Louisa Lynthia Mark, also known as "Markswoman" (11 January 1960 – 17 October 2009), was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

lovers rock Lovers' rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid-1970s.Larkin, Col ...

singer, best known for her work between the mid-1970s and early 1980s. Her 1975 single "Caught You in a Lie" is regarded as the first lovers rock single.

Biography

Mark was born in

Kensal Rise Kensal Green is an area in north-west London. It lies mainly in the London Borough of Brent, with a small part to the south within Kensington and Chelsea. Kensal Green is located on the Harrow Road, about miles from Charing Cross. To the w ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

to Grenadian immigrant parents, and grew up in

Shepherd's Bush Shepherd's Bush is a district of West London, England, within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham west of Charing Cross, and identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan. Although primarily residential in character, i ...

. She had her introduction to the music business initially by working as guest vocalist on Dennis Bovell's Sufferer sound system, followed by a residency at the Metro club in Westbourne Park, and via "Star Search" talent contests held at the

Four Aces club The Four Aces Club was a pioneering music and recreational space on Dalston Lane in London Borough of Hackney, Hackney, London. Based in a building that had formerly been the North London Colosseum and Amphitheatre and then a cinema, in the 1960 ...

Dalston Dalston () is an area of East London, in the London Borough of Hackney. It is northeast of Charing Cross. Dalston began as a hamlet on either side of Dalston Lane, and as the area urbanised the term also came to apply to surrounding areas includ ...

, where she won for ten consecutive weeks.Larkin, Colin (1998), ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Reggae'', Virgin Books, , p. 181. Sound-system operator and

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

Lloyd Coxsone Lloyd Coxsone (born Lloyd Blackford, c. 1945) is a Jamaican-born sound system operator and record producer, who has been resident in the United Kingdom since 1962. Biography Blackford was born in Morant Bay, Jamaica, c.1945, and moved to Wandswo ...

provided dub plates for the contestants to sing over at the contests and, in late 1974, provided the fifteen-year-old Mark with her first recording session, at Gooseberry Studios, where she recorded a

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

of Robert Parker's "Caught You in a Lie", on which she was backed by Matumbi, the single also being released in

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

Gussie Clarke Augustus "Gussie" Clarke (born 1954) is a reggae producer who worked with some of the top Jamaican reggae artists in the 1970s and later set up his own Music Works studio. Career Clarke started working in the music industry by cutting dub plat ...

.Barrow, Steve, & Dalton, Peter (2004), ''The Rough Guide to Reggae, 3rd edn.'', Rough Guides, , p. 394. "Caught You in a Lie" is considered the first lovers rock single.Bradley, Lloyd (2000), ''This is Reggae Music: The Story of Jamaica's Music'', Penguin, , p. 440. It gave her an instant hit with reggae audiences, and was followed by a version of

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

' "All My Loving". Her career was interrupted after a dispute with Coxsone and she concentrated on finishing her studies. After leaving school, Mark resumed her musical career working with

Trojan Records Trojan Records is a British record label founded in 1968. It specialises in ska, rocksteady, reggae and dub music. The label currently operates under the Sanctuary Records Group. The name ''Trojan'' comes from the Croydon-built Trojan truck t ...

house producer and A&R manager

Clement Bushay Clement "Clem" Bushay (born 1955) is a British reggae producer who also ran the ''Bushays'' record label. Biography Hailed the creator of the 'Lovers Rock' genre in the UK, Bushay's productions in the early 1970s were issued by Trojan Records, ...

, and songwriter/arranger Joseph "Tunga" Charles (of Zabandis), releasing "Keep it Like It Is". She stayed with Bushay for further releases on his own Bushays label including her rendition of

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's "Even Though You're Gone", "Six Sixth Street", and her début album ''Breakout'' (1981). She was unhappy with the album, feeling that it had been released before it had been properly finished, and did not record again for over a year. Mark returned to the studio in 1982, recording "Mum and Dad" (arranged by

Sly & Robbie Sly and Robbie were a prolific Jamaican rhythm section and production duo, associated primarily with the reggae and dub genres. Drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare teamed up in the mid-1970s after establishing themselves separat ...

). Mark was voted Artist of The Year in the 1978 Reggae Awards (UK).

Death

On the 18 October 2009 edition of his

BBC London BBC London is the BBC English Region producing local radio, television, teletext and online services in London and parts of the surrounding area. Its output includes the daily ''BBC London News'' and weekly '' Sunday Politics'' on television, ...

radio show,

Dotun Adebayo Oludotun Davey Moore "Dotun" Adebayo (born 25 August 1959) is a British radio presenter, writer, and publisher. He is best known for his work on '' Up All Night'' on BBC Radio 5 Live, as well as the obituary programme ''Brief Lives''. Early ...

reported that Mark had died of poisoning in

Gambia The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...

, where she had been residing. On 20 October 2009,

confirmed the story, stating cause of death was a

stomach ulcer The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The stomach has a dilated structure and functions as a vital organ in the digestive system. The stomach is ...

."Black Community Louisa Marks Legendary Lovers Rock Singer has Died".

Discography

Albums

*''Breakout'' (1981), Bushays

Singles

*"Caught You in a Lie" (1975), Safari - 7" *"All My Loving" (1975), Safari - 7" *"Even Though You're Gone" (1978), Bushays - 12" *"Six Sixth Street" (1978), Bushays *"Caught You in a Lie" (1979), Voyage International - 12", B-side by Clinton Grant *"People in Love" (1980), Radic - 12" *"All My Loving (1984), Voyage International - 7" *"Caught You in a Lie" (1984), Code - 12" *"Hello There" (1984), Oak Sound - 12", Louisa Mark & Zabandis *"Mum and Dad" (1982), Bushays, 12" *"Keep It Like It Is" (1986), Trojan - 7"/12" *"Reunited" b/w "Reunited Stepping Out" with Kevin & The Bushrangers, Bushays, BFM 113, 12" *"Foolish Fool", Sky Note, 12"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mark, Louisa 1960 births 2009 deaths People from Kensal Green Lovers rock musicians 20th-century Black British women singers British reggae musicians