The group's initial line-up came together in Toronto in 1977, when David Millar asked his fellow Ontario College of Art student Mark Gane to help him start a band. Millar recruited Martha Johnson to play keyboards; Johnson brought in a friend from high school, Carl Finkle, to play bass; and Gane's brother Tim signed on as the drummer.
With Millar and Mark Gane as guitarists, and Johnson as lead vocalist, this is the line up that debuted at an Ontario College of Art Hallowe'en party in October 1977.
They chose the name "Martha and the Muffins" to distance themselves from the aggressive names adopted by many punk bands of the era. According to Mark Gane: "We decided to use it as a temporary name until we could all agree on something better."
The name ended up sticking for the next seven years.
Danseparc was Martha and the Muffins' fourth album, recorded in 1982 at Grant Avenue Studios in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and released in 1983. The title single reached #31 in Canada.
A new label, and the beginnings of a name change.
Working with Daniel Lanois again, M + M managed to produce another album full of beautiful, layered sound, not entirely unlike the previous release, This Is the Ice Age.
In fact the two releases are good companions. Mark Gane and Martha Johnson, the writers and main creative forces behind the band, once again expand the pop music form into ambient sounds mixed with solid dance beats, augmented by thought-provoking lyrics and top-notch playing.
And, not forgetting the wonderful layered sounds created from a variety of sources, from the powerful, driving "Obedience" to the somber, yet beautiful "Sins of Children" and the almost bittersweet, beat driven yet melodic "Danseparc (Every Day It's Tomorrow)."
An excellent album, and once again, the band shows a continuation, yet also a progression from their prior releases. It's also amazing to hear how far they have come since their Metro Music debut a mere four years prior to the release of this album.
Track listing
1. Obedience (Martha Johnson) - 3:28
2. World Without Borders (Mark Gane, Johnson) - 3:05
3. Walking into Walls (Gane, Johnson) - 2:56
4. Danseparc (Every Day It's Tomorrow) (Gane, Johnson) - 3:18
5. Sins of Children (Johnson) - 5:35
6. Several Styles of Blonde Girls Dancing (Gane, Johnson) - 5:50
7. Boys in the Bushes (Gane) - 4:42
8. What People Do for Fun (Johnson) - 4:00
9. Whatever Happened to Radio Valve Road? (Gane, Johnson, Jocelyne Lanois, Nick Kent) - 2:51
Personnel
- Martha Johnson - guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Mark Gane - guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Jocelyne Lanois - bass
- Nick Kent - drums, percussion
with:
- Daniel Lanois - treatments
- Nick Gane - synthesizer, piano
- Glenn Schellenberg - synthesizer
- Dick Smith - percussion
- Ron Allen - saxophone
- John Oswald - saxophone
- Debbie Griffiths - background vocals
Companies, etc.
- Manufactured By – RCA Inc.
- Distributed By – RCA Inc.
- Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Current Records Limited
- Copyright © – RCA Inc.
- Pressed By – Cinram
- Printed By – Ever Reddy
- Recorded At – Grant Avenue Studio
- Lacquer Cut At – McClear Place
Credits
- Artwork – Mark Gane
- Co-producer – Mark Gane, Martha Johnson
- Cover – Mark Gane
- Layout – Peter Noble
- Photography By [Back Cover] – Peter Noble
- Producer, Engineer – Daniel Lanois
Notes
Release Date: 1983
Recording Date: 1982 - August 15, 1983
Recording Location: Grant Ave. Studio, Hamilton, Canada / The Forum, Ontario Place, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genre: New Wave, Post-Punk
Duration: 54:03
Label - RCA
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