Biography
A mysterious and little-documented figure on the West Coast pop landscape of the late 1960s, pianist, composer, and producer Tandyn Almer gained his primary recognition by penning the Association’s signature hit “Along Comes Mary.” Details surrounding Almer’s early life and background remain almost entirely undocumented. During 1965, producer Curt Boettcher enlisted Associate Jules Alexander to perform on a demonstration recording of “Along Comes Mary”; Alexander responded with such enthusiasm that he requested permission for his band to cut the track officially. Issued in 1966, the single became a massive success and helped establish the Association’s innovative vocal-harmony approach. Although the achievement might have positioned Almer among Los Angeles’s most sought-after songwriters, he never repeated that level of mainstream breakthrough. Far from inactive, however, he contributed songwriting and production work to several lesser-known psych-pop releases, among them the Paper Fortress’ “Sleepy Hollow People,” the Garden Club’s “Little Girl Lost and Found,” Pleasure’s “Poor Old Organ Grinder,” and Dennis Olivieri’s album Come to the Party. Almer also collaborated again with Boettcher on the Association’s “Message of Our Love” and Sagittarius’ “Musty Dusty.” In 1969 he issued his only solo single, “Degeneration Gap,” through Warner Bros.; additionally, he shared co-writing credit with Brian Wilson on several Beach Boys recordings, notably “Sail On, Sailor” and “Marcella.” By the mid-1970s Almer had relocated to Washington, D.C., where he took miscellaneous employment while continuing to compose; his bipolar disorder nevertheless made sustained focus in both his creative work and personal connections difficult. During the 1990s, unconfirmed reports suggested he had passed away, yet he remained alive though impoverished and still engaged in songwriting. Serious medical complications arose in 2011, leading to the partial amputation of his left leg. On January 8, 2013, Almer died at his Washington, D.C., residence at the age of 70. March 2013 saw Sundazed issue Along Comes Tandyn, a collection of fifteen rare mid-1960s demos.
Albums