Biography
British session musicians Jon Mark, whose skills encompassed vocals, guitar, and drums, and John Almond, proficient on vocals, woodwinds, vibes, and percussion, first crossed paths as members of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. They departed the group in 1970 to establish the duo Mark-Almond, also known on occasion as the Mark-Almond Band. Before his Bluesbreakers tenure, Mark had joined Mick Jagger in co-producing Marianne Faithfull’s initial recordings, later supplying her with original songs and accompanying her on tour. He likewise toured alongside folksinger Alun Davies, and together the pair launched the short-lived ensemble Sweet Thursday. Almond’s earlier résumé included stints with Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band, the Alan Price Set, and Johnny Almond’s Music Machine. The two musicians entered the Bluesbreakers lineup in 1969, contributing to the albums Turning Point and Empty Rooms. Upon exiting in 1970 they enlisted bassist Rodger Sutton and keyboardist Tommy Eyre. Through persistent road work that frequently incorporated extended instrumental passages, Mark-Almond gradually cultivated an audience. By 1973 the lineup had expanded to seven members, yet the group dissolved that same year. Despite an accident that cost him a finger, Mark issued the solo album Songs for a Friend in 1975. He and Almond reconvened that year, issuing To the Heart in 1976. Securing an A&M contract in 1978, they released Other People’s Rooms, but commercial indifference greeted both albums and prompted the pair’s permanent split.
Albums
