Money Mark | |
---|---|
![]() Money Mark in March 2007 | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Mark Ramos Nishita |
Born | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | February 10, 1960
Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Genres | |
Occupation(s) |
|
Instrument(s) |
|
Years active | 1991–present |
Labels | Various |
Mark Ramos Nishita (born February 10, 1960), [1] known professionally as Money Mark, is an American producer and musician, best known for his collaborations with the Beastie Boys from 1992 until 2011.
Born in Detroit to a Japanese-Hawaiian father and a Chicana mother, Nishita moved with his family to Los Angeles, California, when he was six years old. [1]
His first album, Mark's Keyboard Repair (1995), was made up of keyboard driven pop-funk songs recorded at demo quality. Guy Ritchie used a song from the album in the film, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels . This was followed up by the Third Version EP (1996) and Push the Button (1998), for which Mark received critical praise. [2] Whereas his 1996 EP was similar to his debut, Push the Button was extremely eclectic, combining aspects of rock music and pop with soul, funk and hip hop. [2] This LP was met with good reviews, as was his 2001 follow up Change Is Coming which had a tropical yet danceable disco and funk sound. [3]
Mark met the Beastie Boys during their migration to the West Coast, through mutual friend, Mario Caldato Jr., who asked Mark (who was working as a carpenter) to fix the wooden gate at the entrance of the property where the band was staying when they were recording Paul's Boutique . [4] [5] He helped them build a studio, and quickly became a principal collaborator. He performed, wrote, and collaborated on every Beastie Boys album from 1992's Check Your Head to the group's final album, 2011's Hot Sauce Committee Part Two . Mark co-authored the Grammy Award winning album The Mix-Up .
Money Mark contributed the keyboard phrase that opens and underpins "Where It's At" from Beck's 1996 album, Odelay . He played keyboards on tour for the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quintet in support of their self-titled album. He has since become a full member of the quintet, appearing on the live EP with Damo Suzuki called Please Heat This Eventually and several other albums, with his debut full-length collaboration with the group being the Quintet's second LP release, The Apocalypse Inside of an Orange . In 1996, Money Mark contributed the song "Use Your Head (Use a Sua Cabeca)" to the AIDS benefit album Red Hot + Rio produced by the Red Hot Organization. He also contributed songs to Red Hot's Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin and Red Hot + Rhapsody a tribute to George Gershwin. In 2004, Mark scored and played all instruments for HBO's first ever documentary prime time series, "Family Bond's," directed by Steve Santor. That same year, Mark also contributed original songs and score cues for "Along Came Polly," "Fun With Dick and Jane," and "The Devil Wears Prada."
In September 2006, Money Mark signed to Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records label. Brand New By Tomorrow , his first album with Brushfire, was released in February 2007. In late 2006, he opened for Gnarls Barkley at the Riviera Theatre in Chicago. In 2007, Money Mark and The Woodrow Jackson Orchestra recorded a cover version of Love Unlimited Orchestra's "Love's Theme" for Engine Room Recordings' compilation album Guilt by Association . Money Mark composed original music for the 2008 documentary film Beautiful Losers . [6]
In 2011, he contributed the Mario C. Remix of "Tropicaliá" with Beck and Seu Jorge, and played Hammond B-3 organ on "Look Around" from the Red Hot Chili Peppers album I'm With You, as well as a version of the song "Tropical Affair" with Thalma de Freitas and João Parahyba for Red Hot Organization's most recent charitable album "Red Hot+Rio 2." The album is a follow-up to the 1996 "Red Hot + Rio." Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues.
Mark scored the Slamdance Audience Award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary film, Getting Up: The Tempt One Story. [7]
Money Mark worked alongside Mike McCready and Stefan Lessard and contributed to many of the tracks used in the soundtrack to the 2011 film, Horrible Bosses .
He performed in 2011 with Karen O on her pop opera Stop the Virgens . [8]
Over the course of his career, Mark has done recording sessions with the Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop, Nile Rodgers, Yoko Ono, Carlos Santana, Lee Scratch Perry, Jorge Ben, Dangermouse, Moby, Mixmaster Mike, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Seu Jorge, Jack Johnson, and The Mars Volta.
He was a regular guest on DVDASA , a podcast hosted by David Choe and Asa Akira. He is also part of the band, Mangchi, with David Choe and Steven Lee.
In the spring of 2016, it was announced that Money Mark would be touring with The Claypool Lennon Delirium, a collaboration between Les Claypool and Sean Lennon. From the Prawn Song Newsletter, "Les Claypool and Sean Lennon’s newly formed band, The Claypool Lennon Delirium, will hit the road this summer for an extensive tour of the United States. Rounding out the band with Les and Sean will be Money Mark on keyboards and Paulo Baldi on drums. In addition to playing Bonnaroo, Vertex and Peach festivals, The Claypool Lennon Delirium will play a number of headline shows across the country."
On July 31, 2020, he was featured on Linkin Park frontman Mike Shinoda’s third studio album, Dropped Frames, Vol. 2, on the track “Isolation Bird.”
On July 20, 2023, he performed on the keyboard for Cypress Hill on the NPR YouTube series Tiny Desk.
