Bassist Mark Clarke of Rainbow, Uriah Heep and Colosseum

[glassonyonpr]

[b]As a bassist Mark Clarke is not that well known, but he has done a lot in the music industry and he has a great new solo CD released - check out his press info:[/b]

Legendary Colosseum, Natural Gas, Uriah Heep, Rainbow Member Mark Clarke To Release Debut Solo CD of 'New Classic Rock'

Philadelphia, PA - The rock world is buzzing with the debut release of legendary Colosseum, Natural Gas, Rainbow, Uriah Heep member Mark Clarke called Moving To The Moon on Philadelphia record label ItsAboutMusic.com. Encompassing all the styles of music he has worked with the past 40 years, Mark Clarke's new solo album is a must for collectors and music enthusiasts worldwide. It's a masterful collection of extremely well recorded and performed tracks that rival any from the bands he's played in.

“From the opening track right through to the closer this album begs to be listened to over and over again and even memorized note for note. I've had the pleasure of hearing it more times than most people would hear almost anything in their collection and it keeps getting stronger with each listen. We're very proud to be the exclusive distributor of this album from one of the nicest and most talented guys in the world.” Dean Sciarra – President / ItsAboutMusic.com
Mark Clarke was born in Liverpool in the north of England, not a well known place except for its dock's and then, in the 1960's The Beatles came along and put it firmly on the map, forever! After seeing the Beatles and many other groups as a young kid at age 12 he knew what he wanted to do... play the bass guitar.

Going from group to group until one day he met up with his first real band St James Infirmary (a blues band) with whom he gigged and built up quite a reputation, as one Liverpool news paper said he was " Liverpool's Joe Cocker" but after a year or so of local gigs, it was time to move south to London. There he met up with many of the Liverpool musicians who had moved down south for the work and was introduced to the guitarist Clem Clempson, who had just joined one of the most well known groups at that time, COLOSSEUM.

Colosseum were really hitting well at that point but they had a small problem, they were quietly looking for a new bass player, and after Mark's band St James Infirmary opening for them at what was Mark"s biggest gig ever at a huge hall in of all places, Liverpool he was asked to come and do a session on their new album in a studio down in London. Mark walked in to sing background vocals on a couple of tracks and spotted his bass on a guitar stand. Jon Hiseman, whose band it was asked Mark if he knew a Jack Bruce (Cream) song called "Theme from an Imaginary Western"... He did, they played just that one song and Jon and Clem asked, "So do you want the gig.” Touring with Colosseum was harsh, very, very harsh, but truly amazing and for the rest of his career has been a constant part of his life… a true love. Whilst touring with them, such bands as Free (with Paul Rogers, Simon Kirke and Paul Kossof) became friends and still are years on. The same is true for Gentle Giant, Badfinger, (he later formed Natural Gas with Joey Molland) and many more.
Not knowing what the hell to do Mark went to a club in London that was THE place to be... The Speakeasy! You would find the who's who of the rock world in that place, in fact The Speak (as it was known) is where Led Zeppelin were named by of all people Keith Moon of the Who. Whilst there Ken Hensley from Uriah Heep appeared and asked Mark to help out as they needed to replace their bass player, so the next day they rehearsed on the train to Scotland and Mark joined Uriah Heep. Mark recorded with them and co-wrote "The Wizard" with Ken Hensley, toured mercilessly again and then left the group to work with Dick Heckstall-Smith on his solo album. “In 1972 Colosseum folded and within just two days I had been asked to join Uriah Heep,” Mark recalls. “After recording and also writing (I co-writ 'The Wizard') and some of the hardest touring I've ever done in just one year we parted company. Although I have worked with Ken Hensley on many of his solo projects throughout the years Uriah Heep still follows me every place I go.”

In 1972 Jon Hiseman and Mark formed Tempest and found a guitarist of some note, Alan Holdsworth. After two albums Mark left Tempest, played with Manfred Mann and the formed Natural Gas with Joey Molland (Badfinger) and Jerry Shirley (Humble Pie) moved to America, (he still lives there) and went on to record, and tour with: Billy Squier, Mountain with Leslie West, The Monkees,Davy Jones, Roger Daltry, British Rock Symphony with Alice Cooper and Peter Frampton, and sessions with Meatloaf, Mink Deville, Cher and Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow.
Along with Mark Clarke's 'Moving To The Moon', ItsAboutMusic.com has also remastered and reissued the Natural Gas album on CD. Mark recently embarked on the 40th anniversary tour with Colosseum all over Europe. He then tours again with Billy Squier in the summer of 2011. “He's still a great writer and also a great friend,” says Mark.

