Occasional Albums Thing 003 - M*ARX “Green Ginger Jive”

M*ARX is Gary Marx, and Gary Marx has been around. He was a founder member of the Sisters of Mercy with the prince of darkness himself, Andrew Eldritch. On departing the Sisters in 1985 he formed Goth rockers Ghost Dance with former Skeletal Family singer Anne-Marie Hurst (has anyone ever had a name less Goth than Anne-Marie ?). From 1997 to 2005, he worked as a teacher at Paul McCartney's Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. In 2003 he released his first solo album.

I’m guessing Gary Marx is about the same age as me so it’s no surprise that he is a Glam Rock fan. For those of my age Glam was the first big Pop Music phenomena we would have encountered. “Green Ginger Jive” is the sound of Suzi Quatro, Slade, Mott The Hoople, T-Rex and Bowie (there’s a song titled “Stardust #5”) bought into century 21 for those of us that wrote our favourite bands name on our knuckles and always made sure we were in front of the TV on Thursday evening for Top Of The Pops. Gary pulled in some mates to help out too and this album features vocal contributions from Wayne Hussey, John Rob and my brother, Miles Hunt.

Obviously the reason I’m interested in this album is because of Miles’ appearance. “Here Comes Seventeen” is a sleazy groover while “Dressed Up Messed Up Kid” has something of a Country vibe about it but it’s a cracking song, sung in duet with Jane Murphy. Another former Sister of Mercy, Wayne Hussey, manages to hide himself well on “Stone Cold Solid Gone” but sounds much more like himself on the T-Rex-tastic “Wicked Ways”.

The sound of those epic Mott The Hoople piano ballads (“The Ballad Of Mott The Hoople”, “Hymn To The Dudes”) is reflected in “4G (All The Way From Münster)”. Appropriately John Robb’s contribution to “Louder” tops off a stomping slice of boot-boy Glam. “Slingshot”, featuring Salvation’s Daniel Mass on vocals, comes at ya all Sigue Sigue Sputnik before they discovered technology.

Mr. Marx himself says of his creation “It’s me dressing up and playing at being Mick Ronson. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had making a record, and I think it shows”. Lyrical nods to Glam’s greats are scattered throughout (Slade’s “Play It Loud” is namechecked as is Mott’s “Born Late ‘58”). This is Glam in the image of Bolan, the Glitter Band, Suzi Quatro and those great “failed Glam” comps like “Boobs” and “Glitterbest", with a healthy dose of Mott and Bolan (“M-A-R-X”) stirred in.  Overall it isn’t that far removed from those classic “Glam-punk” singles by The Boys, “Brickfield Nights” and “The First Time”. “Green Ginger Jive” is a fun listen that doesn’t take itself that seriously, you can hear the good time Gary had making it.

Green Ginger Jive Trailer - https://youtu.be/6jxt42Q4bds?si=elljWK9qUAtJkr-7