Marc and the Mambas

Last updated

Marc and the Mambas
Also known asRaoul and the Ruined, Marc Almond and Friends
Genres New wave, dark cabaret, gothic rock, alternative rock
Years active1982–1983, 2012
Labels Some Bizzare
Members Marc Almond
Anni Hogan
Lee Jenkinson
Gini Ball
Martin McCarrick
Anne Stephenson
Steve James Sherlock
Peter Ashworth
Audrey Riley
Matt Johnson
Jim Foetus
Website marcalmond.co.uk

Marc and the Mambas was a new wave group, formed by Marc Almond in 1982 as an offshoot project from Soft Cell. [1] The band's line-up changed frequently, and included Matt Johnson from The The and Annie Hogan, with whom Almond worked later in his solo career.

Contents

History

Marc and the Mambas marked the start of Marc Almond's career outside of Soft Cell. In 1983, Almond and Soft Cell were very close to the avant-garde scene around Foetus, Psychic TV and Einstürzende Neubauten. Almond also took part as one of four members of The Immaculate Consumptive, a group initiated by Lydia Lunch; they never released any album but did a few shows in New York and Washington D.C. at the end of 1983. Further members were Jim Foetus and Nick Cave. Marc and the Mambas belonged to that scene, and continued the dark themes explored within Soft Cell, but musically used different instruments and more complex rhythms. [2] [3]

The group's lineup was fluid, with members changing with each recording or performance; the only consistent members were Almond, Annie Hogan and Steve James Sherlock. [1] Further members included Billy McGee and Martin McCarrick, who also later joined Almond when he formed Marc Almond and the Willing Sinners. Almond's Soft Cell partner David Ball was an associated member for the Mambas' first single "Sleaze", and Matt Johnson from The The was a member for the first and second album, but did not join for the last concerts in 1983 (put to vinyl and later to CD as Black, Bite & Blues). Jim Foetus was an associated member, and did guest vocals and percussion on "A Million Manias" and "Love Amongst the Ruined." [4]

The Mambas' second Some Bizzare released album, Torment and Toreros , [1] contained a mix of ballads, both with and without dance beats, and is a mix of vaudeville, French chanson, and goth sensibility, using guitar noise, piano, and string sections. [4] Almond later described this recording as an "attempted suicide put on vinyl." [5]

Post Mambas

Almond has had a long career as a solo artist, and Mambas musicians have worked with him under the names The Willing Sinners and La Magia. Martin McCarrick left La Magia for Siouxsie and the Banshees in 1987, and the rest of that band dissolved in 1988. Lee Jenkinson (guitar) recorded a single with producer Flood under the band name The Poppyfields, and is currently in the band Jellynail. Almond always kept in touch with some of the Mambas' core members like Anne Stephenson and Gini Ball (David Ball's ex-wife), who performed with him during his Sin, Songs And Romance gigs at the Almeida in 2004. He frequently includes Mambas songs in his live repertoire. [6]

When Anohni from Antony and the Johnsons curated the Meltdown Festival in London in August 2012, one of the acts on the bill was Almond, who performed the album Torment and Toreros in its entirety. A few months prior to the performance, Almond stated on his webpage that Torment and Toreros "wasn't a great success at the time of release, it was mostly critically panned. It was called a 'florid musical mess', a description I quite liked", but added that "In recent years it has been re-evaluated and re-appreciated as a (flawed) masterpiece, as I always hoped it would be. It is a dark album with themes of madness, depression, isolation, alienation, innocence lost and destructive love, all seen through a prism of fame. A nervous breakdown committed to vinyl". [7] [8]

Main concerts

Discography

Studio albums

YearAlbum informationChart positions
UK
[9]
1982 Untitled 42
1983 Torment and Toreros 28

Live albums

YearAlbum information
1984Bite Black + Blues (as Raoul And The Ruined)
  • Released: May 1984, December 2000
  • Labels: Gutter Hearts, Blue Star Music
  • The LP was an official fan-club release. The reissue was an official website release,
  • Live at the Duke Of York's Theatre, December 1983. The reissue has bonus tracks from the same concerts.
2012Three Black Nights of Little Black Bites – Live at the Duke Of York's Theatre, 1983
  • Released: 12 November 2012
  • Labels: Strike Force Entertainment, Cherry Red
  • Limited Edition CD/DVD set. Recorded live in April 1983 during a 3-day run of concerts.

Singles

YearAlbum informationChart positions
UK
[9]
1982"Fun City" / "Sleaze (Take It, Shake It)" –
1983"Black Heart" 49
1983"Torment" 90

Other releases

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soft Cell</span> English synthpop duo

Soft Cell are an English synth-pop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their platinum-selling debut album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foetus (band)</span> Solo project of Australian musician JG Thirwell

Foetus is a solo musical project of Australian musician JG Thirlwell. The project has had many similar names, each including the word 'Foetus'.note The "members" of the project are aliases of Thirlwell; they include Frank Want, Phillip Toss, and Clint Ruin. Thirlwell occasionally collaborates with other artists, but does not consider them to be members of Foetus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marc Almond</span> English singer (born 1957)

Peter Mark "Marc" Almond is an English singer best known from the synth-pop/new wave duo Soft Cell and for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He has also had a diverse career as a solo artist. His collaborations include a duet with Gene Pitney on the 1989 UK number one single "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart". Almond's career spanning over four decades has enjoyed critical and commercial acclaim, and he has sold over 30 million records worldwide. He spent a month in a coma after a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2004 and later became a patron of the brain trauma charity Headway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JG Thirlwell</span> Australian composer, producer and musician

