Alright, so having to play bass wasn't all bad. It does, after all, seemed to have worked out okay. Back in high school, Mark's
older brother, Phil, was putting a band together with his friend, Mike. They needed a bass man - not another guitar.
That band was Topaz; a pretty successful 1st time venture that definitely made some money playing all the Irish bars
in the area. From there Mark went on to be in a bunch of bands, some worth mentioning, some not so much. The short
list of the worth mentioning: Horizon, Social Loafers, Hazard, Just In Time, Hawks And Doves.
And the not so much? Ruff Rider (painful but good learning
experience), Super Fox (I think that name just about says it all), and UAS - Un-Announced
Special (aka U All Suck coined by his dear friend, Jeff Sanson).
Can't jump too ugly on UAS 'cause that's when Mark (and Phil) got to meet
Pete. Not as a drummer but as the light guy. That's right - LIGHT GUY. In those days, Pete's
flat rate of 25 bucks for running lights meant he often got paid more than the band did. Oh, well. It wasn't long
before they figured out that UAS must be stopped and paved the way for Hazard, Mark's first truly GOOD band.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Many people think of Mark as singer
first. That's understandable. The guy can blast you out the door with "Roadhouse Blues" and then
go and give you chills on Journey's "Faithfully". Though growing up listening to The Beatles and
Yes also gave Mark a real appreciation for musicianship and the power that bass has over the music even
while seeming to be under it. He says, "There's a subtlety to bass playing that only the real experienced
guys recognize and bring to the instrument." I guess ... but when he takes the Warwick hammer
to "Won't Get Fooled Again", I'm not thinking subtle.
