NOTE:
David Marks is
often considered to be the
"lost" Beach Boy.
Asked to join the
band at just thirteen
years old after Al Jardine
had dropped out, it was
David who was
present when the
group was signed by
Capitol Records. And
he continued with the band
for their initial
successes, playing with
them at concert and
television performances,
and appearing on the
sleeves of
their first five
Capitol albums.
Although his actual
contribution to the Beach
Boys has been long
debated, he has since
carved out a distinctive
niche for his own artistic
talents, both as guitarist
and songwriter, and
deserves a second look - I
have to personally thank
Malcolm S. in the UK for
his invaluable help in
compiling this list.
David
Marks & the Marksmen: The Sheriff
Of Noddingham + Kustom Kar
Show
Sundazed
Records S 158 [LP 7"
Single];
Released
19??
1. The
Sheriff of Noddingham
2. Kustom Kar Show
REVIEW:
This 7" vinyl
single, released through Sundazed Records, is, at present, the
only officially released
document of this short-lived
band which Marks put
together after leaving the
Beach Boys - the side A
song: "The Sheriff of
Noddingham" is a jittery
instrumental which Mark's
himself called his "cheap
imitation of Dick Dale" but
I gotta give him more credit
than that - his playing is
stellar - clean and with
enough reverb to set my
teeth chattering. The
flip-side: "Kustom Kar Show"
is a vocal track, with not
much to recommend it
melody-wise - it's about as
forgettable as a lot of
other, similar songs which
Gary Usher was churning out
at the same time. But
the production is tight, the
playing is clean, and the
vocals, although lacking the
Beach Boys increasing
sophistication, is strong.
The Marksmen toured
with Jan and Dean for
awhile, trying to build up
an audience, but for
whatever reason, the public
never caught on, and Marks's
group came to a fairly
ignominious end.
There's more of the
Marksmen floating around,
including "Kustom Kar
Show's" original flip side:
"Cruisin'," and another
song, "Travelin'" (which can
be found on the Lost Legends of
Surf Guitar II
CD). And according to
David's own web
site, a complete
Marksmen CD is coming out
soon, as well as a CD of
unreleased tracks from the
last 40 years. David
Marks & the Marksmen: The
Ultimate Collectors Edition
1963-1965
Reverse
Falcon Music ;
Released
January 20, 2009
1. Sheriff
of Noddingham 2:14
2. Travelin' 2:43
3. Kustom Kar Show
2:54
4. Cruisin' 2:00
5. Let's Dance 2:17
6. Foor Fair 1:50
7. Do You Know What
Lovers Say? 1:53
8. I Wanna Cry 2:35
9. I Could Make You
Mine 1:51
10. I Heard You Cryin'
2:00
11. Don't Cry for Me
2:06
12. In My Lonely World
1:48
13. Lazy Sunday
Morning 1:54
14. That's Why 2:19
15. Don't Weep 2:03
16. Cruisin' (Basic
Track) 2:35
17. Cruisin' (Atl
Track) 2:27
REVIEW: After
David
Marks was so
unceremoniously dumped
from The Beach Boys, he
quickly turned around and
formed his own band, The
Marksmen and proceeded to
release a string of
singles, all of which are
collected on this
excellent compilation.
The Marksmen took
their cue from various
rock instrumental groups
which were popular in
Southern California during
this time. While the
rock instrumental fad was
brief and fairly
localized, it's influence
was vast, and at least one
group, The Ventures,
continued their popularity
and influence decades
beyond their initial
popularity. Not so
much for the Marksmen,
though it's not for lack
of talent - The
Ultimate
Collectors Edition
1963-1965
shows that The Marksmen
were ferocious players,
easily on par with other,
similar bands. Their
early output mimics the
surf/car themes that were
all the rage in 1963, but
they quickly branch out
into other themes.
