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Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, (born 9 July 1957) is an English singer. Almond first began performing and recording in the
synthpop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
/ new wave duo
Soft Cell Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their plat ...
where he became known for his distinctive soulful voice and androgynous image. He has also had a diverse career as a solo artist. His collaborations include a duet with
Gene Pitney Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four in the top ten. In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 hit singles, inclu ...
on the 1989 UK number one single "
Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" is a song written by Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook. Originally recorded by David and Jonathan, and then Gene Pitney in 1967, the latter's version of the song reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in Dece ...
". Almond's career spanning over four decades has enjoyed critical and commercial acclaim, and he has sold over 30 million records worldwide. He spent a month in a coma after a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2004 and later became a patron of the brain trauma charity Headway. He was appointed
Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(OBE) in the
2018 New Year Honours The 2018 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...
for services to arts and culture.


Early life

Almond was born in
Southport Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. At the 2001 census, it had a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England. Southport lies on the Irish ...
, Lancashire, the son of Sandra Mary Diesen and Peter John Sinclair Almond, a
Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
in the
King's Liverpool Regiment The King's Regiment (Liverpool) was one of the oldest line infantry regiments of the British Army, having been formed in 1685 and numbered as the 8th (The King's) Regiment of Foot in 1751. Unlike most British Army infantry regiments, which were ...
. He was brought up nearby at his grandparents' house in
Birkdale Birkdale is an area of Southport, within the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, Merseyside, though historically in Lancashire, in the north-west of England. The area is located on the Irish Sea coast, approximately a mile away from the centre of S ...
with his younger sister, Julia, and as a child suffered from
bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...
and
asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...
. When he was four, they left their grandparents' house and moved to Starbeck, Harrogate. Two years later they returned to Southport, and then moved to Horsforth, West Yorkshire. There, he attended Horsforth Featherbank Infant School. At the age of 11, Almond attended
Aireborough Grammar School Aireborough Grammar School was an English state grammar school situated on the Yeadon / Guiseley border in Aireborough, West Yorkshire. The school was founded in 1910 and closed in 1991. History In January 1906, a meeting of Rawdon, Yeadon, Gu ...
near
Leeds, West Yorkshire Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populatio ...
. He found solace in music, listening to British radio pioneer
John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
. The first album he purchased was the soundtrack of the stage musical ''
Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...
'' and the first single " Green Manalishi" by
Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...
. He later became a great fan of
Marc Bolan Marc Bolan ( ; born Mark Feld; 30 September 1947 – 16 September 1977) was an English guitarist, singer and songwriter. He was a pioneer of the glam rock movement in the early 1970s with his band T. Rex. Bolan was posthumously inducted in ...
and
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
and got a part-time job as a stable boy to fund his musical tastes. After his parents' divorce in 1972, he moved with his mother back to Southport where he attended King George V School. He gained two
O-Level The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-dept ...
s in Art and English and was accepted onto a General Art and Design course at Southport College, specialising in
Performance Art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...
. Almond applied to
Leeds Polytechnic Leeds Beckett University (LBU), formerly known as Leeds Metropolitan University (LMU) and before that as Leeds Polytechnic, is a public university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has campuses in the city centre and Headingley. The unive ...
, where he was interviewed by
Jeff Nuttall Jeffrey Addison Nuttall (8 July 1933 – 4 January 2004) was an English poet, publisher, actor, painter, sculptor, jazz trumpeter, anarchist and social commentator who was a key part of the British 1960s counter-culture. He was the brother of l ...
, also a performance artist, who accepted him on the strength of his performing skills. During his time at art college, he did a series of performance theatre pieces: ''Zazou'', ''Glamour in Squalor'', ''Twilights and Lowlifes'', as well as
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
inspired mini-movies. ''Zazou'' was reviewed by '' The Yorkshire Evening Post'' and described as "one of the most nihilistic depressing pieces that I have ever had the misfortune to see", prompting Almond to later refer to it as a "success" in his autobiography. He left art college with a 2:1 honours degree. He later credited writer and artist
Molly Parkin Molly Parkin (born Molly Noyle Thomas, 3 February 1932) is a Welsh painter, novelist and journalist, who became most well-known for her work on ''Nova'' magazine, newspapers and television in the 1960s. Early life Parkin was born on 3 February ...
with discovering him. It was at Leeds Polytechnic that Almond met David Ball, a fellow student; they formed
Soft Cell Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their plat ...
in 1977. As a child, Almond listened to his parents' record collection, which included his mother's "Let's Dance" by
Chris Montez Chris Montez (born Ezekiel Christopher Montañez on January 17, 1943) is an American guitarist and vocalist, whose stylistic approach has ranged from rock & roll to pop standards and Latin music. His rock sound is exemplified in songs such as hi ...
and " The Twist" by
Chubby Checker Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) is an American rock and roll singer and dancer. He is widely known for popularizing many dance styles, including The Twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard & The Midnighte ...
, as well as his father's collection of jazz, including
Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...
and
Eartha Kitt Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Ba ...
. As an adolescent, Almond listened to
Radio Caroline Radio Caroline is a British radio station founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly and Alan Crawford initially to circumvent the record companies' control of popular music broadcasting in the United Kingdom and the BBC's radio broadcasting monopoly. ...
and
Radio Luxembourg Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg). The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...
. He listened at first to
progressive music Progressive music is music that attempts to expand existing stylistic boundaries associated with specific genres of music. The word comes from the basic concept of "progress", which refers to advancements through accumulation, and is often de ...
,
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
, and rock, and bands such as Free, Jethro Tull,
Van der Graaf Generator Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester by singer-songwriters Peter Hammill and Judge Smith, Chris Judge Smith and the first act signed by Charisma Records. They did not experience much commerc ...
,
The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
, and
The Doors The Doors were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential ro ...
. He bought the first ever issue of ''Sounds'' because it contained a free poster of
Jimmy Page James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
. Almond became a fan of Bolan after hearing him on ''The
John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
Show'', buying the T. Rex single " Ride a White Swan". From then on, Almond "followed everything Marc Bolan did" and it was his obsession with Bolan that prompted Almond to adopt the "Marc" spelling of his name.Sinclair, David (2007
"Marc Bolan: the celebration"
''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'', 17 September 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2010
He discovered the songs of
Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (, ; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, l ...
through Bowie as well as Alex Harvey and
Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop music, p ...
. Brel became a major influence.


