Biography
One of the most peculiar and compelling deep funk records from the 1970s appeared under the title Marvin Whoremonger and bore the band name Mark III. A Las Vegas hustler devised the project, which centered on one-take recordings featuring guitarist Richard Thompson, bass guitarist Clifford Johnson, drummer Michael Thompson—all high-school students at the time—and vocalist Marvin Neros. Producer Cholly Williams carried those tapes to Hollywood, where he layered in horns, synthesizers, and percussion supplied by unnamed session players. The resulting tracks, drenched in themes of sex, drugs, and nightlife, come across as heavy, ragged, and wildly exuberant. BlackLite Records issued the material privately as a double LP in 1976, after Williams assured every participant of impending stardom; instead the set slipped into total neglect. Decades later, collectors unearthed scattered copies, which began changing hands for hundreds of dollars apiece. Now-Again Records finally brought the album back into print in 2016.
Albums