There are several
vocals: "Kustom Kar Show"
is a muscular,
harmony-free rocker, while
the odd, lopsided
"Cruisin'" is more "far
out" than most Beach Boys
tracks. "Let's
Dance" takes a cue from
early Dave Clark Five
albums, rocking harder
than Brian Wilson ever
did, but "Fool Fair" is a
clunker, lurching through
the stiff lyrics with
little to recommend it.
It becomes clear
that after several bombs,
the Marksmen begin to
search for a different
sound, because "In My
Lonely World" sounds like
an odd mutation of Phil
Spector and Burt Bacharch,
drowning the treacly
sentiment in thick kettle
drums, and "Lazy Sunday
Morning" taking a blues
approach, and hampered by
a thick vocal.
"That's Why" starts
to sound like Elvis
Presley's sixties output,
with an earnest lyric
saddled with an
over-produced track.
I wish I could say
the sound was pristine,
but it appears that some
of the tracks here have
degraded, but since this
is likely the only
collection of these rare
tracks to ever become
available, fans should
count themselves
fortunate.
The
Moon:
Without
Earth
Imperial Records
9381/12381 [LP];
Released 1968;
Rev-Ola
Records CDREV9 [CD];
Released April 1,
2004
1.
Mothers &
Fathers (Matthew
Moore)
2. Pleasure
(Matthew Moore)
3. I Should Be
Dreaming
(Matthew Moore)
4. Brother Lou’s
Love Colony
(Gary Montgomery
/ Jack Dalton)
5. Got To Be On
My Way (Daniel
Moore)
6. Someday Girl
(Matthew Moore)
7. Papers
(Matthew Moore)
8. Faces
(Matthew Moore)
9. Never
Mind
(Matthew Moore)
10. Give Me More
(Matthew Moore)
11. She’s On My
Mind (Gary
Montgomery /
Jack Dalton)
12. Walking
Around (Matthew
Moore)
REVIEW:
It's true, I'm a sucker
for pop music of the
1960s, and this album,
which is chock-full of
brilliant moments that
echo other artists, such
as the Bee Gees and
prog-rockers The Moody
Blues is aces in all the
things that turn me on -
melodic, but not twee;
thunderous psychedelic
touches that hint of more
adventurous things than
your average California
garage band, tied with
stellar, multi-phased
harmonies drenching
everything; along with
glittering guitars, barely
penetrable lyrics, and
gleefully self-conscious
song titles, such as
"Pleasure," "Someday
Girl," "Papers," and
"Faces." For years I
was unaware that David
Marks had survived
musically to dip his toes
into this kind of rich,
aural stew, and was blown
away when I heard
it. David Marks was
mostly here for lead
guitar work, and by all
measures, it's stellar,
but he also takes the lead
vocal on two songs:
"Brother Lou's Love
Colony" (another great
Sixties-era title), and
"She's On My
Mind." The
other three members of The
Moon included Matthew
Moore, main songwriter and
singer, Andrew Bennett on
Bass, and Larry Brown on
Drums AND Keyboard for the
studio sessions, and their
sound on record is thick
and expertly
produced by Larry
Brown (who drummed with
surf bands Davie
Allan
and the Arrows
and The
Challengers).
For those who love
melodic 60s psychedelia,
you'll be happy to know
that the UK's Rev-Ola
label has put out a
nicely-priced CD of
EVERYTHING The Moon put
out called Without
Earth
and the Moon, and
you should definitely
consider running out and
buying it - this is good
stuff; it's too bad that
The Moon didn't last as
long as some of their
contemporaries, since
their sound is easily on
par with what other
groups, (including the
Beach Boys) were doing at
this time.
The
Moon: The Moon
Imperial
Records
12444 [LP]; Released 1969
Rev-Ola Records
CDREV9 [CD]; Released
April 1, 2004
1.