Career


1980s

Almond and Dave Ball formed the synthesiser-based duo Soft Cell and signed to the Some Bizzare label. Their hits included "
Tainted Love "Tainted Love" is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of American group the Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964. It attained worldwide fame after being covered and reworked by British synthpop duo Soft Cell in 1 ...
" (UK No. 1), "
Bedsitter A bedsit, bedsitter, or bed-sitting room is a form of accommodation common in some parts of the United Kingdom which consists of a single room occupancy, single room per occupant with all occupants typically sharing a bathroom. Bedsits are includ ...
" (UK No. 4), " Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" (UK No. 3), "
Torch A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end, which is ignited and used as a light source. Torches have been used throughout history, and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggling entertainment. In ...
" (UK No. 2), " What!" (UK No. 3), "Soul Inside" (UK No. 16), and the club hit "Memorabilia". Soft Cell's first release was an independent record (funded by Dave Ball's mother) entitled "Mutant Moments" via Red Rhino Records in 1980. "Mutant Moments" came to the attention of music entrepreneur Stevo Pearce, who at the time was compiling a "futurist" chart for the music papers Record Mirror and ''
Sounds In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...
'' which featured young, upcoming and experimental bands of the new wave of electronic sound. He signed the duo to his
Some Bizzare Some Bizzare Records was a British independent record label owned by Stevo Pearce. The label was founded in 1981, with the release of '' Some Bizzare Album'', a compilation of unsigned bands including Depeche Mode, Soft Cell, the The, Neu E ...
label and they enjoyed a string of nine Top 40 hit singles and four Top 20 albums in the UK between 1981 and 1984. They recorded three albums in New York with producer Mike Thorne: ''
Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret ''Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret'' is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released on 27 November 1981 by Some Bizzare Records. The album's critical and commercial success was bolstered by the success of its lead single, a cov ...
'', ''
Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing ''Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing'' is a 'mini' or 'remix' album by English synth-pop duo Soft Cell, released in the United Kingdom in June 1982, by Some Bizzare Records. In addition to remixes of the group's older material, it included a brand-new tr ...
'' and '' The Art of Falling Apart''. Almond became involved with the New York Underground Art Scene at this time with writer/DJ
Anita Sarko Anita Sarko (c. 1947 – October 18, 2015) was an American DJ and journalist. She grew up in Detroit, then attended the University of Arizona and graduated from the Michigan State University. She moved to New York City in 1979 and was the DJ in the ...
, which led him to meet artists including
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
and perform at a number of Art events. "Tainted Love", a cover of a
Gloria Jones Gloria Richetta Jones (born October 19, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter who first found success in the United Kingdom, being recognized there as "The Queen of Northern Soul". She recorded the 1965 hit song " Tainted Love" and has w ...
Northern Soul classic, was number one in the UK and in many countries over the world, and was in the ''
Guinness Book of Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' for a while as the record that spent the longest time in the
Billboard Top 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming in ...
chart in the US. It also won the best-single award of 1981 at the first Brit Awards. Soft Cell brought an otherwise obscure Northern Soul classic to mass public attention and their version of the song is, to date, the UK's 59th best-selling single of all time, selling over one million copies in the UK. In 1982, Almond formed
Marc and the Mambas Marc and the Mambas were a new wave group, formed by Marc Almond in 1982 as an offshoot project from Soft Cell. The band's line-up changed frequently, and included Matt Johnson from and Annie Hogan, with whom Almond worked later in his solo ...
as an offshoot project from Soft Cell. Marc and the Mambas was a loose experimental collective that set the template for the artist that Almond would become. The Mambas at various times included Matt Johnson,
Steve James Sherlock Steve James Sherlock (born 1953) is a British composer, musician, saxophone player who was a founder member of Neu Electrikk, joined Matt Johnson in the Post punk band The The and notably Marc Almond in Marc and the Mambas. Career summary Sh ...
, Lee Jenkinson, Peter Ashworth,
Jim Thirlwell James George Thirlwell (born 29 January 1960), also known as Clint Ruin, Frank Want, and Foetus, among other names, is an Australian musician, composer, and record producer. He is known for juxtaposing a variety of different musical styles. ...
