Marc Almond
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- For the British jazz-rock band of the 1960s-1970s, see Mark-Almond
- For the British political activist, see Mark Almond
Marc Almond (born Peter Mark Sinclair Almond on 9 July 1957 in Southport, Lancashire) is a popular English singer and recording artist, who originally found fame as half of the seminal Synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell.
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[edit] Life and works
Almond has recorded albums with his band, Marc Almond and the Willing Sinners, and as a member of Marc and the Mambas alongside The The's Matt Johnson and Annie Hogan, with whom Almond would later collaborate on his later solo records. In addition, he has also collaborated with Kelli Ali of the Sneaker Pimps, Neal X on the album "Fantastic Star", Marie France, Agnes Bernelle, P.J. Proby, Nico, Lydia Lunch, Nick Cave, Gene Pitney on a #1 UK single Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart, Siouxsie Sioux, Foetus (a.k.a. J. G. Thirlwell), Jimmy Somerville of The Communards and Bronski Beat, Psychic TV, Coil, Sally Timms of the Mekons, King Roc, John Cale and David Johansen of the New York Dolls.
His solo singles have met with mixed chart success. The biggest hits have been cover versions: the aforementioned 1989 #1 duet with Gene Pitney and another near chart-topper in 1991 with David McWilliams' "The Days Of Pearly Spencer", which peaked at #4 in the UK. In 1985, he duetted with Jimmy Somerville and Bronski Beat on a cover of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love (Medley)" and it hit #3.
Although Soft Cell disbanded in 1984 just before the release of their third album, This Last Night In Sodom, the duo reunited in 2002 for a new album entitled Cruelty Without Beauty.
His work runs the gamut from electronica and dance music to traditional piano ballads, as exhibited in his latest album, "Heart On Snow." Influences include David Bowie, a childhood hero of his, as well as early 60's Northern Soul and disco. Another major influence was Scott Walker from the Walker Brothers. His lyrics are a creative expression of what he sees and are not to be confused with his own life. He also operates a record label, Blue Star Music, on which he has released many of his solo and collaborative records in the UK. In 1999, he received attention and accolades for his autobiography, entitled Tainted Life, which confronts details of his early life, creative ventures, his sexuality, and drug addiction, for which he was hospitalized in 1994. Almond wrote the autobiography without a ghost writer, and his publishers subsequently commissioned him to write a travel book, In Search of the Pleasure Palace: Disreputable Travels.
On 17 October 2004, Almond was critically injured in a motorcycle accident in which he was a pillion passenger in London. Although the initial prognosis was considered poor, he was discharged from Royal London Hospital on around 6 November 2004 and was said to be making a "remarkable" recovery.
In 2005, he continued his recovery, did some DJ gigs all over Europe and guested at the Meltdown Festival in London in June 2005, hosted by Patti Smith. Almond contributed two songs to this night of Brecht music, "Bilbao Song" and "What keeps a man alive". In October, November and December 2005, Almond went on tour with Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, singing two songs during the shows, "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" and "Tainted Love", which had a new arrangement done by Holland.
Almond is currently working on his new album of cover songs which will be released in May 2007, and will also feature artists such as Saint Etienne's Sarah Cracknell. He also appears on the 2006 album Black Ships Ate the Sky by experimental band Current 93. Moreover he is working at a DVD compilation of all his promotional video clips and his last ever self-penned album, due to be completed in 2008.
Almond currently lives in the Bermondsey area of South East London. In his autobiography he describes previously living in Earls Court, in a converted church in Chelsea and most memorably in Soho's Berwick Street, where he lived in a flat overlooking the Raymond Revue Bar).
[edit] Miscellaneous facts
- Almond's remix of Bananarama's "Venus" appears on their 2005 album Drama.
- Marc is also a member of the Church of Satan, inducted by Boyd Rice. [1][2]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- 1981 "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret" (Soft Cell)
- 1982 "Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing" (Soft Cell)
- 1982 "Untitled" (Marc & The Mambas) #42 UK
- 1983 "The Art Of Falling Apart" (Soft Cell)
- 1983 "Torment & Toreros" (Marc & The Mambas) #28 UK
- 1984 "This Last Night In Sodom" (Soft Cell)
- 1984 "Bite Black And Blues Live" (Raoul and the Ruined) Fan Club only release
- 1984 "Vermin in Ermine" (with The Willing Sinners) #36 UK
