Johnny Mars
Encyclopedia
Johnny Mars is an American
electric blues
harmonica player, singer, and songwriter. Over a long career, Mars has worked with Magic Sam
, Earl Hooker
, B.B. King, Jesse Fuller
, Spencer Davis
, Ian Gillan
, Do-Re-Mi
, Bananarama
and Michael Roach
.
, United States
to sharecropping
parents. His family regularly moved house when Mars was a youngster, but at the age of nine, he was presented with his first harmonica. When he was aged fourteen, and on the death of his mother, Mars and his younger siblings moved to New Paltz, New York
, and having left high school, Mars began playing in various clubs
in New York
. He signed a recording contract
with Mercury Records
whilst a member of a band named Burning Bush, and they recorded several sides with the label.
By the mid 1960s, Mars had moved to California
and formed the Johnny Mars Band, who found work but no recognition beyond their North California base. However, they toured with Magic Sam
, and played on the same bill as Earl Hooker
, B.B. King and Jesse Fuller
. After advice from Rick Estrin (Little Charlie & the Nightcats
), Mars toured the United Kingdom
in 1972, and subsequently recorded two albums there before fully relocating to London
in 1978. Mars worked with the record producer
, Ray Fenwick
, plus Spencer Davis
and Ian Gillan
. His 1984 album, Life on Mars, received critical acclaim.
In 1988, Mars was a guest musician on the Do-Re-Mi
album, The Happiest Place in Town. Mars later worked with Bananarama
on "Preacher Man
" (1990) and their 1991 cover
of "Long Train Running", appearing in the group's music video
for the former track. Mars also taught for 15 years in primary schools in England, and worked with teenagers in music projects. Mars continued touring across the UK and Europe
where he had a strong fan base. In 1992, Mars played at the San Francisco Blues Festival
. In 1999, Mars released Stateside, and On My Mind followed in 2003. In 2003 and 2004, Mars played with the The Barrelhouse Blues Orchestra.
More recently, Mars teamed up with the blues guitarist, Michael Roach
, and appeared at the Bath Music Festival (2008, UK), Pocono Blues Festival (US) and the Kastav Blues Festival (Croatia). In January 2010, the pair toured the Middle East.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
electric blues
Electric blues
Electric blues is a type of blues music distinguished by the amplification of the guitar, bass guitar, drums, and often the harmonica. Pioneered in the 1930s, it emerged as a genre in Chicago in the 1940s. It was taken up in many areas of America leading to the development of regional subgenres...
harmonica player, singer, and songwriter. Over a long career, Mars has worked with Magic Sam
Magic Sam
Samuel "Magic Sam" Gene Maghett was an American Chicago blues musician. Maghett was born in Grenada, Mississippi, United States, and learned to play the blues from listening to records by Muddy Waters and Little Walter...
, Earl Hooker
Earl Hooker
Earl Hooker was an American Chicago blues guitarist, perhaps best known for his slide guitar playing. Considered a "musician's musician", Hooker performed with blues artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, and John Lee Hooker as well as fronting his own bands...
, B.B. King, Jesse Fuller
Jesse Fuller
Jesse Fuller was an American one-man band musician, best known for his song "San Francisco Bay Blues".-Early life:...
, Spencer Davis
Spencer Davis
Spencer David Nelson Davis is a British musician and multi-instrumentalist, and the founder of the 1960s rock band, the Spencer Davis Group.-Early life:...
, Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
, Do-Re-Mi
Do-Re-Mi (band)
Do-Re-Mi aka Do-Ré-Mi were an Australian Rock/Pop band formed in Sydney in 1981 when Deborah Conway and Dorland Bray joined Helen Carter and later recruited Stephen Philip...
, Bananarama
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...
and Michael Roach
Michael Roach (musician)
Michael Roach is an expatriate American blues performer and educator, who has released six albums on the independent Stella Records label...
.
Biography
Mars was born in Laurens, South CarolinaLaurens, South Carolina
Laurens is a city in Laurens County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 9,916 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Laurens County.-History:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to sharecropping
Sharecropping
Sharecropping is a system of agriculture in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crop produced on the land . This should not be confused with a crop fixed rent contract, in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a fixed amount of...
parents. His family regularly moved house when Mars was a youngster, but at the age of nine, he was presented with his first harmonica. When he was aged fourteen, and on the death of his mother, Mars and his younger siblings moved to New Paltz, New York
New Paltz, New York
New Paltz is a town in Ulster County, New York, USA. The population was 14,003 at the 2010 census. The town is located in the southeastern part of the county and is south of Kingston, New York. New Paltz contains a village also with the name New Paltz...