and Anni Hogan, with whom Almond worked later in his solo career. Under the Mambas moniker, Almond recorded two albums, ''
Untitled Untitled or (Untitled) may refer to: Artworks * '' Untitled (2004)'', by Banksy * ''Untitled'' (1982 painting), by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat * ''Untitled'' (Devil), a 1982 painting by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat * ''Untitled ...
'' and the seminal double opus ''
Torment and Toreros ''Torment and Toreros'' is the second album to be released by Marc and the Mambas. The album reached #28 on the UK album charts in August 1983. The song "Torment" was written by Marc Almond, Steven Severin of Siouxsie and the Banshees, Robert Sm ...
''. He disbanded the collective when it started to feel too much like a regular band. Soft Cell disbanded in 1984 just before the release of their fourth album, ''
This Last Night in Sodom ''This Last Night in Sodom'' is the third full-length album by the English synth-pop duo Soft Cell. It was released in March 1984, about a month after the duo (Marc Almond and David Ball) publicly announced they were dissolving the partnership ...
'', but the duo briefly reunited in 2001. Almond's first proper solo album was ''
Vermin in Ermine ''Vermin in Ermine'' is the début solo studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released in October 1984 and reached number 36 on the UK Albums Chart. ''Vermin in Ermine'' includes the singles "The Boy Who Came Back", "Yo ...
'', released in 1984. Produced by Mike Hedges, it featured musicians from the Mambas outfit,
Annie Hogan Annie Hogan (sometimes spelled as Anni Hogan) also known as Ann Margaret Hogan is a British musician, record producer, composer and club DJ, born in 1961. Originally known for her association with British musician Marc Almond, Hogan has since c ...
,
Martin McCarrick Martin McCarrick (born 29 July 1962) is an English cellist, keyboardist, guitarist and composer. Aside from being a live and recording artist, he is also a teacher and visiting lecturer in music. Career His first recording in the pop/rock ar ...
and Billy McGee. This ensemble, known as The Willing Sinners, worked alongside Almond for the subsequent albums '' Stories of Johnny'' (1985) from which the title track became a minor hit, and '' Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters'' (1987), also produced by Mike Hedges. The latter album was highly acclaimed in reviews, with Ned Raggett writing that the 'Mother Fist' album "embraces classic European cabaret to wonderful effect, more so than any American or English rock album since Bowie's ''Aladdin Sane'' or Lou Reed's ''Berlin''." McCarrick left The Willing Sinners in 1987 to join
Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine in ...
, from which point Hogan and McGee became known as La Magia. Almond signed to EMI and released the album '' The Stars We Are'' in 1988. This album featured Almond's version of "
Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart" is a song written by Roger Greenaway and Roger Cook. Originally recorded by David and Jonathan, and then Gene Pitney in 1967, the latter's version of the song reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in Dece ...
", which was later re-recorded as a duet with the song's original singer
Gene Pitney Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four in the top ten. In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 hit singles, inclu ...
and released as a single. The track reached No. 1 in the UK. It also reached number one in Germany and was a major hit in countries around the world. ''The Stars We Are'' became his biggest selling solo album in the US, and the single " Tears Run Rings" became his only solo single to peak inside the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Almond's other recordings in the 1980s included an album of Brel songs, called ''
Jacques Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...
'', and an album of dark French chansons originally performed by
Juliette Gréco Juliette Gréco (; 7 February 1927 – 23 September 2020) was a French singer and actress. Her best known songs are "Paris Canaille" (1962, originally sung by Léo Ferré), "La Javanaise" (1963, written by Serge Gainsbourg for Gréco) and "Désh ...
,
Serge Lama Serge Lama (born Serge Claude Bernard Chauvier on 11 February 1943 in Bordeaux) is a French singer and songwriter. His most famous song is '' Je suis malade'', written with Alice Dona Alice Donadel, stagename Alice Dona (Maisons-Alfort, 17 F ...
and
Léo Ferré Léo Ferré (24 August 1916 – 14 July 1993) was a French-born Monégasque poet and composer, and a dynamic and controversial live performer, whose career in France dominated the years after the Second World War until his death. He released s ...
, as well as poems by Rimbaud and Baudelaire set to music. This album was released in 1993 as ''Absinthe'', and was initially recorded in the late 1980s then finished in Paris in the early 1990s.


