Elliott Murphy “Old-Timer”

 

In celebration of turning seventy-five last March and in conjunction with his “50 years on the road” anniversary (with over forty albums and three-thousand shows all around the world), rock ‘n roll legend Elliott Murphy has released a new single "Old-Timer" on all streaming platforms.

OLD TIMER WAS inspired by Elliott’s annual “Birthday Shows” in Paris (where he has lived for the last 35 years).  As he tells it: “Last March, I received a splendid birthday blast-off during my annual sold-out two-night soiree at the fabled New Morning club in my adopted hometown of Paris and I wanted to write and perform a song especially for that momentous occasion. New Morning is my home away from home as I’ve been playing there steadily for over thirty years now (joining the ranks of such notables as Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Chet Baker and even Prince who have graced its historic stage). I was inspired to write “Old-Timer” just a week before my shows, as a kind of self-congratulatory birthday song from me to myself. It was my last song of the night, and the audience reaction was so heartwarming that I went right into my son Gaspard Murphy’s studio to record it the following week.”

The introduction to the song is an energetic acoustic guitar riff slowing down, and then the lyrics begin.  Elliott says the arrangement reflects the lyrics. “I wanted the song to represent ageing as a visceral function of slowing down so I asked my producer Gaspard to take my finger picked nylon string guitar and speed it up to warp speed at the intro and then slow it down. Just like life …”

Elliott Murphy - Vocals, Guitars

Gaspard Murphy - Moog

Produced by Gaspard Murphy

OLD-TIMER (Elliott Murphy)

When most of who you are walks behind you - And your days are growing short and passing fast

And your memory plays tricks to protect you now - Well you know … you just can’t change the past

 

And I say this is something to be proud of - To have done it all and lived to tell the tale

I’m a stone-cold rock and roll survivor now - An old timer who’s not taking down his sail

 

I’m cruising toward a hundred that’s my goal - And I’d love to take you with me heart and soul

We'll be heading round the corner - Maybe move someplace warmer - And with you I’ll never be alone

 

And I say this is something to be proud of - To have done it all and lived to tell the tale

I’m a stone-cold rock and roll survivor now - An old timer who’s not taking down his sail

 

Did I tell you about the time - When I was twenty-nine - And Paris was waiting for me

 

And I say this is something to be proud of - To have done it all and lived to tell the tale

I’m a stone-cold rock and roll survivor now - An old timer who’s not taking down his sail

 

And if I can be so bold - Let me last words be foretold - I’m telling you I just don’t feel that old

            © 2024 Elliott Murphy, All Rights Reserved (Murphyland / SACEM)

Elliott Murphy New Album: “Wonder” Autumn 2022

“Wonder” - the newest album by internationally acclaimed American rock singer-songwriter (and long-time Paris resident) Elliott Murphy – is available now on all streaming platforms (Spotify, Deezer etc.) as well as a limited edition of CDs. “Wonder” marks Elliott’s first studio album of all new original songs since “Prodigal Son” (2017) and contains a truly inspired collection of 12 musically eclectic songs accompanied by that endangered breed of stylish lyrics (urban, poetic, personal, literary …) that have been associated with Murphy’s work for nearly 50 years.

“Wonder” was primarily written during the forced period of introspection brought on by the COVID confinement. It was produced by Elliott’s son Gaspard Murphy (a successful producer in the French music world in his own right) in Paris at Question de Son and Murmure Studios. The album features Elliott’s long time guitar virtuoso musical partner Olivier Durand as well as Australian Melissa Cox (violin) and Alan Fatras (drums) along with an impressive list of guest musicians and singers.

