Martin Gordon (born 3 May 1954) is an English musician who plays

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

, and piano. After a long period as band member and session musician, he embarked on a solo career in 2004. His most recent album release was in 2021.

Biography

Martin Gordon was born in Ipswich, and grew up

Hitchin Hitchin () is a market town and unparished area in the North Hertfordshire Districts of England, district in Hertfordshire, England, with an estimated population of 35,842. History Hitchin is first noted as the central place of the Hicce peopl ...

, Hertfordshire. He studied piano and classical guitar as a child, attended summer schools hosted by the British National Jazz Youth Orchestra, where he took lessons from

Nucleus Nucleus ( : nuclei) is a Latin word for the seed inside a fruit. It most often refers to: *Atomic nucleus, the very dense central region of an atom *Cell nucleus, a central organelle of a eukaryotic cell, containing most of the cell's DNA Nucle ...

bassist

Jeff Clyne Jeffrey Ovid Clyne (29 January 1937 – 16 November 2009) was a British jazz bassist (playing both bass guitar and double bass). He worked with Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott in their group the Jazz Couriers for a year from 1958, and was part ...

and later studied harmony and counterpoint. Gordon began his musical career in the 1970s with the Californian pop

brothers A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...

Ron Mael Ronald David Mael (born August 12, 1945) is an American musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is the keyboard player and principal songwriter in the band Sparks which he founded with vocalist, occasional songwriter and younger ...

and

Russell Mael Russell Craig Mael (born October 5, 1948) is an American singer best known as the lead singer for the band Sparks which he formed in 1971 with his elder brother Ron Mael. Mael is known for his wide vocal range, in particular his far-reaching fa ...

in Sparks, who were seeking a bassist after their relocation to the UK. Gordon played with Sparks on the album ''

Kimono My House ''Kimono My House'' is the third studio album by American rock band Sparks, released on May 1, 1974 by Island Records. The album is considered to be their commercial breakthrough, and was met with widespread acclaim. Preceded by the single " ...

'', which featured his trademark

Rickenbacker 4001 The Rickenbacker 4001 is an electric bass that was manufactured by Rickenbacker as a two- pickup "deluxe" version of their first production bass, the single-pickup model 4000. This design, created by Roger Rossmeisl, was manufactured between 1 ...

bass. " This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us" and "Amateur Hour" were UK

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album se ...

from that album. "This Town..." made No. 2 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

but, after one album, Gordon and Sparks parted company. He then formed Jet (described by

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

as "the first supergroup of glam") and then

Radio Stars Radio Stars were an English new wave group formed in early 1977. They released two albums and had one UK Top 40 single. Career Radio Stars were formed by Sparks exile Martin Gordon (bass, songwriter) and also included ex-John's Children v ...

. Both bands featured singer

Andy Ellison Andrew Ellison (born 5 July 1945 in Finchley, London, England) is an English musician and vocalist, best known as the frontman in John's Children, Jet and Radio Stars. He attended Box Hill School in Surrey, where he met Chris Townson. Joh ...

, drummer

Chris Townson Chris Townson (24 July 1947 – 10 February 2008) was an English musician, illustrator and social worker. He was a founding member of the 1960s rock group John's Children, and a member of several other bands, including Jook, Jet and Radio Star ...

, and guitarist Ian Macleod. Jet's eponymous album was produced by

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

producer

Roy Thomas Baker Roy Thomas Baker (born 10 November 1946) is an English record producer, songwriter and arranger, who has produced rock and pop and songs since the 1970s. Career Baker began his career at Decca Records at the age of 14 and later worked as an a ...

. Between the demise of Jet and its reincarnation as Radio Stars in 1976, he performed briefly with pioneer of American punk

Ian North Ian North (March 24, 1952 – February 28, 2021) was an American musician, producer, and painter known for being part of the bohemian punk movement in United States with his power pop band Milk 'N' Cookies. Early life and career Ian North was ...

