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Mark Andes | |
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 Andes performing in 2021 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | February 19, 1948 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Rock, jazz fusion, blues |
| Occupation(s) | Bassist |
| Years active | 1965–present |
| Website | markandesmusic |
Mark Andes (born February 19, 1948) is an American musician, known for his work as a bassist with Canned Heat, Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne, Firefall, Heart, and Mirabal. [1]
Andes was born in Philadelphia, but grew up in Los Angeles, one of two sons of actor Keith Andes (1920–2005).
As a teenager, he was an early member of Canned Heat, but left before the band was signed to a recording contract. Andes was a founding member of the band Spirit. He played bass on their first four albums and on some subsequent reunion albums. During a bout with the flu, Mark co-wrote one of Spirit's first singles, "Mechanical World," with fellow Spirit member Jay Ferguson who was a friend from high school. [2]
Spirit was noted for its hybrid sound of rock and jazz styles.[ citation needed ] The group released groundbreaking works such as Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus (1970), that critically were lauded later, but commercial success largely eluded them at the time. [3]
When the original line-up of Spirit broke up, Andes and Jay Ferguson formed the band Jo Jo Gunne. [4] He recruited his brother, Matt Andes, to play guitar. Andes only recorded one album with Jo Jo Gunne before semi-retiring from music around 1972. During his stay, the band had a Top 40 hit with the song "Run, Run, Run". When Jo Jo Gunne reformed for a new album and gigs in 2004, Andes was included in the line-up.
Andes moved to Boulder, Colorado, where he lived in the basement of local musician Jeff Reaves. In 1975, he was recruited by former Flying Burrito Brothers vocalist Rick Roberts and former Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers drummer Michael Clarke to form the country-rock band Firefall. For six years, Mark would be in a band that had a string of hit singles, including the Top 10 hit, "You Are the Woman." During the early 1980s, Andes also collaborated briefly with future Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin and future Quiet Riot drummer Frank Banali.
Following a move back to California, and some session work, Andes joined Heart. He appeared on their final album for Epic Records, Passionworks (1983), and remained with the band until 1993. During this time, Heart found mainstream success, with several number one singles, and a number one album, Heart (1985). After a decade with Heart, Andes returned to session work.
In 1995, he joined up with Native American musician Robert Mirabal to collaborate on his album entitled Mirabal.
In 1998, he played bass in the backing band for Iain Matthews (The Swinelakers) on their European tour. He plays on Iain Matthews' album "A Tiniest Wham" released in 2000.
Andes played in Austin, Texas, with Ian McLagan and the Bump Band, Alejandro Escovedo, Jo Carol Pierce, and Three Balls of Fire. He very briefly played in a band called MPTU with drummer Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson, Mr. Mister), singer Malford Milligan and Phil Brown (Little Feat). Andes now lives near Houston in Magnolia, Texas, with his wife Valerie. He released his first solo album, Real World Magic, in February 2009. [5]
In 2012, Andes played with Kenny Cordray & Love Street on the album titled It Takes Everything.
Andes began playing with Firefall again in 2014, becoming the third original member in the band's current lineup, along with Jock Bartley and David Muse. [6]
He played with French artist Chardeau on his albums Fauves & Pastels (2015) and Sanguines (2017), with Robert Lamm and Jason Scheff (Chicago), John McFee (Doobie Brothers), Brian Auger (Oblivion Express) and Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra).
Spirit was an American rock band founded in 1967 and based in Los Angeles. Their most commercially successful single in the United States was "I Got a Line on You". They were also known for their albums, including their self-titled debut album, The Family That Plays Together, Clear, and Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus.
Jo Jo Gunne was an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, United States, in 1971 by Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes after they had left the rock band Spirit. The band was named after the Chuck Berry song "Jo Jo Gunne". The band released their eponymous debut album in 1972 and had a top 10 hit song "Run Run Run" in the UK. They released three further albums before disbanding in 1974. They reunited in 2005 for a time to record a fifth album Big Chain.
Firefall is an American country rock band that formed in Boulder, Colorado, in 1974. It was founded by Rick Roberts, former member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, and Jock Bartley, who had been Tommy Bolin's replacement in Zephyr. The band's biggest hit single, "You Are the Woman", peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1976. Other hits included "Just Remember I Love You", "Strange Way", "Cinderella", "Headed for a Fall", and "Staying with It".
