Hilarity comes in many forms these days and fans have Eddie Murphy to thank for the evolution of comedy over the last three decades. Murphy's time as a cast member on Saturday Night Live during the first four years of the Eighties showcased the young actor's comedic timing to the world, which fortunately for fans who were charmed by Murphy's signature characters on the massively popular Saturday night staple, including Mr. Robinson, a disgruntled apartment dweller in the style of Mr. Rogers, and his regular portrayal of funk legend James Brown, Murphy transitioned into the world of cinema where he would spend many years showcasing the extent of his talents as he starred in both serious and silly roles, some of which would later go on to define his career.
A Man Of Many Talents
Over the years, Eddie Murphy has made headlines for both personal and public triumphs, but what about the aspects of Murphy's career we have forgotten or tend to overlook?
Many fans of Murphy may be familiar with his performance in the 2006 Oscar-winning film Dreamgirls, where he portrayed a soul singer with serious pipes; Fans were able to witness Murphy belt out some serious singing! If Murphy's pipes were impressive on-screen, there is a reason why Murphy knows how to carry a tune.
Throwing A 'Party All The Time'
The Eighties as a decade could be summed up in several different 'vibes'; the feeling of excess and lavish existence was balanced by one of the decade's signature moods: an endless ability to celebrate having fun no matter what! Murphy was experiencing plenty of reasons to celebrate his success in the early part of the decade. As one of the most popular cast members on Saturday Night Live at the time, he was on top of the world and had the star power to pursue whatever he wanted.
The avenue Murphy chose to travel involved carrying a different tune and a different career avenue! He received his footing outside of the so-called Saturday Night Live bubble and was able to perhaps become familiar with the concept of making records with the release of the first comedy album in 1982. Three years later, the comedian began warming up his vocal cords and stepped into the recording booth to prepare for the release of his first musical record.
The result? The record featured an upbeat single with its roots held in funk but is perhaps best remembered for its novelty song status. Murphy enlisted the help of his friend, fresh off of the success Murphy would later experience on MTV with the aforementioned song's success, Rick James, to bring his vision to life. James was already a popular culture staple for his wildly successful hit single Super Freak and was about to become familiar with the concept of having multiple popular culture staples under his belt.
Murphy's debut musical album How Could It Be would produce a hit single and upbeat anthem celebrating the idea of a prolonged good time. James would be 'behind the wheel' of the song's production and in charge of bringing it from paper after he penned the song, to the microphone. The music video would feature behind-the-scenes footage of James and company working in the studio as Murphy sings the song on the other side of the booth.
The upbeat tune would go on to be a smash hit soaring to the second spot on the Billboard charts, a move which would later cause the single's producer to jokingly roast Murphy for its success. According to an interview with the comedian Earthquake, James had jokes about Party All The Time's success in his pocket. The song, which isn't to be forgotten was written by James, didn't measure well with his personal taste. James once roasted his friend, calling the song "Terrible," and alluded to writing and keeping the song for himself.
Success Made Him Happy
With the release of Murphy's second album four years after his hit single, there would be more 'parties' in his future. With the success of Party All The Time, he was set up for further musical stardom with the release of more music. 1989 would turn out to be a notable year in Murphy's career catalog when he released his sophomore album So Happy. It's fair to assume Murphy was feeling happiness over his musical success and was inspired to name the record over how he felt; he would go on to have another hit single called Put Your Mouth On Me, which reached the top 50, via Playback.fm.
Bring On The Living Legends
One of the biggest measures of success for anyone in show business has to be the moment where they find themselves involved with living legends in the entertainment industry. In the early Nineties, Michael Jackson had just completed a massively successful decade, and found himself on the brink of another ten years of career success; by only a year into the decade, Jackson already had a number one hit.
Jackson was a hot commodity among the music business, and his friend Eddie Murphy brought him into the studio during the recording of Love's Alright, his third record. The duo would memorably star in a music video together for the single Whatzupwithyou, which, did not perform well on musical charts, but its failure to become a hit single didn't phase Murphy. According to an interview he did with The Guardian, Murphy joked "There's not a lot of people who have footage of themselves dancing around in the clouds with Michael Jackson. I do have that forever."
No matter what type of career pivot Eddie Murphy may take in the future, fans will forever have a successful party anthem, which will continue to be discovered through generations, but also a snapshot of just how versatile his career abilities are, from laughter to long-lasting catchy tunes even Gumby would approve of!