Marc Almond

Marc Almond
Marc Almond at Manezh Kadetskogo Korpusa.
Background information
Birth name	Peter Mark Sinclair Almond
Born	9 July 1957 (1957-07-09) (age 53) Southport, Lancashire, England
Genres	Cabaret, Rock, Pop, Alternative rock
Years active	1978 - present
Labels	Some Bizzare, Virgin, Sire, Echo, Blue Star, Sanctuary, Vertigo
Associated acts	Soft Cell, Marc and the Mambas, Flesh Volcano, The Immaculate Consumptive, Marc Almond and the Willing Sinners, Jools Holland, Sex Gang Children, Current 93
Website	http://www.marcalmond.co.uk/

Marc Almond (born Peter Mark Sinclair Almond on 9 July 1957, Southport, Lancashire)^[1] is an English singer, songwriter and recording artist, who originally found fame as half of the seminal synthpop/New Wave duo Soft Cell. Including his time with Soft Cell, he has sold over 30 million records worldwide.^[2]

Contents 1 Childhood and early life [3] 2 Early musical influences 3 Career 3.1 1980s 3.2 1990s 3.3 2000s 3.4 2010s 3.5 Collaborations 4 Autobiography and personal life 5 Discography 6 References 7 External links

Childhood and early life ^[3]

Almond was born on 9 July 1957 in the coastal town of Southport (which was at that time part of Lancashire, but is now part of Merseyside) in the North West of England. He is the son of Sandra Mary Almond née Dieson and Peter John Sinclair Almond, Second Lieutenant in the King's Liverpool Regiment. He was brought up at his grandparents' house in Birkdale with his younger sister Julia, and as a child suffered from bronchitis and asthma. When he was four, they left their grandparent's house and moved to Starbeck on the edge of Harrogate, North Yorkshire. Two years later they returned to Southport, and then moved to Horsforth (near Leeds).

At age 11 he attended Airborough Grammar School outside Leeds. By this time his father had become an alcoholic, and Almond found solace in music, listening to British radio pioneer John Peel. The first album he purchased was the soundtrack of the stage musical Hair and the first single "Green Manalishi" by Fleetwood Mac. He loved all kinds of Music and was at first a fan of Rock, Blues and Progressive Music. He liked Free and Jethro Tull and the first band he ever saw live was Van der Graaf generator. He has always remained a fan of Van der Graaf Generator's singer Peter Hammill.He later became a great fan of Marc Bolan and David Bowie and got a part time job as a stable boy to fund his musical tastes.

After his parents divorce in 1972 he moved with his Mother back to his home town of Southport. After leaving school a year late due to educational problems, to support himself at Art college, got jobs at Southport Theatre as a stage hand, On Southport's Pleasureland fairground, a boutique called 'His and Hers' and Bevans Fruit drink factory. It was at this time aged 17, because he looked the part and because of his musical Knowledge he became the singer in a local band firstly called Andromeda and later Hot n' Nasty. The band played covers of Free,Doors,The Beatles and Bowie amongst other chart songs of the day and gigged locally.

He gained two O-Levels in Art and English and was accepted onto a General Art and Design course at Southport College, specialising in Performance Art. He had a major nervous breakdown and suicide attempt. and was sectioned at Ormskirk Hospital for a short time.

He applied to Leeds Polytechnic where he was interviewed by Jeff Nuttall, also a performance artist, who accepted him on the strength of his performing skills. During his time at the Art College he did a series of performance theatre pieces, Zazou, Glamour in Squalor and Twilights and Lowlifes as well as Warhol inspired mini movies. The Yorkshire Evening Post called one of his performances 'depressingly nihilistic' of which Almond was delighted. Almond became immersed in the Leeds Punk scene after seeing the Sex Pistols on the Anarchy Tour and followed bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees. He left Art College with a 2/1 honours degree. His diploma show was judged by writer and artist Molly Parkin. Almond later went to stay with her at Keef Richard's and Anita Pallenberg's house in Londons Cheyne Walk and Molly introduced him to a London Art crowd. Almond later credited Molly Parkin with discovering him.

Almond got jobs at Leeds Playhouse as a barman to finance his time at College, and The Warehouse Nightclub first as coatcheck and then as D.J when he and fellow student Kris Neate started a successful night there.At this time he began to make journeys to London and got small part time jobs in London's Soho including a clip joint. He used experiences as inspirations for his performances and early songs.

