Murray Seafield St George Head(born 5 March 1946)[1]is an English actor and singer. Head has appeared in a number of films, including a starring role as the character Bob Elkin in theBAFTAaward winning andOscar-nominated 1971 filmSunday Bloody Sunday.[1]As a musician, he is most recognised for his international hit songs "Superstar"(from the 1970 rock operaJesus Christ Superstar) and "One Night in Bangkok"(the 1984 single from the musicalChess,which topped thechartsin various countries). He has been involved in several projects since the 1960s and continues to record music, perform concerts, and make appearances on television either as himself or as acharacter actor.
Murray Head | |
|---|---|
 Head in concert atQuimper,France (2013) | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Murray Seafield St George Head |
| Born | 5 March 1946 London,England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1966–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | murrayhead |
Early life and education
editHead was born in London[2]to Seafield Laurence Stewart Murray Head (20 August 1919 – 22 March 2009) andHelen Shingler(29 August 1919 − 8 October 2019).[3][2]Head's father was adocumentary filmmakerforVerity Films.Head's mother played Mme Maigret alongsideRupert Daviesin the BBC 1960s television adaptation of theMaigretnovels written byGeorges Simenon.Head's younger brotherAnthony Headis also an actor,[2]best known for playing Rupert Giles in the TV seriesBuffy the Vampire Slayer.
Head was educated at theLycée Français Charles de GaulleinSouth Kensington,London andHampton School[4]inHampton, Middlesex.He attended Chiswick Polytechnic (A level college) in the early 1960s.[citation needed]
Career
editHead began writing songs as a child, and by the mid-1960s he had a London-basedrecording contract.He briefly appeared as one of the hosts of the Bristol-based television pop showNow!alongsideMichael Palin.He had limited success, until asked byTim RiceandAndrew Lloyd Webberto playJudas Iscarioton the original concept album version ofJesus Christ Superstar;at the time, he had been appearing in the West End production of the musicalHair.With the Trinidad Singers, the song "Superstar"peaked at No. 14 on theBillboardHot 100chart in 1971.
He made his film debut inThe Family Way(1966), which featuredHayley Mills,Hywel BennettandJohn Millsin the leading roles.[1]Head won a leading role in theOscar-nominated filmSunday Bloody Sunday(1971), alongsidePeter FinchandGlenda Jackson.[1]Despite these successes, he received little public attention in the next ten years (except for his single release, "Say It Ain't So, Joe"in 1975, which has been covered byThe Who's lead vocalist,Roger Daltrey,among others, including bothGary Brookerof Procol Harum fame andThe Hollies- who also covered his song; 'When I'm Yours' in 1979).[1]"Never Even Thought" has been covered by both Colin Blunstone and Cliff Richard.
In 1973, he appeared in aradio drama,The Fourth Tower of Inverness.In 1979, Head appeared in the miniseriesPrince Regentand the final episode of theITVprogramReturn of the Saint.
Head reappeared in the spotlight in 1984 as the American on theconcept albumfor the musicalChess.The song "One Night in Bangkok"featured Head[2]on lead vocals, affecting a New York accent. It became the last significant Broadway/West End number to be ahit singleon American and German radio until "No Matter What"byBoyzonein 1996. "One Night in Bangkok" was a success in both Europe and North America.[1]Head performed the role of world chess champion Frederick "Freddie" Trumper in the London West End stage production ofChessthat premiered on 14 May 1986. The show ran in London until 8 April 1989; during its run, Head departed with vocal strain.
After that, Head had littlerecordingsuccess in the UK or the United States. This fact would later be underscored in a radio segment featured onTheKevin and BeanShowonKROQ-FMin Los Angeles, in which the hosts would phone Head in the morning to find out "What's Up with Murray Head?" Fluent in French, he has released a number of albums in that language. A duet withMarie Carmen,"Une femme un homme", was released in 1993 and was a hit in French-speaking Canada.
In 1999, Head co-wrote the screenplay toLes Enfants du Siècle.[3]
He has appeared on television in the UK onThe Bill,Casualty,North SquareandJudge John Deed.He also played an artist, and love interest of Gina Ward, called Jack Hollins onITV'sHeartbeatfrom 2005 to 2006. On 15 March 2010 he appeared in theBBCdramaDoctorsplaying a pop singer, Pete Perry, trying to make a comeback, in which Head sangRobert Johnson's "Love in Vain".He appeared inDoctorsagain on 18 April 2019 as a different character, a drummer named Brian 'Sticky' Burns. In Canada, he was part of the cast of the 2002 television mini-seriesMusic-Hall,which played on theRadio-Canadanetwork. In 2011 he appeared in the first episode of the series Vera (episode "Hidden Depths" ) as Peter Calvert.