Song samples: [url="http://www.itsaboutmusic.com/markclarke.html"]http://www.itsaboutmusic.com/markclarke.html[/url]

[Clarky]

What a coincidence. Decidedly non-legendary bassist Mark Clark (akak Clarky) also has a new album out (Thr life and death of .... Rattlin Bone). He owns a Rainbow album (Rainbow Rising), saw Uriah Heep live in 1978 and saw Colosseum perform on TV when the guitarist was Gary Moore, RIP.

[Happy Jack]

I wonder why they're called Glass Onyon PR ... couldn't they spell Onion, or was someone else already using the name?

Either way, as a piece of marketing from a complete stranger this is the Forum equivalent of a cold-calling salesman.

[urb]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='1156199' date='Mar 10 2011, 08:09 AM']I wonder why they're called Glass Onyon PR ... couldn't they spell Onion, or was someone else already using the name?

Either way, as a piece of marketing from a complete stranger this is the Forum equivalent of a cold-calling salesman.[/quote]

I couldn't agree more - look Onyon PR we have no problem with you lot posting here but this kind of thing, like with the Jeff Berlin PR postings, as if they were from an over zealous 'fan', are really f-ing amateur if you ask me - in fact if you want to do this kind of thing properly contact Ped and pay up like the rest of the affiliates.

PLEASE NOTE:

As a professional journalist myself I find this sort of stuff incredibly off putting and it's more likely to make me want to avoid the artist you are trying to promote through this kind of spamming - I suggest you contact magazines and or bass websites (like Bass Musician Magazine and NoTreble) that might actually run a proper news item on the said artist and the particular album thing or whatever it is they are pushing...

Thanks for your attention

Mike

[KevB]

I'm sure he's a great player and probably very nice bloke too but all that name dropping puts me off a bit, especially knowing something about the bands involved. I don't think he's on any Uriah Heep studio albums (one tour though IIRC) and his involvement with Rainbow was minimal - a few sessions which didn't end up on record and didn't tour with them to my knowledge. The Colosseum connection is more substantial by the sounds of it but I know less about them.

[Low End Bee]

I saw Tony Reeves the founder member bass player of Colosseum playing an acoustic gig with my mate JC on Friday.
He was amazing on the double bass (especially when he put it through an envelope filter). I'm also going to see Mark Clark playing double bass at a gig this Friday. How coincidental is that?

No cut and paste has been involved in this message......

[Beedster]

Not well known, but you'd hope he'd get better PR than that amateur crap! I know which Mark Clark I'll be listening to in the near future

And Clarky, I have to say mate, I'm still pi**ing myself over the 'flu joke!

C

Edited March 10, 2011 by Beedster

[skankdelvar]

[quote]Mark Clarke was born in Liverpool in the north of England, not a well known place except for its dock's and then, in the 1960's The Beatles came along and put it firmly on the map, forever![/quote]
Basschat's Mark Clark was born in Nazareth in the middle of Palestine, not a well known place except for it's palmtree's and it's Messiah's and then, in 1963, Mark came along and put it on the map forever!

Close friend to many semi-luminaries, Skank Del Var is now available for copywriting, sub-editing or proof-reading at astonishingly competitive rates.

Edited March 10, 2011 by skankdelvar

[Clarky]

Thanks Skank. However undercover reporters from the Sunday Mirror have already disproved the Nazareth story and shown that I was in fact born in 1963 in the rock n roll heartland that is Tunbridge Wells. I did once own a Nazareth single though

[hellothere]

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Clarky' post='1157377' date='Mar 10 2011, 10:55 PM']undercover reporters from the Sunday Mirror have already disproved the Nazareth story[/quote]
So much for my big fact hunt.

[SteveK]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='1157399' date='Mar 10 2011, 11:08 PM']So much for my big fact hunt. [/quote]

[tony_m]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='1157399' date='Mar 10 2011, 11:08 PM']So much for my big fact hunt. [/quote]
Somebody should make a tellybox show out of that...

[lowdown]

[quote name='glassonyonpr' post='1156151' date='Mar 10 2011, 02:40 AM']Whilst touring with them, such bands as Free (with Paul Rogers, Simon Kirke and [b]Paul Kossof)[/b] became friends and still are years on.[/quote]


Remarkable man, seems he can speak to the dead as well.