James George Thirlwell, styled as JG Thirlwell and also known as Clint Ruin, Frank Want, and Foetus, among other pseudonyms, is an Australian musician, composer, and record producer known for his use of a variety of different musical styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Ball (electronic musician)</span> Instrumentalist, member of Soft Cell

David James Ball is an English producer and electronic musician, who has played in bands such as Soft Cell and the Grid, and collaborated with other producers including Ingo Vauk and Chris Braide. He is usually called Dave Ball on record sleeves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin McCarrick</span> English musician and composer

Martin McCarrick is an English cellist, keyboardist, guitarist and composer, best known for being a member of Siouxsie and the Banshees for seven years, from 1987 until 1995. Aside from being a live and recording artist, he is also a teacher and visiting lecturer in music.

The Immaculate Consumptive was a collaborative group featuring four stars of the no wave scene, that existed for three shows in 1983. Its members were Marc Almond, Nick Cave, Lydia Lunch and Clint Ruin.

<i>Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret</i> 1981 studio album by Soft Cell

Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released on 27 November 1981 by Some Bizzare Records. The album's critical and commercial success was bolstered by the success of its lead single, a cover version of Gloria Jones's song "Tainted Love", which topped the charts worldwide and became the second best-selling British single of 1981. In the United States, as a result of the single's success, the album had reported advance orders of more than 200,000 copies. The album spawned two additional top-five singles in the UK: "Bedsitter" and "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye".

<i>Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing</i> 1982 remix album by Soft Cell

Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing is a 'mini' or 'remix' album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released in the United Kingdom in June 1982, by Some Bizzare Records. In addition to remixes of the group's older material, it included a brand-new track, a cover of Judy Street's 1966 song "What", which reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. In some territories the album was released as an EP.

Annie Hogan also known as Ann Margaret Hogan is a British musician, record producer, composer and club DJ, born in 1961. Originally known for her association with British musician Marc Almond, Hogan has since collaborated with a diverse variety of artists and released solo material with Downwards Records since 2020.

<i>The Art of Falling Apart</i> 1983 studio album by Soft Cell

The Art of Falling Apart is the second full-length album by the English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Ashworth</span> English photographer

Peter Ashworth is an English photographer. Ashworth initially specialized in music photography, between 1979 and 2000. In the 1980s, he worked with many UK artists including The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, Soft Cell, Jimmy Page and The Associates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Say Hello, Wave Goodbye</span> 1982 single by Soft Cell

"Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" is a song from the album Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell that was released as a single in January 1982 and reached number three on the UK Singles Chart.

This is the discography of Soft Cell, a British synthpop duo consisting of Marc Almond and Dave Ball who rose to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo broke up in 1984 after releasing four albums, but reunited in the early 2000s for a series of live dates and released an album of new material in 2002. The group reunited again in 2018 for a final farewell concert, accompanied by a host of musical and video releases, including a career-spanning box set and a single.

<i>Torment and Toreros</i> 1983 studio album by Marc and the Mambas

Torment and Toreros is the second album to be released by Marc and the Mambas. The album reached #28 on the UK album charts in August 1983. The song "Torment" was written by Marc Almond, Steven Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Robert Smith of The Cure. It also is the last studio album to go under the name "Marc and the Mambas"; The next album Almond issued was credited to "Raoul and the Ruined". The Mambas' third album, Bite Black and Blues, is a live album and was initially only available via the Marc Almond fan club.

The following list details the discography of the British independent record label, Some Bizzare Records. The label is notable for hosting such artists as Soft Cell, The The and Marc Almond. The discography is broken down into different media type sections.

The discography of the English singer, songwriter and recording artist Marc Almond consists of music recorded since the late 1970s. He has recorded as a solo artist and with several other groups, these include Soft Cell, Marc & the Mambas, The Willing Sinners and Flesh Volcano. He has also worked with Michael Cashmore, and has contributed to numerous one-off releases with a variety of artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Some Bizzare Records</span> British record label

Some Bizzare [sic] Records was a British independent record label owned by Stevo Pearce. The label was founded in 1981, with the release of Some Bizzare Album, a compilation of unsigned bands including Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, The The, Neu Electrikk and Blancmange.

Steve James Sherlock is a British composer, musician, saxophone player who was a founder member of Neu Electrikk, joined Matt Johnson in the Post punk band The The and notably Marc Almond in Marc and the Mambas.

<i>Untitled</i> (Marc and the Mambas album) 1982 studio album by Marc and the Mambas

Untitled is the first studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond's band Marc and the Mambas. It was released by Some Bizzare in September 1982.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 796. ISBN   1-85227-745-9.
  2. ↑ "From The Archives -The Immaculate Consumptive- Concert Chronology / Gigography". Fromthearchives.com. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  3. ↑ "The Immaculate Consumptive - Summarized by Plex.page | Content | Summarization". Plex.page. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Marc And Mambas - Torment And Toreros". Discogs.com. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  5. ↑ "Soundtrack for a Suicide: Marc Almond's musical masterpiece, 'Torment and Toreros'". DangerousMinds.net. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  6. ↑ "Marc Almond Setlist at Almeida Theatre, London". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  7. ↑ "The Quietus | Features | Three Songs No Flash | Stellar Systems: Antony Hegarty's Meltdown Festival Reviewed". The Quietus. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  8. ↑ "Antony's Meltdown – review". The Guardian . 11 August 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  9. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 20. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.