The System (band)
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The System is an American
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...
duo that debuted in the 1980s, composed of vocalist-guitarist
Mic Murphy Michael Austin "Mic" Murphy (born January 9, 1958) is an American musician, lead singer of the successful 1980s synth R&B duo The System (band), the System. He is well known for singing the group's biggest hit, "Don't Disturb This Groove (song), ...
and seasoned session keyboardist David Frank. The band was founded in 1982 in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
and backed up by
Paul Pesco Paul Pesco (born May 13, 1959) is an American session guitarist, singer-songwriter, film score composer and record producer. Biography Pesco was born in Canandaigua, New York, to a Sicilian father (an opera singer and voice instructor) and Ko ...
on electric guitar and Kris Khellow on keyboards and synthesizers. The group is sometimes referred to as being "emotio-electro" because of its hi-tech, synthesizer-driven sound, married with passionate vocals and sensitive lyrics.


Origins

David Frank and Mic Murphy met in the early 1980s while working for the soul-funk band
Kleeer Kleeer was an American New York City–based funk, disco and post-disco band, which was formed in 1972 under the name The Jam Band, as a backup group to different disco bands and vocalists. Members * Woodrow "Woody" Cunningham (lead vocalist an ...
. Frank had gotten a break when Atlantic Records enlisted him as Kleeer's tour keyboardist. The band's road manager was Mic Murphy, and although Murphy was obviously aware of Frank's skills, Frank was unaware Murphy could sing. Later in New York City, David Frank was working on a session that evolved into a track called "It's Passion," which was to feature a pre-stardom
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
on vocals. However, due to creative differences, Madonna bowed out. Frank then remembered Murphy and invited him to work on it. The results were so impressive that Mirage/Atlantic Records offered Murphy and Frank a recording deal of their own. Murphy came up with the band's name, and within weeks "It's Passion" was receiving massive radio airplay in New York. "It's Passion" became both a radio and club hit in New York. The interest sparked enough interest for Mirage to give David and Mic an advance for an album.


Career

The resulting 1983 album ''
Sweat Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distribut ...
'' launched the club hits "Sweat," "I Won't Let Go" and the iconic "
You Are in My System "You Are in My System" is a 1982 song recorded by American band the System. The song, written by Mic Murphy and David Frank, was released in August 1982 by Mirage Records. The song is also included on their debut studio album ''Sweat'' (1983). Th ...
," which became a number-ten R&B smash. Robert Palmer's cover of the song became a mainstream rock hit. In 1983, Murphy and Frank also wrote and produced "Pump the Nation," a one-off album for a project called ''Attitude''. Attitude featured Khris Kellow, who worked on many of the System's later albums and appears as a member of the band in the movie ''Beat Street'' during the song "Baptize the Beat." It was also around this time that budding session guitarist
Paul Pesco Paul Pesco (born May 13, 1959) is an American session guitarist, singer-songwriter, film score composer and record producer. Biography Pesco was born in Canandaigua, New York, to a Sicilian father (an opera singer and voice instructor) and Ko ...
began joining the group in the studio and on live tours. In 1984, the group released its second album, ''
X-Periment ''X-Periment'' is the second studio album by American band the System, released on Mirage/ Atlantic Records in 1984. The album was produced by band members David Frank and Mic Murphy. It entered the ''Billboard'' pop albums chart in 1984. T ...
''. Frank's expertise in
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technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...
gave the material a sound that many felt was ahead of its time. Indeed, the heavy use of
synths A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and f ...
and electric
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
was a step beyond the dance-influenced flavor of the previous album, and Murphy's soulful vocals gave the songs a definite R&B flavor. Besides the upbeat electronics-laden tracks, the album also introduced a more mature and pop-friendly quality, evident in tracks such as "Promises Can Break," "I Wanna Make You Feel Good," and "I Can't Take Losing You." The System also appeared in the 1984 breakdancing film ''
Beat Street ''Beat Street'' is a 1984 American drama dance film featuring New York City hip hop culture of the early 1980s. Set in the South Bronx, the film follows the lives of a pair of brothers and their group of friends, all of whom are devoted to var ...
'' and its soundtrack, performing the song "Baptize the Beat." The title track from its 1985 album '' The Pleasure Seekers'' was featured in the season-two premiere episode of the hit
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
series ''
Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...
''. Other significant tracks on the album include "It Takes 2", "Love Won't Wait for Lovin'", and "This is for You". In 1985, David Frank and Mic Murphy teamed up with
Jeff Lorber Jeffrey H. Lorber (born November 4, 1952) is an American keyboardist, composer, and record producer. After six previous nominations, Lorber won his first Grammy Award on January 28, 2018 for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for '' Prototype' ...
to collaborate on Lorber's album ''Step by Step''. The System's greatest success came in 1987 with the release of its #1 single " Don't Disturb This Groove," from the album of the same name. The duo hired Steven Machat and Rick Smith to be its managers. Machat and Smith took control of the promotion and marketing of the duo on behalf of Atlantic and helped the duo achieve its biggest US Pop hit. The single reached No. 1 on the Billboard
R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...
and No. 4 on the
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
. The follow-up single, " Nighttime Lover", was also a top 10 R&B hit, peaking at No. 3. In 1989, The System released its fifth album, '' Rhythm & Romance''.


