Martin Gordon - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Latest - Radio Stars reform for a one-off gig on London on March 1st 2008 to mark the release of their live album 'Something For The Weekend' in March. The first 1000 copies include FREE ' Hello Boston!' recorded at Martin Gordon's US debut in 2007. Discuss it on the MG Forum!
Bassist / songwriter / record producer / Berlin-resident Martin Gordon began his career with eccentric Californian pop band Sparks, after they ditched their fellow countrymen and moved to London to acquire some musical muscle and a little Englishness. Their treacherous move paid off handsomely with the monster success of the album 'Kimono My House' and singles 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us' and 'Amateur Hour'. Martin played bass, provided most of the arrangements and was dismissed shortly thereafter for obstreperousness. No matter - he picked himself up, dusted himself off and climbed aboard the 'sparkly bandwagon of glam-rock just before the wheels fell off and deposited the occupants in the cosmic ditch'. Less cynical observers today describe the band Jet, his vehicle of the time, as the seminal oompah-glam supergroup; Jet's sole (Roy Thomas Baker-produced) LP is today available on CD and has been hoisted into the musical firmament as 'a near-perfect slice of fun', to quote one enamoured listener.
Following a disagreement with the record company of the time (over Martin's proposal to record all the songs on the second LP as a single continuous piece of music, admittedly not the most sensible idea), the band were shown the door. Pausing at the threshold for the briefest of moments to change their name to Radio Stars, they found a home at Chiswick Records and found instant acclaim. 'Radio Stars stick out from the fetid morass of garage bands like Nureyev's whatsit through his leotard. Jeez, not only do these guys play real good'n'snappy bop-a-long rock, they've got a fistful of ace tunes and there's not a whiff of pretension about them. Their synthesis of all that was right and proper in the T.Rex / Lennon-McCartney / Neil Innes scale of things makes for laudable and laughable (as in loveable) listening'.
Two years of intense touring and recording took their inevitable toll and various parties fell out. As the songwriter and producer of the band, Radio Stars did not survive Martin's enforced departure. Martin embarked for Paris, where he worked as house producer with Barclay Records, and sat in with the Rolling Stones on a few occasions when their bassist was otherwise engaged.

Upon his return to the UK, he released 'Pop Sensibility' as the Blue Meanies and then hit upon the considerable more lucrative concept of working for other people. Among those who used Martin's services as keyboard player, programmer, producer, co-writer, arranger and washer-up are Kylie Minogue, George Michael, Boy George, Blur, Primal Scream, Robert Palmer, S'Express... the list continues. In the early Nineties, Martin was invited to Bombay to work with Boy George, a plate of blancmange and assorted queens on a project recorded in the music studios of Bollywood. And so he found himself working with such stellar figures as Asha Bhosle and Sultan Khan. Their status was unbeknown to him at the time however, coming as he did from the closeted, mono-cultural world of European rock'n'roll. Bombay opened his eyes and ears to a wider musical world, and he and his career took a turn towards 'world music'.
Since that time, he has worked with a dazzling array of talented musicians from around the globe (not least his own world/pop project Mira). A recent high point was a stint with Turkey's iconic Sezen Aksu, with whom he made the CD 'Sarki Soylemek Lazim'; he then played bass on her European tour. Live performance was not something he had entirely left behind, both with English proto-punks John's Children (who, in their reincarnated '90s form, enlisted his bass-playing skills) and with an astonishing 21st century revival of Jet, who briefly toured Europe and recorded the live CD 'Music for the Herd of Herring'. Not to be outdone, John's Children still emerge once a year for a quick retirement gig, whether it be in San Diego in the US, Cattolica in Italy or London's Camden Town. When lengthier periods of performance with Sezen Aksu proved to be an enjoyable and evocative experience, Martin decided to dive nose-first back into the stinking morass of rock'n'roll with a series of solo CDs. His vocal foil is Swedish vocalist Pelle Almgren; drums are played by John's Children/Jook/Jet drummer Chris Townson and guitars are by Berliner Ralf Leeman and Italian salami heir and stiletto broker Enrico Antico.
The Baboon in the Basement was released in Japan in March 2003 and in the rest of the world two months later. The world was ecstatic. So much so that he soon began work on a follow-up - The Joy of More Hogwash, released in June 2004. The third - God's On His Lunchbreak - was released in September 2005. A mid-price box set featuring the first three solo CDs was released in March 2006, entitled The Mammal Trilogy, and a mid-price best of, called How Am I Doing So Far?, was released in August 2006. The fourth part of the Mammal Trilogy released itself on June 17 2007, entitled The World Is Your Lobster. Martin's debut as a solo performer took place in Boston, Mass. on August 2 2007. Well, you don't want to rush people, do you......
Watch this space. If you want to, I mean it's not mandatory. You do have free will, after all. No determinism here, I should think not.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 12/28/2005
Band Website: martingordon.de
Band Members: Martin Gordon bass, Pelle Almgren voc, Enrico Antico & Ralf Leeman guitar, Chris Townson drums
Influences: Mammals of all sorts, especially crustaceans. And of course:

