“I was kind of a dreamy child – a Curious George baby.
As a child, people told me they thought I'd grow up to be a poet. You have to
wonder what kind of kid someone would say that to."
Mark
Sandman
 |
| Mark Sandman (1952-1999) |
Thirteen years ago disappeared from the musical scene
Mark Sandman and with him the band that so many fans mobilized in Europe –
Morphine. In this tragic day, 3rd July, Shout recalls this dreamy and innovator artist.
Born in Newton, Massachusetts (USA), he was mainly
known for being one of the founders members of the band Morphine, in nothing
associated with the drug with the same name, but with the Greek god Morpheu,
that came into his dreams and appeal him and the saxophonist Dana Colley, to
formed the band, said Sandman with a humoristic tone during an interview after
the release of the 1993´s album, “Cure
For Pain”.
 |
| (Left to right) Dana Colley (sax), Billy Conway (percussion), that replaced Jerome Deupree, in 1993 (that abandoned Morphine because of heart problems, returning a few years later to the then trio) and Mark Sandman. Together they formed the Morphine in 1989, that would mark a generation in the 90´s |
Morphine innovated the world of indie music with the
introduction of the saxophone in replacement of the guitar, allowing an
alternative style, a mixture of rock, jazz and blues. Although appreciated by
the critics, they did not have that much success in the USA (at least comparing
to Europe). On the contrary, as a consequence of the world tour of their second
album, the already referred “Cure For
Pain”, they became a huge hit in Europe, mainly in Portugal and Belgium,
considered their best fans.
Mark Sandman was more than a lyricist, singer and
bassist. He was also a musical instrument inventor. In fact, he altered and
built his own instruments, we must referred that one of his characteristics was
his bass with only two strings.
“The
song must be easy to learn because I don´t like to rehearse too much. It´s like
the bass, two strings make everything much easier”
Mark Sandman, in interview to Blitz, 1997
Sandman was a very reserved man, the best example of
it was his discomfort with his age, that he never referred. Maybe because the
others indie figures of the time were younger than him, maybe he believed that
he was aging too fast for the songs that he created, as Blitz said in a previous edition. Many fans considered that his
lyrics were autobiographical, though it was never confirmed. However, there is a
fact that inevitably influences his music: the death of his two brothers, as
the song No Reason, by Treat Her
Right, Sandman´s previous project to Morphine, shows (check the following video). On the other hand,
Sandman had a close and deep relation with his public, for which his great
capacity to communicate in Portuguese, Spanish and French was essential,
however connected with his personality.
The tragedy came on 3rd July 1999 when
during a concert in Palestrina, Italy, Sandman collapsed on stage, victim of
heart attack, which could be related with cigarettes, heavy stress or to the
high temperature of the fateful night.
To honor
this great artist we end today with Cure
for Pain, live at Super Bock Super Rock Festival 1995, Morphine´s first
concert in Portugal.
Greetings,
Shout
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário