John & Mary | |
|---|---|
 John & Mary | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Buffalo, New York, United States |
| Genres | Folk, folk rock |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Labels | Rykodisc |
| Members | John Lombardo Mary Ramsey |
John & Mary is a United States-based folk rock duo featuring John Lombardo and Mary Ramsey both members of alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs.
John & Mary was formed by John Lombardo and Mary Ramsey soon after they first met in Buffalo, NY in December 1989. Lombardo, one of the founding members of 10,000 Maniacs and responsible for much of their early sound, had left the band in 1986 due to "creative and political" differences. [ citation needed ] The pair signed with Rykodisc in 1990 and recorded their first album Victory Gardens which was released in 1991, and were the opening act for the Maniacs on the Time Capsule Tour in late 1990. [1] [2] They followed up with their second release, The Weedkiller's Daughter , also on Rykodisc, in 1993.
Both joined (or re-joined) the Maniacs as full-time members in 1994 after Natalie Merchant's departure. [3] The duo released two albums with the Maniacs, 1997's Love Among the Ruins , which contained a cover of the Roxy Music song "More Than This" that reached number 25 on the U.S. Hot 100 chart, and 1999's The Earth Pressed Flat . Lombardo and Ramsey continued to perform occasionally as John & Mary between tours. After the death of the Maniacs' lead guitar player Rob Buck in December 2000, the Maniacs went on hiatus, following which, Ramsey was replaced with singer Oskar Saville from the Chicago-based band Rubygrass. Lombardo quit the group at the same time.
After leaving 10,000 Maniacs, John & Mary began work on a new album in 2001. The Pinwheel Galaxy was released in December 2002 and the duo began a ten date national tour to promote it. The two performed locally around Buffalo regularly from 2002 to 2006. Ramsey was rehired by 10,000 Maniacs as a viola player and backing vocalist for the 2006 shows with Oskar Saville and returned to the lead vocalist spot after the departure of Saville in 2007.
In late 2006, John & Mary began working with a new backing band, the Valkyries, [4] made up of some of the best local Buffalo musicians, and their latest album, Peace Bridge was released the following year. Lombardo and Ramsey both have continued to appear regularly with 10,000 Maniacs during 2008–2017 as well as doing regular shows as John & Mary with the Valkyries.
10,000 Maniacs is an American alternative rock band that was founded in 1981. They have released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums. They achieved their most significant success between 1987 and 1993, when they released four albums that charted in the top 50 in the US: In My Tribe (1987), Blind Man's Zoo (1989), Our Time in Eden (1992) and the live album MTV Unplugged (1993). After the recording but before the release of MTV Unplugged, original lead singer and songwriter Natalie Merchant left the band to pursue a solo career, while the remaining members continued the band.
Robert Norman Buck was an American guitarist and founding member of the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Some of his compositions with Natalie Merchant are among the most popular songs recorded by 10,000 Maniacs, including "What's the Matter Here", "Hey Jack Kerouac", "You Happy Puppet" and "These Are Days".
Our Time in Eden is the fifth studio album by American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. It was released in 1992 on Elektra Records. The release is 10,000 Maniacs' last studio album with original lead singer Natalie Merchant. The album included her future replacement Mary Ramsey on violin and viola on such tracks as "Stockton Gala Days" and "How You've Grown". Singles released from the album were "These Are Days", "Candy Everybody Wants" and "Few and Far Between". The brass and woodwind section is covered by the J.B.'s, or James Brown's band. The album had the working title African Violet Society.
Hope Chest: The Fredonia Recordings 1982–1983, also known as just Hope Chest, is a compilation album of songs by American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs, released in 1990 by Elektra Records. It compiles tracks from their early releases Human Conflict Number Five (1982) and Secrets of the I Ching (1983). All tracks on the album are remixed from their original versions.
Victory Gardens (1991) is the debut album from John & Mary, recorded in 1990 just six months after the two met in December 1989 and immediately following their signing with Rykodisc. John Lombardo, former member of 10,000 Maniacs and responsible for much of their early music, brought elements of the early Maniacs sound with him. Combined with the classically trained Mary Ramsey's blend of folk and classical influences, the album is considered by some to be heir to the 10,000 Maniacs album The Wishing Chair (1985), critically acclaimed for linking traditional influences with the contemporary new-wave sound.
