Mark Sandman facts for kids

Mark Sandman (born September 24, 1952 – died July 3, 1999) was an American singer, songwriter, and a talented musician who played many instruments. He also invented some musical instruments and wrote comics. Mark Sandman was known for his unique, deep voice and a bit of a mysterious personality. He was a big name in the indie rock music scene, especially in the Boston and Cambridge areas. He was also part of the blues-rock band Treat Her Right and started his own recording studio and music label called Hi-n-Dry.

Sadly, Mark Sandman passed away on July 3, 1999. He had a heart attack while performing at a concert in Italy and died right away. Many other bass players looked up to him because of his special "slow and murky" playing style. Famous musicians like Les Claypool, Mike Watt, and Josh Homme have said that Mark Sandman influenced their music.

Early Life of Mark Sandman

Mark Sandman was born into a Jewish American family in Newton, Massachusetts. After finishing college at the University of Massachusetts, he worked many different jobs. These included construction, driving a taxi, and even commercial fishing. Mark once mentioned that he often earned extra money from working overtime. This allowed him to take time off and travel to places like rural Colorado. Some of his songs, like "Thursday" and "The Jury," were inspired by his trips there.

Not much is known publicly about Mark Sandman's personal life. Fans often thought that many of his songs were about his own life, but he never confirmed this. Mark didn't like to answer questions about his private life or his jobs outside of music. He was especially private about his age. He would get upset if reporters tried to share it publicly. This might be because he was older than many other indie-rock musicians at the time.

Mark Sandman's Musical Journey

Mark Sandman formed the band Morphine in 1989. But he was also a member of several other bands. These included Treat Her Right, Sandman, Candy Bar, the Hypnosonics, and Supergroup. He also played as a guest with the Boston jazz band Either/Orchestra.

Mark often changed his musical instruments, and sometimes he even built them himself. He usually played a two-string slide bass guitar. This bass was tuned in a special way. He also played a "unitar," which was named after a one-string instrument from American blues music. Another instrument he used was a three-string slide bass. He sometimes mixed bass strings with guitar strings. This created unique instruments like the "basitar" and "tri-tar." These instruments were later used by the band The Presidents of The United States of America, who were good friends with Mark.

Mark's special instruments created a deep, flowing sound. When combined with Dana Colley's baritone saxophone, it made what Mark called "low rock." His deep singing voice completed this sound. He once told an interviewer, "We're just baritone people." He explained that all these low-sounding instruments together created a unique feeling. It "hits the body in a peculiar way that some people like a lot."

As a songwriter, Mark Sandman was inspired by writers of pulp fiction and crime writers. He also liked the poet Jack Kerouac.

During the years Morphine was active, the band released five albums. They also put out a collection of B-sides (extra songs). They toured a lot, both in the U.S. and other countries. Morphine became the second band to sign with Dreamworks Records. In the 1990s, Mark kept adding to his home recording studio in Cambridge. He used second-hand instruments and equipment. This studio became the band's unofficial home. They recorded many of their famous songs there using Mark's special ways of producing music.

The Twinemen Comic and Art

Besides being a musician, Mark Sandman was also a photographer and artist. He created a comic book called The Twinemen. It was about three human-like balls of twine who start a band. They become successful, break up, and then get back together.

The Twinemen comic also showed Mark's unique art style. He would combine a simple pen or pencil drawing with watercolor paints. Mark's art and photos were shown on the official Morphine website. Later, they were included in a DVD that came with the Sandbox box set.

After Mark's passing, Dana Colley, Billy Conway (who was the drummer for Treat Her Right and Morphine), and singer Laurie Sargent formed their own band. They named it Twinemen as a way to honor Mark Sandman.

His Passing and Lasting Legacy

Mark Sandman collapsed on stage on July 3, 1999. This happened at a concert in Palestrina, Italy. He passed away at 46 years old from a heart attack. His death has been linked to a lot of stress and the very hot temperature that night. After his death, Morphine stopped playing together. However, the remaining members briefly toured as Orchestra Morphine. This was a tribute to Mark and to support their album The Night, which was released after he passed.

In 2009, Dana Colley, Deupree, and Boston musician Jeremy Lyons formed a new group called Vapors of Morphine. This band still performs regularly in Boston and New Orleans.

Remembering Mark Sandman

The place where Massachusetts Avenue and Brookline Street meet in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is named in Mark Sandman's honor. It's called Mark Sandman Square. This square is right outside The Middle East, a music club Mark often visited.

The Mark Sandman Music Education Fund was started by his friends and family. Its goal was to help children in the Cambridge and Boston area learn musical instruments. This foundation is now called the Mark Sandman Music Project. It helps bring children and music together to support learning and creativity.

After Mark's death, Chris Ballew, Dana Colley, and Billy Conway recorded a tribute song. It was called "Gone Again Gone." A version of this song is on Chris Ballew's solo album, The Days are Filled With Years. A documentary film about Mark Sandman, called Cure for Pain: The Mark Sandman Story, was released in 2011.

Mark Sandman's Music Albums

Albums with Treat Her Right

• Treat Her Right (1986)
• Tied to the Tracks (1989)
• What's Good for You (1991)
• The Lost Album (2009)

Solo Albums

• Sandbox: The Music of Mark Sandman - 2004
• Cure For Pain : The Mark Sandman Story Bonus CD - 2012

Guest Appearances

With Either/Orchestra

• The Half-Life of Desire (1990)

With The Presidents Of The United States Of America

• II (The Presidents of the United States of America album) (1996)

With Tanya Donelly

• Beautysleep (2002)

Images for kids

• 

  Mark Sandman Square in Cambridge, MA (2008)

See also

In Spanish: Mark Sandman para niños