1990s

Almond's first release in the 1990s was the album '' Enchanted'', which spawned the UK Top 30 hit "A Lover Spurned". A further single from the album, "Waifs and Strays", was remixed by Dave Ball who was now in the electronic dance band
The Grid The Grid is an English electronic dance group, consisting of David Ball (formerly of Soft Cell) and Richard Norris, with guest contributions from other musicians. They are best known for the hits "Swamp Thing", "Texas Cowboys", "Crystal Cle ...
. In 1991, Soft Cell returned to the charts with a new remix of "Say Hello Wave Goodbye" followed by a re-release of "Tainted Love" (with a new video). The singles were issued to promote a new Soft Cell/Marc Almond compilation album, '' Memorabilia - The Singles'', which collected some of the biggest hits from Almond's career throughout the previous ten years. The album reached the UK Top 10. Almond then signed to WEA and released a new solo album, '' Tenement Symphony''. Produced partly by
Trevor Horn Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
, the album yielded three Top 40 hits including renditions of the Jacques Brel classic "Jacky" (which made the UK Top 20), and "The Days of Pearly Spencer" which returned Almond to the UK Top 5 in 1992. Later that year, Almond played a lavish one-off show at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
in London, which featured an orchestra and dancers as he performed material from his entire career. The show was recorded and released as the CD and video ''12 Years of Tears''. In 1993 Almond toured Russia (including
Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
) by invitation of the British consul in Moscow. Accompanied only by Martin Watkins on piano, he played small Soviet halls and theatres, often without amplification, and ended at the "mini Bolshoi" in Moscow. Transmitted live on television Almond made a plea for tolerance of gay people. The tour was fraught with troubles, which Almond detailed in his autobiography, but it marked the beginning of his love affair with the genre of Russian folk
torch song A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, either where one party is oblivious to the existence of the other, where one party has moved on, or where a romantic affair has affecte ...
s known as Romance. Almond's next album ''Fantastic Star'' saw him part with WEA and sign to Mercury Records. Much of ''Fantastic Star'' was originally recorded in New York with Mike Thorne, but later after signing to Mercury, was reworked in London. Almond also recorded a session for the album with John Cale, David Johanson, and Chris Spedding; some made the final cut. Other songs were produced by Mike Hedges and
Martyn Ware Martyn Ware (born 19 May 1956) is an English musician, composer, arranger, record producer, and music programmer. As a founding member of both the Human League and Heaven 17, Ware was partly responsible for hit songs such as "Being Boiled" and " ...
. Adding to the disjointed recording process was the fact that during recording Almond also spent several weeks attending a treatment centre in
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...
for addiction to prescription drugs. However, on its release ''Fantastic Star'' gave Almond a hit single with "Adored and Explored", and also minor hits and stage favourites such as "The Idol" and "Child Star". ''Fantastic Star'' was Almond's last album with a major record label, and the period also marked the ending of his managerial relationship with Stevo Pearce. Almond signed to Echo records in 1998 with a more downbeat and atmospheric electronica album, '' Open All Night''. This featured R&B and
trip hop Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...
influences, as well as torch songs for which he had become known. The album featured a duet ("Threat of Love") with
Siouxsie Sioux Susan Janet Ballion (born 27 May 1957), known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. She was the lead singer of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees (1976–1996). They released 11 ...
as well as one ("Almost Diamonds") with
Kelli Ali Kelli Ali, also known as Kelli Dayton (born 30 June 1974), is a British vocalist, who was formerly the lead singer of the trip hop group Sneaker Pimps before going on to a solo career. Career Before Sneaker Pimps, Ali was part of a group called ...
(then of the
Sneaker Pimps Sneaker Pimps are an English electronic music band, formed in Hartlepool in 1994. They are best known for their debut album, '' Becoming X'' (1996), and its singles " 6 Underground" and "Spin Spin Sugar". The band takes its name from an article ...
). "Black Kiss", "Tragedy" and "My Love" were the singles from the album ''Open All Night''.