Sounds Like: Best way to answer this one is to quote from various critics' opinions:
All Music Guide
And so the most exhilarating comeback of the century continues. His fourth all-new album in five years, The World is Your Lobster of course is highlighted by Gordon's now-traditional touchstones of Gilbert & Sullivan and the Beatles, the latter via a truly rip-roaring "Hey Bulldog", complete with interrupting barking, and a riff that could hump your leg all night. The Lobster emerges with all claws waving, a snapping, snarling nest of savage guitar lines that kicks off with the primal Kinks krunch of "Pop Goes Bang", speeds on to ask "What Would Jesus Drive?", and positively blazes through the Ã¼ber-prog absurdity of "My Dog's Got No Nose".
Burton Mail
Veteran musician and producer Martin Gordon has released his sixth set of songs since going solo in 2001. The World is Your Lobster is a fine record with echoes of Pink floyd founder Syd Barrett and cult figure Robyn Hitchcock, himself a Barret acolyte. Gordon is overflowing with ideas that are quite simply off the beaten track.

Border
Martin Gordon makes awesome powerpop! Ever since being a member of Sparks he has kept writing songs and his albums find larger and larger audiences.

Kollektionist
We're used to Martin's intelligent wit in the lyrics, but more than ever they have now also found their way into the music. There's Bonzo Dog Band (Mirror Mirror) and 10cc (What Would Jesus Drive?) influences and musical quotes all over the place.

Popular 1
Just take a look at the formula: mix the 70s eccentricity of Sparks with the English elegance of the Kinks and the Beatles filter ofÂ "Magical Mystery Tour" and... voilaÂ !
All Music Guide / USA
Opening with the Whangdepootenwah-esque freneticism of the opening Fickle, positively the most psychotic love song since the heyday of the Smiths, God shamelessly blisters on through the magpie (Steptoe meets the Small Faces) magnificence of All Day Thinking and a punky rampage through Gilbert & Sullivan, before dropping even the most stubborn jaw with the closing Fags, a gorgeously heartfelt melody that suddenly transforms into a hardcore bellow, before winding down with the sound of coughing. If God really is on his lunchbreak, you know he has Martin Gordon in his i-Pod.
I 94 Bar / Australia
Songs like "Here Comes The Family" and "A Portion Of Paradise" are, quite simply, what ears were attached to human heads for, impeccably built from the foundation up, no chinks in the armor, instantly imprinted on the frontal lobe and, aside from Todd Rundgren, 10cc and Robyn Hitchcock, the type of otherworldly, necromantic pop you're unlikely to find anywhere else on this mortal coil.
Uncut / UK
His third album exists in a curious time warp sounding freakily like, well, Sparks. Or Wings - McCartney's "Too Many People" is covered. As is Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Captain Of The Pinafore" (really shouldn't work, but does). Somehow the bizarre brew of comedy philosophy, Beefheart-down-the-pub dynamics and pop consciousness works small wonders.
Song Book / UK
For all the idiosyncrasy, the search for reference points is quite easily satisfied. How about a powerpop Here Come The Warm Jets (Brian Eno), or a mid-70s Ogdens Nutgone Flake (Small Faces)? In fact if you remember Gordon's 70s bands Jet and Radio Stars, you're already somewhere there.
Classic Rock / UK
Like Brian Eno (what, him again!?!) fronting 10cc at a cleverness convention, this third instalment of eccentricity from the ex-Sparks sideman irritates and entrances equally.
Yeah Yeah Yeah
Ever witty and delightful, this third solo album from the power-pop wunderkid and former Sparks bassist is like a wonderful, lost Kinks album and everything Robbie Williams wishes he could be.
Fufkin / US
Shimmering and biting songs in the tradition of his Jet and Radio Stars material...... When Gordon moves into slower territory, his songs get more into the realm of The Beatles, The Move and Cheap Trick.... How Am I Doing So Far is another delight. Gordon's new guitarist Enrico Antico takes a Dave Davies riff that must have been lurking in the closet and spiffs it up in fine power chord fashion. On this song, Gordon takes over the primary vocal chores, mumbling in a manner that is part Phil Daniels on Blur's Parklife and the more current style of The Streets.
Power of Pop / UK
(God) has the ingrained cheek and wistfulness of early 70s Kinks in spades, but also the playfulness of those great Sparks records of the period, some of which, indeed, he once played on.... Sonically, the density of the production is not unlike ELO stripped of the pretension and with far greater urgency. There's a truly nutty version of The Captain Of The Pinafore that's pure pantomime, never mind Gilbert & Sullivan. Here Comes The Family sounds like mid-period Stranglers. Too Many People is the Paul McCartney number with David Bowie beaming in on backing vocals, while the album closer Fags has a middle section that sounds like System Of A Down having a throwdown. We can't leave this pop lark to the kids. They don't know the half of it.
Well, I'm glad we cleared THAT up, anyway.
Record Label: Radiant Future Records
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

