Marc Jonson

Marc Jonson built his strongest reputation as a tunesmith supplying material to fellow performers, even as a devoted niche audience embraced the compact yet striking catalog of his own releases. Born and raised on Long Island, New York, he took up instruments and began composing while still a youngster. Shortly after finishing high school, Vanguard Records noticed his material and offered a contract. The label issued his first album, Years, in 1972; the set blended ornate folk-pop with psychedelic undertones into a sleek yet singular statement. Following a handful of brief promotional tours for Years, Jonson relocated to New York City. Although the record fell short commercially, he cultivated a local audience in the city’s clubs and earned recognition for his songwriting talent. Other artists who cut his compositions include Robert Gordon (“Are You Gonna Be the One”), Dave Edmunds (“King of Love”), the Roches (“Love Radiates Around”), and Paul Butterfield (“Bad Love”). By 1992 he had built a home studio and issued a second album, 12 in a Room, credited as Mark Johnson. Last Night on the Rollercoaster appeared in 2000, after Jonson had made Austin, Texas, his home. He maintained his songwriting career and formed a productive partnership with Disney Music, contributing tracks to soundtrack companion albums for Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, and Cars. In 2017 the long-overlooked debut received fresh exposure when Real Gone Music reissued Years on CD and Light in the Attic released it on vinyl.