The System (band)

The System
Company type	Musical duo
Industry	Music
Founded	1982 in New York City, United States
Founder	Mic Murphy, David Frank
Headquarters	New York City, United States
Products	Synth-pop music, albums, singles

The System was a synth-pop duo from the United States, established in 1982 in New York City. The lineup featured vocalist and guitarist Mic Murphy alongside keyboardist David Frank, who was known for his session work. Guitarist Paul Pesco and keyboardist Kris Khellow supported the duo, contributing to their signature sound characterized by advanced synthesizer production paired with emotive vocals and thoughtful lyrics. This distinctive style has occasionally been labeled as "emotio-electro."

Origins

In the early 1980s, David Frank and Mic Murphy crossed paths while involved with the soul-funk ensemble Kleeer. Frank had joined Kleeer as their touring keyboardist under Atlantic Records, whereas Murphy fulfilled the role of road manager. Initially unaware of Murphy’s vocal abilities, Frank later invited him to participate on a track titled "It's Passion," which was originally slated to feature a then-unknown Madonna. After Madonna exited due to creative disagreements, Murphy took over vocal duties, and the song received considerable airplay in New York. This momentum prompted Mirage/Atlantic Records to sign the pair, providing an advance to produce their first album.

Career

Their 1983 debut album, Sweat, yielded club favorites such as "Sweat," "I Won't Let Go," and the R&B top-ten hit "You Are in My System," which Robert Palmer later adapted into a mainstream rock version. That same year, Murphy and Frank wrote and produced "Pump the Nation" for the project Attitude, featuring Khris Kellow—who also contributed to subsequent albums and appeared in the film Beat Street. Around this period, session guitarist Paul Pesco began working closely with the group.

The follow-up album, X-Periment, released in 1984, showcased Frank’s proficiency with studio technology, delivering a futuristic sound dominated by synthesizers and electronic percussion layered over an R&B base. The record balanced energetic electronic tracks with more polished pop-oriented tunes like "Promises Can Break" and "I Can't Take Losing You." The System made an appearance in the breakdancing movie Beat Street performing "Baptize the Beat." Their 1985 release, The Pleasure Seekers, included notable songs such as "It Takes 2" and "Love Won't Wait for Lovin'." During that year, Frank and Murphy collaborated with Jeff Lorber on his album Step by Step.

The duo reached their commercial zenith in 1987 with the single "Don't Disturb This Groove" from the album of the same name. Under the management of Steven Machat and Rick Smith, promotional efforts for Atlantic Records propelled the track to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 4 on the Hot 100. The subsequent single, "Nighttime Lover," climbed to No. 3 on the R&B chart. In 1989, The System unveiled their fifth and final studio album, Rhythm & Romance.

Soundtrack work and other contributions

Their rendition of Marc Benno’s "Rock 'n Roll Me Again" gained recognition through its inclusion in the 1984 action-comedy film Beverly Hills Cop, whose soundtrack earned a Grammy Award. Additionally, they scored a No. 23 position on Billboard’s R&B chart with the title song from Eddie Murphy’s 1988 movie Coming to America. Alongside these achievements, The System contributed to various projects including Scritti Politti’s Cupid & Psyche 85, Phil Collins’ hit "Sussudio", Chaka Khan’s tracks "I Feel for You" and "This is My Night," as well as Mtume’s "Juicy Fruit."

Hiatus

Following the release of Rhythm & Romance in 1989, Murphy and Frank decided to part ways professionally. Murphy embarked on a solo path, achieving chart success in 1991 with his album Touch. Meanwhile, Frank established himself as a prominent songwriter and producer, co-creating major hits such as Christina Aguilera's "Genie in a Bottle" (1999) and "He Loves U Not" (2000) by Dream.

Reunions

In 2000, the pair came together again to produce ESP, which included a revamped version of "You Are in My System" originally from their 1983 release Sweat. Later, in 2009, they issued Unreleased Unleashed, an anthology of demos and previously unheard tracks from various points in their career, featuring selections from ESP and the 1984 B-side "Sonic Fire."

The System made another comeback in 2013 with a 12-inch remix of "Baptize the Beat," a track from the movie Beat Street, launched on Electroavenue Records in the UK and remixed by Funkmaster Ozone among others. That year also saw the release of singles "Motha" and "The Toast," both mixed by longtime associate Chris Lord-Alge, preceding their album System Overload. This record was crafted at multiple studios including Canyon Reverb and SPAHA Studios in New York City, with contributions from guitarist Paul Pesco, drummer Steven Wolf, and sound designer Tim K. The album was released under their own label, Science Lab Records.

Band members

Mic Murphy – vocals, guitar
David Frank – keyboards, synthesizers

Former members

Kris Khellow – keyboards, synthesizers
Paul Pesco – guitar

Studio albums

Sweat (1983)
X-Periment (1984)
The Pleasure Seekers (1985)
Don't Disturb This Groove (1987)
Rhythm & Romance (1989)
ESP (2000)
System Overload (2013)

Compilation albums

Unreleased Unleashed (2009)

External links