Pirate [Moore]
2:56
2. Lebanon
[Moore, Morse]
1:43
3. Transporting
Machine [Moore]
1:37
4. Mary Jane
[Klimes,
Witcraft]
2:10
5. Softly
[Moore]
2:56
6. Not to Know
[Moore]
2:40
7. Good Side
[Moore]
2:55
8. Life Is a
Season
[Moore]
2:19
9. John
Automation
[Moore]
2:15
10. Come Out
Tonight
[Moore]
2:45
11. Mr. Duffy
[Brown,
Moore]
2:52
REVIEW:
The
Moon's second, and
final album, due to
the internal
reorganization at
Imperial Records, is
just as whimsical
and melodic as their
debut, with the
album starting out
with the wonderful
honky-tonk piano of
"Pirate" before
swooping into the
odd, angular baroque
"Lebanon" which
mixes the sound of
early Bee Gees with
the band's trademark
psychedelic touches.
The
wonderfully quirky
song titles are
present again on
this album, with
"Transporting
Machine" and "John
Automation"
jarring elbows with
name songs "Mr.
Duffy" and "Mary
Jane". The
latter song is a
masterpiece of
gentle renaissance
instrumentation,
while "Transporting
Machine", like the
somewhat mis-named
"Softly" rock
harder, but each
song contains shifts
in key signature and
melody that keeps
the listener
guessing as to where
each song will
eventually land.
Musical
inventiveness like
this, which was
pioneered by the
Beatles, is ably
carried on by The
Moon's
hyper-inventive
Matthew Moore, who
takes the bulk of
songwriting duties.
But there's
explosive
experimentation
going on throughout
the album, and David
Marks' playing is
stunningly adept,
showing off just how
much he had embraced
the new sounds of
the late sixties -
something which the
Beach Boys struggled
with, especially as
the decade drew to a
close. You can
even hear some early
blues music on "Good
Side" which David
would more fully
explore in
subsequent decades.
Listening to
the album, it hard
to pick out a
favorite, since it's
all melodic,
unusual, expertly
crafted, and
compelling - this is
one of those lost
groups that deserved
a better handling
than they received,
and one of my
favorite discoveries
of the year.
Again, this
album has been
paired with the
previous release on
a single CD by
Rev-Ola Without
The Earth and
The Moon,
and is highly
recommended.
The Marks-Clifford Band: Live @ The Blue
Dolphin '77 DJM Records
0603 [CD]; Released 2006
1. Have
Love Will Travel
(John Cale)
2. Call Me The
Breeze (Richard
Berry)
3. Something Funny
Goin’ On (Buzz
Clifford)
4. Tutti Frutti
(Lubin, Penniman,
LaBostrie)
5. Raindrops (Dee
Clark)
6. Since I Don’t
Have You (Joe
Rock, James
Beaumont, The
Skyliners)
7. Ocean Liner
(Buzz Clifford)
8. Steppin’ Out
(David Marks)
9. Room Full Of
Gloom (Buzz
Clifford)
10. Nothing Takes
The Place Of You
(Buzz Clifford)
11. Creation (Buzz
Clifford)
12. Dr Of Love
(David Marks)
13. Hot Flashes At
Midnight (Buzz
Clifford)
14. Early In The
Morning (David
Marks)
15. You Can’t Talk
To Me (David
Marks)
16. Light Of The
Spirit (David
Marks)
17. Hollywood Joe
(Daniel Moore)
REVIEW: Much
like
Peter Tork of The
Monkees, David Marks has
been contented to walk a
ways apart from
mainstream music, and
his talent, like Tork's
has always leaned
somewhat more towards
his dexterous
instrumental playing
than his vocal
chops, and here, in a
1977 gig that he played
with the thickly-peopled
"Marks-Clifford Band"
(Guitars: David Marks,
Buzz Clifford, Greg
Beck; Drums: ‘Frosty’,
Matt Betton; Bass: David
Jackson, Colin Cameron;
Piano: David Marks,
Glenn Crocker, David
Jackson; Organ: Gary
Montgomery, Jim Gordon;
Percussion: Rick Cantu,
M.L. Benoit; Horns:
Daryl Leornard, Jerry
Peterson, ‘Stomach’) the
group presents a
blues-heavy jam-cycle of
songs penned by Clifford
and Marks, and a
sprinkling of R&B
Rockers. It's a
tight set, with
rough-hewn vocals sawing
in front of
competently-played
backing, and the
occasional woman's
backup singers chiming
in. It's all very
rough-and-ready, but for
all that, the set list
rushes by with little
that makes much of a
lasting impression.
