Marc had previously hinted that his 2010 album Varieté would be his last recording to feature his own original material. but famed English producer and songwriter Chris Braide, a huge fan of Marc’s work, set to change his mind and succeeded after sending him a trio of tracks written especially for Marc.
“I simply had to get in touch to try and tempt him to do the exact opposite. It was such an absurd idea to think there would be no more new Marc Almond original songs. This is the man who wrote ‘Say Hello Wave Goodbye’ and we need more of those passionate, unique and original songs. Just like Bowie and Bolan before him, he’s a true original” says Braide.
Marc explains “I felt the songwriting muse had left me, possibly forever. Then an email arrived with three instrumental tracks. I got goose bumps. I was blown away. Chris had an understanding of the chord changes I adored, of the sounds I loved; songs in minor keys with big dark dramatic pianos and strings. I sat down to write, both excited and inspired. Three songs were written in a matter of days: ‘Minotaur’ a dramatic song about rage and animal passions, ‘Scar’ a torch song about deception and ‘Winter Sun’, a melancholic reflective song about fading love”.
“Some of the songs have a more personal melancholy, reflective and evocative, like the title track ‘The Velvet Trail’, a song about memories, nostalgia, childhood and death. So it is too with the song ‘The Pain of Never’ (Chris Braide’s personal favourite). Chris wanted to create his ultimate Marc Almond record, electric, lush, emotional, dark and sexy and I felt inspired by his tunes and production to deliver just that”. He then explains the seamless format of the album: “Chris saw the record as one journey, one record you put on from beginning to end, linking tracks with musical interludes. This a reaction against the downloaded digital age, where individual tracks are taken or albums re-arranged in different orders. I always see my records as a show running from beginning to end that takes you on a ride”.
The Velvet Trail is an album that wasn’t supposed to exist – born from a spontaneous, organic inspirational process. It wasn’t just written and recorded, but felt and created. For all those who love Marc Almond’s work and those who just love true music and the emotions it generates, this is one not to be missed.
How do you feel about fame, and how have your thoughts on the subject changed over the years?
Marc: Fame was something I found hard to adjust to at first but its become part of my life so I live with and most of the time don’t even think about it. I get recognised everywhere but my friends who I’m with notice it more than me. I try to avoid the whole celebrity thing as much as possible and not get too caught in its trap.
Something which you mention in one or two interviews, is the idea that suffering can be a spur to creativity. Is that something you’ve felt in your own life?
They say that happiness is the enemy of work and creativity. Certainly some of my best songs and performances have come from bad times. When I’m writing songs and I’m feeling happy I just think back to bad times and tell myself the happiness won’t last. It rarely does.
The Soft Cell song Frustration dealt with the perils of being ordinary. Is it any consolation that, despite everything you’ve been through, you’ve at least managed to evade ordinariness?
I’ve had a very interesting life so far and it keeps being interesting, projects like The Tyburn Tree for example which I find challenging. Those are the things I like to find now, challenges. My saying is ‘its not about the future or about the past, its all about the ride’ and so far the ride has been quite exciting.
I understand that John Peel got you into music by listening to his show as a schoolboy – can you share some of your memories of how that made you feel?
I think that John Peel was many young persons education in music. I used to love his live sessions and record them and years later did sessions of my own for him. I first heard Marc Bolan on John Peel and became a lifelong fan.
Which were your favourite bands back then?
When I first listened to John Peel I loved Progressive Rock and Blues Rock but I listened to him throughout the years until I loved Punk Rock and he played the cream of British and American Punk. There’s never been anyone like him.
What was that the moment you knew you wanted to be a singer?
I stood up in the class and sang She’s Leaving Home by The Beatles for a subject we were doing in English class. I must have been mad. I was in the choir, the usual things but when I was singer in a local band at 17 I got the bug. I never dreamed of being successful.
Now with more than 30 years to look back with a fresh perspective, How do you feel about Tainted Love?
I have a great fondness for Tainted Love and I’ll always be happy to sing it, it gets such a great reaction for people. When I tour with Jools Holland and his band, which I’m doing all this year, we do a big Band version with brass which works so well. I couldn’t exactly pinpoint its continuous success, its very infectious and its timeless simple mix of synthesizer and vocal still gives it a modern sound. Its been sampled by so many artists its in peoples DNA now. It also is a big part of people’s treasured memories. Both Dave Ball and I were both fans of 60’s 70’s Northern Soul records but it was Dave (the other half of Soft Cell) who bought the record to my attention and Gloria was Marc Bolan’s wife. That made me notice it above other tracks, that and the great title.
