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Bono

 Rep: 386 

Re: Dan Murphy quits Soul Asylum :-(

Bono wrote:

So founding member of Soul Asylum and 1 of 2 original members left Dan Murphy has quit Soul Asylum.  That blows. Dave has always been the songwriter and driving force of Soul Asylum but it's shit to lose Dan.  Without him I almost think Dave should just record and perform under his own name.  the following is a message from Dan himself. 

"After 31 years of relentless and fulfilling cycles of touring, recording, writing and living in Soul Asylum a band founded by Karl H. Mueller, David Pirner and myself in the late summer of 1982, I have decided that I will no longer be touring or recording with the band, effective immediately. Leaving with great admiration and respect for David Pirner, whom I felt like I grew up with and who provided me and all of you with so many memorable musical moments. I have great love for Michael Bland who has a big heart, a big sound and an even bigger laugh that I will remember and cherish for the rest of my days. My deepest respect and love for Karl H. Mueller, and his widow and loving wife Mary Beth Mueller, and his mother Mary Mueller who provided us with a start in their family garage and supplied us with endless encouragement, engaged us and instilled in us all the prospect of "possible".

I also want to say thanks and send boundless love to the countless managers, producers, engineers, tour managers, record exec's, interns, video directors, radio station programmers, publicists, and other people of this not always noble business that have worked tirelessly for the band and have given Soul Asylum a chance to be heard. I was going to name a few here, but that list turned into sixty in a matter of minutes and then I thought of forty more... There are so many people that have done so much and were thanked so little at the time, and for that I would like to say thank you and tell you I noticed your hard work and passion for music.

Also of note are all of the musicians who have played on stage and in the studio as Soul Asylum, who have seized the opportunity and had the artistic vision of playing and creating music that is timeless and from the heart. This band would not have been able to continue without Tommy Stinson who gave us the courage to continue and soldier on upon the untimely and tragic death of my roommate on the road and the band's taste maker extraordinaire, Karl Mueller. Also Sterling Campbell who took the band to a level that I did not know was possible. Perhaps my proudest moment ever in the band was going into the control room of our Manhattan studio and listening to the playback of the track New World on GDU and listening to Sterling's drum fill before the first chorus, it gave me chills and a smile as wide as a New York City mile. It really opened up the band to what was attainable and made us all hear music in a different light and to get lost in the moment and not find our way out until something special had happened in that very same moment.

Lastly, a humble acknowledgement to the fans, to anyone and everyone that has waited in long lines and parked far away from venues, endured less then stellar sound and or performances, have gotten stepped on, stood in front of, or marginalized in any way, I am humbled by you. Not the ending I would have scripted, sorry for the lack of transparency. It is sad to not have gotten to officially say so long sooner and in a different forum. Many have opened up your hearts, your refrigerators ( stashed with icy cold barley pops), your homes and apartments and allowed us to flourish in a world that was predicated on the kindness of strangers. Touring and recording to me was more like Groundhog's Day than the often cited Spinal Tap, the perfect day existed and was out there you just had to know where to find it and act accordingly. Having seen that film many times and knowing the ending - I certainly can envision a world with Soul Asylum on top and smiling and enjoying the ride once again. To survive in the game of music in this current incarnation of digital downloads, short attention spans, tabloid style press wrought with desperate headline grabbing antics, it occurs to me that one needs an unhealthy and combustive internal combination of two seemingly distant attributes - naivety and swagger. I no longer have either and am looking forward to a quieter life with family and friends and my adorable chiweenie Lily Belle.

Daniel D Murphy"