It's the
equivalent of a very
competent bar band who
never made it past their
humble beginnings.
David makes no
musical references to
his past associations
with either The Beach
Boys or The Moon, and
the set passes somewhat
forgettably. There
are some painful moments
as well: the sloppy,
perfunctory take on the
classic "Since I Don't
Have You"; a slow,
laconic take
on Clifford's most
recognizable song:
"Ocean Liner" which
sounds like it could've
benefited from a more
aggressive tempo, and
Mark's own weak vocal
work on his songs.
But I enjoyed
other moments:
Clifford's "Room Full Of
Gloom" feels just right
with some great trumpet
licks inserted, and the
same can be said for
"Nothing Takes The Place
Of You", and I also dig
the slinky wah-wah found
in "Creation".
While Marks's "You Can't
Talk To Me" is the best
of his contributions.
In sum, it's
pretty clear that these
two talents worked well
together, and this disc
highlights both of their
respective strengths and
weaknesses. Don't
think I'll be listening
to this one very often.
David Marks:
Work Tapes Compiled in
1992; Re-issued in
2000 via
davidleemarks.com
1.Siren
Song (Buzz
Clifford)
2. Ocean Liner
(Buzz Clifford)
3. I Wanna Be Your
Driver (Chuck
Berry)
4. Fool’s
Guarantee (David
Marks)
5. Over My Head
(Buzz
Clifford/David
Marks)
6. Doctor Of Love
(David Marks)
7. Bamboo Shack
(David Marks/Buzz
Clifford)
8. Early In The
Morning (David
Marks)
9. Have Love Will
Travel (Richard
Berry)
10. Hollywood Joe
(Daniel Moore/Buzz
Clifford)
REVIEW:
I
think that any Beach Boys
fan who listens to David
Marks' solo work will find
a lot to like, especially
if you have a soft spot
for Dennis's or Al's solo
works; David's voice, an
unassuming baritone, has a
soft rasp not unlike
Dennis's later vocal works
(though much better than
the coarse roar Dennis's
voice deteriorated into),
and more importantly,
contains a heart and
bluesy vibe to his singing
and songwriting which is
as easy and smooth as a
Carribean sunset.
While listening to
this, I was reminded a bit
of fellow beachcomber
Jimmy Buffet, with a
laid-back attitude present
from song to song that
never shakes things up too
much. There's no
dire melodrama or
stand-out songs, but for
those who know Mark's
past, it's easy to hear
Beach Boys touch points,
with lots of thick
harmonies on the
sing-along choruses,
occasional island timbres
among the percussion, with
"Bamboo Shack" a
proto-typical track,
catchy, with backing
vocals that take their
place along similarly
summery Beach Boys songs.
But unlike the Beach
Boys, David Marks is more
than happy to delve into
the blues, and "Doctor Of
Love" is a stellar example
of his latent passion for
sinewy jams, with stinging
guitar work punctuating
the vocal line, while
"Have Love Will Travel" is
even better, with Dave
showing off his own
impressive falsetto leaps.
I also really liked
the snake-y back-and-forth
vocals found in "Early In
The Morning" as well as
the popping arrangement
that sparkles on "Fools
Guarantee". In
short, the more I've
listened to these songs,
the more I've found to
enjoy. David may
never have the vocal
distinctiveness to break
into the big time, but he
shows amply here that he's
got far more talented
chops than The Beach Boys
ever credited him for.
David
Marks: Something
Funny Goin' On Quiver
Records DM5513 [CD];
Released December
2003
1.
