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.