2000s

Almond relocated in 2000 to Moscow where he rented an apartment. With the encouragement and connections of executive producer Misha Kucherenko, he embarked on a three-year recording project of Russian romance and folk songs, called '' Heart on Snow''. Featuring many Russian stars old and new such as
Boris Grebenshchikov Boris Borisovich Grebenshchikov (russian: link=no, Борис Борисович Гребенщиков; born ) is a prominent member of the generation which is widely considered to be the "founding fathers" of Russian rock music. He is the fou ...
,
Ilya Lagutenko Ilya Igorevich Lagutenko (russian: Илья́ И́горевич Лагуте́нко; born 16 October 1968) is the founder and lead singer of the rock band Mumiy Troll. Career He was born in Moscow, Soviet Union. Soon after his birth his fat ...
of the Russian band
Mumiy Troll Mumiy Troll (russian: Му́мий Тро́лль ) is a Russian rock group, founded in 1983 in Vladivostok by vocalist and songwriter Ilya Lagutenko (). The band's name translates as "mummy troll" and is a pun on '' Mumintroll'', the children's ...
,
Lyudmila Zykina Lyudmila Georgievna Zykina (russian: link=no, Людми́ла Гео́ргиевна Зы́кина; 10 June 1929 – 1 July 2009) was a national folk singer of Russia. She was born in Moscow and joined the Pyatnitsky Choir in 1947. Her surna ...
and
Alla Bayanova Alla Nikolayevna Bayanova (russian: Алла Николаевна Баянова; 18 May 1914 – 30 August 2011) was a Russian Romance singer sometimes compared with Édith Piaf for her simple yet dramatic style of performance. Bayanova was bor ...
and featuring The Rossiya Folk Orchestra conducted by Anatole Sobolev, it was the first time that such a project had been undertaken by a Western artist, many of the loved Soviet era songs sung in English for the first time. The album was produced by musician/arranger Andrei Samsonov. Almond performed many times at the famous now demolished Rossiya Concert Hall with
Lyudmila Zykina Lyudmila Georgievna Zykina (russian: link=no, Людми́ла Гео́ргиевна Зы́кина; 10 June 1929 – 1 July 2009) was a national folk singer of Russia. She was born in Moscow and joined the Pyatnitsky Choir in 1947. Her surna ...
and
Alla Bayanova Alla Nikolayevna Bayanova (russian: Алла Николаевна Баянова; 18 May 1914 – 30 August 2011) was a Russian Romance singer sometimes compared with Édith Piaf for her simple yet dramatic style of performance. Bayanova was bor ...
, and with the Rossiya Folk Orchestra. In 2001, Soft Cell reunited briefly and released their first new album in 18 years, ''
Cruelty Without Beauty ''Cruelty Without Beauty'' is the fourth studio album by Soft Cell. The album was released on 8 October 2002. It is Soft Cell's first album since 1984's ''This Last Night in Sodom''. An expanded and remastered re-issue of the album was releas ...
''. Two singles came out of this album, "Monoculture" and a cover of the Frankie Valli's "The Night", which led to a
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
appearance for the band, their first since the mid 1980s. In October 2004, Almond was seriously injured in a motorbike accident near
St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London and is a Grad ...
, London. Near death and in a coma for weeks, he suffered two huge blood clots and had to undergo emergency surgery twice. He also suffered serious head injuries, multiple breaks and fractures, a collapsed lung and damaged hearing. He began a slow recovery determined to get back on the stage and in the studio. In June 2007, Almond released an album of cover songs, ''
Stardom Road ''Stardom Road'' is the thirteenth solo studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released by Sanctuary Records on 4 June 2007. Background ''Stardom Road'' was Almond's first new album after his involvement in a near-fat ...
''. Picked to tell a story of his life and career, the album featured songs as diverse as "I Have Lived" by
Charles Aznavour Charles Aznavour ( , ; born Shahnour Vaghinag Aznavourian, hy, Շահնուր Վաղինակ Ազնավուրեան, ; 22 May 1924 – 1 October 2018) was a French-Armenian singer, lyricist, actor and diplomat. Aznavour was known for his dist ...
, to "Stardom Road" by Third World War, Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night", and "Kitsch" by Paul Ryan. The album featured his first new song since the motorbike accident, "Redeem me (Beauty Will Redeem the World)". ''Stardom Road'' was to be one of three albums for the
Sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...
label, the UK's largest independent record label up until 2007 when it got itself into financial difficulty and was sold off in June 2007 to
Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
. In July 2007, Almond celebrated his 50th birthday on stage at the
Shepherd's Bush Empire Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was originally ...
in London and in September performed at a tribute show to Marc Bolan, his teenage hero. At the concert he dueted with Bolan's wife, Gloria Jones, on an impromptu version of "Tainted Love". In October 2007, the fashion house ''Yves Saint Laurent'' picked Almond's "Strangers in the Night" to represent their show at London's ''Fashion Rocks''. Almond performed for the event at the Royal Albert Hall. In 2008 and 2009, Almond toured with Jools Holland throughout the UK as well as guesting at shows by Current 93, Baby Dee and a tribute show to the late folk singer
Sandy Denny Alexandra Elene MacLean Denny (6 January 1947 – 21 April 1978) was an English singer who was lead singer of the British folk rock band Fairport Convention. She has been described as "the pre-eminent British folk rock singer". After briefly w ...
at the Festival Hall. In October 2009, Almond released his second album of Russian Romances and Gypsy songs in an album titled ''
Orpheus in Exile ''Orpheus in Exile'', also known as ''Orpheus in Exile: Songs of Vadim Kozin'', is the fourteenth solo studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. The artist credit on the album cover is extended to read 'Marc Almond with Alexei F ...
''. The album was a tribute to Russian singer
Vadim Kozin Vadim Alekseyevich Kozin (russian: Вадим Алексеевич Козин; March 21, 1903 – December 19, 1994) was a Russian tenor, songwriter, and an openly homosexual man until 1934 when male homosexuality became a crime in USSR. Vadim Al ...
, who was exiled to the gulags of the Arctic Circle. The album was produced by Alexei Fedorov and features an orchestra arranged by Anatole Sobolev.