Elliott, himself, takes stock of where “Wonder” fits into his nearly half century career: “If my early albums can be described as expressions of youthful energy, hope and dreams, I would have to say that as I enter this later chapter of my career, as evidenced in the songs on ‘Wonder,’ my words now tend to incorporate buried memories that rise to the surface of my consciousness like once sunken ships, crewed by musical references that even surprise me: Little Richard, Robert Johnson, Tina Turner – even the iconic American TV talk show host Johnny Carson. All these ghosts (and more) make appearances on ‘Wonder’ as well as assorted pop cultural references that baffle me such as ‘My Own Private Idaho,’ which, of course, was a B52s’ hit in the 1980s. But since a troubadour’s job is to spread the news, you can even hear a mention of Better Call Saul a favorite TV series of mine. Musically, you might say that these days my inspiration is all over the map; although I’m still faithful to those folk-rock sounds and chord progressions which shaped me at the time of my first album ‘Aquashow’ (1973). I also think there’s an undeniable bit of French chanson and even Steely Dan type jazz-rock on ‘Wonder.’ Rhythmically, I decided early on that I wanted a strong percussion element and thus you’ll hear congas, maracas and a host of other percussion instruments grounding the songs and giving cool flight to the lyrics. And with all the Motown I listen to, it’s not surprising that ‘Something Consequential’ might recall an almost Marvin Gaye-like romanticism of which he was truly the master and I am, at best, his earnest student.”

As most of these songs were born during the dark opening days of the COVID pandemic when confinement became an enforced reality we had never before experienced, loneliness naturally is a pervasive sub-theme of “Wonder,” reflected in various manifestations not only in the titles of songs such as “Lonely” and “The Lonely King.” Elliott uses “Loneliness as a kind of existential meteorologic metaphor in “Raindrops” and “Hailstones,” referencing when the Corona virus seemed as unstoppable as a hurricane.

Despite the life challenges, Elliott’s approach to writing is still optimistic, “But inevitably there is hope to be found in our fragile yet resilient human condition not only in ‘Hope (In Your Eyes)’ but also in the afore-mentioned ‘Something Consequential’ where romance springs eternal. ‘Sunlight Keeps Falling’ may be the only fully pre pandemic song on the album as it was written as the theme song for an as-yet unmade film about a beautiful girl who jumps from the Eiffel Tower right into the arms of a guitar maker.

“So, as I sing in “A Lack of Perspective” (perhaps my own favorite off “Wonder”), I’m going back in time to find what I’m looking for… Thanks so much for accompanying me on this musical journey!”

 

ELLIOTT MURPHY - WONDER

(MURPHYLAND ML0011CD)

1. Hope (In Your Eyes) (Murphy)

2. Sunlight Keeps Falling On Me (Murphy / Durand)

3. Bystanders (Murphy / Durand)

4. That's The Scene (Murphy)

5. Children of Children (Murphy)

6. Raindrops (Murphy / Murphy)

7. Something Consequential (Murphy / Durand)

8. Lack of Perspective (Murphy)

9. Lonely (Murphy / Durand)

10. Hailstones (Murphy)

11. Lonely King (Murphy)

12. I Know There's A Place (Murphy)

 

Elliott Murphy’s “Broken Poet” Movie World Premier New York City, March 25

BROKEN POET will have its world-wide premiere at the New York City International Film Festival (NYCIFF) on Wednesday 25 March at 8:00 at the Dolby Theater. The film will be preceded by a short acoustic concert by Elliott Murphy. BROKEN POET is directed by Emilio J. Ruiz and is based on a short story by Elliott Murphy, who also stars in the film and provides songs for the soundtrack including his classic LAST OF THE ROCK STARS. Other members of the cast include Joanna Preiss, Marisa Berensen, Michael O’Keefe and cameo appearances by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa. The story itself is that of a ‘70s US rock star who disappeared in Paris and may still be alive. Rolling Stone magazine sends a journalist to investigate, and the results are surprising. A fresh look at rock stardom and success and a gripping story shot within enchanting and sumptuous views of Paris and New York. Not to be missed! 



