Marc Jonson

Singer and songwriter Marc Jonson has enjoyed his greatest success writing songs for other artists, though he has won a cult following for his small but impressive body of recorded work. Jonson was born and raised on Long Island, New York, and began playing music and writing songs as a child. Not long after completing high school, Marc's music came to the attention of <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Vanguard+Records%22">Vanguard Records</a>, who signed him to a record deal. <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Vanguard%22">Vanguard</a> released Jonson's debut album, Years, in 1972, a polished but idiosyncratic exercise in baroque folk-pop with psychedelic shadows. After playing a few short tours to support Years, Jonson moved to New York City; though the album proved to be a commercial disappointment, he attracted a following on the New York club scene, and developed a reputation as a gifted songwriter. Jonson's songs were recorded by <a href="spotify:artist:1coQ4GcxuazfjZ0MP9JnBF">Robert Gordon</a> ("Are You Gonna Be the One"), <a href="spotify:artist:65Gh3BfK84aTIugiRCgLBA">Dave Edmunds</a> ("King of Love"), <a href="spotify:artist:2BbwJ8VxAFpJiFr7EHvcCW">the Roches</a> ("Love Radiates Around"), and <a href="spotify:artist:1iQbAecYvKMXhpaFg7oSRq">Paul Butterfield</a> ("Bad Love"), among many others. By 1992, Jonson had assembled a home recording studio, and he released a second album, 12 in a Room, under the name Mark Johnson. Last Night on the Rollercoaster followed in 2000, by which time Jonson had settled in Austin, Texas. Jonson continued to pursue his career as a songwriter, and developed a successful alliance with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Disney+Music%22">Disney Music</a>, penning tunes for companion albums tied into the movies Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, and Cars. In 2017, Jonson's little-heard debut gained a new lease on life when Years was reissued on CD by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Real+Gone+Music%22">Real Gone Music</a> and on vinyl by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Light+in+the+Attic%22">Light in the Attic</a>. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi