Morphine was an alternative rock band based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The band was formed by Mark Sandman, Dana Colley and Jerome Deupree. What caught the attention of most people was the simplicity of the instruments used by the band, a two-string slide bass and vocals by Sandman, a saxophone played by Colley and drums played by Deupree. The group packed a tremendous punch and produced unbelievable sound for such basic instruments.

Morphine was known for their bluesy, jazz-sounding songs that were unique in their own way. Sadly, in rehearsal for a show on July 3, 1999 in Palestrina, Italy, Sandman collapsed into cardiac arrest and passed away.

Following Sandman’s tragic passing, Colley and Deupree formed a new band, Vapors of Morphine, in 2009 with new band member Jeremy Lyons.

Mark Sandman explaining the origin of the band’s name:

The word ‘Morphine’ comes from the word ‘Morpheus,’ who is the god of dreams, and that kind appealed to us as a concept…I’ve heard there’s a drug called ‘morphine’ but that’s not where we’re coming from…we were dreaming, Morpheus comes into our dreams…and we woke up and started this band…we’re all wrapped up in these dream messages, and we were compelled to start this band.