; along with drummer

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

, Gordon played a handful of dates with Ian's Radio before rejoining members of Jet to form Radio Stars. Radio Stars achieved a modicum of success with a single "Nervous Wreck" (which charted at No. 38 in the

) and two critically well-received albums ''Songs for Swinging Lovers'' and '' Holiday Album''. The band has been anthologised with ''Two Minutes Mr Smith'' (Moonlight Records) and ''Somewhere There's a Place For Us'' ( Ace Records). Ace Records re-released the Radio Stars catalogue on CD in 2003. In 2008, Radio Stars reformed for a gig at London's Blow Up Metro Club, to promote the release of live recordings from the 1970s entitled ''Something for the Weekend''. The performance featured original members Martin Gordon, Andy Ellison and Ian Macleod accompanied by drummer Steve Budney who performed on Gordon's 2007 solo debut in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

, United States. The band also performed one-off gigs at the

Rebellion Festival The Rebellion Festival, formerly Holidays in the Sun and the Wasted Festival is a British punk rock festival first held in 1996. The festival has attracted mainstream press coverage from such sources as The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily ...

in London (13 December 2008) and at London's

100 Club The 100 Club is a music venue located at 100 Oxford Street, London, England, where it has been hosting live music since 24 October 1942. It was originally called the Feldman Swing Club, but changed its name when the father of the current owner ...

(22 January 2010). In 2017, the 4-CD box set ''Thinking Inside the Box'' was released by Cherry Red/Anagram Records, featuring the band's entire recorded output, BBC sessions and rarities.

Session musician

Following the end of Radio Stars in 1979, Gordon moved to Paris, France, where he worked as house producer for Barclay Records, and played bass with the

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

during the recording of ''

Emotional Rescue ''Emotional Rescue'' is the 15th British and 17th American studio album by English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 20 June 1980 by Rolling Stones Records. Following the success of their previous album, ''Some Girls'', their biggest h ...

''. He returned to the UK at the beginning of the 1980s, and worked as producer and in other capacities with such musicians as

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...

Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singe ...

, Blur,

Primal Scream Primal Scream are a Scottish rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie (vocals) and Jim Beattie. The band's current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes (guitar), Simone Butler (bass), and Darrin Mooney (drums) ...

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

S'Express S'Express (pronounced ''ess-express''; sometimes spelled S'Xpress or S-Express) were a British dance music act from the late 1980s, who had one of the earliest commercial successes in the acid house genre. "Theme from S'Express", which containe ...

Tiger Lillies The Tiger Lillies are a cult British musical trio formed in 1989 by singer-songwriter Martyn Jacques. Described as the forefathers of Brechtian Punk Cabaret, the Tiger Lillies are well known for their unique sound and style which merges "the ...

and Robert Palmer, as well as a host of minor talents.

World music

At the beginning of the 1990s, world music took Gordon initially to

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

with

Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; Mangeshkar; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur and occasional actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian Cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the ...

and

, and subsequently to

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

and

The 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 ...

. After studying

gamelan Gamelan () ( jv, ꦒꦩꦼꦭꦤ꧀, su, ᮌᮙᮨᮜᮔ᮪, ban, ᬕᬫᭂᬮᬦ᭄) is the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments. T ...

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

on a Darmasiswa scholarship, he formed th
Mira
ensemble with journalist/musician Peter Culshaw in 1995, releasing an album ''New Hope For the Dead''. They created an elaborate theatrical presentation, which delivered two performances at the Place Theatre, in London and an appearance at the

Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annual ...

in 1997. He was a member of the

SOAS SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury are ...

-based (Balinese) Gamelan Kembang Kirang and the South Bank-based (Javanese) New Music Group between 1996 and 1997. Gordon performs with the Berlin-based (Indonesian

group) Lindhu Raras.

Solo

Following the recording of an album in

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

with Turkish diva

Sezen Aksu Sezen Aksu (; born Fatma Sezen Yıldırım; 13 July 1954) is a Turkish pop music singer, songwriter and producer who has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. Her nicknames include the "Queen of Turkish Pop" and "''Minik Serçe''" ("Little Spar ...

, Gordon played bass on Aksu's subsequent European tour (2002). This prompted his return to his pop music roots in 2003, via his own label

Radiant Future Records Radiant Future Records is a British independent record label and home to one-time Sparks bassist Martin Gordon, Jet, Radio Stars, John's Children, the Blue Meanies and related artists. The label began operations in 2002 with the release of a ...

