and 29 August at the Aragon Ballroom.
Throughout 2009, Murphy released a series of cover songs exclusively through iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. The released songs are "Instant Karma!
Instant Karma!
"Instant Karma!" is a song written by John Lennon, released as a single in 1970 on Apple Records, catalogue Apple 1003 in the United Kingdom, Apple 1818 in the United States. It is the third solo single issued by Lennon, and it peaked at #3 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 singles...
" (originally by John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
), "Space Oddity" (originally by David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
), "Transmission
Transmission (song)
"Transmission" is a song by post-punk band Joy Division, released on Factory Records in November 1979 on 7" and re-released as a 12" single with a different sleeve in December 1980....
" (originally by Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
), and "Hurt" (originally by Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
). In support of these releases, Murphy underwent an international tour entitled "The Secret Covers Tour". During this time, an additional cover song, Soul of the World, was released through his official website.
2010
The spring of 2010 saw the cancellation of what would have been a 100-date world tour with Brendan PerryBrendan Perry
Brendan Michael Perry is a singer and multi-instrumentalist best known for his work as the male half of the duo Dead Can Dance with Lisa Gerrard.-Early life:...
of Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance
Dead Can Dance are an ethereal neoclassical duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1981, by Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry. The band relocated to London in May 1982 and disbanded in 1998. Their 1996 album Spiritchaser reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top World Music Albums Chart...
. Murphy cancelled due to unexplained health issues, which yielded negative reactions from Perry.
In 2010, Murphy made a cameo appearance in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse as "The Cold One". He also collaborated with Sarah Fimm
Sarah Fimm
Sarah Fimm is an American singer-songwriter, residing in Woodstock, NY. She toured and collaborated with iconic singer Peter Murphy , and supported Delerium in 2008. Her music has been featured on MTV's The Real World and Road Rules, Mark Hamill’s Comic Book: The Movie, D.E.B.S...
and Leigh Nash on a song called "Crumbs and Broken Shells". In the summer of 2010, Murphy began his "Dirty Dirt Tour" in promotion of his studio album Ninth.
During his Dirty Dirt Tour, Murphy performed "Stigmata Martyr" which conflicts with previous information regarding his religious views.
In August 2010, on a video blog on his MySpace page Murphy announced that he was once again going to be working with Mick Karn
Mick Karn
Andonis Michaelides , better known as Mick Karn, was an English multi-instrumentalist musician and songwriter, who came to fame as the bassist for the art rock band Japan, from 1974 to 1982....
on a second Dali's Car album, adding this would be the first time they had seen each other since 1983. Several months prior to this announcement, Karn had been diagnosed with stage-4 cancer. The recording session that took place in September, 2010; however, because of Karn's increasingly severe illness, they only managed to record four songs during the session. Karn succumbed to his illness January 4, 2011. According to the biography on Karn's website, the four songs the duo recorded will be released as an EP later in 2011.
On February 11, 2011 the official Peter Murphy site announced that Murphy would tour a 29-date jaunt across North America to support his upcoming album Ninth, which had a new release date of June 6 and 7 for the UK and US respectively after Murphy signed on to Nettwerk
Nettwerk
The Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Management, Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk One Publishing, Nutone Records, and Artwerk. With over 150 employees, the Vancouver-based company has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Boston, Nashville, and Hamburg...
Music Group's label roster on March 2. In further support of the upcoming album, Murphy released the song "I Spit Roses" as a digital single through online retailers on March 22, as well as single "Seesaw Sway" on May 23. Murphy will also be embarking on an 8-date in-store performance and signing tour beginning in New York on June 7 and ending on June 29 in Los Angeles.
Personal life
Murphy is a vegan and MuslimMuslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
who has lived in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
for the last 20 years. He has two children, Hurihan and Adem, with his wife, Beyhan Murphy.
Albums
- Should the World Fail to Fall ApartShould the World Fail to Fall ApartShould the World Fail to Fall Apart is the first album by the British solo artist Peter Murphy, formerly of the gothic rock band Bauhaus. The album contains Murphy's covers of Magazine's "The Light Pours Out of Me" and Pere Ubu's "Final Solution." It was released in 1986.-Original LP track...
(1986) (UK #82) - Love HysteriaLove HysteriaLove Hysteria is the second album by the British solo artist Peter Murphy, formerly of the gothic rock band Bauhaus. It was released in 1988....
