Marc Almond
(July 9, 1957 - living) U.K.
Pop singer
Born in Southport, Lancashire, England, his real name is Peter Almond. He used to be a member of popgroup Soft Cell (with dave Ball). Following the demise of the hit group "Soft Cell" and their adventurous offshoots "Marc and the Mambas" and "Marc and the Willing Sinners", Almond embarked on a solo career.
His first such venture was Vermin In Ermine which barely consolidated his reputation and proved to be his last album for Phonogram Records. Stories of Johnny, released on Some Bizzare Records through Virgin Records, was superior and displayed Almond's undoubted power as a torch singer. Prior to the album's release, he had reached the UK Top 5 in a camp disco-inspired duet with Bronski Beat titled I Feel Love (Medley). The single combined two Summer, Donna hits (Love to Love You Baby and I Feel Love) with snatches of Leyton, John 's Johnny Remember Me, all sung in high register by fellow vocalist Somerville, Jimmy. The controversial Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters did little to enhance his career, which seemed commercially in decline by the time of the Singles compilation.
 Another change of licensed label, this time to Parlophone Records, saw the release of Tears Run Rings and Almond's old commercial sense was emphasized by 1989's opportune revival of Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart with Pitney, Gene. This melodramatic single was sufficient to provide both artists with their first number 1 hit as soloists. Almond returned in 1990 with a cover album of Brel songs and Enchanted, which featured the singer's usual flamboyant style complemented by flourishes of flamenco guitar and violin and a solid production. In 1992 Almond revived the David McWilliams song The Days of Pearly Spencer, reaching number 4 in the UK charts. The same year he staged an extravagant comeback concert at the Royal Albert Hall, documented on Twelve Years of Tears. In contrast, Absinthe was a strikingly uncommercial album that included Almond performing Baudelaire and Rimbaud poems.
He returned to the cold electronic sounds of the 80s with Fantastic Star in early 1996. The same year he ended a 15-year contract with Stevo as his manager, and signed an abortive deal with Echo Records. Almond returned in 1999 with Open All Night, released on his own Blue Star label.
Hits:
with Soft Cell:
- Tainted love (1981)
- Say hello, wave goodbye (1982)
- Torch (1982)
solo:
- Love to love you - Johnny remember me (1985)
- Tears run rings (1988)
- Something's gotten hold of my heart (1989)
- Jacky (1991)
- The days of Pearly Spencer (1992)
LPs & CDs:
solo:
- Vermin in Ermine (1984)
- Stories of Johnny (1985)
- Violent silence (1986)
- Mother fist and her five daughters (1987)
- The stars we are (1988)
- Jacques (1990)
- Enchanted (1990), Tenement Symphony (1991),
- Twelve years of tears (1993)
- Absinthe (1993)
- Treasure box (1995)
- Fantastic star (1996)
- Open all night (1999)
Marc & the Mamba's
- Untitled (1982)
- Torment and Toreros (1983)
- Bite black and blue (1984)
Soft Cell
- Non Stop Erotic Dancing (1981)
- Non Stop Ecstatic dancing (1982)
- The art of falling apart (1983)
- The very best of Soft Cell (2002)
- Cruelty without beauty (2002)
Autobiography: Tainted life (1999)
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