2010s

In June 2010, Almond released ''
Varieté ''Variety'' (german: Varieté , also known by the alternative titles ''Jealousy'' or ''Vaudeville'') is a 1925 German silent drama film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont based on the 1912 novel '' The Oath of Stephan Huller'' by Felix Hollaender ...
'', his first studio album of self written material since ''Stranger Things'' in 2001. The album marks Almond's 30th anniversary as a recording artist, a fact he celebrated with a new concert tour in Autumn 2010. Also in the summer of 2010 Almond was named Mojo Hero, an award given by the music magazine
Mojo Mojo may refer to: * Mojo (African-American culture), a magical charm bag used in voodoo Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * MOJO HD, an American television network * ''Mojo'' (play), by Jez Butterworth, made into a 1997 film * ' ...
. The award was presented to Almond by Anohni who flew from New York for the occasion. In 2011, Almond released the ''
Feasting with Panthers ''Feasting with Panthers'' is the sixteenth solo studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. The album is credited to Almond and Michael Cashmore, of Current 93 and Nature and Organisation, with both given equal billing. The alb ...
'' album, a collaboration with musician and arranger Michael Cashmore. It featured poetry set to music, including the poems of Count
Eric Stenbock Count Eric Stanislaus (or Stanislaus Eric) Stenbock ( at Thirlestaine Hall ( Cheltenham) – at Withdeane Hall in Brighton) was a Baltic Swedish poet and writer of macabre fantastic fiction. Life Stenbock was the count of Bogesund and the h ...
,
Jean Genet Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels ''The Thief's ...
,
Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the su ...
,
Paul Verlaine Paul-Marie Verlaine (; ; 30 March 1844 – 8 January 1896) was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement and the Decadent movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the ''fin de siècle'' in international and ...
and
Rimbaud Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud (, ; 20 October 1854 – 10 November 1891) was a French poet known for his transgressive and surreal themes and for his influence on modern literature and arts, prefiguring surrealism. Born in Charleville, he start ...
. Later in the same year Almond took part in a music-theatre work ''Ten Plagues'', held at Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre, as part of the 2011
Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...
, from 1 to 28 August 2011. ''Ten Plagues'' is a one-man song cycle based on
Daniel Defoe Daniel Defoe (; born Daniel Foe; – 24 April 1731) was an English writer, trader, journalist, pamphleteer and spy. He is most famous for his novel ''Robinson Crusoe'', published in 1719, which is claimed to be second only to the Bible in its ...
's ''
Journal of the Plague Year ''A Journal of the Plague Year: Being Observations or Memorials, Of the most Remarkable Occurrences, As well Publick as Private, which happened in London During the last Great Visitation In 1665'', commonly called ''A Journal of the Plague Ye ...
'' (which dates back to 1722), with metaphors of Aids and epidemics. It was written for him by
Mark Ravenhill Mark Ravenhill (born 7 June 1966) is an English playwright, actor and journalist. Ravenhill is one of the most widely performed playwrights in British theatre of the late-twentieth and twenty-first centuries. His major plays include ''Shoppin ...
and
Conor Mitchell Conor Mitchell is a Northern Irish composer, librettist and theatre-maker. His play, ''The Dummy Tree'', was commissioned by the Royal National Theatre for their 2009 New Connections series. Conor has been a great supporter of Youth Music Theatr ...
. In 2012, Almond took the role of the Roman Stoic philosopher
Seneca Seneca may refer to: People and language * Seneca (name), a list of people with either the given name or surname * Seneca people, one of the six Iroquois tribes of North America ** Seneca language, the language of the Seneca people Places Extrat ...
in the Paris Théâtre du Châtelet's experimental rock adaptation of ''
Poppea Poppaea Sabina (AD 30 – 65), also known as Ollia, was a Roman empress as the second wife of the Roman emperor, Emperor Nero. She had also been wife to the future emperor Otho. The historians of Classical antiquity, antiquity describe her as a ...
'', based on
Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considered ...
's original 17th-century opera ''The Coronation of Poppea''. The production also featured ex-
Libertines A libertine is a person devoid of most moral principles, a sense of responsibility, or sexual restraints, which they see as unnecessary or undesirable, and is especially someone who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behaviour ob ...