Second Wind
2. Stowaway
3. Put Yourself
In My Place
(‘live at
Silvermine’)
4. Mixed Drinks
& High
Emotions
5. High Side Of
Normal
6. Crenshaw
Blvd.
7. You Can’t
Talk To Me
8. The Legend
9. Put Yourself
In My Place
10. Still Life
In Motion
11. Land Of
Opportunity
Produced
and
engineered by
David Marks
All
songs
composed by
David Marks
(except
“Still
Life In
Motion”
composed by
David Marks
and Terry Hand
during 1979)
David
Marks:
Lead
and backing
vocals,
guitars, bass,
piano and
organ
REVIEW: David
Marks
has publicly said that
this album had to be
rushed out due to pressure
from his record
label, and that he wasn't
completely happy with the
finished result, but even
so, Something
Funny Goin' On
isn't an embarrassment, it
contains much of the
loose,
easy atmosphere that
Work Tapes provided, with
a jazzy, combo feel to
most of the tracks.
If anything, it feels
perhaps a little too lazy,
with not enough craft
applied to the songwriting
or vocals for anything to
last long in the
memory. It also
doesn't help that Marks
sounds intoxicated while
singing on "Mixed Drinks
& High Emotions";
which may have been a
conscious decision on his
part to do a little
"method acting" while
singing about drinking,
but the feeling persists
throughout the album that
David isn't putting
his heart and
soul into these
songs. Still
there's a few gems,
with the sharp "Put
Yourself In My Place"
alternating with the
dreamlike "High Side of
Normal"; and "Second Wind"
has a sharp reggae vibe
which makes it a
compelling leap-off for
the album. But it's
hard to ignore the
sloppiness of tracks like
"Crenshaw Blvd." and "You
Can't Talk To Me", which
could've been more
compelling with
tighter vocals and
production. The odd
changes in tempo and husky
singing on "Still Life In
Motion" reminds me again
of Dennis Wilson's
late-period vocal
stylings, while "Put
Yourself In My Place" is a
drowsy instrumental piece
that drifts aimlessly from
chord to chord. The
album closes with "Land of
Opportunity" a forgettable
saga of a loser living in
the U.S.A., unable to make
something more of his
life, and a fitting closer
for an album which
should've been something
more. Currently out
of print, and of course,
going for outrageous
prices at various online
sites.
David
Marks:
I Think About You
Often Quiver Records
0602 [CD]; Released
December 2006
1. Like
1969 (D. Marks)
2. Bamboo Shack
(D. Marks & B.
Clifford)
3. Light of the
Spirit (D. Marks)
4. I Fall into the
Grace (D. Marks)
5. Big Wave (D.
Marks)
6. Stowaway (D.
Marks)
7. I'm So Clever
(D. Marks & B.
Clifford)
8. Pretty Eyes (D.
Marks)
9. Dancin' in the
Mirror (D. Marks)
10. I Ain't Goin'
Surfin' (D. Marks)
11. Have You Ever
Been Duped (D.
Marks & Buzz
Clifford)
12. I Think About
You Often (D.
Marks)
REVIEW: Easily
Marks's most personal
album to date, with every
song penned, or co-penned
by him and writing buddy
Buzz Clifford, the songs
touch on everything from
the past ("Like 1969", "I
Think About You Often") to
a newly-professed
spirituality ("Light Of
the Spirit", "I Fall Into
Grace") to bitterness over
his association with The
Beach Boys ("I Ain't Goin'
Surfin'", "Have You Ever
Been Duped"). David
even stretches the Beach
Boys connection by using
Paradise Cove for the
album cover and insert
shots, (which is the same
location which The Beach
Boys' Surfin' Safari
album cover was shot).
David's fluid guitar
work is on ample display
here, as well as his vocal
limitations, sometimes he
sounds eerily like Dennis
Wilson's late period,
especially on the haunting
"Light of the Spirit" with
it's swirling guitars and
free-form construction, as
well as it's
mandolin-flavored follow
up, "I Fall into the
Grace". Things pick
up with the rollicking
"Big Wave" with its
rockabilly groove and
ominous imagery, and
continue with the ticking
guitars and beguiling,
sinuous slide lead.
