Marc Almond to release a new album of specially selected covers
By Dan Biggane | March 19, 2024
Marc Almond announces new album of covers and UK Tour…
Marc Almond has revealed that his new album, I’m Not Anyone, will be a carefully curated album of covers.
Whether with his rich solo catalogue or during his time with the iconic Soft Cell, the singer has always possessed a gift for introducing songs – some lesser known, others a little forgotten by time – to new audiences.
Marc says: “A great song can never die and should always find a new life and audience… I can’t simply just sing any song; I have to feel that if I could I would have written it myself – it’s just that someone else said it first, and far better than me.”
The LP, released on 12 July, draws from a number of different genres, from psychedelic and prog rock to folk, gospel and soul. It promises to be a mature album with a young heart.
Elusive Butterfly
The first taste of the record comes in the form of a sublime take on Bob Lind’s esoteric 1965 folk classic Elusive Butterfly. With its eternal themes of the beauty of nature, the transitory nature of life and the elusiveness of love, Marc’s version comes in the tradition of previous interpretations of the song by the likes of Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, Cher and Dolly Parton.
Listen below:
The title track, Paul Anka’s I’m Not Anyone, is the centrepiece of the album, a passionate and emotional ballad about defiance and pride with Marc’s trademark emotive drama.
I’m Not Anyone tracklisting:
1. I’m The Light (originally by Blue Cheer)
2. Reflections Of My Life (Marmalade)
3. Gone With The Wind (Is My Love) (Rita & The Tiaras/Gloria Jones)
4. I Talk To The Wind (King Crimson)
5. Elusive Butterfly (Bob Lind)
6. I’m Not Anyone (Paul Anka / Sammy Davis Jr.)
7. Smokey Day (Colin Blunstone)
8. Trouble Of The World (Mahalia Jackson)
9. Look To Your Soul (Johnny Rivers)
10. Chain Lightning (Don McLean)
11. Lonely Looking Sky (Neil Diamond)
Got It Covered
Marc says: “I always approach curating an album of covers with a lot of joy as it means a year or so of listening to songs, old and new, making lists from which I add or subtract songs and in the process discover, or rediscover, some half-forgotten gems. Living now in Portugal, I’ve found the time to not only reflect on my life but to also rediscover my love for music and songs.
“I finally reached a selection of songs that express where I am in my life today and how I feel about the world and my place in it. These aren’t particularly storytelling songs (though for me, lyrics always come first) but more than ever this time I’ve gone for how a song makes me feel and the emotional resonance it holds – reflective songs for an older artist, perhaps.
New Light
“I don’t change a song too much, take it too far away from why I like it. Too much emphasis is made on reinvention. I like to think that I’m bringing a song in a new light to my audience who might not have heard it before or haven’t considered it until they’ve heard me sing it. Then they may re-evaluate it.
“I could go through the album song by song but that takes away the joy of how you may hear it, and to me what is important is the overall feel. Sometimes why I choose a song over another is not always even clear to me, it is just a feeling and something of the moment. A choice has to be settled on and the discipline of track limitation means sometimes I just have to go with what I feel on that day when I commit. I always hope the choices are right, but the album is what it finally is, and I live with it.”
Diverse Career
2024 marks the anniversary of Marc Almond’s 45th year in music and a career of breathtaking diversity that’s taken in chart topping pop, cutting-edge electronica, torch songs, orchestral ballads, French chansons, historical song-cycles, jazz, flamenco, Russian folk and much more.
He will follow the album’s release with a major UK headline tour in September. In the spirit of the new album, the concert tour will consist only of cover songs, and the UK shows will be followed by selected European dates.
He will also tour as special guest of Jools Holland from the end of October through to Christmas, including two London shows at the Royal Albert Hall on November 29 and 30.
Marc Almond’s headline tour:
SEPTEMBER
8 – Leeds, Grand Theatre
9 – London, Coliseum
11 – Brighton, Dome
14 – Manchester, Bridgewater Hall
15 – Gateshead, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music Sage 1
16 – Birmingham, Symphony Hall
18 – Bristol, Beacon
21 – Edinburgh, Usher Hall
22 – New Brighton, Floral Pavilion Theatre
Fans who pre-order I’m Not Anyone will receive access to a ticket pre-sale which opens at 9am on Thursday, March 21. Click here
It remains live until remaining tickets go on general sale at 9am on Tuesday, March 26. Click here
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