Michael Clarke was an American musician, best known as the drummer for the 1960s rock group the Byrds from 1964 to 1967. He died in 1993, at age 47, from liver failure, a direct result of more than three decades of heavy alcohol consumption.
Randy Craig Wolfe, known as Randy California, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, and one of the original members of the rock group Spirit, formed in 1967.
Edward Claude Cassidy was an American jazz and rock drummer who was one of the founders of the rock group Spirit in 1967.
Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus is the fourth album by the American rock band Spirit. It was produced by David Briggs, who is best known for his work with Neil Young. The original LP was released in November 1970 by Epic. The band's lowest charting album to that point, it peaked at #63 on the Billboard 200 in February 1971, spending only fourteen weeks on the chart. However, it sold well as a catalog item and became the band's only album to ultimately attain a RIAA gold certification in the U.S., achieving that status in 1976. On the Canadian RPM Magazine Top 100 charts, the album reached #49 and was in the top 100 for 10 weeks.
John Arden "Jay" Ferguson is an American rock and pop musician known for his work with the bands Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, and his 1978 solo hit "Thunder Island". His later career has been as a composer of music for television programs and films. Many people know Ferguson for composing the theme song for the American version of The Office on NBC.
Feedback is the fifth album by the rock band Spirit. Released in 1972, it was the first Spirit album without original members Jay Ferguson and Mark Andes, and it was also the only Spirit album that did not feature Randy California performing on it, as California had left the group to pursue a solo career (Kapt. Kopter and the Twirly Birds).
Robert Mirabal is a Pueblo musician and Native American flute player and maker from Taos Pueblo, New Mexico.
Passionworks is the seventh studio album by American rock band Heart, released in August 1983, by Epic Records. The album marks a shift in musical direction from hard rock and folk to mainstream rock. It is the first Heart album to feature Denny Carmassi and Mark Andes, who had replaced longtime members Mike Derosier and Steve Fossen. Passionworks was the band's final album with Epic Records before their comeback-fueled move to Capitol Records. It reached number 39 on the US Billboard 200. The album's lead single, "How Can I Refuse?", peaked at number 44 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for one week. The second single, "Allies", peaked at number 83 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Jimmie Randall is a bass guitarist best known for his work with Jo Jo Gunne.
Thomas Edward Wilkes was an American art director, designer, photographer, illustrator, writer and producer-director.
The Boxing Mirror is a 2006 album by Alejandro Escovedo. released through Back Porch Records. Produced by John Cale of The Velvet Underground, the album finds Escovedo delving into the worlds of avant-rock and post-punk; and its darker sound has only shades of roots rock/Americana music in comparison with most Escovedo's alt-country records. Legendary bassist, Mark Andes, plays and sings back-up vocals.
Kapt. Kopter and the (Fabulous) Twirly Birds is a 1972 studio album by Randy California.
Larry Burnett is an American singer and guitarist who was one of the original members of the pop-rock group Firefall.
Kenneth Cordray was an American instrumental guitarist and songwriter, who shared the stage with notable musicians and performers such as John Mayall, John Lee Hooker and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. Cordray became the lead guitarist for The Children under the ATCO label and later on ODE records produced by Lou Adler. He co-wrote the song "Francine", which peaked at 69 on the Billboard Hot 100, with Steve Perron for ZZ Top's album Rio Grande Mud.
Jo Jo Gunne is the eponymous debut album from rock/hard rock band Jo Jo Gunne, formed after keyboardist/vocalist Jay Ferguson and bassist/vocalist Mark Andes left Spirit. "Run Run Run", released as the album's first single, became a top 10 hit in the United Kingdom and received airplay on US AOR radio stations.
David Muse was an American musician. He performed and recorded with numerous artists including Firefall, The Marshall Tucker Band, Pam Rose, Bertie Higgins, Navarro, Boulder County Conspiracy, and Tonal Alchemy. During his 50+ year career, he appeared on more than 25 recordings and was awarded three Gold and two Platinum albums.
Comet is the ninth album by Firefall, released on December 11, 2020.
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