It was whilst at Leeds Polytechnic that Almond met David Ball a fellow student, and they formed Soft Cell in 1979.

Early musical influences

As a child, Almond listened to his parent's record collection, which included his mother's "Let's Dance" by Chris Montez and "The Twist" by Chubby Checker, also his father's collection of jazz including Dave Brubeck and Eartha Kitt. As an adolescent, Almond listened to Radio Caroline and Radio Luxembourg.He listened at first to Progressive, Blues and Rock Music, Free, Jethro Tull, Van der Graaf Generator, The Who, and The Doors, he bought the first ever issue of Sounds because it contained a free poster of Jimmy Page and he belonged to the school record club listening to all the new Rock albums of the day bought in by the pupils.. It was a musical education. He became a great fan of Marc Bolan after hearing him on the John Peel Show, buying the T.Rex single "Ride a White Swan", from then on he 'followed everything Marc Bolan did', and it his obsession with Bolan that prompted Almond to adopt the 'Marc' spelling.^[4] He was also a great fan of David Bowie, Roxy Music, Alice Cooper, Iggy Pop, Nico, the New York Dolls, Jobriath and Brian Eno. He went to concerts by Lou Reed, Captain Beefheart, and Cockney Rebel in Liverpool, but the highlight was when he climbed over the barriers at the front of a David Bowie concert, reached out and was touched by the man himself. Discovered the songs of Jacques Brel through David Bowie as well as Alex Harvey, Scott Walker and Dusty Springfield. Brel became a major influence. After singing Brel's songs from early in his career, Brel's estate cited him as the best living interpreter of Brel's songs.Love of Brel led to a love of all French Chanson.

Career

1980s

Almond initially shot to fame in the early 1980s as one half of the synthpop duo Soft Cell, whose combination of urban drama and peep show sleaze set to an electronic beat gave them hits such as "Tainted Love" (UK #1), "Bedsitter" (UK #4), "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" (UK #3), "Torch" (UK #2), "What!" (UK #3), "Soul Inside" (UK #16), and the club hit "Memorabilia". Soft Cell's first release was an independent record (funded by David Ball's mother) entitled "Mutant Moments" via Red Rhino Records in 1980.^[5] It came to the attention of music entrepreneur Stevo Pearce, who at the time was compiling a 'futurist' chart for the music paper Sounds which featured young, upcoming and experimental bands of the new wave of electronic sound. He signed the duo to his Some Bizarre label and they enjoyed a string of nine Top 40 hit singles and four Top 20 albums in the UK between 1981-84. They recorded three albums in New York with producer Mike Thorne, Non Stop Erotic Cabaret, Non Stop Exotic Dancing and The Art of Falling Apart. Soft Cell disbanded in 1984 just before the release of their fourth album, This Last Night In Sodom, though the duo reunited in 2001. Tainted Love, a cover of a Gloria Jones Northern Soul classic, was in the Guinness Book of Records for a while as the record that spent the longest time in the Billboard top 100 in the U.S.A

Whilst in Soft Cell, Almond simultaneously worked on the side project Marc and the Mambas. The ensemble released two albums Untitled and the double seminal Torment and Toreros within a 12 month period (1982-83), marking a departure from Almond's work within Soft Cell. Also around this time, Almond had a second nervous breakdown and declared his intention to retire from the recording industry, though this never occurred.

Almond's first solo album was Vermin in Ermine, released in 1984. It featured musicians from the Mambas outfit, Annie Hogan, Martin McCarrick and Billy McGee. This ensemble, known as The Willing Sinners, worked alongside Almond for the subsequent albums Stories Of Johnny (1985) and Mother Fist and her Five Daughters (1987). Almond also released two mini albums, A Woman's Story and Violent Silence in 1986. McCarrick left in 1987 to join Siouxsie and the Banshees, from which point Hogan and McGee became known as La Magia, working with Almond once more for the album The Stars We Are in 1988. The album featured Almond's version of "Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart", which was later re-recorded as a duet with the song's original singer Gene Pitney and released as a single. The track reached number 1 in the UK and became the sixth highest-selling single of 1989. It was also number one in Germany and was a major hit in countries around the world. The album itself would become his biggest selling solo album in the U.S.A with Tears Run Rings his biggest selling solo single.

Later in 1989, Almond released Jacques, an album of Jacques Brel songs. He also recorded in Paris an album of French Chanson and Poetry called Absynth.

