Martha & The Muffins!
Brian Dear
One of my fave groups of the early 80s was Martha and the Muffins.
Anyone else ever hear them? WHFS (pre-Annapolis -- we're talking
Bethesda, MD at FM102.3) was where I first heard them.
Are they still around? I only found one album (forget the name)
which I still listen to from time to time. The "hit" from the
album was "Women around the world at work".
Neat group. Canadians, I think.
Curious to know if anyone else on the 'Net has heard of 'em.
-- brian dear
coconut computing, inc.
la jolla, california
Michael David Jones
>One of my fave groups of the early 80s was Martha and the Muffins.
>Anyone else ever hear them? WHFS (pre-Annapolis -- we're talking
>Bethesda, MD at FM102.3) was where I first heard them.
>Are they still around? I only found one album (forget the name)
>which I still listen to from time to time. The "hit" from the
>album was "Women around the world at work".
>Neat group. Canadians, I think.
>Curious to know if anyone else on the 'Net has heard of 'em.
Yup. They got a lot of play on a local commercial alternative station
(WQBK) and college station (WRPI) in those days. If I remember
correctly, the album you have is titled "Life in the Ice Age". Their
"big hit" was actually from the album before that; it was titled "Metro
Music", and the song was "Echo Beach". I think they had a third album,
but I've never seen it. They have at least a "best of" collection
available on CD. I do believe they were Canadian; the cover of "Metro
Music" is part of a map of Toronto.
Mike Jones | jon...@rpi.edu
Axiom on thinking :
Beware of people who tell you that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing -
unless they quickly add that no knowledge is a fatal thing. They are trying
to make you more vulnerable, not more wise.
- Thomas Szasz, "Heresies"
Brian Lindsay
>coc...@crash.cts.com (Brian Dear) writes:
>>One of my fave groups of the early 80s was Martha and the Muffins.
>>Anyone else ever hear them?
>
>(WQBK) and college station (WRPI) in those days. If I remember
>correctly, the album you have is titled "Life in the Ice Age". Their
>"big hit" was actually from the album before that; it was titled "Metro
>Music", and the song was "Echo Beach". I think they had a third album,
>but I've never seen it.
I'm no Martha & The Muffins expert, but here's a few more details:
After some lineup changes, Martha & The Muffins became M+M for a few
albums: Danseparc, and two(?) others (World is a Ball?, Magic Walk?) whose titles
escape me right now. They were essentially just a duo at the end, and
left for the UK and seemed to have disappeared for a few years. But
I recently saw a new video, and it seems they're back calling themselves
Martha and the Muffins again.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------
The opinions expressed above are solely those of Brian Lindsay
--------------------------------------------------------------
Danny O'Bedlam
>I'm no Martha & The Muffins expert, but here's a few more details:
>After some lineup changes, Martha & The Muffins became M+M for a few
>albums: Danseparc, and two(?) others (World is a Ball?, Magic Walk?) whose titles
>escape me right now. They were essentially just a duo at the end, and
M + M means Mark and Martha (Mark Gane and Martha Johnson).
Yeah they were pretty much a duet at the end, but they had some great
backup musicians on the last couple albums... MYSTERY WALK and WORLD IS A BALL.
Last 12" single I got is for "Song In My Head".
--
Danny Lieberman = d...@panix.com c/o Society for Electronic Access
PO Box 3131, Church St Station New York, NY, 10008-3131 [USA]
Michael S. A. Robb
>
>One of my fave groups of the early 80s was Martha and the Muffins.
>Anyone else ever hear them? WHFS (pre-Annapolis -- we're talking
>Bethesda, MD at FM102.3) was where I first heard them.
>
groups including Martha and the Muffins (Track titled "Echo Beach").
I have not heard from them for a long time.
Can you tell us the name of the album - it sounds worth buying.
Cheers,
Michael
--
| Michael S. A. Robb | Tel: +44 31 554 9424 | /\ _____ /\
| Software Engineer | Fax: +44 31 554 0649 | //\\/ O O \//\\
| Spider Systems Limited | E-mail: | // ~\ \_/ /~ \\
| Edinburgh, EH6 5NG | mich...@spider.co.uk | _// ~~~~~ \\_
John Bradley
> >>I think they had a third album,,but I've never seen it.
