Morphine was an American rock band formed by Mark Sandman, Dana Colley, and Jerome Deupree in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1989. Drummer Billy Conway also played in the band, frequently during Deupree's absence, though at times both played together. After five successful albums and extensive touring, they disbanded after lead vocalist Sandman died of a heart attack onstage in Palestrina, Italy, on July 3, 1999. Founding members have reformed into the band Vapors of Morphine, maintaining much of the original style and sound.
Christopher Ballew is an American musician best known as the lead singer and bassist of the alternative rock group the Presidents of the United States of America. He also performs and records as a children's artist under the pseudonym Caspar Babypants.
Cure for Pain is the second studio album by alternative rock band Morphine, released through Rykodisc in September 1993. Jerome Deupree, the band's original drummer, quit due to health problems during the recording of the album and was replaced by Billy Conway.
Treat Her Right was an American rock group, formed in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, in 1985. The band originally featured Mark Sandman on "low guitar," Billy Conway on cocktail drum, David Champagne on guitar, and Jim Fitting on harmonica. Singing and songwriting duties were shared by all but Conway. Champagne and Fitting reformed the band in 2009 with new members Steve Mayone and Billy Beard.
B-Sides and Otherwise is a rarities compilation album by the alternative rock band Morphine, released in September 1997 by Rykodisc. It features B-Sides and other rare tracks not otherwise available on the band's studio albums.
Yes is the third studio album by alternative rock band Morphine, released in March 1995. It was their first album to make the Billboard Top 200, but fared less well abroad than its predecessor. As of February 1997 it has sold 156,000 copies in United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Good is the first album by the Boston-based alternative rock trio Morphine. It was released in 1992 on the Accurate/Distortion label. It was reissued by Rykodisc in 1993 after the band signed with the label.
The Night is the fifth and final studio album by the alternative rock band Morphine, released in 2000 via DreamWorks. The album expands the band's sound beyond their usual arrangements of previous albums, introducing acoustic guitars, organs, strings and female backing vocals.
Like Swimming is the fourth studio album by the alternative rock band Morphine, released in March 1997 by DreamWorks/Rykodisc. It was Morphine's first album released as part of their multi-album deal with DreamWorks and the last album released within the lifetime of singer and bassist Mark Sandman.
Mark Sandman was an American singer, songwriter, musical instrument inventor, multi-instrumentalist and comic writer. Sandman possessed a distinctive, deep bass-baritone voice and a mysterious demeanour. He was an indie rock icon and longtime fixture in the Boston/Cambridge music scene, best known as the lead singer and slide bass player of the band Morphine. Sandman was also a member of the blues-rock band Treat Her Right and founder of Hi-n-Dry, a recording studio and independent record label.
Bootleg Detroit is the only authorized release of a live recording of Morphine. It was released on the label Rykodisc in September 2000. Recorded by Alan J. Schmit—a fan—on March 7, 1994, at St. Andrew’s Hall in Detroit, Michigan, it was edited and mixed under Mark Sandman’s supervision. He also laid out and delivered the low-fi artwork for the album prior to the band’s final tour in Italy.
The Best of Morphine, 1992–1995 is a greatest hits compilation by alternative rock band Morphine, released by Rykodisc in February 2003.
Twinemen is an alternative rock band based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA created by former members of the bands Morphine and Face to Face. The group includes Dana Colley, Billy Conway, and Laurie Sargent. Various bass players, including former Face to Face guitarist Stuart Kimball, also perform with the band on the road and in the studio. Twinemen's music includes a mix of jazz, blues, acid rock, and lounge.
Hi-N-Dry was a Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA-based independent record label and recording studio. Founded by Morphine singer and bassist Mark Sandman, the studio and label became managed by former Morphine bandmates Dana Colley and Billy Conway along with Laurie Sargent and Andrew Mazzone. Once located in Sandman's former loft apartment, the studio moved to the Center for the Arts at the Armory in Somerville, Massachusetts in December 2007. In 2008, Hi-N-Dry started the "Mark Sandman Music Project", whereby local musicians and volunteers work with children to help teach them, and develop their interest in, music. The label folded some time before the move to the Armory. A few years after the move, Hi-N-Dry was officially ended and the studio and lease were handed over to others to run for several years as "Armory Sound," still retaining some of the original Hi-N-Dry equipment.
Dana Colley is an American musician, best known as the baritone and tenor saxophonist in the alternative rock band Morphine.
Jeremy Lyons is an American musician, currently based in Massachusetts.
Jerome Deupree is an American musician, based in Massachusetts. He is best known as the original drummer in the alternative rock band Morphine.
Vapors of Morphine is an American rock band founded in 2009 by the remaining members of the alternative rock band Morphine, saxophonist Dana Colley and drummer Jerome Deupree, along with blues guitarist Jeremy Lyons. Deupree stepped down in early 2019; Tom Arey has taken his place.
Laurie Sargent is best known as a songwriter and vocalist in the 1980s and 1990s. She was active in the city of Boston. Around 2008, she and her long-term partner, drummer Billy Conway, moved to Montana, where they began raising food on an organic farm. Sargent occasionally visits various cities to perform.
Billy Conway was an American drummer best known for his work with Treat Her Right and Morphine. From 2013, he toured as a duo with Jeffrey Foucault. In recent years, he had also backed Chris Smither. A stripped-down approach characterized his bands, equipment, and playing.
