Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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MORPHINE

Rock trio from Boston. Vocalist-guitarist Mark Sandman and drummer Billy Conway began playing semi-acoustic roots rock as Treat Her Right (named after Roy Head's '65 hit) with David Champagne on guitar, Jim Fitting on harmonica, albums including Treat Her Right '88 on RCA (reached the top 200 USA), What's Good For You '91 on Rounder (didn't). They threw out the guitars, Sandman switching to a two-string acoustic bass, and added Dana Colley on baritone sax, inventing something new, discovering the old lesson that less is often more. The new group's albums began with Good '92 on Accurate/Distortion, switching to Rykodisc for Cure For Pain '93 and Yes '95 (almost reached the top 100 albums); Like Swimming '97 had a slinky, smoky sound, having further boiled off the rockabilly. The title track was a gently carnal invitation, and the group may have taken a strange path to a compelling new kind of cabaret.

Sandman had also formed side projects such as the more upbeat Hypnosonics, the countryesque Pale Brothers, and Supergroup (with Chris Ballew of the Presidents of the United States of America). After final mixing of the Morphine album The Night for the DreamWorks label, Sandman died of a heart attack during a performance in Rome on 3 July 1999; he was 47 years old. Conway formed a 9-piece Morphine orchestra to play his last songs.