Mark is now working on new material to be released as a series of EP's throughout 2026.- -The latest M R C EP= N8 The MRC at KonK Studios is available on the Bandcamp platform now!
Mark writes serious songs for serious people. Motivated by human stories and current affairs, both local and global. 
Two MRC albums are currently on release ‘My City Of Fire’ and ‘Scirocco'. 
The 'Scirocco' Album recording is complete and now released everywhere.
https://ditto.fm/scirocco
The MRC film 'Scirocco' has been released via Vimeo.
 https://vimeo.com/191045239
And this beautiful visual story telling film. 
= ‘The King Of Bhutan’
https://youtu.be/4bHplIN8QYk

Mark worked in collaboration with songwriter Robin Nixon on a 'song-cycle' project involving both music and poetry. The piece 'Fair Game' is now written and recorded. and is now on release. 
https://ditto.fm/fair-game

And similarly from ‘Fair Game’. = ‘Flashing Blue Sparks’
https://youtu.be/6NVEC4uWYKg

Mark's songs have been covered by Jennifer Crook, My Darling Clementine, and Bob Andrews (Keys wizard with Graham Parker and The Rumour).
His influences are Ray Davies, Graham Parker, Smokey Robinson, Curtis Mayfield, Gladys Knight, Nina Simone, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell. And Dusty!
The song 'Hide Away With You' being awarded a Semi-Final placing in the United Kingdom Songwriting Contest.
and appears on the fabulous compilation album 'The Wonder Of Things To Come' released by Ramshaw Records.
And his tune- ‘Changing Places (For Eleda)’
on The Aldora Britain Records label,
‘Victrola Blues’ released via Bandcamp.

Wow, I"m so glad Soundcloud gave me this opportunity to provide some descriptive background of all these sloppy tracks, for those who may be interested.

(The next 5 songs are new, added 11/29/10)

"Watcher Of The Skies" (Intro) - My cover of the Genesis tune -- just the intro.  I was messing around with my keyboards one day, and began figuring this one out, quite by accident, back in 2008.  But it floored me, to be able to figure out and play the mellotron and organ parts (recorded simultaneously).
I decided to end it on an EbMaj to resolve it.

"Sister Moon" - Sting Cover.  I always dug the opening chords on this one, they're just very dissonant and bizarre.  So one day back in 2007, I just went and figured out the rest of it!  Played and sang the parts simultaneously.  It needs a cymbal tap and a soprano sax to complete it.

"Nothing Could Be Better" - An original, written/recorded in 2002.  This is after 9/11.  One month after that, in October, I was told I don't have a job unless I want to relocate from Central NJ to White Plains NY.  My wife and I moved to a dumpy apt in Lodi so I could commute.  Very depressing time -- so I wrote this song, with a title that reflected just the opposite of how I felt at the moment.  The lyrics are just nonsense, but I wanted to sing something!

"Snakes" - Another original, about -- well, you figure it out!  Guitar (capo on the 1st fret), piano, vocals.  A simple mono demo recording -- in fact, I screwed up the piano part at the end of the bridge, but now I kinda like it!  Just want to add a guitar solo at the bridge, and some maracas (snakes ... ya know?)

"Another Day" - One more original, written 1998.  This demo recorded 2004.  Not much to say about this one, other than that I like some of the lyrics:  "I'm on a ledge and looking down/I wanna jump but I'm so afraid to hit the ground".  I'm glad to say I can only imagine that's what it must be like!

(above notes added 11/29/10)

"Help!" - My version of The Beatles song.Recorded Acoustic Guitar, Drums, Bass, Electric Guitar, Vocals (3 Parts), in that order (I think!), back in 1998.Hardest parts were Harrison's arpeggios right before each verse -- I have tremendous respect for him and his abilities after doing that!A few rough spots with the vocals, but MAN, that one was fun to do!

"What's Your Problem" - Written/Recorded in 1998, around the same time as "Help!". Acoustic Guitar, Electric Rhythm, Bass, Drums, Vocals, Lead Guitar, Percussion (again, roughly in that order). My "Grunge" tune, semi-autobiographical, written about a failed relationship. The Protagonist is asking his ex-girlfriend what HER problem is, when HE'S the one who's fucked up! I always wanted to add an explosion toward the end, but never did get around to it -- but I LOVE the lead guitar lines! See if you can catch the nod to Genesis in the vocals/lyric!

"The Burn Inside" - Written/Recorded in 1993.Acoustic Guitar (2 Parts), Vocals (3 Parts), Piano, Bongos."Keyboard Percussion" was added back in 2007. More disillusionment about another relationship.

"Windows" - Written 1993, around the same time as "The Burn Inside", about the same girl!She really was hot looking, a gorgeous face and a hot little body -- and her hair always smelled really good! -- but she had a real vacuum in her head -- sure, I'm as shallow an any red-blooded American male! In the end, I realize how lucky I was NOT to have ended up with her. I actually had Ian Anderson's voice in mind when I was singing it, although my voice falls incredibly short.  Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Electric Guitar, Vocal. Sorry about the awful hiss on the acoustic guitar part, I blew those levels! Gee, I sure hope she's doing alright.

