- Mary's Danish
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Mary's Danish (1991)
Mary's Danish were an alternative rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in the late 1980s and released a series of albums until 1992. The band creatively blended of rock, funk, country and soul elements.[1]
Mary's Danish was led by two female lead singers, Gretchen Seager and Julie Ritter. David Archbold King and Louis Gutierrez {of Louis & Clark and The Three O'Clock} played guitar, with Christopher Scott "Wag" Wagner on the bass, and James Oliver Bradley Jr. later replacing Nick Zeigler on drums.
The band produced four albums, two with Elektra Records and two with Morgan Creek Records. Their first album There Goes the Wondertruck was released in 1989. It featured the single "Don't Crash the Car Tonight" which gained the band an initial following.
The band had some early success, and was chosen by Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times as one of 1989's brightest newcomers. That same year they were listed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of their "Top Five New Faces." Hollywood Reporter referred to the band in a review as having "spirited anarchy and rocksolid musicianship."
A live album was released later in 1989 entitled Experience (Live + Foxy Lady). The band subsequently switched to Morgan Creek, with Circa being released in 1991 and American Standard in 1992. However, the experience with Morgan Creek was from all accounts not a happy one, and a dispute with the label ended with the band and Morgan Creek parting ways.
Their 1992 cover of I Fought the Law was featured in the film "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" (1992), and the accompanying soundtrack release "Buffy the Vampire Slayer Soundtrack".
Mary's Danish has not released an album since 1992.
Three members of the band, Seager, Gutierrez and Wagner, later formed another act called Battery Acid. They released one album entitled "Rita". Both Seager and Ritter sang backup on Mother's Milk, the 1989 release by Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The band has occasionally reunited for concerts. In June 1997, Mary's Danish got together for a show at the Viper Room in Los Angeles. They appeared at the House of Blues in LA in June 1999.
Julie Ritter later released two albums. The first, in 1995, on New Alliance Records. A spoken word album called "Medicine Show". And then a debut album, "Songs of Love and Empire", on Luxstar Recordings in 1999.
References
External links
- The life and premature death of Mary's Danish (L.A. Weekly)
- Mary's Danish discography at Discogs
- http://www.usm.maine.edu/~collom/julieritter.html Julie Ritter Performance Archive
Categories:- Alternative rock groups from California
- United States alternative rock musical group stubs
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