- Mark-Almond
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This article is about the British jazz-rock band. For the British singer, see Marc Almond. For the British political activist, see Mark Almond.
Mark-Almond Genres Rock, folk rock, jazz Labels Verve, ABC Records, Blue Thumb Associated acts John Mayall, Alun Davies Members Jon Mark, Johnny Almond Mark–Almond were an English band of the late 1960s and early 1970s, who worked in the territory between rock and jazz.
In 1970 Jon Mark and Johnny Almond formed Mark-Almond (also occasionally referred to as The Mark-Almond Band). The melancholy tones of saxophonist Almond were an integral part of the group's sound, and Almond frequently played flute as well, including the bass flute. Characterized by a blend of blues and jazz riffs, latin beats, and a mellow rock aesthetic, and in contrast to the heavier guitar-driven rock of his contemporaries, composer and band leader Mark worked at producing warm and melodic works.[citation needed]
Contents
Early history
In 1963, Jon Mark (born in 1944), using his given name Jon Michael Burchell, and a former schoolmate, Alun Davies; singer-songwriter, folk guitarist and skiffle musician, (later of Cat Stevens' band), recorded as a duo, an album entitled Relax Your Mind, on Decca Records.[1]
Mark and Mick Jagger co-produced Marianne Faithfull's early recordings, with Mark recording on at least one album, and touring with Davies again, as supporting guitarists for Faithfull. Upon returning, both Mark and Davies travelled extensively throughout the UK, and France, busking until they secured a job entertaining on a Cunard Line cruise ship, crossing the Atlantic sixteen times. Tired of their voyages, both moved away in differing musical directions. Five years later, the two united in a five-piece band, the short-lived Sweet Thursday. The band had only one recording, the eponymous Sweet Thursday on Fontana Records. The band was composed of Jon Mark, Alun Davies, Nicky Hopkins, Harvey Burns, and Brian Odgers. However, the album was not promoted by their record label, and the bandmates never toured. Fontana later declared bankruptcy.
Johnny Almond, born John Albert Almond on 20 July 1946 in Enfield, Middlesex, previously played in Zoot Money's Big Roll Band and the Alan Price Set. He had recorded a 1970 solo record for Deram Records, Johnny Almond's Music Machine, as well as performing considerable session work in England.
The two began playing together as sidemen on John Mayall and Eric Clapton's Blues Breakers album in 1965, and can also be heard on the (post-Bluesbreakers) records The Turning Point and Empty Rooms. From that experience they decided to form Mark-Almond. Davies, though invited, was initially unreceptive. He had found a position as guitarist in Cat Stevens' band, and was "getting a buzz off Stevens' work." Davies did later join Mark-Almond for an album and tour.[2]
Mark-Almond
Mark-Almond's first two albums, Mark-Almond (1971) and Mark-Almond II (1972) were recorded for Bob Krasnow's Blue Thumb label, and were noted for their embossed envelope-style album covers. "One Way Sunday" was a hit for them in the United States and received radio airplay on album-oriented rock stations in Boston, Massachusetts in 1970. The group then recorded two albums for Columbia Records, Rising (1972) and the live album, Mark-Almond 73 (1973), by which time the group's members had grown to seven. In October 1972, Mark was involved in an accident in Hawaii and lost most of his left-hand ring finger. Mark was quoted later in Melody Maker as "climbed like a native and fell like an Englishman.".[3] "What Am I Living For" from Mark-Almond 73 gained the group the most U.S. radio airplay they would get, but nevertheless they disbanded later that year.
Mark released a solo record for Columbia Song For A Friend in 1975. He and Almond reunited in 1975 and released To the Heart on ABC Records (which had acquired Blue Thumb) in 1976, which featured the drummer Billy Cobham. Other notable musicians who have recorded or toured with Mark-Almond include drummer Dannie Richmond, violinist Greg Bloch, keyboardist Tommy Eyre and bassist Roger Sutton. Eyre and Sutton later teamed in Riff Raff. A&M Records signed the duo in 1978 and released Other Peoples Rooms, but the record did not sell as well as earlier releases. A number of European releases followed, but Mark-Almond disbanded again in the early 1980s. Mark-Almond reunited again in 1996 for a CD release, Night Music, which featured keyboardist Mike Nock and others.
Mark moved to New Zealand in the mid 1980s, and released a number of successful solo New Age music recordings on his White Cloud record label, as well as collaborating with other artists on traditional Celtic and folk recordings and producing other artists. A release of Tibetan Monk chants Mark recorded and produced with his wife Thelma Burchell won a Grammy Award in 2004.
Almond lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. He died on 18 November 2009 from cancer, aged 63.[4]
Discography
- 1971: Mark-Almond
- 1972: Mark-Almond II
- 1972: Rising
- 1973: Mark-Almond '73
- 1975: Bird with a broken wing suite
- 1976: To the Heart
- 1978: Other Peoples Rooms (Horizon Records)
- 1980: Tuesday In New York
- 1994: The Last & Live
- 1996: Night Music
References
- ^ Anderson, Murphy Magicat: Relax Your Mind With Jon and Alun
- ^ Beat Instrumental Magazine, August, 1972 Alun Davies - Player of the Month
- ^ Tobler, John (1992). NME Rock 'N' Roll Years (1st ed.). London: Reed International Books Ltd. p. 243. CN 5585.
- ^ Thedeadrockstarsclub.com - accessed November 2009
External links
Categories:- English rock music groups
- Musical groups established in 1970
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