Garry

[Clarky]

Edited:

[b]As a bassist Mark Clark is not that well known, and while he has done next to nothing in the music industry his band Rattlin Bone has a great new CD released - check out his press info:[/b]

Non-legendary Nyx, Kismetik and Rattlin Bone Member Mark Clark's band To Release Debut CD of 'Voodoo zombie blues'

London, UK - The voodoo zombie blues world is buzzing with the debut release of non-legendary Nyx, Kismetik and Rattlin Bone member Mark Clark called The life and death of .... record label Weburneditourselves. Encompassing all the styles of music he has worked with the past six months, Mark Clark's band's album is a must for collectors and music enthusiasts worldwide. It's a masterful collection of extremely well recorded and performed tracks that rival any from the bands he's played in.

“From the opening track right through to the closer this album begs to be listened to over and over again and even memorized note for note. I've had the pleasure of hearing it more times than most people would hear almost anything in their collection and it keeps getting stronger with each listen. I'm very proud to be the partner of one of the nicest and most talented guys in the world.” Mrs Clarky/clarkyhouse.com
Mark Clark was born in Tunbridge Wells in the south of England, not a well known place except for its old people and then, in the late 1970's The Anti-Nowehere League came along and put it firmly on the map, forever! After seeing the Anti-Nowhere League and many other groups as a young kid at age 12 he knew what he wanted to do... play [s]guitar but he was too sh*t so he turned to[/s] the bass guitar.

Going from group to group until one day he met up with his first real band Nyx (a death metal thrash band) with whom he gigged four times and built up no reputation, as noone liked them as one Liverpool news paper said he was " London's Les Dawson" but after a year or so of unattended gigs, it was time to [s]be fired[/s] move on. Then he met up with many of them London musicians most of whom said he was too old to be in their band and was introduced to the guitarist JImmy Page, who had been a member one of the most well known groups of all time, LED ZEPPELIN.

Led Zeppelin were really hitting well at that point but they had a small problem, they were no longer in existence, and after Mark's band Nyx didn't open for them at what was Mark"s biggest gig ever at [s]a skanky dive[/s] a huge hall in of all places, London he was not asked to come and do a session on their new album in a studio down in London because they weren't in existence. Mark walked in to sing background vocals on a couple of tracks and spotted his bass on a guitar stand. Jimmy Page, whose band it was asked Mark to kindly leave the premises or he would call the police. He didand Jimmy was therefore unable to ask him, "So do you want the gig.” Touring with Led Zeppelin would have been harsh, very, very harsh, but truly amazing and for the rest of his career would have been a constant part of his life… a true love. But he didn't. Whilst touring London instead with punk band Kismetik, such bands as K*nt and The Gang (with Paul Shagger, Simon Turd and Paul Kitoff) did not become friends and still are unknown to him years on. The same is true for Metallica, The Beatles, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Kelly Brook (he later formed produced a large quantity of Natural Gas with Joey 'Bowels' McKenzie) and many more.
Not knowing what the hell to do Mark went to a bass forum on the interweb that was THE place to be... BassChat! You would find the who's who of the rock world in that place (and Marvin), in fact The Chat (as it was known) is unrelated to the place where Led Zeppelin were named by of all people Keith Moon of the Who. Whilst there Happy Jack not from Uriah Heep appeared and asked Mark to help out as he needed to replace his bass, so the next day they swapped gear in Kew and Mark did not join Uriah Heep. Mark recorded many things on Sky-Plus and was described as "The Wizard" by workmates on account of his long white hair, blogged mercilessly and then joined the group Rattlin Bone to work on their debut album. “In 1979 Led Zeppelin folded and within just two days I had been asked to finish my French 'O' level,” Mark recalls. “After recording and also writing his French essay 'Le Wizard' and some of the hardest revising I've ever done in just twenty two years I parted company with my hamster. Although I have worked with Ken Hom on many of his recipes throughout the years a red-caped dwarf called Peveril still follows me every place I go.”

In 1972 his mate Richard and Mark formed a gang and found a conker player of some note, Alan Holdstill. After two conker competitions Mark left the gang, played with his Scalextric track and, on account of his foreshortened ileum, then produced large quantities of Natural Gas with his mates Joey (Smellyfinger) and Jerry (I ate the Pie) moved to London, (he still lives there) and went on to record the entire series of the Sopranos (although his cleaner deleted one episode accidentally).
Along with Mark Clark's band's 'The life and death of...', Weburneditourselves.com has yet to remaster and reissue any other albums album on CD. Mark will shortly embark on the 20th wedding anniversary tour with Mrs C all over Siena in Italy. He then tours again with his ungrateful kids in the summer of 2011. “He's still a great nonce and also a barely adequate bass player,” says a bloke from his band.

Edited March 12, 2011 by Clarky