Lately I’ve been listening to Marc Almond. Been a fan of his since I was a kid, thanks to Soft Cell’s biggest hit “Tainted Love.” But Soft Cell was way more than a band who did Northern Soul covers. In fact, after the “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret”/”Non Stop Ecstatic Dancing” period, Soft Cell produced two more darker, brilliant releases: “The Art of Falling Apart” and “Last Night In Sodom.” Alas, all good things must come to an end. In 1984 Soft Cell disbanded until 2001. In 2002, a reunion album came in the form of “Cruelty Without Beauty.”
What stands out with Marc Almond is his ability to have one foot in the mainstream, and the other foot in the more avant garde/underground music circles. Marc makes it look effortless as he switches from one genre to another, depending on the project he’s working on. Perhaps another reason why I’m still a fan of Marc is that musically he’s constantly evolving. Instead of resting on nostalgic laurels, as with the case of some ’80s bands, Almond embraced different styles such as French chanson and Russian folk music. With this Marc Almond has proved to be a versatile artist again and again. In my eyes he’s an extremely underrated musician, especially here in the United States.
Right before Soft Cell broke up, Marc had two side projects. One was the very short-lived The Immaculate Consumptive. The members consisted of Almond, Lydia Lunch, Nick Cave and J.G. Thirlwell, better known as Foetus. The Immaculate Consumptive only lasted about three live shows. To my knowledge, no studio recording exist. Afterwards, Marc Almond formed his own off-shoot called Marc and The Mambas. Marc and The Mambas put out two studio albums. In 1982 was “Untitled” and in 1983 “Torment and Toreros.” This to me, is my favorite Marc Almond period. The other personal favorites besides the Mamba records is from his later solo years. There’s 1988′s “Stars We Are” and 1985′s “Mother Fist and Her Five Daughters.”
I remember buying “Untitled” used on vinyl years ago. It was brought on a lark, particularly since I had just gotten my first steady job. Later on, when I first got into Psychic TV, I was happy to find Marc Almond listed in the credits from the “Dreams Less Sweet” album. Also brought on vinyl was Marc’s second collaboration with Foetus called Flesh Volcano. Come to think of it, much of my teenage vinyl, ranging from PTV to Coil had Marc Almond doing guest vocals.
And so finally I get to the subject of the album cover art itself. After all, Marc’s portrait on “Untitled” helped persuade me to purchase this record many moons ago. That distinction goes to an amazing artist named Val Denham. If you don’t know who Val Denham is, well, you should. She’s a fantastic transgender artist and musician. She’s not only done work for Almond, but for Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV, and compilations put out by the Some Bizarre music label. Here’s the link to her work, and bio:
http://www.valdenham.com/
Lastly, influenced by Marc and The Mambas and Val Denham, here’s my quickie artwork of Marc Almond. Here I used basic pen and ink, created tonight. Well, it is just a quick sketch. Enjoy.
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The Odd Couple
Posted in art, comics and illustrations, Illustration, life, pop culture, television, Uncategorized, tagged art, black and white sketch, classic television, comedy, fan art, felix unger, illustration, illustrations, jack klugman, michele witchipoo, michele witchipoo artwork, michele witchipoo illustration, My Strife in Court, My Strife in Court odd couple episode, odd couple, odd couple fan art, oscar madison, pen and ink, pop culture, pop culture commentary, sitcom, sitcom television, sketch, television, the odd couple, the odd couple fan art, tony randall on January 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
“On November 13, Felix Unger was asked to remove himself from his place of residence. That request came from his wife. Deep down, he knew she was right, but he also knew that someday, he would return to her. With nowhere else to go, he appeared at the home of his childhood friend, Oscar Madison. Several years earlier, Madison’s wife had thrown him out, requesting that he never return. Can two divorced men share an apartment without driving each other crazy?”
I grew up watching reruns of “The Odd Couple.” Really didn’t pay too much attention at the time. Although I do remember the chemistry of putting opposed personalities together. In real life, combining roommates who are polar opposites would spell disaster. Yet for television it was comedy gold.
Actor Jack Klugman, who portrayed the proto-type slob Oscar Madison, passed away recently. He died Christmas Eve, December 24th, 2012. Hearing about his death made me curious about watching The Odd Couple again. So on New Year’s Day I watched the marathon on TV. Finally I got my money’s worth subscribing to basic cable. It was then I realized what a great show The Odd Couple actually was. Based on the play and film written by playwright Neil Simon, it showed the drastic difference between classic programing and today’s reality show fare.
Along with Klugman was actor Tony Randall. Randall portrayed Felix Unger, the personification of O.C.D. During it’s original broadcast supposedly the show never cracked the top ten in the ratings. Yet years later The Odd Couple is now considered classic television. One of the best Odd Couple episodes was “My Strife in Court.” Originally broadcast on February 16, 1973, Felix ends up in court when he gets falsely accused of scalping Broadway theater tickets. ‘Cause after all…when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me.
Sadly Tony Randall is also no longer with us. He passed away May 17, 2004. So while maybe Klugman and Randall are performing skits in the sitcom afterlife, I did this pen and ink sketch.
Enjoy my fan art of The Odd Couple.
The Odd Couple.
Pen and ink sketch. Done January 2013.
Drawn by Michele Witchipoo
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