Eagle Mountain Times
by Ben Gish
When rock guitarist/singer/songwriter Mark Knight was last in Whitesburg, he was fronting a band of top-drawer musicians that included Gov’t Mule drummer Matt Abts and session bassist Paul Ill. While those who attended that March 15 show at Summit City were appreciative of seeing one of rock’s top drummers and a bass player who takes a back seat to no one (Ill’s work appears on Alicia Keys’ triple platinum album “As I Am” among others), it was Knight’s outstanding performance on lead guitar that drew the most praise.
While Knight’s work as a professional has always been well above average, it has been enjoyable to watch his growth as a musician and songwriter since he became the first national act to chance booking a show at Summit City — when the venue opened on July 31, 2007. Knight was touring then with fellow guitarist Mark Tremalgia. The duo performed a well-received acoustic set, but also helped pave the way for the appearance here of other national acts such as Jason Isbell, Michelle Malone, Justin Townes Earle, The Whigs and Company of Thieves.
Knight and Tramalgia had been guitarists with the Los Angeles band Bang Tango, whose single “Someone Like You” became a staple on MTV in 1989 and resulted in the group being unfairly lumped with the “hair metal” acts of that period. While his days with Bang Tango had long passed by the time Knight first appeared at Summit City, he was still honing his craft as a singer-songwriter. Knight’s artistic edge seems to have grown sharper each time a “mini tour” brings him back to Whitesburg and elsewhere in Central Appalachia. In fact, it is those twice-a-year tours that fueled many of the songs that make up Knight’s best work yet, his solo album Bone Rail Tight.
Released earlier this year, Bone Rail Tight features the work of Abts, bassist Tony Marsico (he’s worked with Neil Young, John Doe, Matthew Sweet) and Tramalgia. The album has drawn its share of critical acclaim and even captured the ear of the producers of Showtime network’s hit show “The Big C,” which included Knight’s “Poor Boy Blues” in an episode. The album also features several other songs based on Knight’s many visits from Los Angeles to Appalachia, including “Coal Miner Town,” “Rhonda,” and “Jimmy’s Lake.”
Knight has embarked on his second mini-tour of the 2011 and will be back in Whitesburg on Saturday night. Performing with Knight this time around will be Tremalgia, original Bang Tango drummer Tigg Ketler, and bassist Pedro Arevalo, who has been performing with Dickey Betts and Great Southern since 2004.
Mark Knight is the real deal. Once you hear his music, it’s clear that he is not only an extremely gifted guitarist but an insightful and prolific songwriter as well.
Born in North Hollywood, CA to a Las Vegas showgirl, Mark was orphaned at a year old when his mother tragically died of breast cancer. Raised by his nanny for the next year, as his biological father was never in the picture, Mark’s story takes a happy turn when the Knight family adopted him. He suddenly had three sisters and became part of a loving family living in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. Mark’s father sold professional audio mastering equipment to record companies and his mother was a homemaker.
The exposure to the recording industry through his father’s work ensured that music spoke to Mark early on, as the remedy for all ills. In the indescribable way that a true music lover connects with music and all of its intangibles, Mark would connect with certain songs that would prove to have great emotional impact on him and influence the direction of his life in ways that he could not yet comprehend. He borrowed a beat up classical guitar (which he still has!) and took a beginner’s guitar class in the 7th grade. That was it…he was hooked. His love of guitar became all consuming, as he practiced nonstop, sometimes to the detriment of his schoolwork.
Mark’s very first band was named for his father, Mickey Knight. By 16, he was already playing the Hollywood club circuit with his band, including gigs at the Troubadour. Friction within the band caused them to replace Mark as the lead guitarist, fueling a strong, rebellious adolescent desire for revenge and Mark soon formed a new band with bass player Kyle Kyle called Bang Tango. The rest of the band was comprised of guitarist Kyle Stevens, singer Joe Lesté, and drummer Tigg Ketler.
With Mark as the major songwriting force behind the band, Bang Tango landed a record deal with MCA Mechanics in 1989. Their debut album, Psycho Café, hit the Billboard charts and yielded the hit, “Someone Like You,” which was given considerable exposure on MTV as well. The original lineup sold over a million records but spilt up after recording five albums together.
Despite the breakup of the band, Mark never stopped composing and playing his music. Though not an easy transition, the next step was to get in front of the microphone to sing his own songs. Mark formed Worry Beads and recorded an album produced by the well-known vocalist and producer, Bernard Fowler, doing double duty as lead singer and guitar. Bernard coached Mark on his technique and helped build his confidence as a singer.
Mark’s latest album, Bone Rail Tight, is his first full-length solo effort with roots dating back several years. In 2006, Mark released a 5-track solo EP, Perfect American Family, featuring Matt Abts of Gov’t Mule on drums and Tony Marsico, a session player for Neil Young, Roger Daltrey and Matthew Sweet, on bass. Mark’s fans loved the EP, but everyone had the same reaction: “It’s too short!” With the help of Perfect American Family producer, Tom Lavin, Mark dove headlong into writing songs for a new album, all the while recording a second Worry Beads record. Fitting in sessions whenever Matt, Tony and many of Mark’s other talented friends were available, Bone Rail Tight was recorded as a labor of love in an intimate private studio with impressive results. Mark’s loyal fans immediately connected with the new direction he was moving in and unequivocally embraced Bone Rail Tight on iTunes as well as turning out in support at shows both in Los Angeles and on tour in the Southeast soon after the release.
While others are content to trade on past glories, Mark has pushed himself to hone and perfect his craft. While he enjoys getting together to play familiar songs with old friends, his focus is clearly on making new music and collaborating with the finest musicians available. This latest collection shows Mark at his best: vocals upfront and personal, guitars holding pride of place in the mix. It’s the album he has always wanted to make and showcases his unique and signature style and soul.