"Space Oddity" - My version of Bowie's classic track (of which the beginning chords inspired "Windows"). Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Drums, Keyboards (2 Mellotron Parts), Vocals (2), Lead Guitar, Synthesizer. Just winged it at the "lift-off", but I like how understated it is. Of course, the dramatic 'Anthony Newly" thing right before it sounds hysterical to me now!But overall, this was just fun to do! I like the S.O.S. at the end, that pans from the middle left to the right.

"Through The Mist" - My first real multitrack recording. Written 1979/Recorded early 1981. My homage to one of my favorite bands at the time, Genesis. Piano, Bass, Drums, Vocals, Crumar Synthesizer (2 Parts), Taurus Moog Bass Pedals (in that order). Recorded on a Teac 3440-A 4-Track Reel-To-Reel. Basically, this is unmixed. Had to bounce a rough mix of the 1st four tracks to stereo cassette, then that was put back onto the Teac, then I added the Synth and Bass Pedals. Cheesy lyrics, but I was 17 when I wrote the damn thing, whaddaya want?!And the "clicking" sound during the 2nd part is a finger snap into an analog delay effect that I cranked up. I just wish I re-recorded the drum track, it's awful -- Sorry!

"Nightmare" - Written/Recorded early 1981 in New Brunswick, NJ. Crumar Synthesizer (with heavy flanger), more Crumar (Piano setting), Taurus Moog Bass Pedals, Drums.
This is a bizarre version of JUST THE OPPOSITE of Zappa's Xenography technique, where he strips one track from one performance, and lays that over another track. Instead, I added the drums, and purposely let the rhythm fall out of sync with the other 3 tracks. How fucked up is THAT?!
This track was actually recently edited by my friend Cageypea so that part 1 fades, then part 2 slams into it. A beautiful job done, Cagey ... of course, then the song just seems to completely fall apart at the end, as the protagonist begins to wake up ...

These are ALL "flawed" recordings, but I hope anyone who listens to them finds SOMETHING redeeming about them. I take full responsibility for any shortcomings, since I recorded each instrument on all these tracks. They're certainly not meant to be "climbing the charts with a bullet" --they are just a sample of some of my home recordings, just fun experiments for someone who was bored, and needed something to do.

Peace.
Gary

(Notes written on 11/20/10 - 11/29/10).

Please note:  All original recordings are copyright 1979-2005.

I make racket. I like making racket. 
Sometimes I make racket with some friends: https://soundcloud.com/lunarasylum

Ric Parnell, Troy Graham, 
Steve Rowley, Mike Wolfram. 
Chess.
Music.
Space.

I am a musician who primarily plays the synthesizer. I compose most of the music I record and play. I also play in the band Foil Helmet.

Dark poetry riding on the hot current of progressive rock, alt jazz, and pure musical creativity: John Shirley--vocalist and lyricist--collaborates with Jerry King, respected progressive guitarist and multi-instrumentalist songwriter. Superb musicians from the Lizardz and other wild projects collaborated with Jerry and John to create SPACESHIP LANDING IN A CEMETERY, an album that takes us from death to transcendence; from the dark night of the soul into the light of inner freedom. John's lyrics have been compared to Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen and Don Roeser; Jerry King's untethered guitar and compositional power has been compared to King Crimson and other prog greats.

The two artists at the heart of this extraordinary musical alchemy: John Shirley and Jerry King. Jerry wrote and recorded CLOUD OVER JUPITER, 5th MASS FROM THE SUN and was co-writer on the MOON MEN album "AMAZING SCIENCE FICTION STORIES"; he also played on the DIRATZ album, Jamie Bruhn's solo album "CIGARETTES AND LIES and the DUKES OF 1987's "RETRODERELICT." He appears on the compilation album FRETS OF YORE with Fred Frith and Henry Kaiser, and Greg Segal's album "INVISIBLE GROUND OF SYMPATHY". Having completed SPACESHIP LANDING IN A CEMETERY he's currently working on the new CLOUD OVER JUPITER album and the second album from MOON MEN. An upcoming interview about his work, including SPACESHIP LANDING IN A CEMETERY, appears in issue #74 of Progression Magazine. 
In Portland, Oregon John Shirley was the original lead singer of Sado-Nation before going to New York to perform in Obsession, and San Francisco to lead The Panther Moderns and The Screaming Geezers. John has written the lyrics for eighteen songs recorded by the Blue Oyster Cult, including "See You in Black", and more songs by John are expected on the next Blue Oyster Cult album coming this fall. He's also written lyrics for Joe Bouchard, Dennis Dunaway and Al Bouchard for their up and coming band Blue Coupe. Writing lyrics comes naturally to John--he's not only a widely published poet, he's written numerous novels and the award-winning story collection Black Butterflies. He's now working with Mark Tremonti (Creed, Alter Bridges), to adapt Mark's new science-fiction rock opera into a novel: A DYING MACHINE. John's already gotten shout-outs in Billboard and at MSN and many other places for his work with Tremonti. John Shirley was also co-screenwriter of the movie THE CROW.

I'm a Librarian...I do a bit of everything in my job but I'm a cataloger at heart. I also love collection development -- shaping our library's selection of resources and materials is a profoundly important job that can have a huge impact on the community of patrons. I also love collecting all sorts of improvisational musics, reading literature of the fantastic (Poe, Lovecraft, Hoban are three of my favorite authors of all-time), and doing digital photography, especially architectural and landscapes in black and white. 

Followers of Jerry King