1990s

Almond's first release in the 1990s was the album Enchanted, which spawned the Top 30 hit "A Lover Spurned". A further single from the album, "Waifs and Strays", was remixed by Dave Ball who was now in the electronic dance band The Grid.

In 1991, Soft Cell returned to the charts with a new remix of "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" followed by a re-release of "Tainted Love" (with a new video). The singles were issued to promote a new Soft Cell/Marc Almond compilation album, Memorabilia - The Singles , which collected some of the biggest hits from Almond's career throughout the previous ten years. The album reached the UK Top 10.

Later that year, Almond released a new solo album, Tenement Symphony. Produced partly by Trevor Horn, the album yielded three Top 40 hits including renditions of the Jacques Brel classic "Jacky" which made the Top 20, and "The Days of Pearly Spencer" which returned Almond to the Top 5 in 1992. Later that year, Almond played a lavish one-off show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, which featured an orchestra and dancing troupe as he performed material from his entire career. The show was recorded and released as the CD and video 12 Years of Tears.

Almond's next major studio album was 1996's Fantastic Star. The album was recorded partly for the WEA label in new York with Mike Thorne but partially scrapped when Almond changed labels to Mercury mid album. During the change of labels, he spent two months in rehab to battle a long drug addiction not only to benzodiazapine drugs as well as other class A substances. The album contained the hit single "Adored and Explored". The album was also Almond's last to be released on a major label.

In 1999, Almond signed to Echo records and launched his own label, Blue Star He released a new studio album Open All Night, which featured collaborations with Siouxsie Sioux and Kelli Dayton, formerly of The Sneaker Pimps, but again changed labels mid album to European label Tres Bis V111 when Echo took on a new head of A and R that didn't see eye to eye with Almond.. Almond released his first Biography 'Tainted Life' followed later by a follow up In Search of the Pleasure Palace. He had already released some volumes of poetry and lyrics, 'The Angel of Death in the Adonis Lounge' and' A Beautiful Twisted Night.'

2000s

In 2001, Almond reunited with Dave Ball and played several live shows as Soft Cell. He also released another solo album, Stranger Things recorded in Iceland with Icelandic producer Johann Johannson. He was asked to guest with German Band Rosenstolz on their album Kassengift and had a German hit with Rosenstolz on a cover of Klaus Nomis track Total Eclipse which reached number 11 in the german charts. Almond performed Tantalise Me from Stranger Things at the London Fashion show by designer Roland Mouret .

In 2002, Soft Cell released their first new album in 18 years, Cruelty Without Beauty and had a top 40 hit with a cover of the Frankie Valli song The Night. Following this, Almond also took up DJ-ing (something he originally had done before Soft Cell had taken off) and recorded with dance artists such as Ferry Corsten.

Whilst living in in Moscow in 2003, Almond recorded a project of Russian folk music. Produced by Andrey Samsonov, Heart On Snow featured collaborations with some of Russia's biggest music stars, Lyudmila Zykina and Alla Bayanova, Boris Grebenshchikov and Ilia Lagutenko as well as a the Russian Naval Choir and the famous Rossiya Folk Orchestra. The album included famous Russian songs such as "The Storks" and "So Long The Path". "Tenderness" was an outtake, but later released as a download single through Almond's official website.

In 2004 Almond performed at London's Almeida Theatre in a two week residency he called 'Sin Songs Torch and Romance'. This was recorded and released for DVD. He also performed at Radio City Music Hall with the Pussy Cat Dolls on a special version of tainted Love at Fashion Rocks.

On 17 October 2004, Almond was badly injured in a motorbike accident in London, in which he was a pillion passenger. Although the initial prognosis was considered poor, he was discharged from Royal London Hospital on 6 November 2004 and was said to be making a "remarkable" recovery. Two months later he was giving press and TV interviews saying he could not wait to get back on stage. His recovery was, however, to take longer than he thought, involving several operations and counselling for post traumatic stress disorder after serious head injuries.

In 2005, as Almond continued his recovery, he did various 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 new orchestral arrangements done by Holland. Also in 2005, he contributed a track to the Serge Gainsbourg tribute album Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited.

2006 saw Almond concentrate on recording, making few public appearances, though he did headline the Manchester Gay Pride Festival in August of that year. Almond also appears on the 2006 album Black Ships Ate the Sky by experimental band Current 93.

