Catch The Spirit

Yvonne Murray was born in Ireland and made her career in Toronto, where her voice turned up on charting singles, feature film soundtracks, network television and, eventually, a cartoon lion. She reached the RPM Contemporary Adult chart twice, sang and acted in a Canadian feature, and went on to write and perform songs for Hollywood releases. Through most of it she worked with producer and film composer Paul Zaza, who produced her records from the first single onward.

By 1979 she was singing in Toronto studios, adding her voice to the Longo Brothers’ ‘This Lonesome Road’ and ‘Without You’. The Longos were still writing material for her in 1982. She was also a regular on television, appearing on The ’50s Connection, Music Til Midnight and Sounds Good, programs seen in Canada, the United States and Europe.

Her break came with Melanie, Rex Bromfield’s 1982 drama starring Glynnis O’Connor, Paul Sorvino, Don Johnson and Burton Cummings. Murray made her screen debut as Brandy and was chosen to sing the film’s opening song, ‘Never Far Apart’, written by Murray McLauchlan. Zaza, who scored the picture with Cummings, produced her recording at Zaza Sound Productions, with the film’s producer, Peter Simpson, as executive producer. Doug Wass’s Cindril label issued it as a single in 1981 (Cindril 803), billed as the theme from the motion picture and backed with ‘Give Me Back My Heart’, which Wass wrote with Zaza.

In 1983 Murray released her self-titled debut album on MCG Records in Toronto. Her manager, William J. Meloche of the Meloche Communications Group, served as executive producer and put a heavy promotional push behind the album (MCG JM-8367). Recorded at Zaza Sound Productions, it carried lyrics by J. Ian McLean, with Zaza producing, arranging and playing keyboards. Drummers Jon Anderson and Kevan McKenzie and steel guitarist Bob Lucier anchored the band, and Cal Dodd, Stephanie Taylor and Judy Tate of the Laurie Bower Singers sang backup. Bill Meisner joined her as male vocalist. RPM found it more pop than country and an effective showcase of her talents.

The first single, ‘Don’t Send Me Roses (Dear Abby)’, backed with ‘One Day at a Time’, entered the RPM Contemporary Adult chart at No. 29 in late September 1983 and climbed to No. 13 on November 26. It crossed over to the RPM Country 50 as well, where it reached No. 22. In October she sang ‘Let’s Not Waste Another Heartbeat’ on CBC’s The Tommy Hunter Show, and when MCG issued it as the follow-up in March 1984, backed with ‘Baby It Hurts’, it debuted at No. 30 and rose to No. 12 by June 2, her highest chart placing. She returned to Tommy Hunter in January 1984, and that spring she and her band were scheduled for extended runs at Toronto’s Pier 4 and October’s.

MCG also put her voice on ‘Celebrate Our City’, a promotional single with lyrics by McLean and music by Zaza for Toronto’s 150th anniversary in 1984, with Guido Luciani as guest soloist on the instrumental side. Murray had already sung at a special Canada Day celebration in Dublin in 1983, and in 1984 she was picked as the Official Voice for Toronto’s Canada Day celebrations, with appearances through July. That summer she was also chosen to sing ‘Catch the Spirit’, the theme song for the Canada Cup ’84 hockey tournament, with lyrics by Stewart Fargo and music by Zaza, who also produced it. MCG issued it as a single backed with an instrumental version. The tournament brought together the best players from six countries in September 1984. Led by Wayne Gretzky, Paul Coffey and Mike Bossy, Canada beat the Soviet Union in overtime in the semifinal, then swept Sweden in the final to win the Cup, with John Tonelli named most valuable player.

From there much of her work went to the screen. She sang the title song of Sentimental Reasons (1984), ‘You Were So Good to Me’ in Isaac Littlefeathers (1984) and Zaza’s ‘Stop Foolin’ Around’ in Breaking All the Rules (1985), and played Lorraine in the television film Covert Action (1987). She also began writing. For Bob Clark’s Loose Cannons (1990), starring Gene Hackman and Dan Aykroyd, she sang ‘Burnin’ Up Over You’, which she wrote and produced with Zaza. That same year she sang ‘The Last Kiss Will Be Mine’ in Prom Night III: The Last Kiss. For Popcorn (1991) she co-wrote the lyrics for ‘Scary Scary Movies’ and sang ‘Up Over You’. She sang ‘Hooked on You’ in Blown Away (1993), and she and Zaza wrote ‘Au Revoir Mon Coeur’ for Thick as Thieves (1999).

In 1993 Kimba the White Lion was re-dubbed in English with fresh voices and a new score by Zaza. Murray voiced Kimba himself, and she and Zaza wrote the new opening theme.

She also sang backing vocals on ‘Best Of Me’ from Wendy Lands’ Angels & Ordinary Men (1996). Guido Luciani, the guest soloist on ‘Celebrate Our City’, became a long-running partner, and in 2021 the two released ‘Outside Looking In’ on behalf of The Endometriosis Network Canada.

-Robert Williston