Walter Murphy
Encyclopedia
Walter Anthony Murphy, Jr. (born December 19, 1952) is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger. He rose to fame with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven
", a disco
adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven
's Fifth Symphony
, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its popularity.
, New York
, and grew up in Manhattan
. At age four, he attended music lessons hosted by Rosa Rio
, studying an array of instruments, including the organ
and piano
. Rio frequently opted for him to star in television advertisements for the Hammond organ
. Murphy studied classical piano and attended Mount Saint Michael Academy
, where he studied jazz and played a number of his own compositions. Referring to his studies, Murphy stated "There never was a time when I wasn't studying music." Against the objections of his father, who was a real estate agent and wished to pass down his business to his son, Murphy enrolled in the Manhattan School of Music
in 1970; recalling his experiences with his father, Murphy stated "He wanted me to be a doctor or lawyer—or something you can depend on." During the year, Murphy married his wife Laurie, who worked in the plastics industry
.
While attending the institution, he wrote for the jazz ensemble. During an appointment with Bobby Rosengarden
, bandleader of the Dick Cavett Show orchestra, Murphy convinced the group to play some of his arrangements when he found Rosengarden to be absent. Looking back on the situation, he stated "I still can't believe I did it. I'm not a very forward person." Since the band "wasn't very busy," they performed his arrangements live and enjoyed them, convincing Murphy to write more. In April 1972, a fellow student from the Manhattan School of Music introduced Murphy to Doc Severinsen
, musical director of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson; he presented his arrangements to Severinsen, who liked them enough to have the Tonight Show Band play them live; however, the Tonight Show moved production to Burbank, California
a year later, much to Murphy's disappointment. From 1974 to 1976, he also wrote jingle music for a variety of fashion brands, including Lady Arrow shirts as well as Revlon and Woolworth's, as well as arrangements for the popular television series Big Blue Marble
.
, Larry Uttal. Murphy agreed to produce the song under contract and recorded it in 1976, creatively dubbing it "A Fifth of Beethoven". The record was credited to "Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band" upon encouragement from the company, who believed it would become a hit if credited to a group rather than an individual. However, two days following the record's release, Private Stock discovered the existence of another Big Apple Band; the record was later re-released and credited to "The Walter Murphy Band" before dropping the tradition altogether.
The song was a smash hit, and reached number 80 on the Hot 100 on May 29, 1976, eventually reaching number 1 within nineteen weeks, where it stayed for one week. An album under the same name was released later during the year; the album notably featured a rendition of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
's "Flight of the Bumblebee
" entitled "Flight '76", which reached number 44 on the Hot 100. He released four albums within the following six years, and in 1982, released his final single, a medley of "Themes From E.T.
(The Extra-Terrestrial)" which climbed to 47 on the Hot 100.
Murphy, back to jingle writing, has written music for numerous cartoons and TV shows, including Channel Umptee-3
, Family Guy
, its recent offshoot album, Family Guy: Live in Vegas
, the main title music for The Cleveland Show
and the main title music for American Dad!
. The song "You've Got A Lot To See", composed for the Family Guy episode "Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows
" won the award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics at the 2002 Emmy Awards. Murphy described the orchestral score for Family Guy as "a combination of [big-band swing and action-orchestral]."
He is supposedly scoring MacFarlane's upcoming film, Ted
(2012).
Singles
A Fifth of Beethoven
"A Fifth of Beethoven" is a disco instrumental recorded by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band. It was adapted by Murphy from the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The record was produced by noted production music and sound effects recording producer Thomas J. Valentino. It was one of...
", a disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's Fifth Symphony
Symphony No. 5 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67, was written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1804–08. This symphony is one of the most popular and best-known compositions in all of classical music, and one of the most often played symphonies. It comprises four movements: an opening sonata, an andante, and a fast...
, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its popularity.
Early life
Murphy was born on December 19, 1952, in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and grew up in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. At age four, he attended music lessons hosted by Rosa Rio
Rosa Rio
Rosa Rio , born Elizabeth Raub, was an American organist who began her career as a silent film accompanist. She became a leading organist on network radio and continued to perform until age 107...
, studying an array of instruments, including the organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. Rio frequently opted for him to star in television advertisements for the Hammond organ
Hammond organ
The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company. While the Hammond organ was originally sold to churches as a lower-cost alternative to the wind-driven pipe organ, in the 1960s and 1970s it became a standard keyboard...
