Icon

Marc Almond in Brompton Cemetery, photo by Derek Ridgers

Marc Almond by Mike Owen.

Many happy returns of the day to our Patron Saint of Torch Songs, Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond, OBE!

All hail.

Non-stop, erotic

One hundred and ten years ago, inventor Georges Claude first demonstrated modern neon lighting at the Paris Motor Show.

We, and the sleaze industry, owe him a lot.

Landmarks on my map

“I've got a mink from Paris,
A ring from Rome,
A whole new wardrobe in my home;
A tune from Teddy,
An Ashworth snap -
These are the landmarks on my map.
I've got just what I always wanted”
- Mari Wilson

As featured in today's Guardian, there's a faboo exhibition of 80s photography by the legendary Peter Ashworth, snapper to the stars, on in London at the moment.

Every one of these photos is iconic - literally a "snapshot" of an important era in my life.

I must go!

Mavericks - a photographic show by Peter Ashworth is on at the Lever Gallery in Goswell Road, Clerkenwell, and has been extended to 20th December 1018 by popular demand.

This tainted love you've given

Our Patron Saint of Trash, the master of the slightly-warped-torch-song, our adored'n'explored Mr Marc Almond is sixty years old today. [Gulp.]

All hail!

Happy birthday, Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond (born 9th July 1957) - long may you reign...

Shine a light onto this boy's bed

From Dangerous Minds, news about a new photographic "coffee table book" on the life of today's birthday boy, Marc Almond:

Back in March, when the book was first announced, Almond remarked:

“Putting a book like this together is very difficult because it brings up all kind of emotions. But it’s important to me to paint an honest picture, which means that as well as the many wonderful memories, working on the book has also forced me to resurrect certain things I’d rather hoped had been consigned to history. But that’s great. It would be too easy to fall into the comfort zone of nostalgia. The book goes much further than that. The whole process has been bittersweet and yet cathartic. I’ve really enjoyed working on it and it looks fantastic.”

It does... the perfect companion to his hilariously bitchy autobiography, Tainted Life (Ever the diva, Almond settles a score in every chapter! Highly recommended if you like pop star tell-alls.)

"Marc Almond" will be limited to 1300 copies worldwide, hand numbered and bound in purple fabric. There will be 300 copies of the standard edition priced at £40 and 1000 copies of a limited special edition for £60 that includes unreleased songs on a 7” single. The first 500 copies sold of the limited edition will also be signed by Marc.

The book will feature over 200 images from international photographers and Almond's personal archives, interwoven with stories and text co-authored by Almond and author Mark Paytress. Including these...

"This was our preferred cover for Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret but the record company thought it too menacing and subversive. Dave looks quite convincing in the role of switchblade-carrying psychotic!"

"I always knew Soft Cell had a limited shelf life, that in order to create a longer, more lasting career I’d have to alienate the mums and dads and commit a kind of commercial suicide. 'Torment and Toreros' took that idea a lot further; I always call it the document of a nervous breakdown. But through my blurred vision, that sprawling, flamenco-influenced Gothic opera in red and black was definitely the birth of me as an artist."

"What I like about this cover image for 'Stranger Things' is that it looks like the album feels. It was a much more filmic sounding record, with loads of samples and a late-night trip-hop feel. Producer Jóhann Jóhannsson had a fantastic library of musical references in his studio in Iceland, and made a great-sounding record. It was my second album away from a major label, and I was enjoying the freedom of making a record without having a record company bigwig standing behind me interfering."

"I instigated bringing Soft Cell back because I wanted to work with Dave again. We’d written some songs together for 'Tenement Symphony', and there’d never been any animosity between us. I wanted to know what we could do 17 years on. But as soon as it became a Soft Cell project, the old ghosts returned. Stevo owned the songs so we had to bring him back if we wanted to play them live. Dave didn’t have a manager so Stevo stepped in. But when we were writing and recording in the studio, it was great, the chemistry was still there. Dave could still write effective songs with fabulous hooks. I liked a lot of 'Cruelty Without Beauty'. It sounded like a 21st century Soft Cell record. [But] by the time we toured America, it had gone horribly wrong. Dave and Stevo seemed to bring out the worst in each other and animosity and sourness crept in. It was a shame. We’d had a lot of fun making the 'Monoculture' video a few months earlier. Our last gig, in some club in Thessaloniki in Greece, was ghastly. It hadn’t been advertised, so hardly anyone turned up. Things had gone badly wrong. It was just like the old days. I thought, I can’t do this any more."

With or without Dave Ball, many happy returns to the god-like Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond (born 9th July 1957).

And just in case anyone (could they ever?) doubts his camp credentials, this:

Marc Almond - Ruby Red

The book "Marc Almond" is available via First Third Books.

The years have been fairly kind

Soft Cell - Youth [Old Grey Whistle Test, 1982]

Youth has gone
I heard you say
It doesn't matter
Anyway

Don't hide the photos
Or turn off the lights
I'm quite sure we've both seen
Funnier sights

Youth
Sleep in a deep deep deep
Beauty is skin deep

Youth has gone
Though we're still young
It's hard I know to believe
That I was somebody's son

The memories
Of what you once were
The memories of what
We both were

Youth
Sleep in a deep deep deep
Beauty is skin deep

Youth has gone
Though don't think
I don't cry
We let ourselves slip

And now
I ask myself why
I'm on my own
And don't think I really mind

When after all
The years have been fairly kind
Youth
Sleep in a deep deep deep

Beauty is skin deep
Sleep in a deep deep deep
Beauty is skin deep
Youth... Youth... Sleep!

Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond (born 9th July 1957)

Look at us

"Look at us
Do you see us in a burlesque show
Look at us are we in vaudeville
We've tasted every thrill
Every powder every pill
And we're still here."

Marc Almond, Vaudeville And Burlesque

I think the older I get the more creative I get

"I think the older I get the more creative I get, I don't have the distractions that I had when I was younger."

"I think i just have the energy, I'm a bit of an addict in a way."

"I don't enjoy being a celebrity, I don't want any part of that or any part of that fame for fame... I'd actually rather die than be a celebrity slime!"

"In the past i've put myself in situations just to inspire me, I do kind of like life."

Peter Mark Sinclair "Marc" Almond (b. 9th July 1957)

Marc's 55th birthday concert review.

My previous "exhibit" dedicated to Marc on his birthday last year.