Musicology

Mark-Almond - Rising 1972

British session musicians Jon Mark (vocals, guitar, drums) and Johnny Almond (vocals, woodwinds, vibes, percussion) met while playing together in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and left in 1970 to form Mark-Almond, sometimes referred to as the Mark-Almond Band. Prior to his career with Mayall, Mark and Mick Jagger co-produced Marianne Faithfull's early albums, with Mark later writing material for her and touring with her. He also toured with folksinger Alun Davies, and the two formed an ill-fated band called Sweet Thursday. Almond, meanwhile, had played in Zoot Money's Big Roll Band, the Alan Price Set, and Johnny Almond's Music Machine. Both joined the Bluesbreakers in 1969 and appeared on the albums Turning Point and Empty Rooms; they left in 1970 and recruited bassist Rodger Sutton and keyboardist Tommy Eyre. The group built something of a following through touring, with their live shows often featuring lengthy instrumental jams. The group's roster grew to seven members by 1973 before disbanding that year. Mark, despite losing a finger in an accident, recorded the solo album Songs for a Friend in 1975. He and Almond reunited that year and released To the Heart in 1976; they got a deal with A&M in 1978 and released Other People's Rooms, but neither LP was successful and the duo broke up for good. AllMusic.

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