. Murphy studied classical piano and attended Mount Saint Michael Academy
Mount Saint Michael Academy
Mount Saint Michael Academy, also known as The Mount, is an all-boys Roman Catholic High School in the northeast part of the Bronx, New York, on the Mount Vernon city line, . The 22-acre campus is a non-boarding college preparatory school for some 1,100 boys grades 6 through 12...
, where he studied jazz and played a number of his own compositions. Referring to his studies, Murphy stated "There never was a time when I wasn't studying music." Against the objections of his father, who was a real estate agent and wished to pass down his business to his son, Murphy enrolled in the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
in 1970; recalling his experiences with his father, Murphy stated "He wanted me to be a doctor or lawyer—or something you can depend on." During the year, Murphy married his wife Laurie, who worked in the plastics industry
Plastics Industry
The plastics industry manufactures polymer materials and offers services in plastics important to a range of industries, including aerospace, building and construction, electronics, packaging, and transportation.-See also:...
.
While attending the institution, he wrote for the jazz ensemble. During an appointment with Bobby Rosengarden
Bobby Rosengarden
Robert Marshall Rosengarden was a jazz drummer, percussionist and bandleader. A native of Elgin, Illinois, he was a solid and versatile contributor on countless recording sessions and playing in TV network orchestras and talk-show bands.Rosengarden began playing drums when he was 12, and later...
, bandleader of the Dick Cavett Show orchestra, Murphy convinced the group to play some of his arrangements when he found Rosengarden to be absent. Looking back on the situation, he stated "I still can't believe I did it. I'm not a very forward person." Since the band "wasn't very busy," they performed his arrangements live and enjoyed them, convincing Murphy to write more. In April 1972, a fellow student from the Manhattan School of Music introduced Murphy to Doc Severinsen
Doc Severinsen
Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen is an American pop and jazz trumpeter. He is best known for leading the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.-Early life:...
, musical director of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson; he presented his arrangements to Severinsen, who liked them enough to have the Tonight Show Band play them live; however, the Tonight Show moved production to Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
a year later, much to Murphy's disappointment. From 1974 to 1976, he also wrote jingle music for a variety of fashion brands, including Lady Arrow shirts as well as Revlon and Woolworth's, as well as arrangements for the popular television series Big Blue Marble
Big Blue Marble
Big Blue Marble was a half-hour children's television series that ran from 1974 to 1983 in syndication. Distinctive content included stories about children around the world and a pen-pal club that encouraged intercultural communication...
.
Musical career
In 1974, Murphy was writing a disco song for a commercial, when the producer gave him the idea of "updating classical music," which "nobody had done lately." He then mailed a demo tape to various record labels in New York. Although response was unimpressive, a rendition of Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5 In 'C' Minor" generated interest amongst the owner of Private Stock RecordsPrivate Stock Records
Private Stock Records was a record label which was started in 1974 by Larry Uttal after he was ousted from Bell Records. The label had hit records with singles by David Soul of Starsky and Hutch fame , Starbuck , Austin Roberts , Samantha Sang , Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band , and Frankie...
, Larry Uttal. Murphy agreed to produce the song under contract and recorded it in 1976, creatively dubbing it "A Fifth of Beethoven". The record was credited to "Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band" upon encouragement from the company, who believed it would become a hit if credited to a group rather than an individual. However, two days following the record's release, Private Stock discovered the existence of another Big Apple Band; the record was later re-released and credited to "The Walter Murphy Band" before dropping the tradition altogether.
The song was a smash hit, and reached number 80 on the Hot 100 on May 29, 1976, eventually reaching number 1 within nineteen weeks, where it stayed for one week. An album under the same name was released later during the year; the album notably featured a rendition of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five.The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie, refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev , César...
's "Flight of the Bumblebee
Flight of the Bumblebee
"Flight of the Bumblebee" is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899–1900. The piece closes Act III, Tableau 1, during which the magic Swan-Bird changes Prince Gvidon Saltanovich into an insect so that he can fly away to...
" entitled "Flight '76", which reached number 44 on the Hot 100. He released four albums within the following six years, and in 1982, released his final single, a medley of "Themes From E.T.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
(The Extra-Terrestrial)" which climbed to 47 on the Hot 100.
Murphy, back to jingle writing, has written music for numerous cartoons and TV shows, including Channel Umptee-3
Channel Umptee-3
Channel Umptee-3 was a Saturday morning animated television series created by Jim George and produced by Norman Lear that aired on The WB in 1997. Ogden Ostrich, Sheldon S...
, Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, its recent offshoot album, Family Guy: Live in Vegas
Family Guy: Live in Vegas
-Reception:The album received positive reviews from music sources and critics. Rob Theakston of Allmusic said that "[Family Guy is] back and raunchier than ever, sparing no expense and leaving no pop culture stone unturned" and "without the constraints of network censors, the profanity and heat are...
, the main title music for The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show
The Cleveland Show is an American animated television series that premiered on September 27, 2009, as a part of the "Animation Domination" lineup on Fox in the United States...
and the main title music for American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
. The song "You've Got A Lot To See", composed for the Family Guy episode "Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows
Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows
"Brian Wallows and Peter's Swallows" is the seventeenth episode of the third season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 17, 2002...
" won the award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics at the 2002 Emmy Awards. Murphy described the orchestral score for Family Guy as "a combination of [big-band swing and action-orchestral]."
He is supposedly scoring MacFarlane's upcoming film, Ted
Ted
Ted is:* a nickname for:** Edward** Edwin** Theodore* short for Teddy boy- Notable people :People known as “Ted” include:* Bruce Slesinger , second drummer for the Dead Kennedys...
(2012).
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Don Kirshner's Rock Concert Don Kirshner's Rock Concert Don Kirshner's Rock Concert is a television music variety show that ran during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Don Kirshner and syndicated to television stations... |
Self | TV series (guest star) Episode: "Episode #3.5" Episode: "Episode #4.5" Credited alongside his orchestra as Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band. |
|
| The Midnight Special The Midnight Special (TV series) The Midnight Special is an American musical variety series that aired on NBC during the 1970s and early 1980s, created and produced by Burt Sugarman. It premiered as a special on August 19, 1972, then began its run as a regular series on February 2, 1973; its last episode was on May 1, 1981... |
Self | TV series (guest star) Credited alongside his orchestra as Walter Murphy & The Big Apple Band. |
|
| Dinah! Dinah! Dinah! is a daytime talk show hosted by singer and actress Dinah Shore, which aired in American syndication markets through 20th Century Fox Television from its premiere on September 9, 1974 until the summer of 1980... |
Self | TV series (guest star) Credited alongside his orchestra as The Walter Murphy Band. |
|
| Score! The Music of 'Family Guy | Self | Special feature included on the Family Guy volume three DVD. | |
| Family Guy: Creating the Chaos | Self | ||
| Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show | Self | ||
Discography
Albums- Production Music (4 songs) (with Daniel LevineDaniel Levine (composer)Daniel Levine is a musical theater composer. He wrote the music for the Broadway musical Anna Karenina , and received a 1993 Tony Award nomination for Best Original Score. Levine had also conducted a rendition of "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin for Valentino Production Music.-References:...
) (1974) - Production Music (10 songs) (with Jane Mullaney) (1975)
- A Fifth of Beethoven (1976)
- Rhapsody In Blue (1977)
- Killer Bees: Original Soundtrack (1979) (keyboards; with Carmine D'Amico)
- Phantom of the Opera (1978)
- Walter Murphy's Discosymphony (1979)
- Uncle Louie's Here (as Uncle Louie) (1979)
- Themes From E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial AND MORE (1982)
- Family Guy: Live in VegasFamily Guy: Live in Vegas-Reception:The album received positive reviews from music sources and critics. Rob Theakston of Allmusic said that "[Family Guy is] back and raunchier than ever, sparing no expense and leaving no pop culture stone unturned" and "without the constraints of network censors, the profanity and heat are...
(2005)
Singles
- "Disco Bells" (1975)
- "A Fifth of BeethovenA Fifth of Beethoven"A Fifth of Beethoven" is a disco instrumental recorded by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band. It was adapted by Murphy from the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The record was produced by noted production music and sound effects recording producer Thomas J. Valentino. It was one of...
" (1976) - "Flight '76" (1976)
- "Rhapsody In Blue" (1977)
- "Could It Be the Music" (1977)
- "Toccata and Funk in D Minor" (1978)
- "Dance Your Face Off" (1978)
- "A Night at the Opera" (1978)
- "Gentle Explosion" (1978)
- "The Music Will Not End"
- "Bolero" (1979)
- "Full-Tilt Boogie" (as Uncle Louie) (1979)
- "I Like Funky Music" (as Uncle Louie) (1979)
- "Mostly Mozart" (1979)
- "Themes From E.T." (1982)