John Lombardo is one of the founding members of the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs and one of the band's most influential members, writing much of its early material. He is also a member of folk rock duo John & Mary.
Mary Ramsey is a member of folk rock duo John & Mary and former lead singer and violinist for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Ramsey has also worked with other well-known artists such as Jackson Browne, Goo Goo Dolls, Billy Bragg, Warren Zevon, Alex Chilton and Ani DiFranco.
Secrets of the I Ching is the first album by American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs, released in 1983 by Mark Records. While the album also contained the band's own Christian Burial Music imprint, the label itself was fictitious.
Human Conflict Number Five is the debut EP by American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs, released in 1982 by Mark Records. While the EP also contained the band's own Christian Burial Music imprint, the label itself was fictitious.
MTV Unplugged is a 1993 live album and video by American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs, recorded for the MTV Unplugged series. The album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and spawned the hit single "Because the Night", a cover of the song written by Patti Smith and Bruce Springsteen. Between the recording and release of the album, vocalist Natalie Merchant left the band to pursue a solo career.
Love Among the Ruins (1997) is the sixth studio album by American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs and the first to feature new lead singer Mary Ramsey, following Natalie Merchant's departure in 1993.
The Earth Pressed Flat is the seventh album by 10,000 Maniacs, released in 1999. The album contains nine songs that had been written for, but not used in, the band's previous album, Love Among the Ruins: "The Earth Pressed Flat", "Once a City", "On & On ", "Somebody's Heaven", "Cabaret", "Beyond the Blue", "Smallest Step", "Time Turns" and "Hidden in My Heart". "Beyond the Blue" and "Time Turns" had been released on the single "More Than This", but were re-recorded for this album.
Jerome Stanley Augustyniak is the drummer for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. Augustyniak joined the band in March 1983, two years after the group formed. Augustyniak continues to perform with the band who tour extensively. With 10,000 Maniacs, he is a member of the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.
Steven E. "Steve" Gustafson is the bass guitarist for the American alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs. He, Dennis Drew and John Lombardo are the only remaining founding members of the group. Drummer Jerome Augustyniak has been with the band since 1982. Singer Mary Ramsey has been working with the band since 1992 and has been the band's lead singer since 1994. Guitarist Jeff Erickson, former tech for Robert Buck, has been playing lead guitar with the band since 2001.
Live Twenty-Five is a 2006 live album by 10,000 Maniacs, recorded to commemorate the band's 25th anniversary, and was only sold on tour. It is their first release with Oskar Saville as lead singer.
The Weedkiller's Daughter (1993) is the second album from John & Mary.
Peace Bridge (2007) is the fourth album from John & Mary, their first with the Valkyries.
Music from the Motion Picture is an album by 10,000 Maniacs. The album, their first full-length in 14 years, contains eleven original songs. This album is the first to feature guitarist Jeff Erickson since he took over for Robert Buck following his death in 2000, and the first Maniacs album to feature Mary Ramsey without her longtime music partner, John Lombardo. In addition to his guitar efforts, Erickson provides the first male lead vocals on a Maniacs song since John Lombardo's vocal on the Human Conflict Number Five album of 1982. As with 1999's The Earth Pressed Flat and the following 2015 album Twice Told Tales, the album did not chart in either the US or the UK.
Twice Told Tales is the ninth studio album by Jamestown, New York band 10,000 Maniacs. It is an album that consists of many traditional folk songs from the British Isles. For this album, they team up with producer Armand John Petri, who had worked with the band since 1991, as well as producing their 1999 album The Earth Pressed Flat. Coming back into the fold was founding member John Lombardo, who had supplied the band with a cassette full of songs he loved, as well as putting together the arrangements. The band funded the project through the online direct-to-fan music platform PledgeMusic. The funding drive ran from May 2014 to March 2015. Early promotion of the project included a concert held at the Reg Lenna Center For The Arts in Jamestown, which was also streamed online. The album was released through Cleopatra Records on April 10, 2015.
Playing Favorites is a live album by 10,000 Maniacs released in 2016. The album was recorded on September 13, 2014, at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts in Jamestown, New York. This is their first live album with current lead vocalist Mary Ramsey and also marks the return of founding member John Lombardo who contributes lead vocals on "My Mother the War".
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