Money Mark discography | |
---|---|
Studio albums | 7 |
Live albums | 1 |
EPs | 5 |
Singles | 7 |
Beastie Boys was an American hip hop/rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1981. The group was composed of Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz, Adam "MCA" Yauch, and Michael "Mike D" Diamond. Beastie Boys were formed out of members of experimental hardcore punk band The Young Aborigines, which was formed in 1979, with Diamond on drums, Jeremy Shatan on bass guitar, John Berry on guitar, and Kate Schellenbach later joining on percussion. When Shatan left New York City in mid-1981, Yauch replaced him on bass and the resulting band was named Beastie Boys. Berry left shortly thereafter and was replaced by Horovitz.
Leslie Edward Claypool is an American musician, best known as the founder, lead singer, bassist, and primary songwriter of the band Primus since its formation in 1984. Frequently considered to be one of the greatest bassists of all time, his playing style mixes tapping, flamenco-like strumming, whammy bar bends, and slapping.
I'm the Man is the second EP by American metal band Anthrax, released in 1987 by Megaforce Worldwide/Island Records. The band, along with Eddie Kramer and Paul Hammingson, produced the EP, which includes the single "I'm the Man". The single is considered among the first rap metal songs.
Fishbone is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1979, the band plays a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. AllMusic has described the group as "one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s. With their hyperactive, self-conscious diversity, goofy sense of humor, and sharp social commentary, the group gained a sizable cult following".
Sean Taro Ono Lennon is a British-American musician, songwriter, and producer. He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and half-brother to Julian Lennon. Over the course of his career, he has been a member of the bands Cibo Matto, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, The Claypool Lennon Delirium and his parents' group Plastic Ono Band. He has released two solo albums: Into the Sun (1998) and Friendly Fire (2006). He has produced numerous albums for various artists, including Black Lips and the Plastic Ono Band.
Check Your Head is the third studio album by the American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released on April 21, 1992, by Grand Royal and Capitol Records. Three years elapsed between the releases of the band's previous studio album Paul's Boutique (1989) and Check Your Head, which was recorded at the G-Son Studios in Atwater Village in 1991 under the guidance of producer Mario Caldato Jr., the group's third producer in as many albums. Less sample-heavy than their previous records, the album features instrumental contributions from all three members: Adam Horovitz on guitar, Adam Yauch on bass guitar, and Mike Diamond on drums.
Mo' Wax was a British record label founded by James Lavelle in 1992. The label was not co-founded by Tim Goldsworthy, as is often reported. Steve Finan became co-owner shortly after.
Luscious Jackson is an alternative rock/rap-rock group formed in 1991. The band's name is a reference to former American basketball player Lucious Jackson.
"I'm Down" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on a non-album single as the B-side to "Help!" in July 1965. The song originated in McCartney's attempt to write a song in the style of Little Richard, whose song "Long Tall Sally" the band regularly covered.
Push the Button is the second studio album by American musician Money Mark, originally released on the Mo' Wax label in 1998. It peaked at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart.
The Slickee Boys were a Washington, D.C.-area punk-psychedelic-garage rock band whose most-remembered lineup consisted of guitarist Marshall Keith, guitarist Kim Kane, singer Mark Noone and drummer Dan Palenski. The group was named after a GI slang term for the rockabilly-inspired Korean street toughs who sold black market goods to American soldiers.
"Hey Ladies" is a song by American hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, featured on their album Paul's Boutique. It was the album's only charting single, hitting #36 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is also the first single in history to chart in the Top 20 of both the Billboard Hot Rap Singles and Modern Rock Tracks charts, hitting #10 on the former and #18 on the latter.
"Gratitude" is a song by American rap rock group the Beastie Boys, from their third studio album Check Your Head. It was released in October 1992 as the fourth single for the album, primarily serviced to modern rock radio. The live version B-side was recorded in September 1992.
The Mix-Up is the seventh studio album by the American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released on June 26, 2007. The album consists entirely of instrumental performances and won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album.
Evan Bernard is an American director of commercials and music videos who has directed videos for artists such as The Chicks, Moby, the Beastie Boys, Green Day, Lit, Cibo Matto and many others.
Live in Los Angeles is a promotional live album by Paul McCartney recorded during a secret performance on 27 June 2007 at Amoeba Music in Hollywood, California. The album was released only in the United Kingdom and Ireland through a special promotion run by The Mail on Sunday and the Irish Sunday Mail.
Hot Sauce Committee Part Two is the eighth and final studio album by the American hip hop group Beastie Boys, released on May 3, 2011, through Capitol Records. The project was originally planned to be released in two parts, with Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 1 originally planned for release in 2009. The release was delayed after band member Adam "MCA" Yauch's cancer diagnosis. After a two-year delay, only one collection of tracks, Part Two, was released and the plan for a two-part album was eventually abandoned after Yauch's death on May 4, 2012.
"Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)" is a hit single by Raspberries, released in September 1974, on the Capitol label. It was written by band leader Eric Carmen, who also provided the lead vocals. It was the first single release from their fourth and final LP, Starting Over.
The Claypool Lennon Delirium is an American rock band, composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, known for his work in Primus, guitarist/vocalist Sean Ono Lennon from The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, keyboardist/vocalist João Nogueira from Stone Giant, and drummer Paulo Baldi of Cake. Lennon classified the group's music as "progadelic".
Born February 10, 1960 in Detroit, MI.