Head's picture, from a still ofThe Family Way,appeared on the 1987 cover of the British bandThe Smithssingle "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before"and the album cover of the band's 1988 compilation albumStop Me.[5]
Personal life
editHead married Susan Ellis Jones in 1972; they divorced in 1992. He has two daughters: Katherine and Sophie. Sophie sometimes sings with her father, for example on songs such as "Seras-tu là?" on the albumTête à têteand "Make It Easy" from theEmotionsalbum.[3][2]Head married Lindy Ross (née Newton) on 14 February 2019.
Discography
edit- Nigel Lived(1972)
- Say It Ain't So(1976)
- Between Us(1979)
- Voices(1981)
- Shade(1982)
- Restless(1984)
- Sooner or Later(1986)
- Wave(1992)
- Pipe Dreams(1995)
- Tête à tête(2007)
- Rien n'est écrit(2008) - Also distributed as a double album, with new versions of classics such asSay It Ain't So,Never Even Thought,You Are,etc.
- My Back Pages(2012) - Performs songs by other artists, Bob Dylan, Kansas, Spencer Davis Group, The Who, Roxy Music, Dido, etc.
Selected filmography
edit- Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | The Family Way | Geoffrey Fitton | Sings "Someday Soon" |
| 1967 | Two Weeks in September | Dickinson's assistant | |
| 1971 | Aphrousa | Nicholas | |
| Sunday Bloody Sunday | Bob Elkin | ||
| La Mandarine | Tony the Englishman | ||
| 1973 | Gawain and the Green Knight | Gawain | |
| 1975 | El poder del deseo | Javier | |
| 1977 | The Frenchwoman | David Evans | |
| 1987 | White Mischief | Lizzie | |
| 1989 | Un été d'orages | Jack | Also wrote the music |
| La Barbare | Michael | ||
| 1996 | Beaumarchais | William, Lord Rochford | |
| 1999 | Le Grand Serpent du Monde | Tom | |
| 2002 | The Lovers of the Nile | The Colonel | |
| 2003 | I, Cesar | Charley Fitzpatrick | |
| 2009 | No pasaran | Peter Konchelski | |
| 2015 | Fever | Jim |
- Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | St Ives | Saladin | Two episodes |
| 1971 | Shirley's World | Ray King | |
| 1974 | The Fortunes of Nigel | Lord Dalgarno | |
| Seven Faces of a Woman | Tom | ||
| Intent for Murder | Larry | ||
| Play for Today | Singer | Episode "Taking Leave" | |
| 1979 | Return of the Saint | Pierre de la Garde | Episode 24 "The Diplomat's Daughter" |
| Prince Regent | George Canning | Three episodes | |
| 1989 | Boon | Rupert Cole | Series 4 Episode 3 "The Relief of Matty King" |
| 1998 | The New Adventures of Robin Hood | Ripley | |
| 1999 | The Knock | Mike Hewson | Two episodes |
| 2000 | Casualty | Billy Cooper | Series 15 Episode 6 "Choked: Part Two" |
| North Square | Judge Martin Bould | Eight episodes | |
| The Vice | Tommy Roker | Two episodes | |
| 2002 | Asbestos | Peter Bedford | |
| Music-Hall | Clife Maisie | ||
| 2003 | Rosemary & Thyme | Nev Connolly | |
| 2004 | The Bill | Charles Mawdsley | |
| 2005-2007 | Heartbeat | Jack Rollins | Three episodes |
| 2007 | Judge John Deed | Judge Prévin | |
| Holby City | Doug Finn | Three episodes | |
| 2009 | Relive | Steven Winterley | |
| 2010 | Doctors | Pete Perry | Episode "Birth of the Blues" |
| 2011 | Vera's Mysteries | Peter Calvert | |
| 2012 | Holby City | Steve Rurner | |
| 2013 | Doctors | Leo Treadwell | Episode "Difficulty" |
| 2014 | Holby City | Billy Tressler | Three episodes |
| Horsehead | Jim | ||
| 2017 | Doctors | Ralphy Aspden | Two episodes |
| 2019 | War of the Worlds | Mikel |
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^abcdefAnkeny, Jason."Artist Biography".AllMusic.
- ^abcde"Murray Head".NNDB.com.Retrieved19 December2016.
- ^abc"Murray Head: Biography".Internet Movie Database.
- ^"Murray Head Official Site".Retrieved14 June2023.
- ^Brown, Len (7 April 2010).Meetings with Morrissey.Omnibus Press.ISBN978-0-85712-240-7.
External links
edit- Murray HeadatAllMusic
- Murray Headdiscography atDiscogs
- Murray HeadatIMDb
- Hugh Schofield, "Murray Head: 'Unsung at home, but a hero in France'",BBC News,24 December 2021