, and having left high school, Mars began playing in various clubs
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He signed a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
whilst a member of a band named Burning Bush, and they recorded several sides with the label.
By the mid 1960s, Mars had moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and formed the Johnny Mars Band, who found work but no recognition beyond their North California base. However, they toured with Magic Sam
Magic Sam
Samuel "Magic Sam" Gene Maghett was an American Chicago blues musician. Maghett was born in Grenada, Mississippi, United States, and learned to play the blues from listening to records by Muddy Waters and Little Walter...
, and played on the same bill as Earl Hooker
Earl Hooker
Earl Hooker was an American Chicago blues guitarist, perhaps best known for his slide guitar playing. Considered a "musician's musician", Hooker performed with blues artists such as Sonny Boy Williamson II, Junior Wells, and John Lee Hooker as well as fronting his own bands...
, B.B. King and Jesse Fuller
Jesse Fuller
Jesse Fuller was an American one-man band musician, best known for his song "San Francisco Bay Blues".-Early life:...
. After advice from Rick Estrin (Little Charlie & the Nightcats
Little Charlie & the Nightcats
Little Charlie & the Nightcats is an American four-piece electric blues / jazz combo, consisting currently of guitarist Kid Andersen, harmonicist/lead vocalist Rick Estrin, bassist Lorenzo Farrell and drummer J...
), Mars toured the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1972, and subsequently recorded two albums there before fully relocating to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1978. Mars worked with the record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, Ray Fenwick
Ray Fenwick
Ray Fenwick is an English guitarist and session musician, best known for replacing Steve Howe in The Syndicats, and as the lead guitarist of Ian Gillan's post Deep Purple solo project, the Ian Gillan Band.-Biography:...
, plus Spencer Davis
Spencer Davis
Spencer David Nelson Davis is a British musician and multi-instrumentalist, and the founder of the 1960s rock band, the Spencer Davis Group.-Early life:...
and Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan
Ian Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
. His 1984 album, Life on Mars, received critical acclaim.
In 1988, Mars was a guest musician on the Do-Re-Mi
Do-Re-Mi (band)
Do-Re-Mi aka Do-Ré-Mi were an Australian Rock/Pop band formed in Sydney in 1981 when Deborah Conway and Dorland Bray joined Helen Carter and later recruited Stephen Philip...
album, The Happiest Place in Town. Mars later worked with Bananarama
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...
on "Preacher Man
Preacher Man
"Preacher Man" is a song recorded by English girl group Bananarama. It appears on the group's fifth studio album Pop Life and was released as the album's second single...
" (1990) and their 1991 cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Long Train Running", appearing in the group's music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the former track. Mars also taught for 15 years in primary schools in England, and worked with teenagers in music projects. Mars continued touring across the UK and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
where he had a strong fan base. In 1992, Mars played at the San Francisco Blues Festival
San Francisco Blues Festival
Debuting in 1973, the San Francisco Blues Festival is the longest running blues festival in the United States. Tom Mazzolini, the event's producer, founded the blues festival to educate the public about the history and evolution of the blues...
. In 1999, Mars released Stateside, and On My Mind followed in 2003. In 2003 and 2004, Mars played with the The Barrelhouse Blues Orchestra.
More recently, Mars teamed up with the blues guitarist, Michael Roach
Michael Roach (musician)
Michael Roach is an expatriate American blues performer and educator, who has released six albums on the independent Stella Records label...
, and appeared at the Bath Music Festival (2008, UK), Pocono Blues Festival (US) and the Kastav Blues Festival (Croatia). In January 2010, the pair toured the Middle East.
Discography
| Year | Title | Record label |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Blues from Mars | Polydor Polydor Records Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone... |
| 1976 | Oakland Boogie | Big Bear Big Bear Records Big Bear Records is a British record label setup in 1972 by Jim Simpson. It specialises in blues and jazz recordings.-Discographical data:*1972: Eddie "Guitar" Burns: Bottle Up And Go - Action ACMP 100 = BEAR 16... |
| 1980 | Mighty Mars | JSP JSP Records JSP Records is a British record label, founded in 1978 by John Stedman , releasing recordings by blues musicians such as Professor Longhair, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Witherspoon, Louisiana Red and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson. The label is based in London, England.JSP now predominantly releases remastered CDs... |
| 1984 | Life on Mars | Beat Goes On |
| 1994 | King of the Blues Harp | JSP |
| 1999 | Stateside | MM&K |
| 2003 | On My Mind | Springboard Productions |
External links
- Official website
- Johnny Mars at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...