. He has a number of solo albums to his credit, many recorded in collaboration with Swedish vocalist Pelle Almgren. The first three solo releases were collected in a box-set titled ''The Mammal Trilogy'' (2006). Allmusic noted that 'any release that reminds the world of the brilliance of Gordon's first three 21st century solo albums can only be applauded'. His solo albums also feature a selection of

Lennon–McCartney Lennon–McCartney was the songwriting partnership between English musicians John Lennon (1940–1980) and Paul McCartney (born 1942) of the Beatles. It is the best-known and most successful musical collaboration ever by records sold, with the ...

and

Gilbert & Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ''H.M.S. Pina ...

tunes alongside Gordon originals. In 2007, Gordon made his live debut as a solo performer in Boston, United States. The fourth album ''God is on His Lunchbreak'' was accompanied by a book detailing the origins of the material, lyrics and assorted musing entitled ''The Illustrated and Annotated 'God's on His Lunchbreak, Please Call Back Companion Volume'', with

illustrations An illustration is a decoration, interpretation or visual explanation of a text, concept or process, designed for integration in print and digital published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, video ...

by drummer

. The fifth album ''Time Gentlemen Please'' was accompanied by the album ''Time Gentlemen Please – Demos'', featuring Gordon's original demos of the material (available only via his website). Gordon and vocalist Almgren made appearances in 2011 and 2012 as part of the Swedish garage-punk outfit 70–5, and various performances are to be found on YouTube. The sixth and final instalment of the Mammal Trilogy was entitled ''Include Me Out''; released in August 2013, it was recorded in Berlin, Germany and Gnesta, Sweden and was accompanied by ''Words in Your Shell-Like'', a book of Gordon's lyrics from Jet to the Mammal Trilogy. This brought the Trilogy to completion. An album of

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

compositions ''Gilbert Gordon & Sullivan'', was released by Radiant Future Records in April 2016, as well as two singles, "Dump the Trump" in October 2016 and "Idiots" in March 2017. In 2018, he released the album ''Thanks For All the Fish'' and the single "Will of the People". In December 2019, Gordon was musical director/bassist of the Liberation Orchestra for a one-off performance in Banjul,

, with the participation of members of the

Ensemble Modern Ensemble Modern is an international ensemble dedicated to performing and promoting the music of modern composers. Formed in 1980, the group is based in Frankfurt, Germany, and made up variously of about twenty members from numerous countries. Hi ...

, Wimme & Rinne and others, within the context of the AfriCourage festival. Gordon's album ''OMG'' was released in early 2020, along with a reworking of the
Idiots
single, entitled
COVIDiots
and in response to COVID-activity. His most recent offering is
Another Words
, a setting to music of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

'
phone call to Georgia governor

Brad Raffensperger Bradford Jay Raffensperger (born May 18, 1955) is an American politician, businessman, and civil engineer, serving as the Secretary of State of Georgia since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the Georgia House of R ...

, released in 2021. At Xmas 2021, Gordon celebrated the political achievements of Boris Johnson with the single release
Boosted
. Early in 2022, Gordon released a
expanded version
of 'Another Words' featuring the original audio from the Trump-Raffensperger call, entitled 'Another Words - The Phonecall'. In February 2022 Gordon released an instrumental version of the Ukrainian national anthem 'Slava Ukraini'.

Equipment

Gordon is known for using the

bass guitar, most notably on the Sparks album ''

'' and the later album ''Jet'' by the British group of the same name. He has stated in the Rickenbacker Forum that he used H&H amplification for this recording. He used Rotosound round-wound strings to produce his benchmark sound. Such was his identification with the 4001 that he stated that he preferred to be sacked from the group Sparks rather than accommodate the request for him to use a different instrument. In

, he used a Rickenbacker 3001 and a

Fender Precision The Fender Precision Bass (often shortened to "P-Bass") is a model of electric bass guitar manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In its standard, post-1957 configuration, the Precision Bass is a solid body, four-stringed instrum ...

bass. In more recent times he has used Yamaha 5-string basses and Stagg upright e-basses, before returning to the

Rickenbacker 4003 The Rickenbacker 4001 is an electric bass that was manufactured by Rickenbacker as a two- pickup "deluxe" version of their first production bass, the single-pickup model 4000. This design, created by Roger Rossmeisl, was manufactured between 19 ...

in 2014.