- 1985 "Stories of Johnny" (with The Willing Sinners) #22 UK
- 1986 "Violent Silence" (Mini Album)
- 1986 "A Woman's Story" (Mini album)
- 1986 "Soft Cell - The Singles" (Soft Cell)
- 1987 "Mother Fist & Her Five Daughters" (with The Willing Sinners) #41 UK
- 1987 "Singles 1984 - 1987"
- 1988 "The Stars We Are" (with La Magia) #41 UK #144 US
- 1989 "Jacques"
- 1990 "Enchanted" #52 UK
- 1991 "Memorabilia: The Singles" (Soft Cell/Marc Almond)
- 1991 "Tenement Symphony" #39 UK
- 1992 "A Virgin's Tale - Volume I" (1985-1987 era b-sides & remixes)
- 1992 "A Virgin's Tale - Volume II"(1985-1987 era b-sides & remixes)
- 1993 "Twelve years of tears (live at the Royal Albert Hall)"
- 1993 "Absinthe: The French album"
- 1994 "Down In The Subway (Soft Cell) (compilation)
- 1995 "Treasure Box" (rarities compilation)
- 1996 "Fantastic Star" #54
- 1996 "Say Hello To Soft Cell"(Soft Cell)(compilation)
- 1998 "Marc Almond & La Magia Live In Concert"
- 1999 "Open All Night" #112 UK
- 1999 "Soft Cell The Twelve Inch Singles" (Soft Cell)
- 2000 "Liverpool Philharmonic Hall" Fan Club only release
- 2001 "Stranger Things" #186 UK
- 2001 "Live At The Union Chapel" Fan Club only release
- 2002 "The Very Best Of Soft Cell" (Soft Cell) #37 UK
- 2002 "Cruelty Without Beauty" (Soft Cell) #116 UK
- 2002 "Little Rough Rhinestones Volume 1" Fan Club only release
- 2003 "Soft Cell - Live" (Soft Cell)
- 2003 "The Willing Sinner" Live in Berlin
- 2003 "Marc Almond In Session Volume 1" (BBC)
- 2003 "Heart on Snow"
- 2003 "Marc Almond In Session Volume 2" (BBC)
- 2003 "Soft Cell At The BBC" (BBC) (Soft Cell)
- 2005 "The Bedsit Tapes" (Soft Cell) Early/Rare Demos 1978-1982
- 2006 "Little Rough Rhinestones Volume 2" Fan Club only release
- 2006 "Demo Non Stop" (Soft Cell) - More Rare Demos
- 2007 "All The A's" - a CD & DVD compilation
- 2007 "Stardom Road" - Covers album (title tbc)
[edit] Singles
- 1982 "Sleaze" (as Marc and the Mambas)
- 1983 "Black Heart" b/w "Your Aura" (as Marc and the Mambas) #49 UK
- 1983 "Torment" b/w "You'll Never See Me On A Sunday" (as Marc and the Mambas) #90 UK
- 1984 "The Boy Who Came Back" b/w "Joey Demento" #52 UK
- 1984 "You Have" b/w "Split Lip" #57 UK
- 1984 "Tenderness Is A Weakness" b/w "Love For Sale" #88 UK
- 1985 "I Feel Love" (medley) (Bronski Beat with Marc Almond) #3 UK
- 1985 "Skin" (With Guy Chambers as The Burmoe Brothers)
- 1985 "Stories of Johnny" #23 UK
- 1985 "Love letter" #68 UK
- 1986 "The house is haunted (by the echo of your last goodbye) #55 UK
- 1986 "A woman's story" #41 UK
- 1986 "Ruby red" #47 UK
- 1987 "Melancholy rose" #71 UK
- 1987 "Mother Fist" #93 UK
- 1987 "This House is a House of Trouble" (With Sally Timms (Mekon) and The Drifting Cowgirls)
- 1988 "Tears Run Rings" #26 UK, #67 US
- 1988 "Bitter Sweet" #40 UK
- 1989 "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" (feat. Gene Pitney) #1 UK
- 1989 "Only the Moment" #45 UK
- 1990 "A Lover Spurned" #29 UK
- 1990 "The desperate hours" #45 UK
- 1990 "Waifs and strays" #88 UK
- 1991 "Say Hello Wave Goodbye '91" (with Soft Cell) #38 UK
- 1991 "Tainted Love '91" (with Soft Cell) #5 UK
- 1991 "Jacky" #17 UK
- 1992 "My Hand Over My Heart" #33 UK
- 1992 "The Days of Pearly Spencer" #4 UK
- 1993 "What make a man a man" #60 UK
- 1995 "Adored and Explored" #25 UK
- 1995 "The idol" #44 UK
- 1995 "Child star" #41 UK
- 1996 "Out there/Brilliant creatures" #76 UK
- 1996 "Yesterday has gone" (with P.J. Proby and the My Life Story Orchestra) #58 UK
- 1998 "Black kiss" #97 UK
- 1999 "Tragedy (take a look and see)" #144 UK
- 1999 "My love"
- 2001 "Please Stay" (With Mekon)#91 UK
- 2001 "Glorious"
- 2001 "Total Eclipse" (Rosenstolz, Marc Almond & Nina Hagen)
- 2001 "Soul On Soul" (System F & Marc Almond)
- 2003 "Gone but not Forgotten"
- 2004 "Vanity Poverty Revenge/Neo Burlesque" (Punx Soundcheck featuring Marc Almond)
- 2004 "Sheherezade"
- 2004 "Face Control EP" (Replicant & Marc Almond)
- 2005 "Delirious"
- 2005 "Prime Evil"
- 2005 "Perfect Honey"
- 2005 "Baby's on Fire"
[edit] Other contributions
- Vocals on two songs for Psychic TV album Force The Hand Of Chance.
- Vocals for "The Dark Age Of Love" by Coil, from Songs of the Week.
- Vocals for cover version of "Who By Fire" by Coil, from Horse Rotovator
- Vocals for "Idumea" by Current 93, from Black Ships Ate The Sky.
[edit] Books
- 1988 The Angel of Death in the Adonis Lounge (poems)
- 1999 Beautiful Twisted Night (poems, lyrics and prose)
- 1999 Tainted Life (autobiography)
- 2001 The End of New York (poems and prose)
- 2004 In Search of the Pleasure Palace - Disreputable Travels (autobiography)
[edit] DVDs
- 1982 Soft Cell's Non-Stop Exotic Video Show (re-released 2004)
- 1987 A Lover Spurned - live at the Astoria, London 1987 (re-released 2002)
- 1991 The Willing Sinner - live at the Berlin Passionchurch 1991 (released 2002)
- 2000 Live at the Lokerse Festeen 2000
- 2000 Live at the Union Chapel Dec 2000 (released 2003)
- 2002 Soft Cell Live in Milan
- 2007 Twelve years of Tears - Live at the Albert Hall