Shop

The possibility of purchasing fine Mammalian products exists in the Shop!. And as well as Mammal products, there are also Radio Stars, Blues Meanies, Mira and God....
Posted by Martin Gordon on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:08:00 PST

BLOW UP METRO - rehearsals & gig

Feb 25 - 29th: rehearsals It all turned out rather nicely again. Following Chris Townson's official farewell in Pulborough, I went to Warsaw briefly to see a man about a donkey, and then returned to A...
Posted by Martin Gordon on Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:30:00 PST

Rescheduled Mammalian behaviour

Following the constructive advice of the promoter of the Blow Up Club, the Martin Gordon gig and the Radio Stars gig will now take place on the same date, namely Saturday March 1st. If anybody has bou...
Posted by Martin Gordon on Mon, 14 Jan 2008 03:13:00 PST

I Wandered Lonely as a Clod

Living in Germany as we do, we are faced daily with stereotypical German behaviours. This includes, if one reads the ABC Handbook of stereotypes, the notable lack of a sense of humour. Well, like all ...
Posted by Martin Gordon on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 10:20:00 PST

Radio Stars / Martin Gordon live CD - Something For The Weekend & Hello Boston!

Release date for this double set is March 1st 2008. Pre-orders / reservations in order to guarantee a copy with the bonus CD can be made here .The first 1000 copies of the new Radio Stars live CD 'So...
Posted by Martin Gordon on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:48:00 PST

Live in London, Live in Boston

MG plus His Mammals in London on Feb 29th 2008 at the Blow Up Metro, and then again the following night with Radio Stars at the same place. There's a limited capacity, but then there's probably a limi...
Posted by Martin Gordon on Sat, 17 Nov 2007 07:42:00 PST

Baaaaaston

Some Boston pix in 'Pix', with more to follow. And some audio here.
Posted by Martin Gordon on Wed, 08 Aug 2007 04:00:00 PST

Vidiot

It transpires that not only is there video but also soundboard audio. I imagine the two might be married up within a week or so, including the infamous Pinafore Collapse, followed swiftly by the infam...
Posted by Martin Gordon on Sun, 05 Aug 2007 10:27:00 PST

Rocking the Lobster

Fab show, snacks all round, pix & audio & a spot of video due in a day or two.... and a report. Now we must go and walk around in the 100 degree heat. No stopping is allowed, only continuous f...
Posted by Martin Gordon on Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:50:00 PST

Last Chance Saloon

A radio chat with a very well-informed Sara from the MIT Uni station, an hour of rock artefacts. Then later loud Rawk from Cheap Trick - marvellous, of course, as were Squeeze, in a big tent in the mi...
Posted by Martin Gordon on Thu, 02 Aug 2007 09:31:00 PST