Soundtrack work and other contributions

Their version of the
Marc Benno Marc Benno (born July 1, 1947 in Dallas, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Benno teamed with Leon Russell to form the Asylum Choir in the late 1960s. He launched a solo career in the early 1970s, with the 1972 album ''Am ...
song "Rock 'n Roll Me Again" became famous in the 1984
action comedy Action comedy is a genre that combines aspects of action and comedy. The genre is most prevalent in film with action comedy films, though several TV series fit this genre. Film The action comedy film is a film genre that combines aspects of acti ...
''
Beverly Hills Cop ''Beverly Hills Cop'' is a 1984 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Martin Brest, screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr., story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr., and starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street-smart Detroit cop ...
'' with
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
. The
soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...
would go on to win a
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
. The group would also reach No. 23 on Billboard's
R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...
with the title track from the 1988
Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...
film ''
Coming to America ''Coming to America'' is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed by John Landis and based on a story originally created by Eddie Murphy, who also stars in the lead role. The film also co-stars Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Shari Head ...
''. All of this success occurred while the group was contributing its talents to projects such as the
Scritti Politti Scritti Politti are a British band, originally formed in 1977 in Leeds, England, by Welsh singer-songwriter Green Gartside. He is the only member of the band to have remained throughout the group's history. Beginning as a punk-inspired collect ...
album '' Cupid & Psyche 85'';
Phil Collins Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and lead singer of the rock band Genesis and also has a career as a solo performer. Between 1982 and ...
' " Sussudio";
Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...
's " I Feel for You" and "This is My Night"; and
Mtume Mtume (pronounced ''em-tu-may'') was an American funk and soul group that rose to prominence during the early 1980s and had several R&B hits during its career. Its founder, former percussionist James Mtume, previously played and toured with M ...
's "
Juicy Fruit Juicy Fruit is an American brand of chewing gum made by the Wrigley Company, a U.S. company that since 2008 has been a subsidiary of the privately held Mars, Incorporated. It was introduced in 1893, and in the 21st century the brand name is rec ...
", among many others.


Hiatus

Murphy and Frank parted ways professionally after releasing their '' Rhythm & Romance'' album in 1989. Murphy recorded the solo album ''Touch'' and charted in 1991 with a single from that project. Frank found more recent success as a
songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...
and producer, most notably for hit singles such as
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera (; ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality. Known for her four-octave vocal range and ability to sustain high notes, she has been referred to as the " Voice of ...
's "
Genie in a Bottle "Genie in a Bottle" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera from her self-titled debut studio album (1999). It was written by Pam Sheyne, Steve Kipner and David Frank, and produced by Kipner and Frank. The song was released on May 11, 1 ...
" in 1999, and teen girl-group
Dream A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
's "
He Loves U Not "He Loves U Not" is a song by American girl group Dream. It was released on August 22, 2000, as the group's debut single and is featured on their debut album, '' It Was All a Dream'' (2001). The song was written in 1999 by Steve Kipner, David Fra ...
" in 2000.


Reunions

In 2000, the duo reunited for the album ''ESP'', which featured a reworked version of "You Are in My System," originally on 1983's ''Sweat''. In late 2009, the group released the album ''Unreleased Unleashed'', a collection of prototype and unreleased songs recorded at various points over the span of The System's recording career. Two of these tracks, "Hole in My Love" and "You Are in My System (Redux)," were taken directly from the ''ESP'' album. Also, the track "Sonic Fire" was previously released as the B-side for some 7-inch singles of "I Wanna Make You Feel Good" in 1984. 2012 marked another reunion of The System, with new 12-inch remix collection of the seminal recording for the Breakdance film ''Beat Street'', "Baptize the Beat". The 12-inch limited-edition vinyl was released on Electroavenue Records in the UK and features remixes by Funkmaster Ozone, Fleck, Lloyd da Zoid / Diplomat & Sace. In September, 2012, the group unveiled two new singles, "Motha" and "The Toast", which would be featured on their then forthcoming album, ''System Overload''. The songs were mixed by legendary Unique Recording Studio mixer
Chris Lord-Alge Chris Lord-Alge is an American mix engineer. He is the brother of both Tom Lord-Alge and Jeff Lord-Alge, both of whom are also audio engineers. Chris and Tom are known for their abundant use of dynamic compression for molding mixes that play wel ...
, whose association with the band dates to 1983. The sessions took place in Topanga Canyon's Canyon Reverb, the Village Recorders, and NYC Spanish Harlem SPAHA Studios and with contributions from longtime collaborator guitarist/unofficial bandmember
Paul Pesco Paul Pesco (born May 13, 1959) is an American session guitarist, singer-songwriter, film score composer and record producer. Biography Pesco was born in Canandaigua, New York, to a Sicilian father (an opera singer and voice instructor) and Ko ...
as well as drummer
Steven Wolf Steven Wolf (aka Wolf) is a drummer, programmer, songwriter and music producer. His discography includes numerous gold, platinum, and Grammy winning records. He has worked with a range of artists including Alicia Keys, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, ...
aka WOLFADELIC, and sound architect
Tim K Tim K, born Timothy John Kvasnosky, is a Los Angeles-based music producer and film composer who was born in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington, United States. Tim K composed the score (along with collaborator Jake Shears of the Scissor Sist ...
. ''System Overload'' was released in 2013 on the band's own label, Science Lab Records.