Discography

Solo

Albums: *2022
Another Words - The Phone Call (expanded edition)
' (download) -

*2021
Another Words
' (CD and download) -

*2020
OMG
' (CD and download) -

*2018
Thanks For All the Fish
' (CD, vinyl and download) -

*2016
Gilbert Gordon & Sullivan
' (CD and download) -

*2013 '' Include Me Out'' (limited edition CD-R, then download-only) –

*2009
Time Gentlemen Please
' (CD and download) –

*2008
Hello Boston
'' – (CD free with first 1000 copies of Radio Stars' ''Something for the Weekend'', then download-only) –

*2007
The World Is Your Lobster
' (CD and download) –

*2006 ''The Mammal Trilogy'' (3-disc box set compilation of the above three releases) –

*2006 ''How Am I Doing So Far?'' (single CD compilation of the first three solo releases w/bonus tracks) –

*2005 '' God's on His Lunchbreak (Please Call Back)'' (CD and download) –

*2004 '' The Joy of More Hogwash'' (CD and download) -

*2003 '' The Baboon in the Basement'' (CD and download) -

*2003 ''The Baboon in the Basement Radio EP'' (promo-only) –

Alternative versions: *2013 ''Exclude Me In - Demos'' (limited edition CD-R, then download-only) –

*2009 ''Time Gentlemen Please – Demos'' (limited edition CD-R, then download-only) –

Singles: *2022
Dumber Than a Rock
' (download) -

*2021
Booster
' (download) -

*2020
Superior Jeans
' (single, download only) -

*2019
Will of the People
' (single, download only) -

*2017
Idiots
' (single, download only) -

*2016
Dump the Trump!
' (single, download only) -

*2016
Modern Major General
' (single, download only)

John's Children

* 2011 ''Black & White'' – Acid Jazz AJXCD 234modspeedproduction.blogspot.com
''Black & White'' album review, Modspeedproduction.blogspot.com * 2002 ''Music For the Herd of Herring'' (CD and download) -

Blue Meanies

*2006 ''Pop Sensibility'' –

(download only)

Mira

*1995 ''New Hope for the Dead'' –

JVC Records , also known as in Japan, is a subsidiary of JVCKenwood that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It is known as JVC Entertainment in countries where Sony Music Ente ...

*2008 ''New Hope for the Dead'' –

re-issued version with extra material including live tracks, remixes and unreleased content – (download only)

Radio Stars

*2017 ''Thinking Inside the Box'' –

Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well ...

*2008 ''Something for the Weekend'' –

(live in 1977/78)released 2006

*2002 ''Music For the Herd of Herring'' –

*1992 ''Somewhere There's A Place For Us'' – Ace Records (compilation of the above releases) *1978 ''Holiday Album'' – Chiswick Records (re-released 2006 by Ace Records ) *1977 ''Songs For Swinging Lovers'' – Chiswick Records (re-released 2006 by Ace Records )

Jet

*2020 ''Jet'' –

Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...

- original release made officially available digitally *2010 ''Some Flotsam – Live in 75'' –

live on the Hunter-Ronson tour 1975, download only, withdrawn 2011. *2010 ''Jet'' & ''Even More Light Than Shade'' –

RPM Records (UK) RPM Records is the name of: *RPM Records (United Kingdom) *RPM Records (United States) RPM Records was an American Los Angeles-based record label launched in 1950. This is not the same RPM used by Tony Bennett, nor is it related to labels in the ...

– reissue of original album, expanded double album set, withdrawn 2011. *2002 ''Music For the Herd of Herring'' –

*2003 ''Jet'' –

reissue of original album, withdrawn 2004. *2003 ''More Light than Shade'' –

demos for second album, withdrawn 2011. *1975 ''Jet'' –

CBS Records CBS Records may refer to: * CBS Records or CBS/Sony, former name of Sony Music, a global record company * CBS Records International, label for Columbia Records recordings released outside North America from 1962 to 1990 * CBS Records (2006), founde ...

Sparks

*1974 ''

'' –

Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in 1959 by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in Jamaica, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, anoth ...

References

External links

Official siteRadiant Future RecordsMartin Gordon at Discogs
*

Martin Gordon at AllMusic Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...

br>Martin Gordon at Music Brainz

Gordon interviews
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Martin 1954 births Living people English rock bass guitarists English male guitarists Male bass guitarists English rock pianists English session musicians People from Hitchin Musicians from Ipswich Sparks (band) members Musicians from Hertfordshire Musicians from Suffolk British male pianists 21st-century pianists 21st-century British male musicians