Some songs come off
as turgid, such as the
interminable "Dancin' in
the Mirror" and "Girl
with the Pretty Eyes"
dances dangerously
close to "Hey Little
Tomboy" territory, but the
jazzy arrangment makes the
song sound more achingly
regretful than leering.
The most obvious
attack at his Beach Boys
past is the dark, bluesy
"I Ain't Goin' Surfin'"
which put me off with it's
minor key progressions and
negative mood, but "Have
You Ever Been Duped" is
much better, with harsh,
biting lyrics and a
brighter blues melody
lifting it above the
previous song. The
final song, "I Think About
You Often" a duet with
Anna Montgomery, is a sad,
tortured lament to the
passing of an unnamed
friend. The last
several tracks contain a
regretful aura that makes
everything a little bleak
and weary, but with such
fine playing, and such
heartfelt singing and
writing, I Think About
You Often
is easily recommended. David
Marks
(Featuring The
A-Phonics): Back
In The Garage Lion and
the Pigeon Records
[MP3/CD];
Released March 28,
2016
1.
Sheriff of
Noddingham 2:14
2. Cruisin' 2:06
3. Stoked 2:13
4. I Could Make
You Mine 1:52
5. Food Fair
1:53
6. Travelin'
2:38
7. Let's Dance
2:23
8. Summertime
Blues 3:08
9. Surf Jam 2:24
10. Louie, Louie
2:22
11. Kustom Kar
Show 2:46
REVIEW: David's
first album in ten
years, following brief
returns to the Beach
Boys bandwagon for their
50th reunion album and
tour, this album of
covers of classic surf
rock manages to groove
easily along for its
short 25-minute running
time, largely due to
both Marks' fluid guitar
chops, his easy vocals,
and the stellar backing
work of the A-Phonics,
who manage to inject a
whole boatload of energy
into the album.
How these two forces
met, I don't know, but
their chemistry is
palpable, as they rip
through such classics as
"Stoked," "Summertime
Blues," "Sheriff of
Noddingham" (a nice nod
to Marks' own Marksmen
past), as well as Kustom
Kar Show," "Let's
Dance," and "I Could
Make You Mine" - all
directly pulled from the
Marksmen roster.
Of course, for fans of
the Marksmen, nothing
here quite matches the
ferocity of those
original records, but
nothing is embarrassing
either; this is bright,
fun stuff - and the
sound is as clean, and
in-your-face, as you could
wish for in a surf
album. Here's hoping
that Marks and the
A-Phonics find more
reasons to jam in the
studio together.
shows that The Marksmen
were ferocious players,
easily on par with other,
similar bands. Their
early output mimics the
surf/car themes that were
all the rage in 1963, but
they quickly branch out
into other themes.
There are several
vocals: "Kustom Kar Show"
is a muscular,
harmony-free rocker, while
the odd, lopsided
"Cruisin'" is more "far
out" than most Beach Boys
tracks. "Let's
Dance" takes a cue from
early Dave Clark Five
albums, rocking harder
than Brian Wilson ever
did, but "Fool Fair" is a
clunker, lurching through
the stiff lyrics with
little to recommend it.
It becomes clear
that after several bombs,
the Marksmen begin to
search for a different
sound, because "In My
Lonely World" sounds like
an odd mutation of Phil
Spector and Burt Bacharch,
drowning the treacly
sentiment in thick kettle
drums, and "Lazy Sunday
Morning" taking a blues
approach, and hampered by
a thick vocal.
"That's Why" starts
to sound like Elvis
Presley's sixties output,
with an earnest lyric
saddled with an
over-produced track.
I wish I could say
the sound was pristine,
but it appears that some
of the tracks here have
degraded, but since this
is likely the only
collection of these rare
tracks to ever become
available, fans should
count themselves
fortunate.
and 