member
Carl Barât Carl Ashley Raphael Barât (; born 6 June 1978) is a British musician and actor, best known for being the co-frontman with Pete Doherty of the garage rock band The Libertines. He was the frontman and lead guitarist of Dirty Pretty Things, and ...
, French singer-songwriter
Benjamin Biolay Benjamin Biolay (; born 20 January 1973) is a French singer, musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He is the brother of singer Coralie Clément—whose first three albums he wrote and produced—and the ex-husband of Chiara Mastroiann ...
, Swedish singer
Fredrika Stahl Fredrika Stahl (born 24 October 1984) is a Swedish singer and songwriter signed to Sony Music in France. Her style is a mix of jazz and pop. Along with singing, Fredrika plays the piano and guitar. Her debut album, ''A Fraction of You'' was releas ...
and was directed by ex- Clash drummer Peter Howard. Later that year, on 9 August 2012, Almond performed at Anohni's Meltdown Festival in London's
Southbank Centre Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames (between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge). It comprises three main performance venues (the Royal Festival Hall including the Nat ...
, reforming Marc and the Mambas to perform their second album ''Torment and Toreros'' live for the first time. Anohni has stated that ''Torment and Toreros'' was her favourite album throughout her teens and that it became the starting point for Antony and the Johnsons. Anohni joined the band on stage for one song, singing "My Little Book of Sorrows" with Almond. In 2013, Almond revived ''Ten Plagues'' and performed it for a month at
Wilton's Music Hall Wilton's Music Hall is a Grade II* listed building in Shadwell, built as a music hall and now run as a multi-arts performance space in Graces Alley, off Cable Street in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is one of very few surviving music ...
in London. He also performed with Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson on stage performing Tull's concept album "Thick as a Brick" at The
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
. That year Almond also received The Ivor Novello Inspiration Award which was presented to him by longtime friend and co-Manager Vicki Wickham, and was also awarded the Icon Award from ''
Attitude Attitude may refer to: Philosophy and psychology * Attitude (psychology), an individual's predisposed state of mind regarding a value * Metaphysics of presence * Propositional attitude, a relational mental state connecting a person to a pro ...
''. Almond released three albums throughout 2014. First was '' The Tyburn Tree'' with composer
John Harle John Harle (born 20 September 1956) is an English saxophonist, composer, educator and record producer. He is an Ivor Novello Award winner and has been the recipient of two Royal Television Society awards. Biography Harle was born in Newcastl ...
, a concept album about dark historical London. This was followed by '' The Dancing Marquis'' album, made with a number of collaborators including
Jarvis Cocker Jarvis Branson Cocker (born 19 September 1963) is an English musician and radio presenter. As the founder, frontman, lyricist and only consistent member of the band Pulp, he became a figurehead of the Britpop genre of the mid-1990s. Following P ...
, Carl Barât and Jools Holland, featuring production from Tony Visconti on some tracks. Finally, Almond released a studio recording of his 2011 show, Ten Plagues - A Song Cycle. 2015 saw the release of ''The Velvet Trail'', an album of original material produced by Chris Braide. Almond is currently working on a song cycle to accompany the filming of a multi media performance of ''À rebours'' (translated as ''Against Nature'') by Joris-Karl Huysmans. The score for this project has been written by Othon Mataragas with words from ''
Feasting with Panthers ''Feasting with Panthers'' is the sixteenth solo studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. The album is credited to Almond and Michael Cashmore, of Current 93 and Nature and Organisation, with both given equal billing. The alb ...
'' collaborator Jeremy Reed (writer), Jeremy Reed. Reed states that he has written 15 songs for the project commenting that ''Against Nature'' is "still probably one of the most decadent books ever written" and that Almond had always wanted to perform it, stating that "now we're both jaded aesthetes we could do it". In 2016, Marc Almond signed his first major label deal for 20 years, signing a two-album deal with BMG Rights Management. In 2017, the compilation album ''Hits and Pieces / The Best of Soft Cell & Marc Almond'', debuted at number seven in the UK album chart. In September 2017 the album ''Shadows & Reflections'' was released, entering the UK chart at No.14.


