marcimarks1

Grew up in Connecticut, I became interested in songwriting when my uncle gave me a Martin guitar at age thirteen. I learned blues, folk and pop songs from my boyfriends, then I went to New York to act.

After a Mexican adventure, I ended up on the west coast acting with a touring Shakespeare Company, then I formed a small band that played jazz and blues standards on the streets of San Francisco. But things became interesting when I rented an apartment on Folsom Street in the building where Paul Collins, Jack Lee and Peter Case of The Nerves lived and practiced. Of course I knew the guys were something special, and The Nerves became one of the influential new wave bands of the power pop movement. I fell in love with Paul Collins and moved with the band to Los Angeles after they recorded their seminal EP.

With the backing of Collins and producer Larry Whitman, I put together a band, the M’n’Ms, with guitarist Harlan Hollander, and Steve Huff, (SEE PIC). Drummer Keith Clark completed the line-up. We were called by critics "a cross between The Ronettes and The Ramones."

The M’n’Ms released a single on Bomp Records and played on the same bill with bands such as The Plimsouls and Berlin.

Unfortunately, personal problems among the member caused the group to break up after less than a year. I’m Tired, (uploaded here) the hit single on Bomp Records, has earned me a small but loyal following. It was a #1 single in Germany where a special version of the M’n’Ms were assembled to play it on a TV pop show. It is also popular in Japan where several of the M’n’Ms singles are being covered by Japanese punk bands like the Bananna Erectors.

After Collins and I split, (he had his band, I mine) I became involved with Page Porrazzo from Needles and Pins, and we were recording some interesting demos produced by Porrazzo, who played on several tracks, but he had a Phil Spector complex and when we fell in love he became jealous and broke up the band. I took a part time job writing at the LA Weekly, Porrazzo split to Japan to work for Sony and later produced Shonen Knife (often referred to as the Japanese M’n’Ms) I left performing music completely for years.

I started acting again and became involved with Women in Theatre, a theatrical troupe. The members were putting on sketch piece called “Bad Girls Revisited”. I was asked by the producer to write the theme and perform it. After writing and singing “Bad Girl Blues” I realized how much I missed singing and writing songs.

So I’m back. I completed “Bad Girl Blues” (uploaded here) under the guidance of Blues master Will Ray of the Helecasters, with Micki Mars, the Janice Joplan tribute artist supplying back-up vocals.
I also recorded an acoustic ballad with former Spirit bassist Dave Waterbury. Right now I have enough original material for an album, and am in the process of working on that.

My influences range from Billie Holliday, Ronnie Spector to Garbage. My real love is Girl Groups from the '60s, and I like to sing the blues.

What’s the future? In Japan my singles are currently enjoying a second life, some being bootlegged. I was interviewed by the Japanese Punk fanzine “Pretzel Eat Rocker” and I’m Tired was picked as one of the top all time 100 punk/new wave singles (#81) by the music magazine The Dig.

I write a weekly entertainment column, Scoops, for the Studio City, Sherman Oaks and Encino Sun. After an acclained jam session with Frank Sinatra's guitarist, Ron Anthony, and a recent gig at Tommy Rays in Studio City with "Genius Loves Company" guitarist Magic Kramer, I'm back performing a few select local gigs while I complete my album.

Marci