Marcus Blake

Marcus Blake
Origin	United States
Genres	Rock, blues
Years active	1993 – current
Associated acts	Mother Superior Rollins Band Daniel Lanois Sparks Pearl

Marcus Blake is an American, Los Angeles based, musician and songwriter. He is primarily a bass guitarist but also sings lead and backing vocals and plays guitar. Blake has written, played, recorded and toured with numerous bands and artists and musical luminaries since 1993, including: Mother Superior, Rollins Band, Daniel Lanois, Sparks, Pearl, Meat Loaf, Alice Cooper, Tony Visconti, Emmylou Harris, Wayne Kramer and George Clinton. Blake is currently working on his first solo album. Blake is also a music journalist having interviewed top record producers and being published in Spain's "Popular 1" magazine and "Blurt" magazine (see Blurt interview of Daniel Lanois and Blurt interview of Mark Optiz).

History

Blake founded the trio Mother Superior with vocalist/guitarist Jim Wilson and drummer Jason Mackenroth (replaced by Matt Tecu around 2005). They recorded 10 studio albums and numerous singles and compilations from 1993 to 2008. Producers of their albums include legends Henry Rollins, Daniel Lanois, Wayne Kramer and Tony Visconti. Mother Superior has toured all over the world establishing big followings in the United States, Europe (especially Spain), the U.K. and Japan. Their music has been used in numerous films and television shows including "Dancing at the Blue Iguana", "National Lampoon's Dad's Week Off", "Supernatural" and "True Hollywood Story".

Mother Superior simultaneously became the Rollins Band from 1999 to 2003. The new Rollins Band recorded two studio albums plus several live albums and internet only compilations and toured the world over numerous times. Their final project and subsequent tour was a benefit for the West Memphis Three featuring 24 Black Flag songs as covered by Rollins Band with numerous guest vocalists, including: Chuck D. of Public Enemy, Keith Morris of Black Flag and The Circle Jerks, Iggy Pop, Corey Taylor of Slipknot, Exene Cervenka of X, Nick Oliveri of Queens of the Stone Age, Hank Williams III, Dean Ween of Ween, Casey Chaos of Amen, Mike Patton, Ice-T, Tom Araya of Slayer, Lemmy of Motörhead and Chuck Dukowski of Black Flag.

Blake has played bass and performed background vocals for Grammy winning producer and artist Daniel Lanois (Bob Dylan, U2, Peter Gabriel, Neil Young) on numerous tours and recordings off and on since 2003. Also with Lanois he has appeared in Lanois' film "Here Is What Is" and on its soundtrack, played bass on Lanois' score for the Pixies documentary film "loudQUIETloud: A Film About The Pixies" and done live shows with Emmylou Harris at Carnegie Hall in New York, the Montreal Jazz Festival and in Nashville.

Blake has played bass and rhythm guitars and performed background vocals for legendary Los Angeles band Sparks on numerous tours, records and television and radio performances beginning in 2008. Blake participated in Sparks' unprecedented 21 albums in 21 nights concert series in London and recorded with them on their latest critically acclaimed album "The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman". Blake, with Sparks, recently did a live performance of "Seduction" as part of the Los Angeles Film Festival and they can be heard weekly on the theme song for KCRW's "Bookworm" show.

Blake has played bass and performed background vocals for Pearl, daughter of music icon Meat Loaf. Blake co-wrote and played on Pearl's debut album "Little Immaculate White Fox" (as well as on Pearl Aday's previous album under the name Mother Pearl), produced by Joe Barresi (Kyuss, Melvins, Tool). Blake has toured with Pearl alongside thrash metal icon Scott Ian from Anthrax on their own and opening for Meat Loaf in the U.S. and the U.K. Blake, with Pearl, also opened for legendary band Heart at a sold out show in Los Angeles' Gibson Amphitheater on September 18, 2010. Meat Loaf covered Mother Superior's song "Whore" (co-written by Blake) on his 2006 single for "It's All Coming Back To Me Now".

Blake has participated in many other recording sessions with artists such as: Meat Loaf, Alice Cooper, Katie Melua, George Clinton, Matt Blais, Maggot Brain and Bennet.

Discography

Mother Superior (studio albums)

• Right In a Row (1993)
• The Heavy Soul Experience (1996)
• Kaleidoscope (1997)
• Deep (1998)
• Mother Superior (2001)
• Sin (2002)
• 13 Violets (2004)
• Moanin (2005)
• Three Headed Dog (2007)
• Grande (2008)

Mother Superior (singles, EPs, compilations, CD-Rs, etc.)

• Wicked Woman / I Tried 7" (1995)
• End of the World 7" (1995)
• Noel Rivers and the Fountains "A Song About You" 7" (1997)
• The Wiggle (1997)
• Valentine's Day (1998)
• A Gift From Mother Superior 2000 (2000)
• Around the World Vol. 1 USA 2001 (2001)
• Rockin' the Fillmore - San Francisco, CA Friday August 31, 2001 (2001)
• Live From New York - Irving Plaza September 24, 2001 (2001)
• Around the World Volume 2 (2002)
• Mother Superior Christmas 2002 (2002)
• Shades of Blue
• End of the World ... The Early 7"s
• Ad Libidub (2004)

Rollins Band

• Get Some Go Again (1999)
• Illumination single (2000)
• A Clockwork Orange Stage (2000)
• Yellow Blues (2001)
• Nice (2001)
• A Nicer Shade of Red (2001)
• The Only Way to Know for Sure 2xCD (2002)
• Henry Rollins & Mother Superior "Get Some Go Again Sessions" 2xCD (2005)

Miscellaneous

• Bennet "So You’re Not Coming Over?" (1996) <co-wrote songs, vocals, bass>
• Alice Cooper "Dragontown - Special Edition" (2002) <co-wrote "Can't Sleep, Clowns Will Eat Me">
• Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three (2002) <bass, background vocals>
• Robert Bradley and Blackwater Surprise "Still Lovin' You" (2003)
• Mother Pearl "Broken Thorny Crown" (2004) <co-wrote all songs, bass>
• Daniel Lanois "Rockets" (2004) <bass on "The Maker">
• Daniel Lanois "Here Is What Is (2007) <bass>
• Sparks "The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman" (2009) <bass, performs as autograph hound and "Woody" characters>
• Maggot Brain "Land" (2009) <background vocals>
• Pearl "Little Immaculate White Fox" (2010) <co-wrote songs, bass, background vocals>
• Katie Melua "The House" (2010) <bass on "A Happy Place" along with Sparks>
• Matt Blais "Go Let It Out" (2010) <bass, vocals and helped arrange album>
• Meat Loaf "Hang Cool Teddy Bear" (2010) <background vocals on 5 songs>

References

• Marcus Blake at Discogs.com
• May, 2000 Global Bass Online article
• January 24, 2011 Blurt interview of Daniel Lanois by Marcus Blake (Pt. 1)
• January 24, 2011 Blurt interview of Daniel Lanois by Marcus Blake (Pt. 2)

External links

• Mother Superior - official website (currently inactive)
• Henry Rollins - official website
• Daniel Lanois - official website
• Sparks - official website
• Pearl - official website

Persondata
Name	Blake, Marcus
Alternative names
Short description	American musician and songwriter
Date of birth
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Date of death
Place of death