2020s

Almond's next solo album, ''Chaos and a Dancing Star'', also written with Braide, was released January 2020. Ian Anderson sings and plays flute on the album. During COVID-19 lockdowns, Almond and Braide wrote a new Soft Cell album, which was released on 6 May 2022. The album contained 12 new tracks, including a collaboration with the Pet Shop Boys on the track ''Purple Zone''. In May 2022, Almond played a Bauhaus show at the Barbican Centre with his long-term collaborator
John Harle John Harle (born 20 September 1956) is an English saxophonist, composer, educator and record producer. He is an Ivor Novello Award winner and has been the recipient of two Royal Television Society awards. Biography Harle was born in Newcastl ...
.


Personal life

Almond has stated that he dislikes being pigeon-holed as "a 'gay' artist", saying that such a label "enables people to marginalise your work.  I am a singer who happens to be gay". In response to being appointed OBE at the age of 60, Almond said he is still a "little bit" anti-establishment, but added: "I can't really be a rebel any more. I think it's time to leave it to younger people."


Discography


Solo albums


References


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Almond, Marc 1957 births Alumni of Leeds Beckett University British synth-pop new wave musicians Echo Records artists English expatriates in Spain English male singer-songwriters English new wave musicians English people of Norwegian descent English pop singers English gay musicians LGBT singers from the United Kingdom LGBT songwriters Living people Male new wave singers Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Aireborough Grammar School People educated at King George V College Musicians from Southport Sire Records artists Synth-pop singers Some Bizzare Records artists Vertigo Records artists Soft Cell members Marc and the Mambas members 20th-century British male singers 21st-century British male singers The Immaculate Consumptive members English autobiographers Cherry Red Records artists 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people Holy Holy (tribute band) members