RICHARD MARX03/19/2011

Biography

Richard Noel Marx

Born September 16, 1963 Chicago, Illinois

Married Cynthia Rhodes 1989

Career History

Writer of 13 Number 1 Songs

He has influenced : Backstreet Boys, Daughtry, Goo Goo Dolls

His influences: Eagles, Billy Joel, Elton John

Won an Oscar for Song “Dance With My Father”

Composition History1984 What About Me Co Writer with Kenny Rogers

1988 Edge of a Broken Heart Co Writer for Band Vixen

1989 Right Here Waiting

1992 Hazard

2000 This I Promise You Writer for N Sync

2004 Dance With My Father Co Writer with Luther Vandross

Better Life Writer for Keith Urban

2009 On the Inside Writer for Daughtry

AlbumsSelf titled first album 1987#1 song Hold onto the Night

Second Album 1989 Repeat OffenderSongs, “ Satsified” “Right Here Waiting”

Third Album 1991 “Rush Street”Songs, “Hazard”

Fourth Album 1994 “Paid Vacation”Songs, “Now and Forever” “The Way She Loves Me”

Fifth Album 1997Flesh and BoneSongs, “Until I Find You Again”

A Greatest Hits Album 1997

Seventh Album 2004 My Own Worst Enemy Songs, “When Your Gone”“Love Goes On”“The Other Side”

Listening Guide “Endless Summer Nights” Written by Richard Marx Performed By Richard Marx00:00 INTRO Drums start the intro and an electric guitar comes in to play the main melody of the song. A saxophone enters and plays the notes for the harmony. It’s a simple song line that is played through the whole song. Not a lot of variation from the main melody.

00:28 Verse I Starts with the lyrics, ”Summer came and left without a warning..” The drums play the beat and the electric guitar plays the main melody as he sings the lyrics.

 00:53 Verse II Starts with, “Now I’m back to what I knew before you…”. Drums and electric guitar repeat same melody and beat as before.

01:17 Chorus First time you here the chorus of the song. As the pitch in his voice rises, you here the cymbals of the drums. As chorus plays there is another guitar playing with the electric guitar. Both play same line of music.

 01:41 Verse III “ I still recall the walks along the beaches…” Same beat and guitar played as before in verse I and II. No variation to beat or melody.

 02:04 Verse IV Starts with the lyrics, “ You remember all those nights we spent in silence…” Still no change to anything the instruments play.

02:30 Chorus Second time to the chorus, you hear an extra beat or two to the drums here, as the chorus begins.

 02:53 Verse V Introduces with three notes playing in descending order on the piano. Lyrics starts with “Only so

much I can say ..” You hear one small line played by the saxophone. It breaks up the melody and adds some variety to main sound of the song.

 03:18 Verse VI Here is an instrumental solo. The saxophone plays main line of melody and you can really hear it. The drums still keep the beat with the electric guitar now doing harmony to the saxophone.

 03:40 Chorus Plays and the saxophone is playing here when it wasn’t in the other chorus’s. Song fades out to finish. Last instrument you hear is the saxophone.

04:31 Song ends

“Hazard” Written by Richard Marx Performed by Richard Marx

 

00:00 Into It sounds like it starts out with an electric keyboard making deep tones and a tambourine making the beat that you hear through the whole song.

 00:16 Other instruments start in, the keyboard now plays higher notes that are held for a longer period. Tambourine still keeps beat.

 00:31 Verse I Lyrics start, “ My mother came to Hazard when I was….” You have the keyboard making a higher sound now, with a maraca sound for the beat.

 00:49 Verse II The story proceeds on. Beat and melody same the same.

 01:02 Chorus First appearance of the chorus. Electric Guitar very prominent. His voice sings the exact line the keyboard plays. They accompany each other very well, you have to really listen for the keyboard sounds. “ We used to walk along the river…” The keyboard keeps a steady beat while the guitar sounds like it plays a little bit faster.

 01:33 Verse III Small solo music introduction which transition to start lyrics .

01:48 Verse IV Lyrics start again, continuing the story of Mary. “ No one understood what I felt for Mary…” In this part you hear a high pitch sound of a couple of beats every now and then. Almost like a mandolin being played just for

a few notes in the background.

 02:04 Verse V Lyrics start with, “ Man with a badge..” Still same beat and sounds as before.

 02:19 Chorus “ I swear I left her by the river..” Beat picks up and once again the prominent sound you hear is the electric keyboard with his voice.

02:50 Verse VI Continues with the story, “ I think about my life gone by…” The music really picks up and his voice sings in a higher pitch. His voice changing really adds texture and

depth to the song, you can hear the emotion because or the rise of the voice. It is a great transition to finish the story of this song.

 03:09 Verse VII Instrumental solo starts with a mandolin sounding, and in the background it is accompanied by a piano or the keyboard sounding as a piano.

03:38 chorus Once again. The chorus here sounds an octave higher and a few beats faster, probably to add variety to the song.

04:09 Verse VII Comes in with an,” oooh whooo ohhh,” goes into and an instrument solo with the piano very strong. You hear the maracas sound and a high drum beat. The song fades out.

04:40 Song fades out to end.

 

“Better Life” Written by Richard Marx and Keith Urban Performed mainly by Keith Urban 

00:00 Intro Banjo solo

 00:04 A second intro banjo and drums.

 00:14 Verse I Starts with lyrics. “ Friday night moon is bright…” Banjo playing main melody with some drums in the background and the guitar stars to play and harmonize.

 00:41 Chorus Music and instruments flow together. Can still hear banjo but its playing with guitar and drums. Banjo keeps beat and his voice harmonizes great with music being played.

 01:08 Verse II Lyrics, “there’s a place for you and me …’ Voice strongest part but can still hear the banjo keeping beat. In this section the guitar really stands out and has a small part it plays and has the drums for back up. Its adds a nice variety to the song.

 01:36 Chorus Second time same as before

 01:54 Verse III Instrument solo. Lead and electric guitar play this part.

 02:12 Verse IV Third change in chorus repeats words, “ hold on, hold on, . “ Before chorus starts guitar plays a few notes that are high and you can really here the beat of the drums. Then regular chorus again.

02:35 Chorus Same as before no variation.

 03:17 Chorus Starts to add variation to the chorus. Sings with, “oh oh’s…” And the guitar and drums are now very noticeable where before they were part of the background and the song seems to speed up here.

03:25 Verse V Lyrics, “Leave us all behind…” Drums dong the beat instead of the banjo and his voice harmonizes with the electric guitar.

 03:55 Verse VI Starts to finish song. Guitar is playing with drums and a banjo.

 04:14 Verse VII Fades out to banjo only.

 04:40 Song ends.

ReferencesVh-1’s website

http://www.vh1.com/artists/az/marx_richard/artist.jhtml Written by Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Andrew Leahey, Rovi

Marx, Richard. Live concert. 2008.

Spampinato, Lynn M. “Richard Marx Biography.” www.musiciansguide.com.  

“Richard Marx.” www.billboard.com. Web.

Kawashima, Dale. “Richard Marx Discusses His Hit Career, And How He wrote ‘Dance With My Father’ With Luther Vandross.” www.songwriteruniverse.com.

Biography. www.richardmarx.com

03/19/11