>
> "Ice Age" _was_ their third (and last) album. The one in between was "Trance and
> Dance", 1980/1. Easily their best. There was at least one single, "About
> Insomnia", which I also used to have - I don't whether there were any others
Did you say "Ice Age" was their best or "Trance & Dance"? I thought "Ice Age"
was quite good just from hearing a few cuts. I am familiar with "Metro Music"
"Trance Dance" and "Dansparc" (M+M). I stopped following them after Dansparc.
Just never had the time to keep up with them. For me, they were other musical
styles to explore and their current style, though solid, did not hold my
attention. Okay they sucked after Dansparc :) (IMO)
>
> "Lineup changes" is putting it a bit mildly. If I recall aright, two <chop>
> band, Martha Johnson and Mark something-or-other, continued as a duo, M+M.
Yes, someone mentioned Mark Gane. I really liked Dansparc as it was a new
and I got to catch this tour. They were pretty good live, a lot of fun. The
band was very tight.
The producer of the latest U2 albums (not Eno but his friend...can't recall
his name....SHIT I should know his name. He has a solo album Acadie(sp?))
Anyways, he helped out on this album and his sister was played AND toured
with the M+M during the Dansparc tour. I guess this is why I like this
album quite a bit. I know someone can name this guy, I just drew a blank.
Later,
John
Chris Brooks
Martha and the Muffins were a "project" put together by some super-producer
(Daniel Lanois?) and/for his wife (the aforementioned "Martha"). They released
something like 4-5 albums and changed their name to "M+M" on Mystery Walk which
had the alternative hit "Black Stations/White Stations". They were part of the
new wave of music that hit in the late 70's through mid-80's. Why they changed
their name probably had to do with Tipper Gore, et al (at least that's what I
remember) and possibly some personnel changes (minor). A group called
"Kissing the Pink" did the same, changing to "KTP" (directly due to Tipper,
et al). I think they were out of Toronto? (I remember they were Canadian).
In retrospect, I like them "way more" than most other bands of that era, ie.
they have aged gracefully and I still listen to a "best of" tape I made of them
quite a bit. They got a bunch of airplay locally on KTCL (a damn fine
alternative station).
If you're really hot on 'em, let me know and I'll summarize what I can find
out about them in various record guides.
CBB
Eric G. Lawton
In article <1993May16.203033.18125@crash> coc...@crash.cts.com (Brian
Dear) writes:
> Curious to know if anyone else on the 'Net has heard of 'em.
Yeah, I have their first LP entitled 'Metro Music'. The song 'Echo Beach'
had some mild airplay in the Ann Arbor/Detroit area where I grew up. Cool
stuff.
> Neat group. Canadians, I think.
I'm pretty sure they're from Toronto. The jacket for 'Metro Music' is a
close up of a city map of Toronto - if I recall correctly.
I know of at least two other LP's. I can't recall the names off-hand (the
words 'dance trance' spring to mind though). My roomate in college had
one of these LP's - pretty good stuff. I think after an LP or two they
began to refer to themselves as M+M .
Is this stuff available on CD? I'll have to dust off my LP and give it a
spin.
echo beach, faraway in time .... echo beach, faraway in time .....
-Eric
Eric G. Lawton (Speaking for myself, not my employer)
Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Co.
law...@l13ld.jsc.nasa.gov
lawton%ec...@jesnic.jsc.nasa.gov
Eric G. Lawton
Yeah, I have their first LP entitled 'Metro Music'. The song 'Echo Beach'
had some mild airplay in the Ann Arbor/Detroit area where I grew up. Cool
stuff.
> Neat group. Canadians, I think.
I'm pretty sure they're from Toronto. The jacket for 'Metro Music' is a
Eric G. Lawton
In article <1993May16.203033.18125@crash> coc...@crash.cts.com (Brian
Dear) writes:
> Curious to know if anyone else on the 'Net has heard of 'em.
Yeah, I have their first LP entitled 'Metro Music'. The song 'Echo Beach'
had some mild airplay in the Ann Arbor/Detroit area where I grew up. Cool
stuff.
> Neat group. Canadians, I think.
I'm pretty sure they're from Toronto. The jacket for 'Metro Music' is a
Gerald T. Pirrung
article posted three times in succession?????
(It happened to me yesterday, and I haven't the foggiest idea why!)