Marc Almond

Date of Birth: 08/07/1957

"All my life I have lived in darkness. Night - my time. All my friends, people with whom I was connected - nocturnal creatures. I turn aside from daylight for many years "


"Marc Almond has made a disco in the confessional. Kabaretochny sinner-religionist, his songs - the same philosophy of the boudoir, wet Truth and disco Venus in Furs. Tattooed handsome on his chest and arms angels fighting demons picturesquely. Style Almond in England called "torch song", literally - "the torch song" within the meaning of - "cruel romance". Very similar.


Peter Marc Almond was born July 9 1957. in the English town of Southport. Pankoval, estetstvoval. I love to walk on a winter beach and paint rocks. After school, Almond leaves the house and moved to London where he entered the College of Fine Arts and Performances.

. The caller of a teenager 19 years old, vain student bohemian institution adored Marc Bolan and "Kraftwerk", admired by Andrew Logan
. In 1976, dressed as a punk Presley first appeared on the scene of one of the tiny clubs in London, but their own songs almost did not sing - preferring to perform cover versions of their idols.

In 1980. Almond, who had had time to work graphic artist, created a synth-pop duo "Soft Cell" with the multi-David Ball. But he also glorified.

"Soft Cell" - dances, gay romantic, naive synth sounds and their corresponding. Sex, passion, death. His first work of a duo called quite typical: "Destruction" (1980). Luxury, kitsch and understood in its own decadence: Mark looked like a quivering model magazine for boys (tightened the skin, looks languidly), how imperious mistress (in silks and rings). By the way, Almond really tried himself as a model and it is succeeded. At least, through the efforts of well-known designers Pierre et Gilles, he gained just too glossy appearance: plastic youth with glycerin tears on my cheek.

This "Soft Cell" recorded the famous hit "Tainted Love" - single with this song even got in the Guinness Book of Records as the biggest selling in the history of U.S. charts. Before the collapse of "Soft Sell" Mark has tried many things, many of whom had made friends. Even started a friendship with a musical provocateur Genesis P-Orridge - treacherous ideologue of the legendary group "Psychic TV" and the founder of the temple of psychic youth, whose activities had little to do with music itself ... Later Almond sang with Nick Cave and Lydia Lunch, helped record albums from the group of radical traditionalists "Coil", and they, in turn, the quail "Tainted love" in his own way, making almost disco wearing a viscous chronicle of the fall. In the video for this track fly slowly dying in the sweet honey of eternity, and the Almond, appearing in several frames, appears almost dark angel. Tempter certainly.

Before starting his solo career, Marc founded the group "Marc and the Mambas" with Matt Johnson from "The The" and Annie Hogan. On the first album the group with the straightforward title "Untitled" (1982) featured a cover version of Lou Reed, Syd Barrett, and Jacques Brel. Last Mark perepeval very often, and subsequently, on his solo album. Then they released their second album "Torment and Torreros" (1983), executed in the same vein, after which the group promptly disbanded.

. Then, in 1984, formed another project with the speaker called "The Willing Sinners", released the album "Vermin in Ermine" (1984), quite kabaretochny, and "Stories of Johnny" (1985)
. At home a hero in England, swells hardball cult around his name in America as Almond's writing is not produced.

The first real solo album became Almond "Mother Fist ... abd Her Five Daugters "(1987), traditionally considered to be almost the weakest of his work. In the same year in sales came a collection of singles in three years, from 1984 to 1987. Later Mark sported as he could from 1982 to 1999. he managed to try a variety of styles, recording a glam-rock, disco, the pathos symphony Exercise. With varying degrees of success: a masterpiece, or unspeakably. From the most amusing - LP "Jacques" in 1989, consisting of perepevok Jacques Brel and a collection of cover versions of French songs touching "Absinthe - The French album" (1996).


Latest CD "Open all night", released in March of 1999, the press, without stint, assessed as the best of his solo work over many years - ten years, say. Here all the same mannered songs and touching hedonism, but in the trendy and thoughtful frame. Trip-hop in general, as well as originally understood, blues, jazz and nervous any mrachnovatenkie voodoo tricks of the film class "B". Appears on two duets - with Kelly Dayton, the former soloist of the popular e-team Sneaker Pimps, and singer of the old guard Syuksi Sue (both duet - a long-standing dream of his). With the new program Almond even visited Russia, having played a wonderful concert in Moscow Chekhov Art Theater. Gorky.