the leopards & the avengers

"Old Doug Henry lost an ear when he crossed my path
called himself 'Jesus', well that's what he said to me!"

Sister Pat Hall? The Cosmic Choir?

"Another 35 tracks in the can, man!"
Oh! No! Marc's bragging again.....and a soul album finished!

another on the way, along with the books of poetry.....a Jazz label appearing....

and this is the middle of 1973 when most people don't believe a word anymore.....he's even often talking about producing his own albums and ditching the master, Visconti....this is just nonsense and bravado, isn't it?

At the time everyone thought so. The UK press really enjoyed having a go. However, there were thirty-odd tracks in the can, many of which are stunning. There was an almost-complete soul album, featuring one of his backing singers, Pat Hall. It was of "master" quality which suggested an intended release. Some of the songs were revamped well-known songs but with vastly-different funky arrangements (to suit the genre).

If they'd have come out at that time people would have been astonished that Marc could have produced such stuff. More staggering is the fact that he was miles ahead of the pack in arriving at soul / R 'n B. Bowie had a go in August 74 and carried on into 75. Marc had told everyone he was sticking to rock and there was little to suggest a move away from the chugging trademark sound, which many became bored with.

On the Zinc Alloy album (the one with the 35 songs!) there are some great funk expressions. Superbad (the Avengers) is a brilliant confident strut through the bluesy funk of North America, replete with a close-miked vocal and a lovely guitar meandering over the mix. If this had been Bowie the music press would have been extolling "genius."
But this is Marc - he's crap!

Then there is the stripped-down cowboy funk of the Leopards. This is staggering. It is a bold statement for a supposed pop-star (washed-up, no less). Pop-stars don't make music like this. There had been boasts beforehand of some Neil Young sounds, which, of course, produced laughter and derision in equal measure. And, though this clearly doesn't sound like Neil Young, the attitude to upset a listener is present. But it doesn't offend the ear. It's one of the oddest things you'd ever hear on a mass-market record. Imagine an album full of this kind of approach, laid-back, cool with magnificent soul backing singing from Gloria Jones & Pat Hall. It's as fresh today as ever.

Though Visconti found some of these sessions tough (the drink & drugs were causing mayhem), he must be proud of the tracks which did work. There are a couple of other joys,too, like the fun Interstellar Soul (more cowboy funk with pedal-steel from B.J. Cole no less) in which the backing singing delivers a self-mocking (and dig) punch at the zeitgeist. Sound Pit sounds like it's lifted from a black record - the only link with T.Rex is the band's name. However, even that had gone - but that's another tale.

Years later the Pat Hall sessions are released and, apart from a couple of things which would have needed tweaking in terms of arrangement, it bears witness to a talent far richer and diverse than anyone would have considered then. It probably shocked a few others when it turned up.

There have been other releases too which have raised eyebrows - Richard Jones's tracks reveal even more of an empathy with black music. Richard was Gloria Jones' brother and he was a constant source of LA musical influence on Marc. There is talk of Marc & Bowie jollying on one of the great unreleased soul classics, the magnificent Motown-inspired "Walking Through That Door." Some clown described it as a mediocre Rubettes-type disco thing. To put Marc & Bowie in the same bracket as that kind of sh and 1t is at best ignorant and at worse a fucking insult!

Pat Hall had an astounding range. I wonder what caused the shelving of the project. Personal? Who knows? But there's no doubt - there are signs here of depth and a remarkable work-ethic.

Imagine taking the piss out of this character - even if his head was shot at this time.....ridiculous.

As Pat & Gloria say, "Bullshit! Bullshit!"