7 September 2020

Review: Richard Marks – Love Is Gone. The Lost Sessions 1969-1977

To the few obsessives in the know, Richard Marks (Never to be confused with Richard Marx), had carved his name into the Southern Soul Monument when he died in 2006. His output confined to the obscure but legendary labels such as Tuska, Shout and Free Spirit. A compilation of his work Never Satisfied was posthumously released in 2015.

Marks never troubled the charts but his work as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter often bought him into contact with those that did; Al Green, Barry White, Eddie Kendricks… Thankfully the good people at Now-Again Reserve tracked down Richard’s tapes that he kept in his home which covers his most productive period from ‘60s, through to his more mature releases into the late ‘70s.

His voice ranges from the silkier Sam Cooke/Al Green China Doll to the pleading growl of Otis Redding Love is Gone but for me he comes to life on the acoustic numbers such as I’m With You Love and the sublime Love and Hate. He was no slouch on the electric either, check out the guitar groove of Funky Four Corners.

Listening to this album is like a junk shop find that you know you’re going to start obsessing about after hearing the first track.