Ticket buy link: https://nyciff.com/line-up-2020

"Just A Story From America--A Memoir" by Elliott Murphy

Elliott's Memoir is Available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WSBB4W

Elliott Murphy, legendary rock troubadour and a true pioneer of independent recording artists has finally published his long-awaited memoir, JUST A STORY FROM AMERICA. This rock and roll storyteller, who has been cited by artists as inspirational as Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and the late Lou Reed, and whose career now spans nearly five decades, was promoted by Columbia Records in 1977 with a full-page ad in Rolling Stone reading, “He could write a book, but he chose rock and roll instead.” The truth is that he has been doing both for years and in the process achieving international success and acclaim. Finally, his amazing story is told.

In 1973 posters were plastered all over New York City’s subway system proclaiming, “Elliott Murphy is going to be a monster,” when his critically-praised debut album, AQUASHOW, was first released. Perhaps his major label career didn’t take off as predicted, but his unique journey did include him becoming a rock star monster, before ultimately finding redemption in Paris, France with a thriving career, loving family and a trove of rock ‘n roll anecdotes and wisdom to fill this unforgettable and highly readable memoir.

In his honest, gripping and often humorous telling, Elliott describes a childhood of show biz affluence, the tragic loss of a famous father, a European sojourn where he encountered Federico Fellini and a love for the old world, and perhaps most provocatively, his journey through the mine-fields of rock stardom in which he fittingly calls true success in the music business as best measured in terms of survival. From the glam world of 1970’s Manhattan and fabled LA recording studios and on to what was left of swinging London before finally finding his home, love and a faithful public in Europe, Elliott Murphy’s memoir is a valuable addition to a growing essential cultural genre that now includes Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run, Patti Smith’s Just Kids and Bob Dylan’s Chronicles.

JUST A STORY FROM AMERICA takes the reader on an insightful journey into the daunting world of the music business from the unique perspective of an internationally acclaimed artist you may never have heard of, even while songs such as Last of the Rock Stars, Drive all Night, and A Touch of Kindness travelled on radio-airwaves all around the world for decades. A moving and not often heard story told from the perspective of an artist who has gone from celebrity to anonymity and back again and lived to tell the tale.  

Elliott Murphy has released over 35 albums of original music since his debut album AQUASHOW (1973) and continues to perform concerts in Europe, Japan, Canada and the USA. He stars in the upcoming feature film, BROKEN POET based upon his 1980’s short story which includes a rare cameo appearance by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa. The award winning 2016 documentary, THE SECOND ACT OF ELLIOTT MURPHY was selected for the prestigious Stony Brook Film Festival and his journalism has appeared in Rolling Stone (U.S.), Vanity Fair (France), and other international publications. He is the author of three novels, two poetry books, and numerous short-story collections.

In 2015 Elliott Murphy was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture and in 2018, Billy Joel inducted Elliott into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, stating, “His songs are honest and literate and pure, and those songs have attracted audiences far beyond his country. I’ve long envied his bravery and integrity, and I’ve always admired his lyric skill.”

Elliott Murphy’s Back in the USA for More Acts November 7-24

(Long Island Rock Troubadour Returns to the States for An Incredible November)

Elliott Murphy, singer-songwriter and long-time Paris resident, returns to the East Coast this November for an autumn season of touring, events and filming. 

Elliott will be inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame on November 8 at a gala ceremony to be held at the Space in Westbury… Long Island, of course. Former inductees of the LIMHOF include Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett and Lou Reed.

Originally from Garden City, Long Island, Elliott Murphy rose to national prominence with the release of his debut 1973 album Aquashow, when critics declared him, along with Bruce Springsteen, John Prine and Loudon Wainwright III, the new Bob Dylan, even though the original was still only in his mid-thirties. When asked if he considered the “New Dylan” tag to be a curse, Murphy often reminds interviewers that, “… all of us singer-songwriters, who were pushed into that estimable club, seem to be still working. So more than a curse it’s a guarantee of life-time employment!”  

Along with his virtuoso French guitarist Olivier Durand, Elliott Murphy will be performing shows in New York and New Jersey in November along with a highly coveted performance at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage in Washington DC.

