Marc Almond

Marc Almond is an English pop singer, songwriter and recording artist from Southport, United Kingdom. Born Peter Mark Sinclair Almond in 1957, he first becomes widely known as one half of the synthpop and new wave duo Soft Cell.

Career

Almond’s career spans several decades and includes work as a solo artist, as part of Soft Cell, and with Marc and the Mambas. Soft Cell forms with Dave Ball and makes a string of chart hits in the early 1980s, including “Tainted Love”, “Bedsitter”, “Torch”, “Say Hello Wave Goodbye”, “Soul Inside”, “What?” and the club track “Memorabilia”. The duo disbands in 1984 before the release of their fourth album, This Last Night In Sodom, then reunites for live performances in 2001 and releases Cruelty Without Beauty in 2002.

As a solo performer, Almond achieves his biggest UK hits with cover versions. These include the 1989 number one duet with Gene Pitney on “Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart”, and a 1991 version of David McWilliams’ “The Days of Pearly Spencer”, which reaches number four. He also records “I Feel Love (Medley)” with Jimmy Somerville and Bronski Beat, which reaches number three in 1985. His own songs reach the UK chart with “Stories of Johnny”, “Tears Run Rings” and “Adored and Explored”.

Style and influences

Almond’s work covers electronica, dance music, French chanson, piano ballads and Russian romance songs. His 2003 album Heart on Snow shows this range. His influences include David Bowie, Northern Soul, disco, Scott Walker and Jacques Brel. He reworks 12 Brel songs in English for the album Jacques in 1989.

Collaborations and projects

After his work with Soft Cell and Marc and the Mambas, Almond collaborates with a wide range of artists including Antony and The Johnsons, Jools Holland, Siouxsie Sioux, Nick Cave, P.J. Proby, Nico, Kelli Ali, Neal X, Marie France, Agnes Bernelle, Lydia Lunch, Foetus, Jimmy Somerville, Psychic TV, Coil, Sally Timms, King Roc, John Cale, David Johansen and Rosenstolz. He works with Gene Pitney on “Something’s Gotten Hold of My Heart”, and with Neal X on the albums Fantastic Star and Open All Night. He also appears with Jimmy Somerville and Bronski Beat on the Donna Summer cover “I Feel Love (Medley)”.

Record label and writing

Almond runs Blue Star Music, a label on which he releases many of his solo and collaborative records in the UK. He describes his own lyrics as imaginative expressions rather than direct accounts of his life.

Later life

He lives in Bermondsey, south east London. He has also previously lived in Earl’s Court, in a converted church in Fulham, and in Soho’s Berwick Street, where he lives in a flat overlooking the Raymond Revuebar.