The death of Morphine frontman Mark Sandman was one of the greatest tragedies of '90s alt-rock. In an event that was surely jarring for everyone involved, Sandman suffered a heart attack onstage at an Italian festival in 1999. The singer and bassist died in an ambulance en route to the hospital, prematurely cutting short the career of one of the decade’s more inventive bands. Had Sandman lived, one could imagine him prospering throughout this decade in a fashion similar to fellow dark songwriters Greg Dulli or Mark Lanegan.
Thankfully, as long as Rhino Records is involved, Sandman’s legacy will not be forgotten. Being the relentless collectors that they are, the label has collected two discs of unreleased Morphine material into a set called At Your Service, which will be released on October 6. The set’s title references Sandman’s opening lines at most Morphine shows: “We are Morphine at your service.” Shadows, the set’s first disc, will consist mainly of unreleased studio tracks and alternate versions, while Shade, the second disc, contains mostly live material from radio station WMBR and more alternate versions of songs.
The 10-year anniversary of Sandman’s death will be further commemorated by a concert featuring the band’s surviving members at Pacific Park in Cambridge on September 27.