As well as having released over 35 albums in a career spanning 45 years, Elliott Murphy is a prolific writer of fiction with two novels and numerous collections of short stories published in Europe. One of his earlier stories is currently being made into the film Broken Poet and will feature Elliott Murphy in his first major acting role. Cast members include the legendary Marisa Berenson, Academy Award nominee Michael O’Keefe, and acclaimed French actress Joana Preiss. A Spring 2019 release is projected for Broken Poet by award-winning Spanish Director Emilio Barrachina. Elliott’s most recent album, PRODIGAL SON, (Murphyland Records) garnered 4 stars in French Rolling Stone. 

In 2015 Elliott Murphy was awarded the Chevalier des arts et des lettres medal by the French minister of Culture. 

ELLIOTT MURPHY U.S. TOURDATES

November 8 Long Island Music Hall of Fame, Westbury, NY  

November 9 My Father's Place, Roslyn, NY  

November 11 Ray's House Concert, Staten Island  

November 13 World Café, Philadelphia, PA  
  November 15 The Turning Point, Piermont, NY 

November 16 The Sail Loft, Port Jefferson, NY  

November 17 Rockwood 3 ***5PM Show***  

November 23 Stephen Talkhouse, Amagansett, NY  

November 24 Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Wash DC  

For further information on show dates please visit:  www.elliottmurphy.com

The Second Act of Elliott Murphy Trailer w/ Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Willie Nile: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdQudLfTpNY

Rolling Stone listed two of Elliott’s albums in their list of 10 Singer-Songwriter Albums Rolling Stone Loved in the 1970s You’ve Never Heard: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/10-singer-songwriter-albums-rolling-stone-loved-in-the-1970s-youve-never-heard-77702/elliott-murphy-lost-generation-165711/

Elliott Murphy: "Could have written a novel, but wrote an album" is now obsolete! :)

ELLIOTT MURPHY BOOK ADVISORY

In addition to his thirty-five albums and a globe spanning forty-four year career in music, ELLIOTT MURPHY has written and published two novels MARTY MAY & POETIC JUSTICE, a collection of short stories PARIS STORIES, and a book of poetry FORTY POEMS IN FORTY NIGHTS that are all receiving rave reviews. Join his ever increasing throng of delighted readers - visit the ELLIOTT MURPHY author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Elliott-Murphy/e/B004MQG6P6/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1488489154&sr=1-2-ent ​
OR BITLY: http://amzn.to/2lMcsmQ ​

Downloadable photo art of Elliott's books at https://www.flickr.com/photos/8320698@N05/albums/72157611847817960/page2 ​

www.ElliottMurphy.com ​

Musician/Author Elliott Murphy Awarded the "Medaille de Vermeil de La Ville de Paris" in Grand Ceremony at Hotel de Ville, in Paris

http://www.elliottmurphy.com
For more information please contact:
info@elliottmurphy.com

Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter and author Elliott Murphy, who has been living in Paris, France for 22 years, was awarded the prestigious Medaille de Vermeil de la Ville de Paris in recognition of his career achievements in a formal ceremony on October 1 at the Hotel de Ville (City Hall) presided over by Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë.

Past recipients of the award have included Jane Fonda, Gianni Versace, Kevin Liles (former Def Jam President) and Johnny Depp.

Elliott began his career with the classic album “Aquashow” in 1973 and has released over 30 albums as well as being the author of two novels and numerous short story collections. He has often joined his long time friend Bruce Springsteen on stage in Paris.

Elliott will make his yearly East Coast tour in December 2012.

6 Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA [Band]
7 Rockwood Music Hall, NY, NY [Band]
8 Stephen Talkhouse, Amagansett, NY [Band]
9 Live @ Drews, Ringwood, NJ [Band]
12 The Turning Point, Piermont, NY [Band]
13 Iron Horse, Northampton, MA [Band]
15 Mexicali Blues, Teaneck, NJ [Band]