Almond signed a three album deal with Sanctuary and released a new album of cover songs, Stardom Road, on 4 June 2007, It features artists such as St Etienne's Sarah Cracknell and Antony from Antony and the Johnsons. The title track was a reworking of the Third World War 1970s track and two of the cover versions included in this new album are Dusty Springfield's "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten", which was recorded with Sarah Cracknell, and Gene Pitney's "Backstage (I'm Lonely)", as a tribute to the late crooner, featuring a guest appearance by Jools Holland. The album also included one new self-penned song, "Redeem Me (Beauty Will Redeem the World)", his first composition since the near-fatal motorbike accident. The deal came abruptly to an end when Sanctuary went bankrupt and folded in 2008.

Almond made his return to the London stage as a special surprise guest at a concert by Antony and the Johnsons soon after his accident but a three-night run at the historic Wilton's Music Hall in May 2007 were his first full-length UK shows since his accident. He had been warming up with shows in Barcelona, Athens and Moscow. He then recorded a BBC Radio special which was broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on 1 June 2007, and played a mini-tour in June and July, culminating in a 50th birthday concert before 2,000 fans and friends at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London on 9 July.

On 29 July 2007, Almond made his first ever live appearance in his home town of Southport as a guest of Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, with whom he again performed "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" and "Tainted Love". He also performed with Holland at the British International Motor Show on 1 August 2008, held at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre.

Almond toured again extensively with Jools Holland in 2008, performing a longer set which included Edith Piaf's Hymn of Love and On My Soul a song written with Jools Holland. He also performed a two week 'Sin Songs Torch and Romance' residency at London's Wilton's Music Hall which was filmed and recorded for a live DVD and album called 'Bluegate Fields-live at Wilton's Music hall'. Almond was later made a Patron of the Music Hall.

In the same year, alongside Current 93 frontman David Tibet and sopranist Ernesto Tomasini, he sings on Digital Angel, the debut album of Greek composer Othon Mataragas. Other performances that year included the Peace One Day concert at the albert Hall where he sang with a Gospel Choir and a performance also at the albert Hall for the Yves St Laurent label at the Fashion Rocks event. He also performed at tributes to Marc Bolan (where he sang Tainted Love for the first and last time with Gloria Jones,) Jacques Brel, Current 93 and Sandy Denny.

2009 saw the release of a new album Orpheus In Exile - Songs of Vadim Kozin, which consisted of covers of the Gypsy Russian Romance singer Vadim Kozin songs, and the start of a UK tour, supported by Baby Dee, beginning with a concert at The Roundhouse on the 1st November.

2010s

In June 2010, Almond released Varieté, his first studio album of self-penned songs in almost a decade. Almond has stated this will possibly be his last fully self-penned album. He also announced a new concert tour in Autumn 2010 to celebrate his 30 years in music. Almond was also awarded a Hero Award by the music magazine Mojo.

Collaborations

Almond has had a varied career spanning 30 years. During this time, after a career with Soft Cell and Marc and the Mambas, he has collaborated with a wide range of artists including Antony and The Johnsons, Jools Holland, Siouxsie Sioux, Nick Cave, P.J. Proby, Nico, Kelli Dayton, Neal X (on the albums Fantastic Star and Open All Night), Marie France, Agnes Bernelle, Lydia Lunch, Gene Pitney, Foetus (a.k.a. J. G. Thirlwell), Bronski Beat, Psychic TV, Coil, Sally Timms of the Mekons, King Roc, John Cale, David Johansen of The New York Dolls, German band Rosenstolz and Greek composer Othon Mataragas, plus a selection of famous Russian music stars including Lyudmilla Zekina, Alla Bayanova, Boris Grebenchikov and Ilya Lagutenko of the band Mumi Trol.

Autobiography and personal life

In 1999, Almond received accolades for his autobiography, entitled Tainted Life, which told of his early life, creative ventures, his sexuality (Almond is gay), 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, whose publication in 2004 was accompanied by a book-signing tour.

Almond currently lives in the south east of London, as well as Moscow and Barcelona.^[6] In his autobiography he describes previously living in New York as well as Earl's Court, in a converted church in Fulham and most memorably in Soho's Berwick Street, where he lived in a flat overlooking the Raymond Revuebar.

Discography

References

External links

• Official website
• Marc Almond on Myspace
• Interview with Marc Almond about his car crash and Southport roots