(1988) - DeepDeep (album)Deep is the third album by the British solo artist Peter Murphy. It was released in 1989 along with his biggest single, "Cuts You Up".-Track listing:All tracks composed by Peter Murphy and Paul Statham; except where indicated...
(1990) - Holy Smoke (1992)
- CascadeCascade (Peter Murphy album)Cascade was Peter Murphy's fifth studio album, released in 1995.- Track listing :# "Mirror to My Woman's Mind" # "Subway" # "Gliding Like A Whale" # "Disappearing" # "Mercy Rain" # "I'll Fall With Your Knife"...
(1995) - DustDust (Peter Murphy album)Dust was Peter Murphy's sixth studio album, released in 2002. Murphy collaborated with the Turkish artist Mercan Dede on the album Dust. Heavily steeped in traditional Turkish instrumentation and songwriting, coupled with Dede's trademark atmospheric electronics, the album showed Murphy all but...
(2002) - UnshatteredUnshatteredUnshattered is an album by the British singer Peter Murphy. It was released on October 5, 2004.-Track listing:# "Idle Flow" – 5:18# "Kiss Myself" – 4:19# "Piece of You" – 5:19# "Face the Moon" – 5:24# "Emergency Unit" – 4:05...
(2004) - NinthNinth (album)Ninth is the ninth solo and eighth studio album by Peter Murphy. It was released on June 7, 2011 on Nettwerk Records. The first single to be released from the album was "I Spit Roses" coupled with "The Prince & Old Lady Shade", which was released March 22, 2011.Speaking with the Los Angeles Times...
(2011)
Singles/EPs
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
|||
| 1985 | "Final Solution" | - | - | - | 92 | Should the World Fail to Fall Apart Should the World Fail to Fall Apart Should the World Fail to Fall Apart is the first album by the British solo artist Peter Murphy, formerly of the gothic rock band Bauhaus. The album contains Murphy's covers of Magazine's "The Light Pours Out of Me" and Pere Ubu's "Final Solution." It was released in 1986.-Original LP track... |
| 1986 | "Blue Heart" | - | - | - | - | |
| "Tale of the Tongue" | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1988 | "All Night Long" | - | - | - | 100 | Love Hysteria Love Hysteria Love Hysteria is the second album by the British solo artist Peter Murphy, formerly of the gothic rock band Bauhaus. It was released in 1988.... |
| "Blind Sublime" | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Indigo Eyes" | - | - | - | 95 | ||
| 1989 | "The Line Between the Devil's Teeth (And That Which Cannot Be Repeat)" | - | 18 | - | - | Deep Deep (album) Deep is the third album by the British solo artist Peter Murphy. It was released in 1989 along with his biggest single, "Cuts You Up".-Track listing:All tracks composed by Peter Murphy and Paul Statham; except where indicated... |
| 1990 | "Cuts You Up Cuts You Up "Cuts You Up" is a U.S. Modern Rock number-one hit from Peter Murphy's third solo album Deep in 1990.-Chart performance:"Cuts You Up" was the second single from the record; the Bowie-esque track became the American modern rock hit of the year, spending seven weeks at the top of the U.S... " |
55 | 1 | 10 | - | |
| "A Strange Kind of Love [Version 1]" | - | 21 | - | - | ||
| 1992 | "You're So Close" | - | 18 | - | - | Holy Smoke |
| "The Sweetest Drop" | - | 2 | - | - | ||
| "Hit Song" | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1995 | "The Scarlet Thing in You" | - | - | - | - | Cascade Cascade (Peter Murphy album) Cascade was Peter Murphy's fifth studio album, released in 1995.- Track listing :# "Mirror to My Woman's Mind" # "Subway" # "Gliding Like A Whale" # "Disappearing" # "Mercy Rain" # "I'll Fall With Your Knife"... |
| "I'll Fall with Your Knife" | - | - | - | - | ||
| 1997 | "Recall EP" | - | - | - | - | Non-Album EP |
| 2011 | "I Spit Roses" | - | - | - | - | Ninth |
| "Seesaw Sway" | - | - | - | - | ||
Quotation
External links
- The Sweetest Drop - Peter Murphy Internet Resources (no longer updated archival website) Interview with Peter Murphy
- 8 July 2008 interview
- Peter Murphy in Lebanon Event Review