Discography


Studio albums

* ''
Sweat Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distribut ...
'' (1983) * ''
X-Periment ''X-Periment'' is the second studio album by American band the System, released on Mirage/ Atlantic Records in 1984. The album was produced by band members David Frank and Mic Murphy. It entered the ''Billboard'' pop albums chart in 1984. T ...
'' (1984) * '' The Pleasure Seekers'' (1985) * '' Don't Disturb This Groove'' (1987) * '' Rhythm & Romance'' (1989) * ''ESP'' (2000) * ''System Overload'' (2013)


Compilation albums

* ''Unreleased Unleashed'' (2009)


Band members

*
Mic Murphy Michael Austin "Mic" Murphy (born January 9, 1958) is an American musician, lead singer of the successful 1980s synth R&B duo The System (band), the System. He is well known for singing the group's biggest hit, "Don't Disturb This Groove (song), ...
- vocals, guitar * David Frank - keyboards, synthesizers *
Paul Pesco Paul Pesco (born May 13, 1959) is an American session guitarist, singer-songwriter, film score composer and record producer. Biography Pesco was born in Canandaigua, New York, to a Sicilian father (an opera singer and voice instructor) and Ko ...
- guitar ''(unofficial member)''


Additional live-band member

*Kris Khellow - keyboards, synthesizers


Legacy

* In 1997, a sample of " Don't Disturb This Groove" was used in the track "Lost Souls" by the group
Outlawz Outlawz (formerly known as Outlaw Immortalz) are an American hip hop group founded by rapper Tupac Shakur in late 1995 after Shakur's release from prison. Collectively, they were best known for their association with Shakur. Most of the group m ...
(featuring
2Pac Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...
). * In 1998,
Kerri Chandler Kerri Camar Chandler (born 28 September 1969) is an American house DJ and record producer. Biography Chandler's influences go back to New Jersey, growing up in a family of jazz musicians. His father, Joseph Chandler, was a DJ and provided him wi ...
released the song "You're in My System" featuring the vocals of Robert Palmer's cover and a melody close to the original. The same track but without vocals called "Atmosphere" was released in the same year. * In 2010,
Big Boi Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is best known for being a member of the southern hip hop duo Outkast alongside André 3000. ...
's first single "Shutterbugg" features an interpolation of the System's "You Are in My System". * "Don't Disturb This Groove" is featured in the 2010
Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero a ...
and
Tracy Morgan Tracy Jamal Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor best known for his television work as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1996–2003) and for his role as Tracy Jordan in the sitcom ''30 Rock'' (2006 ...
buddy action film "
Cop Out Cop out or cop-out may refer to: Film and television * ''Cop Out (2010 film)'', a comedy film directed by Kevin Smith * ''Cop-Out'', a film by Lawrence L. Simeone, produced by Kimberley Casey * ''Cop-Out'', the US title for the 1967 UK film '' ...
". * In 2003,
Victoria Beckham Victoria Caroline Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spice. Wi ...
sampled "Don't Disturb This Groove" in her double single " This Groove" / "
Let Your Head Go "Let Your Head Go" is a song by British singer-songwriter Victoria Beckham, intended on her unreleased second studio album. It was released as a double A-side with " This Groove" on 29 December 2003 by Telstar Records. In 2004, it was included on ...
," which went to number 3 on the
UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. * In 2013,
Chris Malinchak Chris Malinchak is an American electronic musician, DJ and record producer best known for his 2013 debut single "So Good to Me", a hit in the United Kingdom. Music career Malinchak has produced several songs since 2012, all of which are availab ...
sampled "Don't Disturb This Groove" in "So into You". * In 2021,
John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Ever ...
covered "Coming to America" for Coming 2 America, sequel to the 1988 film. Unlike the original track, Legend’s version is a down tempo tune.


References


External links


David Frank's website

Live streams

Musicmatch.com

David Frank 2012 Audio Interview at Soulinterviews.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:System (Band), The American boogie musicians American dance music groups American synth-pop groups American musical duos Atlantic Records artists Electronic music duos Electronic music groups from New York (state) Mirage Records artists